Pulled the baffle, starting on a new pre-separator... A dumb question.

[dbhost]

One too many times of getting nearly scared out my shorts with the sounds of big chunks, and metal bits from the floor sweep hitting the impeller has convinced me that I should remove the baffle from my HF DC, and build a proper pre separator... Now this was a project I abandoned earlier this year honestly because I was concerned with gobbling up floor space... Some more organization projects done, and floor space is still an issue, just not as pressing... Now I have my 30 gallon trash can, I have my plywood, and my all thread, plastic fittings etc... Why I am not cutting the circles tonight?

For those of you not reading the blogs at Lumberjocks, let me clue you in... I ran into an unexpected issue after some more than usually intense planing / jointing night before last. It would appear that I can fill up a 20 gallon trash can to overflowing, AND plug up a 12 gallon wet / dry vac before I even notice what is going on... (Okay my fault, I was paying attention to the work piece, NOT the dust bin). So the 30 gallon trash can stays in its temporary role as a scrap bin, and a 55 gallon open head plastic drum is coming my way this weekend from a local vendor. I found a local shop that recycles FDA approved containers on the cheap, and the container I am looking at is the same one I have seen used for a Thien cyclone elsewhere... Now for the question...

If possible, I want to utilize the plastic lid, and steel latching band that is on the barrel. I know these provide good solid seals for liquids, so air shouldn't be a problem. Is there any drawback to using the OE lid for this?

I am figuring on marking the lid using the fittings as templates, drilling on the inside of the markings, jig sawing the holes out, using my round rasp to make everything fit nice and tight, make my baffle, mount my baffle, and hot glue, or solvent weld them in place. (Can PVC be solvent welded to the plastic they use for these barrels?)

I will post pics as soon as it is done and tested... At the rate I am going that might be late next year though as I am working too many projects all at once...

[phil (admin)]

I am figuring on marking the lid using the fittings as templates, drilling on the inside of the markings, jig sawing the holes out, using my round rasp to make everything fit nice and tight, make my baffle, mount my baffle, and hot glue, or solvent weld them in place. (Can PVC be solvent welded to the plastic they use for these barrels?)

I can't answer your question about whether the glue will hold.  But I do know that some people have used the plastic (and steel) lids and simply screwed a plywood disc on underneath.  That provides some thickness so more conventional (hot melt, silicone, etc.) glues can be used.

Looking forwards to a reports and pics!

[dbhost]

Yeah, trying to get things done with the heap of Honeydos I have is sort of interesting...

So am I the only one that nearly jumps through the ceiling at the sound of a brad nail hitting the impeller on the DC?

Oh, FWIW, I am intending to attempt to use 4" to 2.5" adapters to hook up the shop vac when need be. The 20 gallon trash can is just too small...