Has anybody tried a Thien separator on a square bin?

[TwoBirds]

Hi All, just wondering if anyone has tried a thein separator on a bin that's not round, say a rubbermaid tub for instance and if so how it worked.

2b

[tommitytomtom]

I've never personally tied it, but my concern would be that the cyclonic spinning of materials would be disrupted. Are you talking about using the lid to hang the baffle from ?

[DustySanders]

I remember a thread on here a while back on this subject, and the conclusion was that the shape of the bin under the baffle didn't matter a whole lot. You could try searching for that thread.

[TwoBirds]

I'm thinking about using a top hat on a bin, I'm building my dust collection system into a workbench and I've only got about 25" of vertical to work with, so the lower I can put the separator the less abrupt the angle of the outlet has to be. I'm thinking a drawer might be the way to go, or a clear rubbermaid bin.

if the idea is to keep the airflow in the separator it does seem like the bin shape shouldn't matter, a square bin might even be an improvement by causing enough friction to keep airflow in the collection area from picking up fines and carrying them back up into the separator. 

Now that I know there is a thread I'll go back page by page till I find it.

Thanks :)

2b.

[Tacuabe]

The shape of the bin containing dust will not affect the efficiency of the system.  I've added a Thien Top Hat with a rectangular bin to my shop made table saw with excellent results. I reinforced the underside of the 3mm thick hardboard baffle with 15mm thick MDF set back from the edge of the slot and chamfered it to 45°. The sides of the bin are slightly sloped and mate with also sloped guides. These have foam strips stuck on to ensure an airtight seal. This foam has a slick surface. The seal is so good you have to pull off hard to remove the bin for emptying. Questions welcome and good luck with your project. You may email me at topocalc@gmail.com.

[Tacuabe]

Here are some pictures of my arrangement.
Hector AKA Tacuabe

[AndyRoo]

Hi Tacuabe, thank you for sharing those images.
I notice your baffle is offset to one side of your bin. With this design, have you found that the dust spreads out evenly across the bin or does it tend to pile up directly beneath the baffle?

I ask because I'm planning a similar design and I'm trying to work out how best to position everything.

[Tacuabe]

Hi Andy,

Yes, the dust piles up moderately higher under the center of the separator. I'd say its nothing to worry about, especially with regular cleaning, which should be done anyway.

[Kelly Bellis]

Hello Hector,

Great photos! - thank you for sharing!!

What is the motor and impeller that you're using in the this arrangement under the saw? Do you have more than one separator/ motor/ impeller rig stationed in your shop?

Be well and stay safe.

Kind regards,

Kelly

[Tacuabe]

Hello Kelly,

As you can see in the last photo, the motor is an old shop vac one, 1200W. Just that and the rigging the photos show. I have designed a shop-built European style table saw with the same arrangement. Several builders report the system is working well for them. If you're interested, visit www.aw-thinkbold.com for more info on the saw. Some of the Readers Projects are also interesting, especially the one by Luc Scholte, which is also a devoted user of the Thien Separator in his shop in Thailand.

I do have another arrangement for my own shop vac. you can see it in this forum at http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?topic=740.msg4266#msg4266. It works beautifully and keeps my filter clean for very long periods. I can hook it to my bandsaw and belt sander as well as to my hand-held trim router (with a suitable smaller diameter and more flexible extension hose).

[Kelly Bellis]

Hi Hector,
Thank you for your reply.
The photo doesn't show the filter, or is there one?

[Tacuabe]

Yes, it is inserted on the round mounting disc in front of the motor. It was removed to better show the duct connection and the general assembly of the motor housing.