"Cyclones"

[Tom Winship]

Does anyone have experience with the "cyclone" lids for 30 gallon trashcans that you put before your dust collector to seperate out the bigger chips? Do they work? With the screen on my Griz, I cannot pick up hand plane shavings without clogging up the intake.

[jim gossage]

I use one and it works well. No clogging problem for me and I also have a Grizzly collector.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Tom - do a search in the Workshops forum (aka "dust collection + electrical" forum :)) for dust deputy or for separator.

Pack a lunch.

Shortest answer - you bet they work. Next shortest answer - everyone with a Dust Deputy or a home-built separator using Phil Thein's design loves the results. Dunno about the lower-end versions (Rockler's $32 type) but I have to believe they do a reasonable job as well.

[Adam Strong]

With the formed plastic lids you get decent results. The Thien design works much better and is closer to the performance of a cyclone. A cyclone is considered king in dust collection, but not everyone can afford the recommended 3 HP set-up.

[Matt Armstrong]

Any separator is better than no separator, though all separators rob you of power to some extent. Cyclones, while separating the best, can also be the worst when it comes to lost power.

[Peter Thomson]

Ditto to Adam's comment on the Thien design -- it's amazing how well it works.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Do a search both here and at other forums for "Phil Thein." Google him also, and you will see several who have built their own. I like mine (it's a top hat) because I don't lose can capacity. It's under Phil at Google- "Another Vote for Phil Thein's Baffle." Pictures show construction, and the "proof is in the pudding" results of using it.

[Eugenio Soto]

I have this lid for my 1200 CFM delta and it works BUT when the can is about 1/3 full the chips start getting sucked into the DC bag...thinking about doing the "Thein" thingy

Eugene


Does anyone have experience with the "cyclone" lids for 30 gallon trashcans that you put before your dust collector to seperate out the bigger chips? Do they work? With the screen on my Griz, I cannot pick up hand plane shavings without clogging up the intake.

[paul cottingham]

I use one for dust collection from my smaller machines, using a shop vac. It works great.

[Dell Moore]

I just finished my Thien colector yesterday for my planer/Jointer/TS, and I have small homemade cycline (Made out of 2 buckets and a large funnel) for my dado saw and jointer, which works surprisingly well for what it is. I just have to figure out a support frame for it.

My 2 cents.

Dell

[glenn bradley]

I used one on a 30 gallon metal can with a 1HP Delta bagger. They put quite a hit on your airflow but, the trade off of the ease of emptying the can a dozen or more times before having to empty the bag kept me using it for quite awhile. For the price I would do it again.

Currently the Delta unit runs an AFF filter and solid lower bag without the "cyclone" as I use it on the power jointer and planer only and need the suck. I modified the bag and strap so that it is easy to remove and replace now. I knocked out the cross-piece at he entrance to the blower to reduce clogging.