5 Gallon bucket DC

[tommitytomtom]

Not my original design, but I liked it enough to copy it. I wanted to post pics and key design measurments that worked for me.

1. I cut 1" from the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket.
2. I removed the top rim down to the last ring. (I wouldn't have but the bucket I used was        damaged)
3. Small radius on baffle is 1" less than large radius.
4. I attached a lid to the bottom of the ring/chamber thingy and trimmed the inside flush.
5. Inlet port is 4 1/2" square with snug-fit hole for hose.
6. Top is cut with a router/circle guide and rabbeted to fit the lip tight.
7. I used the top as a template for cutting the inlet port top/bottom by laying the top down to intersect a right angle with height of angle at 4 1/2". The other side of radius ran wild to intersect at width of right angle.
8. Inlet port is screwed to side right under outside lip and opening is positioned 1/3 distance of larger radius from smaller radius on baffle.
9. Baffle is screwed to side 6" down from top.
10. Outlet pipe is 2" pvc and extends into top 2". (not 1/2 radius of port)

As stated, performance is excellent. My crude test is definitive for me. Hardly and I mean hardly any dust gets into the vac. The filter is very clean. The junk stays in the 5 gallon bucket.

[BernardNaish]

I am really impressed with this build because it creatively uses simple stuff any of us might have around the house. No advanced engineering, woodwork or several days work. Just ingenuity. It is an example to us all not to get too fussy.

Great work. Please let us all know of any developments.

[BernardNaish]

Sorry to post twice but I have just noticed a possible problem with the baffle. The slot in the baffle should end in line with the side of the inlet. The picture seems to show that it ends quite a way before the inlet. Now that is interesting because it works, so you may have uncovered another bit of information to add to the data bank. I note that you are using a HPLV shop vac. rather than a DC.

[tommitytomtom]

Thanks for the comments. I owe most of the influence to this site as well as Matthias Wandel. This is his take on the Thien baffle. I took his design and went with it. His inlet port is situated about like mine. I plan on making several of these once I get the final design down. I will replace the flex between the vac and separator with rigid pipe to enhance flow. It works great for my BT3K table saw but don't know yet how it will work for my Unisaw. Perhaps a DC instead of a vac. I do have a larger vac that moves more air so we shall see.

Oh, as a side note, with this design, I could toy/adjust the orientation of the baffle by removing the screws and rotate it.

[ninja]

I made one like yours, but I don't know why I can post the image

[tommitytomtom]

In reference to the dust collector, It works great with various shop vacs that I have. It's great for saw dust and other light materials. I suspect that a dust collector fan with a higher CFM would fare even better. As there are multiple designs floating out there, I think I may try something with more suction as well. Perhaps a 'home made" fan/impeller. I worked in the car audio industry for over 10 years and I'm acutely aware of the damaging effects MDF has on your lungs. I have a friend who died recently of Pulmonary Fibrosis. I used dust collectors and masks. He did not. I don't know his health history but he worked in a similar industry. If this collector helps to make the air in my shop cleaner, then I'm using it.

Ninja,
I don't know why you can't post pics. The "attachments" tab is just below this window when replying to a post.

[BernardNaish]

The attachment tab is a bit confusing. You add an attachment and it does not show in the preview. It does however show in the post proper. You can also delete a posting you have made so if it does not work try again.

[Latham]

Tom:

I read through that a couple of times and haven't been able to figure out what you made your inltet box-port from. Did I miss it in the thread?

Thanks,

L

[ninja]

In reference to the dust collector, It works great with various shop vacs that I have. It's great for saw dust and other light materials. I suspect that a dust collector fan with a higher CFM would fare even better. As there are multiple designs floating out there, I think I may try something with more suction as well. Perhaps a 'home made" fan/impeller. I worked in the car audio industry for over 10 years and I'm acutely aware of the damaging effects MDF has on your lungs. I have a friend who died recently of Pulmonary Fibrosis. I used dust collectors and masks. He did not. I don't know his health history but he worked in a similar industry. If this collector helps to make the air in my shop cleaner, then I'm using it.

Ninja,
I don't know why you can't post pics. The "attachments" tab is just below this window when replying to a post.

Hi I know how to post pictures as you said, but I try many times, maybe because I'm from CHINA, if you don't mind, give me your email, I can send you all the pictures about the DC I have made

[tommitytomtom]

Tom:

I read through that a couple of times and haven't been able to figure out what you made your inltet box-port from. Did I miss it in the thread?

Thanks,

L

I made the inlet port from 3/4" MDF. It's 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" with appropriate hose diameter inlet hole to fit my shop vac . Here's a drawing of how I made the radius. This drawing allowed me to make the top and bottom of the inlet port. I cut pieces of MDF to fit the front @ 3"x3" square and the side was 3" x 6 1/2". The side was then trimmed to match the radius of the top and bottom. I screwed the inlet port onto the bucket side from the inside and sealed it up with silicone.