New to DC - have a question

[bruegf]

Hi,

I've been woodworking for a few years but until now have only used a shop vac for dc.  I recently purchased a new TS and it was quickly apparent the shop-vac was no longer adequate.  I found this site and others talking about the HF dc and Thien baffle and decided to go that route.   I'm planning to have dc at my TS, band saw, jointer, drill press, and at my Festool MFT station.

I've purchased the HF 2hp dc and have added the Wynn 35A paper filter.   I've also swapped out the 5" flex hose between the blower and canister with 5" 26ga snap-lock pipe and am in the process of installing 5" 26ga snap-lock pipe for my runs.

What little I've used the dc so far, I've found that the dust swirls very quickly in the bottom of the clear plastic dust bag the entire time the dc is running, so I assume it is picking up some dust and pushing it up into the filter which leads me to my question.

I had planned to build a side inlet Thien baffle using a galvanized garbage can as it had the advantage of keeping more stuff out of the blower vanes, especially any stray bits of metal which could either cause a spark or damage the blower vanes, as well as appearing to be easier to empty. 

But now I am wondering whether I should

a) stick to my original plan of using a baffle in a garbage can
b) just skip the external separator and add a baffle inside the HF dc
c) use the baffle in the garbage can for ease of emptying and keeping foreign objects out of the dc blower vanes AND put another baffle inside the DC to prevent the scrubbing

Would option c) cut down on the cfm too much.  Any thoughts as to what the best option would be are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Fred

[bruegf]

Has anyone here tried using both an external separator along with a baffle in the dust collector?   If so, does it add too much loss to the system?   Or is the scrubbing I see in the dc plastic bag not enough of a problem to make it worth adding a baffle to the dc when using an external separator?

Thanks

Fred

[dbhost]

Use the baffle in a trash can separator. If you implement it correctly, you won't need the second separator...

[bruegf]

Thanks.

Fred

[bruegf]

I have another question.   Does the lid for the can need to be a flat surface, or can you use the original slightly dome shaped lid?   It seems like the dome shaped lid would cause more expansion/slowing of the air and allow the dust to drop down into the bottom of the can easier.   Or is it a case were it disturbs the air flow in a way that detracts from performance?

Thanks

Fred

[ajosephg]

I'm using a 30 gallon garbage can with a domed lid, and it works good.

I'm using a Craftsman shop vac as the sucking source, and the only problem I have is that if I block the flow too much the garbage can sides and lid sucks in.  I put some additional supports between the lid and the baffle to keep the lid from caving in.  The sides sucking in doesn't seem to affect the function of the separator, but I'm trying to figure out a stiffener for cosmetic reasons.

I used some vinyl tubing glued to edge of the can lid as a gasket to seal the lid to the can.

[dbhost]

On my 20 gallon trash can build for the Shop Vac, I went with a wooden flat lid,

on my 55 gallon drum build for my HF DC I used the original plastic lid because it works with the lock ring with no problem, making for an excellent seal.


Both work exceptionally well. I can't compare one to another though as the vacuum source between the two is radically different. However I do NOT regret using the OEM plastic lid. If you do the same thing I did though, just make sure that you use clear silicone adhesive caulk. Your adhesive needs to flex to compensate for the lid flexing... I would not hesitate to do it over again.

[bruegf]

I plan to use some close cell 1" wide weather stripping stuck to the inside of the top to guarantee a seal.  Thanks for the info.

Fred

[bruegf]

Finally finished the separator that I put in front of my new HF DC today.   Used a 30 gal galvanized garbage can.  Went with a side inlet using 5" snap-lock duct (used all 5" snap-lock from the DC blower to the separator and on for the main trunk line) and cut the 5" snap-lock duct outlet directly in the top of the metal lid.   Used 1/4" masonite for the baffle.  Extended the major diameter about to approx 140 degrees and used a 1.125 slot.

Results are amazing.   Picked up 2.5 - 3 gallons of sawdust and had less than 1/2 cup of very fine sawdust powder in the bottom bag of the HF dust collector.   I'd say the baffle works every bit as well as the Oneida Dust Deputy I have in front of my shop vac.

Thanks so much for sharing your design Phil.   I'll get some pictures together soon.

Fred

[bruegf]

Here are the photos

[bruegf]

Just an update to my build, I emptied the 35 gallon garbage can today and still have virtually no dust in the dust collector dust bag, not even enough to fill a sandwich baggie.  The dust separation on the baffle far exceeds all expectations I had before I built it.

Fred

[galerdude]

Just an update to my build, I emptied the 35 gallon garbage can today and still have virtually no dust in the dust collector dust bag, not even enough to fill a sandwich baggie.  The dust separation on the baffle far exceeds all expectations I had before I built it.

Fred

Yes it's amazing! I'm still amazed every time I go out in the shed and check for fill in the collection can. A couple days ago I checked it and the can was 3/4's full and I had less than a tablespoon in the bag. I'm confident as long as one uses the basic  "Thien Design" you can't go wrong. It just plain works. J Phil Thien is a genious!!!