Emtying the Can

[Nukeman]

Seems to me the biggest pain in the neck is emtying the can when full. The last time I had to empty I got a little lazy and stuck my shopvac hose into the can and just sucked out the wood chips into the shopvac, then emptied that. Which got me thinking (a dangerous prospect). When next I modify, I am going to install a closeable shopvac port in the bottom of the chip barrel. Then when I need to empty, I can just hook up and suck away. Maybe one could even rig up a way to use the shopvac and "pump" the chips directly into another can with a bag. Have to take the shopvac filter off, maybe, and hook a second hose to the "goes out" side of the vac. Any thoughts out there?

[tenfingers]

I must say using your shop vac as a dust+chip pump won't work. The air through the vac is also used to cool the motor. If you remove the filter the dust and chips will clog up the motor before escaping the "goes out" hose .

[tvman44]

Sounds like double work to me. :(

[Nukeman]

Thanks for the feedback re: removing the filter. My setup is located in an enclosed cabinet and is a royal pain to empty. While it may be double work, I have already used the shopvac method once (to just move chips to the shopvac). Maybe I'll make an adapter to put the shopvac top end directly over the can I normally empty to.
Thanx again.

[jdon]

What sort of container is the "final resting place" for your chips? If it can be made reasonably airtight, why not make it into a simple chip collector (inlet port in lid, with hose to suck contents of Thien separator, and outlet port to shop-vac?

If you're like me, I dispose of chips with my residential trash in wheeled Toter bins (in yard waste bin if all chips are "clean"). Not airtight, and local requirements are that trash must be bagged. If so with you, maybe something like this would work to empty your separator into: http://lumberjocks.com/wdkits1/blog/8004  Just a thought

[galerdude]

What sort of container is the "final resting place" for your chips? If it can be made reasonably airtight, why not make it into a simple chip collector (inlet port in lid, with hose to suck contents of Thien separator, and outlet port to shop-vac?

If you're like me, I dispose of chips with my residential trash in wheeled Toter bins (in yard waste bin if all chips are "clean"). Not airtight, and local requirements are that trash must be bagged. If so with you, maybe something like this would work to empty your separator into: http://lumberjocks.com/wdkits1/blog/8004  Just a thought

Great idea and link!
Thanks for sharing!!!

[Jerico]

This reminds me of changing my central vac, which is in the garage. No matter what I try, I always make a mess which I clean up with the shop vac, then clean the big shop vac with the little shop vac. So I end up cleaning 3 vacuums.

[woodchipsandmore]

I have something like this for leaf bagging and this post made me think that it might be helpful in my 31-gal trash can separator ala the Lumberjocks link.
amazon.com/Easy-Bagger-Plastic-Trash-Liner/dp/B0000BYCMO/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1394316511&sr=8-24&keywords=Lawn+Bag+hold+open