Here's the plans.

[ozwaz]

Thanks so much for your reply Jim, some interesting points that I had not considered.
Although I do appreciate the issues you raised I have to add a little perspective however, I write this from the most isolated city in the world, Perth, Western Australia (WA). Some say that the time difference here is directly proportional to the years behind the rest of the civilised world (tongue-in-cheek) and that WA means "Wait Awhile"!
Fortunately we do not have these over-zealous bureaucrats and restrictive laws, yet, relating to venting and filtering externally.
My workshop is in one half of my garage in my residence so it is not a commercial concern and the winters here are not anything like you experience. Min temperatures here in Winter average 8 deg celcius (46 degrees F).
I have found that the separator just works magnificently, I'm very pleased to have come across the design and have been able to construct it so simply and cheaply.
More power to the forum - well worth the effort to join and contribute.
Warren

[tvman44]

I don't see the measurement for the Thien slotted baffle is it the same diameter as the inside diameter of the trash can except for the slot and how much space between the slotted baffle and the bottom of the lid?  Thank you .

[ozwaz]

Hi tvman44, the diameter of the baffle is the same inside diameter as the can, and the baffle is placed approx 100mm below the lid. This arrangement is working very well although I do get some very fine dust through to the vacuum filter when I hook it up to a fine sander. Maybe a fine filter (stocking?) over the inlet to the vacuum may help?? Thanks for your feedback. Cheers

[bigoldhouse]

Has anyone tried paint scrapings and dust as a souce?  I am considering having this or something like it between t he HEPA filtered vacuum when using a paint shaver  (Paint SHaver Pro) and sander that have a vacuum hose attachment.  Dealing mainly with painted siding on a >100 year-old house but will also be using it indoors.  Thank you.

[phil (admin)]

I used the Metabo version of the paint shaver.  The volume of paint isn't that great.  I'd suggest using a good quality bag (drywall bag), and HEPA filter.  I did my 2-1/2 car garage and filled one bag about 1/3 full.

[ozwaz]

A word of warning perhaps about the removal of paint from a 100 year old house.
There may be "lead based" paint underneath all those coats of paint.
Please use all necessary precautions when working around this paint.
Cheers

[phil (admin)]

A word of warning perhaps about the removal of paint from a 100 year old house.
There may be "lead based" paint underneath all those coats of paint.
Please use all necessary precautions when working around this paint.
Cheers

When I did this, I used the drywall bag and the HEPA filter, and I oriented the vac's blower port so it was blowing away from people.  I also wore a mask.

A couple of times after I started the process, I used some of those little lead detection sticks to see if I was getting lead on my mask, tool, hands, vac, etc., and could find none.  I know the paint contained lead, as I tested it before removal.

So I'd suggest being safe and test for lead before you start, and test a couple of times during the process to make sure you're containing the lead.  And don't let the kids play nearby while you're doing this.

[fstellab]

Hi Folks,

I am very new to dust collection, and fairly new to woodworking (6 months). I needed to do something about the dust in my shop. I am spending 30% of my time cleaning up with the shop vac. One day when I finished, my nose and throat felt very sore.

So I finally purchased the Harbor Freight 2 HP dust collector.

I would really like to install dust collector with the Thien Cyclone separator. My problem is I don't have the skills or the tools to make the wooden baffle/separator. Is there a place where I can buy one ?

Also, the HF machine comes with 2  4"  intake connections, I would like to use 2 connections, Can the garbage pail have 2 connections? Or, canI put a 6" intake to the can, then split the6" to 2 Y's ?

For now I am going to install it as is, but with the Cartridge filter.

Thanks
-Fred

[alan m]

hi there fred
you wont be able to buy one of phils designs.
phil doesnt mind people building them for there own use but wouldnt like someone making money building them.
the beauty of a thien baffel is that it is easy to make with a few tools and can be made in many different ways.
i wouldnt be bothered building one with all the bells and whistles just yet. build a basic version that works. that way as your skills grow you can rebuild with all those extra bits.
a basic version should be a less stressfull build and easier to build with less 'skills'(dont underestamate yourself)


what tools have you got. im sure we can help you come up with a design that fits your needs.


i built my seperater using layers of mdf. i cut them 24"x 24"
i then jigsawed out a circle out of each layer. i cut a line at a tangent to the circle  and another the width of my transition
i sanded that layer to the corect shape and then screwed the next layer to the sanded one.
i then used a bearing guided flush cut router bit to make the layer the same as the one below it.
i glued and screwed al the layers on one at a time .
it worked great
i put a layer of plastic on the top of mine with a mdf layer with holes in it. you wouldnt need this. a solid mdf piece would work just a s well
the bottom and baffel are cut out of one piece. i glued and screwed it to the bottom of the built up  section.
i then drilled a hole and routed around with the bearing flush bit leaving the solid part of the baffel
i then measured out the 1.25" and jig sawed ou the rest of the slot
i put a slot to sit onto my barrel. im sure a few scrap pieces put around the top of the barrel would allign it well enough. some foam weather stippping seals everything


i fi was to rebuild it in the morning with the fewest tools posable i think i could get away with a jigsaw,router and flush bit, and cordless drill

[Peter]

I built my first Thien separator (a top hat) using a hand-held jig saw, a hand-held belt sander and a battery powered drill-driver. The beauty of the design is that it is so darned effective and yet so stupid simple to build.

[RogerInColorado]

The plans suggest 3/4 inch material, but I don't know if this was a selection made by convenience or if there is a structural thing I'm not recognizing.  I started out wondering if 1/2 inch Baltic birch wouldn't work as well and at 30% less weight.  Then I read about the desirability of the surface being slick.  Now I wonder if a melamine finish (or even high pressure laminate) yields benefits worth the extra effort. 

My question: Does a Formica clad half inch Baltic birch plywood baffle make sense or is it overkilled but out of spec?

Now  a weirder question.  Has anyone built, successfully, (or tried and scrapped the idea) of inlaying acrylic viewing windows into upper and lower baffle members, in-line, so you can look straight through into the can?  I say inlayed because if properly executed, there should be no turbulence resulting from a "really smooth inlay" (if such a thing is possible).  I briefly explored making the baffle members of acrylic until I learned the cost of acrylic.

[alan m]

the slicker the surface the less resitance there will be. formica or melamine will really help.

i inlayed in 3" windows into the top of the plates that seal up the rings on my dc blower. i put 3/4" mdf top and bottom. then a pipe to out side through one of them.
i holesawed a hole then rebated it . i siliconed in a plastic disk. on the dc blower they are flush to the inside so that the air is forcing them against the rebate. if you did this on the seperater the sucktion would pull them in.

the best option would be to go with a full layer of clear plastic . i did that on my 6" seperater , i put a 3/4" mdf ontop and cut holes in that

there is a build during the wek where it has a clear top and baffle plate

[RogerInColorado]

Thanks, Alan.  What do you think about the other part of the question, using 1/2 inch stock?

I don't understand your last sentence, "there is a build during the wek where it has a clear top and baffle plate."

[alan m]

some one during the past week posted a thread about a seperater that has a clear top and clear bafffle plate.


1/2" ply should be easily strong enough.

[RogerInColorado]

Thanks for your help.  I'll find the thread and see if I can learn where he got the polycarbonate or acrylic and whether or not I can afford it.