Gorilla Support System...

[Derek Arita]

I finally got the Beast up and running. Thing is, I ran into the same problem the others have. Seems the supplied brackets are just not enough to hold the Gorilla level.
I have put thin wedges in between the mounting ledge on the blower housing and the angle bracket, to compensate for the sag. I also put a 2x4 from under the blower outlet, to the ground. I know that the outlet wasn't built for added support for the unit, but I'm hoping it will work OK. Question is, do you, who are more experienced than I, think this will work OK?
I'd love to be able to take off the support brackets and re-enforce them, but at this point, it would be a major pain to do so now that everthing's in place.

[Jim Becker]

There is no "danger" to your system with the supplied brackets...the sagging is more of a cosmetic issue. If you move the blower as close to the wall as possible (without touching it!), you will minimize the sagging. You may need to drill some holes to do that, but then again, you may need to do that in many installations just to get the outlet facing in exactly the direction you want, too. (Don't let the pre-drilled holes force your hand...it's mild steel and drills easily) You can also provide additional support via threaded rod or cable overhead to balance the load as Andy London did.

For the record, I have expressed my concern to Oneida about the brackets since so many have reported this same issue.

[Derek Arita]

Because of my particular barrel setup, I have to have the unit as close to level as possible. I guess my main concern is whether or not that 2x4 under the output will damage the blower housing?

[Andy London]

Because of my particular barrel setup, I have to have the unit as close to level as possible. I guess my main concern is whether or not that 2x4 under the output will damage the blower housing?

No it will not hurt it in any way, I was going to do this initally then Jim gave me an idea of a chain and hook from the ceiling, I had some threaded rod lying around and opted to use it as I had no chain and was in a rush to see this thing run.

[Tom Jones III]

It is really surprising to me to see threads on sagging. When I got my gorilla, I attached the supports to the wall and then I lifted myself (170 lbs) and bounced from the extreme end of one support, not both. Sag under that load was minimal, even with me bouncing. I've got the gorilla mounted on the holes farthest away from the wall and there is no noticeable sag, although I have not taken measurements to check.

[Derek Arita]

In my particular installation, it's crucial that the unit be as plumb as possible. I'm not using the flex for the barrel, but have taped the barrel lid to the cyclone bottom.

[Jim Becker]

In my particular installation, it's crucial that the unit be as plumb as possible. I'm not using the flex for the barrel, but have taped the barrel lid to the cyclone bottom.

Derek, please note that you must have an absolute seal between the cyclone and your collection bin. Even the smallest of leaks will result in problems, including blow-by into your filters. (Not a fun thing...)

[Derek Arita]

I used the aluminum duct sealing tape, so it should be a good seal. Thanks for the info. I will double check to make sure that there are no leaks.

[Jim Becker]

I think you are going to find that to be a frustrating situation using tape, Derek. It doesn't flex enough to deal with vibration nor is it strong enough to hold up as you remove the bin from the lid to empty it...which you will do with varying frequency, depending on what you are milling. You can fill up even a 55 gallon bin in a very short period of time when using the jointer and planer for surfacing lumber. Even a very short piece of flex with band clamps will be a better solution and also allow you to deal with emptying the bin with more ease.

[Bill Crofutt]

Derek,

We too ran into this problem. Even with the 11 gauge steel used in the mounts, the cyclone still leaned a little. We didn't like the looks and even though it didn't hurt anything we added a support at the cyclone to hold it away from the wall. Doesn't support any weight, just keeps it straight. Perhaps a simple "L" bracket on the wall to hold it away from the wall and straight up / down will work for you?


Also, sounds like you have eliminated the hose between the cyclone and the dust barrel? That MAY create a small problem. We found the larger the diameter of the hose going to the bin, the more the cyclonic action would continue down the hose. By using a larger hose (and corresponding outlet) it allows the use of a shorter cyclone body thereby reducing the overall height. By shortening the hose, you MAY affect performance causing more dust passing into the filters or not being able to fill the bin as full. And then again.....

[Jeffrey Hill]

Derek-

The small amount of lean you're seeing isn't normally a problem as you've seen from the other posters. Depending on how you install the system you can end up with a lot of weight out on the brackets. Some install with the filter pointing out away from the wall more than others which creates more moment working on the brackets.

Best way to correct this seems to be a support to the ceiling (chain, threaded rod, cable etc) from the mounting ring out away from the wall. Your 2x4 under the exhaust would work as well but might get in your way over time.

I would agree with everyone else...the tape connection to the drum is likely going to give you some headaches. That seal is crucial to system performance (separation). Any leaks here will hurt you.

-Jeff

[Derek Arita]

Here's my set up. I have a real headroom problem, so height is at a minimum. I have about a 1/2" of clearance between the barrel lid and the cyclone bottom. In order to be able to get the barrel out for emptying, I prop up the bottom of the barrel weith wedges, for general use, then remove the wedges for clearance in order to be able to lower the barrel, then slide it out.
First, if the cyclone is crooked, that means that I lose that 1/2" of clearance somewhere, so it has to be plumb. Secondly, I tried to mount flex bewteen the joints, but since the joint is simply barrel top to cyclone botton, with no space between, well, I figured why not just tape it with the aluminum tape for a really good seal. Maybe I should be using one of those rubber joint flanges used in plumbing. I didn't try that.

[Jeffrey Hill]

Sounds fair enough. You should be able to level it up using one of the methods discussed. The tape will probably work...just keen an eye on it an make sure it stays sealed. Originally I thought you would be removing the tape each time to empty the barrel... This sounds more reasonable now.

Enjoy your system and let us know if you need anything.

-Jeff

[Larry Browning]

Derek,
If your shop is not in the basement, have you considered cutting a hole in the ceiling and framing in an area between the joists to give you a little more height?

larry