J. Phil Thien's Projects

While I've not used this container I think it would be perfect.

Also making a top hat for this would be perfect too, instead of just the lid and baffle...

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-18-in-x-22-in-Sump-Pump-Basin-SF20/204733081

Well thank you so much to this forum and Phil for his awesome invention of the baffle.

I'm pretty much a cheap skate and don't really have funds to buy fancy tools so I will most often make my own stuff.  When I realized I could make my own blower fan and scroll then found the Thien baffle design I was thrilled.  I also made my own filter baffle and sourced big rig filters to use too.

So here are my pictures of the set up.  It works amazing with my drum sander there.  My plan is to plumb the rest of my tools soon.

The pano photo is of my full 185sft shop.  I make acoustic guitars as a hobby.

I'll add a picture of the Thien baffle in my barrel when I need to dump it.

Thanks again.  I hope this can be some inspiration to someone else making their own DC system.

Quote from: DennisCA on May 18, 2015, 06:31:40 AM
ALso found a pipe of suitable size, 500mm diameter, 1 meter piece I could cut into vanes. 30 euros for a piece. It sounds very interesting.

That sounds promising.

Bending the PVC should work but you'll want to cool it in a mold so it holds its shape and so each vane is uniform.

Check this guy out, you'll get a good idea of how easy shaping the PVC is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TbXBlQjRl4

Bending wood is pretty easy though, you need heat and steam and then a mold to hold the shape.

Nice, I requested pictures in your other thread re:material for building an impeller but never mind.

Looking good.  That's gonna be one heck of a dust collector at 5HP and a 20" impeller.  Should work real well.

That's a big impeller!! (20-1/4" Dia for us who don't know metric)  What you going to be powering it with?  2hp I would think minimum.

Pictures?

Quote from: phil (admin) on May 14, 2015, 07:09:58 AM

Quote from: R.True on May 13, 2015, 04:29:36 PM

Quote from: phil (admin) on May 13, 2015, 07:30:42 AM
Yeah, I would do a top hat for a conventional DC.

On other alternative is, if you could figure out how to add a side inlet to a drum, you could add a top with a suspended baffle.

I've often thought it would be nice to have some side-inlets molded for standard-size containers like 55 and 30-gallon drums.

This is what I want to do!!

Which part, make a side-inlet for a drum, or make a mold for side inlets for a drum?

Why haven't any mold makers joined up here?

I suppose something could also be 3D printed.

Oh, make a side inlet for a drum.  My drum has a tapered upper which doesn't work great for the baffle connected to the lid (I've added a "wall" on the interior to account for this though).  So I was thinking of attaching the baffle to the drum permanently via screws through the side wall with the inlet in the side.  Then I'd just make a sealed hatch at the bottom to empty the drum.... I'm so cheap that this is my best option  ::)

Quote from: phil (admin) on May 13, 2015, 07:30:42 AM
Yeah, I would do a top hat for a conventional DC.

On other alternative is, if you could figure out how to add a side inlet to a drum, you could add a top with a suspended baffle.

I've often thought it would be nice to have some side-inlets molded for standard-size containers like 55 and 30-gallon drums.

This is what I want to do!!

Awesome!!!  Mind you, you'll spend all your time watching the shavings/sawdust swirl round and round and round and round and......  8)

If you can find some 12"-16" dia PVC pipe you could make the fins from that (they are already curved too ;)  ).

If you look at Matthias' builds he pretty much uses what ever plywood he has on had.  I noticed in one of his previous builds he was using wall panel boards which are just about 3/16" thick and not the best grade......

Will see if my MDF plates fall apart or not.....if when they do I'll just rebuild the unit using plywood and PVC pipe for the fins.

I don't have any pictures of it.  Next time I take it apart I'll shoot some pictures.

I don't think there's any issue with MDF for the main plates.  I think MDF is more stable or at least as stable as melamine and people use that all the time for making their own disk sanders spinning at 3450 RPM.

I just finished upgrading my impeller and I used 1/2" MDF for the plates and an off cut from a 4x4 cedar post for the fins.  It works awesome.  Sandwiching the fins between a top and bottom plate of some sort is essential I think.  I also made a new housing from 1/2" MDF for the top and bottom plates and 2x4 cut on the band saw (as per Matthias videos).

An all clear system would be really cool but that would probably distract me from the tasks at hand...  8)

So drawing out the baffle gets me 17-3/4" from tip to tip of the 120* drop slot closure, I guess I'll have to make it 115*  ;)

Thanks Phil,  I will draw out the 2 circles with the 120* arc to see if I can fit it into the barrel opening.

Don, take a look here for a pretty small yet very effective 5gallon separator.