I guess you need to empty your DC even if it's a Thien...

[Alan Lightstone]

I guess I really have been making dust lately. I noticed earlier today that the plastic collection bag under my HF DC was getting chips for the first time, instead of virtually everything going in the garbage can under the Thien separator.

Knocking on the metal can produced as dull as sound as you can imagine.

Here's the full can. Amazing how much chips jointing and planing can produce.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3367/4605091139_16955dd225_o.jpg

Someone had asked me a while ago what the inside of my separator looks like. Well, here's what it looks like caked full of wood chips:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1212/4605091189_4d5af581af_o.jpg

I guess you have to empty the sucker eventually. I guess noticing wood chips in the plastic bag will be my clue (or maybe I'll just bang on the side of the metal can more often).

To judge the efficiency of the separator, imagine that 30 gal garbage can full of shavings, and less than 1/2 cup of wood shavings in the bag. Pretty impressive efficiency.

[David Hostetler]

I typically kick the side of my plastic drum to see how full it is (lightly mind you...) before turning on the DC... But yeah, I have done that in one afternoon to my 55 gallon drum. I just noticed stuff swirling in the bag and figured I should check it out...

Great pic though. Pretty impressive that you got it that full...

[Alan Schaffter]

You need a high dust alarm. Anyone with a two stage system who doesn't regularly check his chip bin or who can't see it because it is in a closet or outside needs one. It is especially important to those with cartridge filters. Just ask folks who had to clean one after they overfilled their bins and then filled the filter- what a nasty chore!!!

I made a simple, inexpensive, reliable one with parts from Lowes. Note, it requires a specific sensor (Summit Lighting CP688 Replacement Universal Photo Eye) that looks identical (see pic below) to many others but is slightly different- it has no internal delay. It can be wired to a light or strobe, an audible alarm, or, by adding a relay, turn off your DC. Sorry, I don't have a single write-up about it, but listed below are my NC Woodworker threads that provide all the details.

Sensor:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/HighDust-1.JPG

Sensor mounted on cyclone:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/HighDust-4.JPG

Supplemental light source:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/HighDust-5.JPG

Another unit in fancy packaging:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/medium/P2260032.JPG

Mounted on an Oneida cyclone:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/medium/P2270046.JPG

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f31/cyclone-high-dust-alarm-works-w-new-pics-7195

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f31/cyclone-dust-alarm-circuit-w-sketch-7240

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f81/portable-cyclone-high-dust-alarm-w-pics-13220

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f81/high-dust-alarm-sensor-19580

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f81/upgrade-high-dust-alarm-27761

[Joe Chritz]

The neat thing about cyclones is that when they get full you are able to fully pack the inside of the filter with chips. Not damaging but a real DOH! moment.

I think I am up to 4 times doing that now.

I have seen a couple different ideas like the light and they all seem to work pretty well. I just haven't gotten around to setting anything up.

Joe

[Alan Lightstone]

Wow, neat idea. The electric tinkerer in me wants to run out and build this. Any issues with the light source (heat) and combustability of the wood dust? Not really an ignition source, or very hot, but I wonder if an LED would be a safer approach.

[Alan Lightstone]

Read your thread on NC Woodworker. Nice. I see I'm not the first one to suggest an LED. Ah, late to the party again.

And I see you've incorporated one as well. Doh................

[Steve Kohn]

I cut a slot in my dust collection can and used RTV to glue and seal a lexan window on the side of the can. All you have to do is look at the little window. If you see sawdust covering it, time to empty.

[Alan Lightstone]

I cut a slot in my dust collection can and used RTV to glue and seal a lexan window on the side of the can. All you have to do is look at the little window. If you see sawdust covering it, time to empty.
How low tech, and undoubtedly effective.

Does the lexan get full of dust before the can fills and give false alarms?

Also, what's RTV?

[Jeff Qualmann]

RTV = Room Temperature Vulcanizer... fancy name sometimes given for caulk, usually of the silicone variety :):

[Alan Lightstone]

RTV = Room Temperature Vulcanizer... fancy name sometimes given for caulk, usually of the silicone variety :):
LOL. The things you learn some days.

[glenn bradley]

Timely post. I had a note to check mine that got buried under some work on the bench and went unnoticed for a few days. Cyclone and bagger both needed to be emptied. The cyclone wasn't bad but the bagger (handles just the jointer and planer) was real full. Thanks.

[Mark Levitski]

How 'bout super low tech and empty it more often. Wifey did a lot of planing and sanding over a couple days while I was at my day job. 30 gal. was very full and she made mention. What was missed is that there was a plug up the cylclone cone that was not noticed or emptied. Over the next few days, again while I was at work and while wifey was an exuberant woodshop worker, the dust and chips bypassed the cone and filled the filter cartridge. She did ultimately notice (bless her) while routinely doing the emptying chores (double bless her). Found the blockage and yes, a lot of blowing, tapping, cleaning of the filter chamber (5HP Super Gorilla). Nasty? Well, I wouldn't go that far...... We will henceforth merely check more often. I ain't putting in a detector--got one already, wifey.

[Chad Harrison]

I made my Thien baffle out of Lexan so I can see directly into the can - best idea I ever had in the shop!

[Alan Lightstone]

I made my Thien baffle out of Lexan so I can see directly into the can - best idea I ever had in the shop!
Cool idea. You should take a video of it running and post it.

[John Lanciani]

I think I've posted this before, it's low tech and works great. The 4" PVC cleanout on top allows me to pack down fluffy shavings like poplar so that I can keep working when the bin gets full. The bin is just under 200 gal., and there is a trapdoor on the outside to empty it with a shovel.

[Alan Lightstone]

If my significant other ever saw me emptying out chips with a shovel....:eek:

[Paul McGaha]

I was thinking about something like that for mine.

Sort of a view hole cut into the barrel to see keep an eye on how full it is.

It could make a big mess if you waited to empty.

PHM

[Terry Hatfield]

Little piece of plexi and some silicone makes a very handy window for the lid of my drum....hey....that thing needs to be emptied!!!

t

http://terryhatfield.com/album/4/91056647.jpg

[Alan Lightstone]

Just knocked on the side of mine, and time to empty again. Definitely need some sort of window.

[Alan Schaffter]

I think I've posted this before, it's low tech and works great. The 4" PVC cleanout on top allows me to pack down fluffy shavings like poplar so that I can keep working when the bin gets full. The bin is just under 200 gal., and there is a trapdoor on the outside to empty it with a shovel.

John, I hope that box and especially the trapdoor seal perfectly, or else you will be getting blow-by in the cyclone and dust will be pumped into your filter. That sure looks like it will handle some volume of dust and chips though!

I don't need a shovel and hardly touch the dust when emptying the bag attached to the cone of my "push-through"* cyclone. I just undo a band clamp, tie off the bag, and carry it to the curb. Right now I am using cheap grocery store 39 gal leaf and lawn bags, but can use as large a bag as I can find and carry.

*The blower is not mounted on top of the cyclone. The main duct runs to the blower inlet. The blower output is directed to the cyclone inlet so the entire system is under slight positive pressure instead of negative pressure so the bag is not sucked up and it is not affected by leaks like standard pull-through cyclones and dust bins.

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/1329/medium/P10100531.JPG