J. Phil Thien's Projects

Thanks Peter, I searched and read for about an hour and a half this morning and couldn't find anything. Don't know if I scimmed over it or was searching for the wrong terms.

I think I'm done reading. I've read where people say you need 5" and then I've read where people use 6" and that works. So far all I definetly know is that I've got a headache from all the information. :o I would rather go with 6" incase I upgrade to a larger DC in the future. I think I'll just go buy a piece of 6" pipe and an elbo, dump a hand full of dust and shavings in it, and if it sucks it up through the pipe around the corner I'm fine.

Quote from: retired2 on March 02, 2012, 08:01:03 AM

Peter, your post should be in 24 pt bold red text and anchored to the top of this thread.  Over and over again, I see people fretting over whether to choose between 4" and 6" pipe, when in fact the best size is 5" for the majority of DC's being used by people on this forum. 

There are certainly situations where 4" or 6" is the correct size, but a lot of people make the mistake of using those sizes when they should be using 5".  And they make this mistake for one of two reasons.

1) They don't want to take the time to learn how to do the calculations.  It is not rocket science,  but you have to be willing to invest a little time.  Along with that goes the mistaken belief that bigger is always better.

2) 5" pipe is not readily available at their local big box store.  Well, I say go to an HVAC supply house.  They sell it just as cheap as the big box stores that do carry it, and it will likely be higher quality.

Where can one find out how to do these calculations?

Quote from: Dougp28704 on March 02, 2012, 06:28:53 AM
I think you have to either trust the math, or spend the money and see how it works.

On another subject, I just posted a question ?round to rectangular?. What I made last night looks like your inlet. Well, Kind of like it. Mine isnt quite as pretty. Yours is one piece with no cuts, right?

Yes, it was made from one piece of 6" round pipe. No cuts. Just bent the corners where I wanted them.

Is there a simple way to do a real world test on this? (other than spending a couple hundred of dollars on pipe?)

My only experience with this is going from a 4 inch to a 6 inch pipe on the outlet side of the tophat to the DC in wich worked alot better as I dumped saw dust in the inlet.

Here is my setup...

I just cut out a 6 inch circle with a 4 7/8 hole in the middle of it out of plywood. I hose clamped the pipe to the ring and the ring to the collector is just a friction fit.

I have a HF 2 HP and just finished a top hat version with a six inch inlet and outlet. I originally built it with the six inch ports just in case in the future I wanted to move up to larger pipe. Playing with it to see how it works I had a four inch outlet going to the DC. On my finale hook up I ran a six inch pipe from the outlet of the separator to the DC. Dropping handfuls of sawdust in the inlet I could see a huge difference between the smaller and larger pipe. There?s allot more speed and air volume using the six inch. With the 4 inch I could watch pieces and dust make the turn down into the drop slot. With the six inch the dust is moving too fast to see it happen.

Needless to say I will be getting rid of what 4 inch pipe I have and working my way to 6 inch.

Just wanted to say thank you to Phil and everyone else here for sharing their ideas on this separator. I?ve been lurking for a few weeks soaking in information. Over the weekend I got a chance to start on a top hat design. So far it?s probably about 90% complete.  This afternoon I rigged up a hose to the top and I have to say it works great!

Anyways, just wanted Phil and everyone else to know that their work is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!