Harbor Freight Mod Question

[WoodCzar]

Thinking out loud, ......... would it be a good idea to get another HF stock, cylindrical separator (piece between the upper filter and the lower plastic bag) to modify it with the baffle/separator to sit on the garbage can. (basically a pre made Top Hat)
The shape of this stock piece, plus the side input might also help in less drag? It does have tapered metal flange at top above the intake (might be useful in the airflow?). Not to mention modding this would be less trouble than starting from scratch.

I noticed some vent the dust outside not using this stock piece. Maybe they tried to mod it?
Wonder if HF would sell me one?

[jgt1942]

I think I know what you are asking. I have an older Grizzly where on the output of the impeller I had two bags, the bottom collected most of the dust and the top acted as a filter. Initially I installed the Thien baffle in the metal ring exasperating the two bags. It did work but nowhere near as good as the TopHat does. In my portable unit I still have the baffle installed just because I did not remove it (see my pic in your other thread).

[WoodCzar]

JGT, .......... I just took a look at your set up. What I was thinking is exactly what you have done, but leave the stock bag and filter configuration stock, and simply buy (if Harbor Freight will sell me one at a fair price) another metal 'separator' (component between the plastic bag and the fabric filter/see pictures) to modify and use as a top hat in place of fully fabricating one as you did.

What is the brand of the collector you have pictured? My HF metal separator has a wide tapered flange at the top of it (see picture). It could easily be capped off at the lower end of the flange with a outlet connection to go to the impeller. The bottom shape of this tapered flange (see picture) might help in air flow on the inlet. Of course it would have to be modded with a baffle to the bottom as well.

Your design looks great. It seems you used 1.5" angle for supports? Is that a stock metal platform that everything is sitting on? Is the angle welded to the platform? Looks sturdy.

[AndyF]

Dan did something similar here:
  http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?topic=992.0

[BernardNaish]

Hi. To my mind the hassle getting the part and setting it up would not be much different from building a top hat. The top hat will work much better than the set up you are suggesting. Copy the design of retired2 but do not use acrylic sheet (Perspex,Plexiglass etc) but 1/8" thick polycarbonate sheet (Lexan etc.). Forget the bell mouth if it is too difficuly to buy or make one, but do use the air straightener. His design is here:

http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?topic=563.0

Hope it works well. Please let us know.

[WoodCzar]

Actually getting one`s hand`s on this Central Machinery part aside, I was thinking the function of this partial cone shape flange around the perimeter aiding in creating a cyclone and perhaps drop more material down around the perimeter?

Another thought about possibly creating a better drop around the perimeter is simply add a 4" flap to the current home made designs (maybe a thin piece of slightly curved, spring steel?), curved down from the top of the inlet, inside the tophat. (Be a easy thing to add to one`s design too).

I`m certainly no air flow engineer, but I can`t help but think this out and see if other`s have tried it.

[jgt1942]

JGT, .......... I just took a look at your set up. What I was thinking is exactly what you have done, but leave the stock bag and filter configuration stock, and simply buy (if Harbor Freight will sell me one at a fair price) another metal 'separator' (component between the plastic bag and the fabric filter/see pictures) to modify and use as a top hat in place of fully fabricating one as you did.

What is the brand of the collector you have pictured? My HF metal separator has a wide tapered flange at the top of it (see picture). It could easily be capped off at the lower end of the flange with a outlet connection to go to the impeller. The bottom shape of this tapered flange (see picture) might help in air flow on the inlet. Of course it would have to be modded with a baffle to the bottom as well.

Your design looks great. It seems you used 1.5" angle for supports? Is that a stock metal platform that everything is sitting on? Is the angle welded to the platform? Looks sturdy.