The Thien Separator Inside A Craftsman Wet Dry Vac

[Kelly Bellis]

Without any dimensions, I can't really tell ...

The dimensions are provided in the original post.

[Kelly Bellis]

it appears that you have built down into the collection area of the bucket (bottom) so deeply with the separator, the vortex doesn't have sufficient room to slow and drop the debris below the baffle.  My guess is the airstream is moving the waste through the slot and then picking it up again on the way to the filter - scrubbing.  It's the reason most waste containers with separators sitting on them, have to be emptied about 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Yes, building the separator in the bucket was the whole idea from the beginning. The depth into which the separator descends is illustrated and the related dimensions are given in the original post.

Static electricity was created by the high velocity particle stream rubbing on the plastic barrel and because there isn't an easy way to run a ground to Earth with this particular variety of vacuum, I abandoned the original idea of incorporating a Thien Separator into the Craftsman 16-gallon shop vacuum. The vacuum was returned back to it's regular duties with the bonus of having gotten a super duper cleaning from top to bottom, plus a new KoPach Filter - https://www.kopachfilter.com/ which fits perfectly! I also splurged in getting a Filterpal bag and am so glad I did as the combination has been exceptional over the past month or so of daily use.

[1Architect]

I scaled the depth under your baffle and it appears to be about 9".  When you used it to suck up a modest pile of shavings and dust, all of a sudden you have reduced the working space to 7" or less.  From your previous pictures, it looked like there was at least 2" of debris in you bucket.  In any case, it doesn't leave much "working" room for the vortex to loose speed, drop the debris, leave it there (!), and return to the baffle chamber.

I built my Top Hat separator with lots of view panels to see what is happening.  One looks into the 20" deep waste container under the baffle.  I am certainly not comparing my separator to yours, but in mine, I can see a serious storm occurring in my waste can under the baffle - even when no dust is being picked up, just running!  I can certainly see why scrubbing occurs when the surface level of the debris climbs to half full or so.       

Glad you renewed the life of your original shop vac.  I don't have a fancy bag for my shop vac filter, but a few years ago, I swiped an older pair of panty hose from the boss, and from a one of the legs, cut a section, and stretched it over the filter.  It worked surprisingly well, but certainly not like your fancy bag.  With the hose in place, just pinch a section of the stretchy fabric, pull it away and let it "pop" back in place.  The dust falls away.  I was impressed, the boss wasn't.

I am curious.  In your last post, you introduced a static electricity problem with the plastic waste can, when the shop vac was used as a separator.  Do you not currently have the same static electricity, when currently used as a normal shop vac?     

[Kelly Bellis]

Yes, that is correct, the static charge was only present when the waste stream in the Thien Separator cyclonically rubbed the plastic barrel. Most interesting was how long the charge was held.

[1Architect]

Your statement made me think... (rare).

You said, "Yes, that is correct, the static charge was only present when the waste stream in the Thien Separator cyclonically rubbed the plastic barrel."

My question became, using your shop vac in normal mode, doesn't the debris still cyclonically rub against the plastic barrel?  Why doesn't the plastic barrel still get charged?  And then, maybe it doesn't rub cyclonically!

So, using your existing shop vac in normal mode, if you deflected (turned 90 deg) the stream of air entering the plastic barrel so that it was directed along a wall, instead of just pouring straight into the plastic barrel, wouldn't that set up a vortex in the plastic barrel that would be similar to a separator?  Just think of a separator without a baffle.

Centrifugal force would pull the larger pieces to the wall and gravity would pull them down...    Let's see... a piece of cardboard and some duct tape will make a dandy deflector.

But it is possible the space in the plastic barrel may be so tight, the airstream speed is to great, and the larger debris won't fall out of the stream.  You never know.

[Kelly Bellis]

The stock inlet for the 16-gallon Sears Craftsman wet-dry vac (113.178081) bifurcates the debris stream upon entry into the main collection barrel and as such doesn't form a coherent air stream, cyclonic of otherwise. Attached are a couple of shots from early June when I entirely disassembled the vacuum, washed all of the plastic parts and cleaned the motor assembly.

[1Architect]

"Bifurcated" is a new word to me.  Sounds naughty, or maybe something you do after eating too many hot dogs.

OK, forget the cardboard and tape and the deflector in my previous post.  It's even simpler now.  If you put a cap over one of the bifurcated inlets, the remaining inlet would create a vortex, would it not?  However, I suppose that would change your Bifurcating vac into a furcating vac!

Seems the Bifurcation is aiming one airstream at another and destroying any possibility of a vortex.  Just for fun, why not try plugging up one inlet and seeing if the vortex develops and some of the larger particles are separated.  I would guess only you will be able to tell the difference, if any.