Introduce yourself...

[NormG]

Just arrived.  Very interstedin dust collection.  Plan on building one of the separates in near future after reading further about them.  Everyone have a great weekend

[banderton]

I've been reading a lot about the Thien baffle and debated whether to make a Thien separator to go underneath the 2HP Harbor Freight Impeller/Motor or to put a Super Dust Deputy under there.  I went with the Super Dust Deputy because it is plug and play but my impression is that the performance is about par with a Thien separator.  I'm putting in a Wynn cartridge instead of the Harbor Freight 5 micron dust dispersal bag and I'm interested in whether or not a Thien baffle inside the filter ring would be wise, used in conjunction with the Super Dust Deputy pre-separator.  Would it result in less dust making it to the Wynn filter?  Would it reduce the CFMs being pulled much?

Fine Woodworking did an article called "Soup Up Your Dust Collector" or something a couple of years ago where they compared a Super Dust Deputy pre-separator to a Thein baffle in the collector ring, but I don't think I've seen anyone discussing doing both combined.

[loxmyth]

Sleetings and Granulations, it being December... though here in Northern BosWash we're still seeing temperatures approaching 60F.  (That's OK, we had plenty of white stuff last year.)

Brief self-description: I consider myself an educated novice as a woodworker -- I know a lot of the principles, can talk a good game, but am still in the process of setting up the workshop so I can actually start Doing Something. (Too many hobbies, too many projects, not enough organization.)  As a woodworker, I make a good locksmith. And as a locksmith I make a good programmer, which is my real paying gig.

Obviously the Thien Baffle is what drew me in here. (Or separated me out?) The most Baffling thing is why nobody invented it sooner; quietly brilliant, Phil.

I've recently acquired a Harbor Freight dust separator, which I'm planning to initially mod as per Vaughn's approach (http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?topic=145.0)  -- though I'm still on the factory floppy filter rather than having converted to canister.  I think I'd like to initially try it without the neutral vane, for the sake of simplicity. (And because it feels like not having circulation in the chamber obstructed might be a Good Thing. Or might not.)  Is the 1/3-2/3 division still considered optimal for a side-injected chamber, or have folks concluded that it could benefit from a bit of fine-tuning?

[Damin69]

Hi Im Todd. I have actually already built 2 Thein baffle systems so far. Well One and modified my Luguna DC16 with a Thein baffle. Both work very well but are both Shop vac systems. I have been wanting to put together a system that has more volume. My Small units are not supplying enough to pull from my Table saw at all. So I am going to work on a bit of a system upgrade in my shop. I am going to do a full modified Harbor Freight 2 HP system. For most of my shop my small 2.5" pipe system has done a decent job I want to improve on what I have so No I am doing a bit more digging on some sizing. I have been batting around using a 20 gal steal trash can but I am slowly moving away from that and leaning more towards a 55gal fiber or plastic drum set up. I am not 100 Percent sure on my actual runs yet I am thinking I will probably have 3 drops in my system 2 for equipment and one for a floor sweep.

My overall equipment consist of 10" table saw, 14" bandsaw, 1meter X1.8meter CNC Router, 10" Miter saw, 10" Radial arm saw, 13" Lunchbox planer,17" Drill press, 4" belt/6" disk sander and a Spindle Sander.  The only real stationary equipment is my Miter and Radial Arm saw witch share the same bench and Drill press.. All of my other equiment is on wheels for the most part so they can be moved around when I need build space and such. Right now I have zero dust collection around my drill press so I am leaning towards my one floor sweep drop being near my drill press.

[harry h]

Hello, my name is Harry and would like to thank Phil for his wonderful seperator design!

Harry

[NCTinkerer]

I'm a long time woodworker who is tired of sweeping up sawdust.  I've had a Shop Vac for years, but typically only use it to get where the broom can't.  I've long wanted a real dust collection system, but haven't had the budget.  A month or so ago, I stumbled across this wonderful thing called a Thien baffle.  I could afford that!  Over the last few days I've built my first.  I had everything I needed in the shop so it cost me nothing but scraps.  I used a 30 gallon galvanized steel trash can, a tophat Thien separator, then set my 10 gallon shop vac, minus the wheels, on top of that.  I cut a hole in the bottom of the shopvac and gasketed it directly to the top of the separator.  It works really well.  There is never any sawdust in the shop vac, but fine dust is getting to the filter.  Once, the design is done, I'm going to replace the old ShopVac filter with one of the Gore Cleanstream fiters to improve filtration.  That's all for the introduction, I have some questions on refining the separator, but I'll post those in the separator forum.  Thanks to all, especially Phil for sharing his hard work with the world.

[Clark Savage Jr]

Ok, I am able to hit the reply button. I have built several variants over the last three years of the Thien baffle. I have some ideas and comments I would like to share in the forum. I have comments. I am now looking to build a one-off variant and would like to pass some of it in posts to come for review and comment. I have a first post in which I would like to clarify a few items in a way I see them and how they have already been implemented.

Post - if allowed - Disclaimer: I am only presenting common knowledge, approximate dimensions and other information for sake of discussion regarding the topic presented, that if in reality matches/conforms any actual product produced by anyone other than myself is nothing other than coincidence and is not related to any actual attempt to reverse engineer or infringe on the rights of any specific person or entity. Any post that I present as my knowledge or design is so and is presented in an open source style of information for use by anyone except for and excluding those I have specifically hold existing Patent rights to. Any idea presented is at own risk to anyone adopting such idea or suggestion. Yes, I am a US Patent holder and yes I am an engineer. Those facts do not make me an expert - am I am willing to learn, concede to a reasonable theory, talk and discuss in an open and productive manner. Call me whatever you wish, to my face or behind my back, as long as we can get results. I represent NO institution, company or related entity regarding my post and if I ever/should my status change I will divulge such change.

[gbwilliams]

Hi there! I have been following for a while and decided now is the time to get serious. I got a Harbor Freight DC for Christmas (from myself) and now I need to get busy. Hope to be posting soon.
I'm really impressed by the work Phil and others have described here. I hope I can contribute.

[kayak]

Hi!  Maker of fine sawdust here.  Weekend Dust Warrior.  Just got myself a Harbor Freight dust collector for Christmas.  Getting the stuff together to make a tophat for a Brute trashcan.  I've got a Wynn filter ordered, and plan to order a Rikon impeller soon.  Planning to open the inlet to the HF blower to 6".  Wanting to see what I can do to make the transition from the output of the HF blower to the inlet of the HF collector as efficient as possible.

Yada Yada Yada

[BrianHood]

Hi Everyone,
After reading about 1,000 posts and getting up to speed on the ins and outs of dust collection I feel I may be able to contribute and add to the knowledge base.
So, I joined up.
Me, I have a 4 person industrial design practice, mostly lighting and lighting design. I like to do a lot of the prototype building myself and have a 1-car size shop with many hand tools, mostly Japanese, a Felder Hammer C3-31 saw/JP/router/thickness planer combo machine connected to a Delta DC, and an RF31 mill/drill.

Thanks to all for the shared information.

Brian

[NoBreyner]

Brian Van Ness

I'm about to get into the mass chip producers and my CT mini Dust Deputy combo isn't going to cut it.  I found this community when I was looking for alternatives to spending $1,000+ on an all in one dust collection solution.  I've read many of the posts here and like to build my own baffle, but need to get a dust collector first. 

[Lael]

Hi Everyone,

Ingenious idea! stumbled across it after looking for a way to reduce the number of dust bags we use. I'm interested in making a Thien baffle to allow better dust collection and more effective removal of fines from the exhaust air.

See you in the discussions!

[knhuff]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Keith Huffaker. I've been a creator of sawdust for several years. I'm in a new house and have limited space for my wood shop. I own a HF 2hp dust collector but have not uses it much due to my limited time. My next project is a Thien baffle and have enjoyed to wealth of information, knowledge and experience found here! Thank you all for taking the time to post your successes and failures! Phil, Retired2 and many others have been a huge help as I plan my system. I'm glad I took the time to read the entire thread "Rectangular Inlet, Bellmouth Outlet with Air Straightener, Top Hat Separator".(All 15 pages and 222 replies!) I changed the plan in my head at least 5 times as I read through the posts!  :o Highly recommended for anyone about to build their own. You never know how someones response might relate to your own build.

Hope to post my build soon!

Keith
Measure once, cut twice . . . or is it the other way? I forget.

[deanorthk]

Greetings

my name is Stephane, I'm 41, and from Reunion island (that's in the Indian Ocean, near Madagascar)

I've been reading a lot for a year now, since I started to learn everything I could about woodworking, as I like to do things with my hands.

I'll try soon to build a thien separator in a systainer 5T dropped on top of a festool CTL SYS:)
I did say try to because I'm a real newbee in this world, so it'll be a real experience for me.

stephane

[zorglups]

Hello,

I'm not really a wood worker... just a home worker ;-)

Well... Now, I'm a home worker, Thien's fan ;-)

Pierre