Emptying the can and knowing when

[revwarguy]

I am just about to finish my top hat, and am thinking about mounting it.  I would like to use solid piping (like galvanized steel, aluminum, pvc, etc.) between the DC and the outlet of the top hat, but this complicates emptying the can compared to flexible hose.  I would love to see some pictures of how others deal with the operational problem of emptying the can, especially if they have solid piping.  In either case, do you lift the separator or lower the can?

Also, has anyone come up with a reliable way to know when the can is ready to empty?  I've thought about cutting a strip down the side of the can (I am using a 32 gal metal trash can) and epoxying a piece of Lexan over it, for instance.  I've also thought about inlaying some LEDs (or just cutting a hole for one of those free HF flashlights) in the baffle right over this strip to provide a light, but that seems a bit of work.

Come to think of it, when is the "right" time to empty?  At half-full?  3/4 full? Does it matter?  (notice it says "newbie" under my handle!)

So, how does everyone else deal with this?  Pics would much appreciated.  I promise to put up in this thread pics of whatever I do about it!   :)

[alan m]

my dust colecter is sitting at the ceiling joist level (suspended with chains from the roof
the seperater is about 4 feet below that. the conection between the 2 is a solid 8" spiral pipe with 2 sections of flex hose on the ends. this allows a bit of movment adn isolation between the 2.
so far i have had no problems emptying the 55gallon barel. i lift the seperater up adn pull the barrel out half way then roll the empty under it then pull the full one out.
at no point am i trying to hold the seperater up and struggle to manouver it.
i might put some kind of pulley arrangment there it make it even easier.


as for knowing when to empty.
i dont produce that much chips in one go. maybe half a barrel to 1 barrel before i would naturally be stopping anyway. i have a clear top on my seperater . i have a led torch left there for the job of lighting up the seperater. i shine it down through the slot and can see the level of the dust. and i often watch the dust swirling and settling out.

[WayTooLate]

Hey 'Guy...
Running a commercial shop, we are always struggling with 'when to empty'...   

We have cut 'windows' into containers, with mixed results.  Often they get too dirty to notice if it is empty or full.

Big 55 gallon drums mean you don't have to stop and empty, but requires a forklift to handle and dump - not too mention the mess and 'dust cloud' when dumping. 

Also, big drums mean that you can create a lot of waste and walk away leaving it for the next guy (who may only have to make 3 cuts...). 

We are moving to much smaller containers.  Requiring everyone to 'clean up their own mess' and making it convenient to handle because it isn't too heavy (or messy) for one man to handle. 

Thinking about it, that isn't such a bad idea for a garage-shop, either... 

Regarding the lift the separator/raise the drum issue...
We have given a lot of thought of how to plumb the separator solid for maximum efficiency.  The gimmicks, or hardware, or mechanisms do move the drum got to be much more work that what it was worth.  However, now that we are going to much smaller containers, we may revisit it (again & again). 

Our best working idea has been do make a round separator to match the drums diameter.  Rigidly mount the separator a fraction of an inch above the drum on a dolly.  Create a metal band lined with thick, closed cell foam (neoprene).  Add a cam-over, draw latch to snug it around the separator and drum.  You will get a small amount of dust that will accumulate in the gap.  But it will be easy and convenient.

Hope this helps!
Jim

[revwarguy]

Thanks for the comments, Waytoolate.  I decided to go the inspection window route as shown in this thread: 
http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?topic=952.0

I added a light for the window, which was free and seems to help, although I wasn't sure where to put it along the side of the can, which begs the question about when to empty. 

Although I think I like the idea of making the separator fixed and raising and lowering the can, in my situation it seems simpler to raise the separator just a bit and roll out the can.  I will update the above thread when this lift is completed, and we'll see how it goes!