How good are the cyclone lids

[Anthony Scott]

If anyone owns the type of cyclone lids shown here: http://www.nosawdust.com/cyclone_lid.htm
Let me know how well they work.

Thanks

[Jerome Hanby]

Based on Phil Thiens stuff, I don't think having the input and output on the edge is going to work as well. Lee Valley has one with one of the holes centered and one on the edge.

[Peter Quinn]

I use one like the second one there on a 1 1/2HP JDS collector with a single machine hooked up at once. It seems to steal a bit of CFM's versus a straight hose and an empty collection bag, but the CFM's appear to reman constant, my collection bag remains empty, and the garbage can is very easy to empty. It gives me plenty of suction for a single machine at a time and passable suction for two machines on short runs, as long as the planer isn't one of them.

I have three cans and I just swap them out as needed while working, or dump them into large bags beyond that. Before I used the preseperator, I found the collectors performance would drop drastically as the lower bag started to fill up, so I consider this set up an improvement.

[Greg Wittler]

If anyone owns the type of cyclone lids shown here: http://www.nosawdust.com/cyclone_lid.htm
Let me know how well they work.

Thanks
If it were me, I would get the second style (no's 401 or 402) and then mod it out using the Phil Thien method.

Greg

[Anthony Scott]

The Veritas ones do look nicer. however for the price, I guess I might as well by a Dust Deputy considering I need to buy a can as well.

[Greg Sznajdruk]

I have the Lee Valley version and large chucks don't hit the impeller. I empty my bag very infrequently since most of the chunks and shaving end up in the barrel. If you cringe every time something hits the impeller then its money well spent.

Greg

[David Hostetler]

I would highly recommend building a Thien separator lid / baffle rig for your DC instead of one of those offset types... Lower cost, higher separation efficiency. Yeah more effort, but hey, it's a fun project!

[Anthony Scott]

I suppose I am being a bit lazy by wanting to just buy one....

[Rick Bunt]

+1 on everything David said before I could finish typing this....

Cheaper and better might be to build your own Phil Thien separator for the trash can. His web site (and various threads here) have instructions. All you need are one 90 elbow (4" or whatever size hose you use), one straight piece (and you might need these to attach hose to the commercial lid anyway), some plywood (or whatever you have) of almost any quality, some dowels or long bolts, and a few screws.

I built one for about $25 in materials as per Phil's design for a new dust collector I got last year (Grizzly 548Z). The trash can (30 gal size) can be filled almost right up to the lower baffle. I've emptied the trash can about a dozen times and still only have 2" of dust in my very first bag. And most of that was from once filling the can past the height of the baffle by accident. I think the commerical lids (without baffle) start to send material through to your primary dust collector at much lower trash can capacity.

Bottom line: Phil Thien is a genius. Build one. It was one of my most satisfing shop projects because it works THAT well.

[Richard Ray]

I suppose I am being a bit lazy by wanting to just buy one....
No you are not. Did you get into the woodworking hobby to build cyclone lids or furniture?
I have one like in the link between my DW735 planer and my DC. I got it free from Grizzly with my DC. It gets 95% of the chips and dust coming from my planer. Much easier to empty than the plastic bags on the DC.

[Christopher Kanda]

hey rick, can you post some pics of your set-up?

[Anthony Scott]

No you are not. Did you get into the woodworking hobby to build cyclone lids or furniture?
I have one like in the link between my DW735 planer and my DC. I got it free from Grizzly with my DC. It gets 95% of the chips and dust coming from my planer. Much easier to empty than the plastic bags on the DC.


Thanks! Some things I am inspired to make, others not so much.

[Scott T Smith]

If it were me, I would get the second style (no's 401 or 402) and then mod it out using the Phil Thien method.

Greg


+1. I had the first type, it was a piece of junk. A Thien modified version of the second type worked very well.

[Glen Butler]

As said the first type on the page is junk. Unless you are making big chips, fast with a jointer or planer it will only let your can get 1/4 - 1/3 full before everything else ends up in the DC bag. Jet makes one that pulls from the center, and the inlet cyclones around the perimeter. I like it much better. I will let you get 2/3 full with light dust and nearly full with larger chips.

Sorry I don't know where to direct you to get one. I have looked for the part online with out any luck. I just came across it at Western Tool co. and had to have it cause I hated the first one.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I bought the Griz version, which looks very similar, if it's not the exact same lid. It does NO good for a dust maker such as a drum sander, but for everything else, nothing hits the impeller. I did check out the Thien links, wish I had done that, seems cheaper, but I got the lid from Griz sitting on my butt. AND it came to my door. I did have to get off my butt for that. For the lazy, like me, that lid does work. Some of the other lid designs do not work that well. A friend of mine bought the J*t lid, found it didn't work that well, and bought the Griz lid. He offered it free to me. But he did say buy the Griz lid. He still has the J*t lid.

Does the Thien lids keep dust from hitting the DC?

[Neil Brooks]

I've got the second style. Fairly new addition, for me, so it's only about 25% full, so far.

For that time, though, the separation has been excellent. I've noticed no degradation in airflow/dust extraction, and even the simple doubling of time between bag changes made it worth my while.

It's also nice to differentiate "mulch" from dust....

[Myk Rian]

I have the 5 gal. Woodcraft style. It does a great job hooked in after the planer and jointer. Then to the HF 2hp DC.

[Randy Bonella]

I have the style like the 2nd one tied into a JET 1100 canister retrofit collector. it does a great job of separating out the big stuff and rarely have to empty the bag on the JET. My setup looses a bit because of the reduced diameter 4" waste pipe I used and non optimal bends. However even though not optimal it works well enough. I'll be upgrading to 6" 2729 S&D and building a 6" Thein separator. Also you don't need the grounding wrap that you see in my pictures. I put my system together before I knew much about this stuff.

Good luck with whatever way you go.

Randy...

[Bruce Wrenn]

Google "Phil Thein" and you can see my post "Another Vote for Phil Thein's Baffle." Not only are pictures of my baffle set up there, but "proof is in the pudding" photos are also there. .

[Bill Huber]

For me the only answer is get the Dust Deputy, they are great and get the large and small stuff.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=113678&highlight=Dust+Deputy

The first one is junk as been stated and the other one is ok, but Phil's is the best.

[ken gibbs]

I have used a cyclone lid for two ears and love it. I have a Delta 1 1/2 hp collector system and the most frustrating job I have to do, with the exception of dealing with my Ex Wife, is to take down and dump the sawdust in that plastic bag underneath the blower unit. Since I have added the cyclone lid unit in-line with my Delta blower, I haven't had to pull off the plastic bag 1 X. Just have to remember to dump the 30 gallon trash can under the cyclone. Well worth the money.