How do you dump your DC drum?

[Jay Knepper]

For me the worst shop task, by far, is dumping the ~35 gal drum of my dust collector. I can fit a "contractor" sized plastic bag over the drum, but when I upend the drum the dust stays put. I've tried stirring the contents of the drum before upending it, but this does not help much. I end up shoveling the contents into the bag by hand. My process negates a lot of the health benefits of the DC system, even using a good dust mask.

Does anyone have a good system for emptying their DC drum into a trash bag?

[Lee Schierer]

The cause of your problem is atmospheric pressure. The weight of the sawdust in the drum presses the plastic tightly against the sides of your drum. When you try to pull the bag out there is no place for air to get in behind the bag so the suction (14 pounds per square inch) prevents you from lifting the bag out. If you put a couple of 1" air holes in the bottom of the drum, the task should be made easier. If you placed an air fitting in the bottom of the drum and put a moderate amount of pressurized air in as you are lifting the bag, it should be easier still.

I use a 55 gallon drum and just dump the sawdust out for mulch around our pine trees.

[Jim Becker]

I compost mine or use it in the garden paths. It's removed from the shop, carted via the tractor to it's destination and dumped. Like Lee, I also use a 55 gallon bin.

[JayStPeter]

I dump mine into bags, 55 gallon drum liners to be exact. I have the same problem and the solution is indeed to allow air out. I just pull one side away from the drum a little and the flow starts. It is still a little messy though, I tend to do it directly under my filter.

Jay

[Bill Grumbine]

This isn't exactly my cyclone drum, but it goes out the door in the same way. I am fortunate enough to have the room to do this now, whereas in the past I did not. Sometimes I wonder if it is negating the worth of the DC as well, but I only breathe a little dust once in a while, and if I am concerned about a lot, I put my air helmet on.

<img src= "http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/lathedustcollector01.jpg">

Bill

[Matt Meiser]

I do the same as Jim (with the tractor), but with the following changes:
- I bought a "drum dolly" on Ebay for $20 to make it easier to get the drum to the door.
- I have two matching drums so that if it is inconvenient to dump when the first gets full, I just swap drums. I got my fiber drums from a local farm for $5 each.
- I take mine next door and dump them in the huge sawdust pile I neighbor keeps for his horse stalls. He's not concerned about exotics or walnut since I generate a much smaller quanity than he uses overall.

[Bob Powers]

I scoot the drum across the shop floor and out the door. I then check to see from which direction the wind is blowing and stand upwind from the drum. Tip the drum over and turn it upside down.

Having previously convinced my neighbor of the benefits of using wood dust, shavings, and sawdust for mulch, I call him and tell him that there is another pile of FREE mulch waiting for him.

[lou sansone]

hi jay
you bring up a good problem that I had given some thought to before installing my DC. "how do you empty the thing"? As you can see from my post below, I thought that I would follow tried and true induustry practices and put the dusty part outside where it belongs ( IMHO ). Unlike others, I have found that sawdust does not really make good compost and so I don't use in on gardens and such. For me the chips and dust go to the land fill. I realize that most can not setup their shop as I have for a variety of reasons, but I do present this option for those who might be able to and have not thought of it yet.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=17821

As others have said, the easiest way to empty the DC barrel is to wheel it outside and dump it or shovel it into bags as you are now doing inside

best wishes
lou

[Marc Burt]

As others; mine gets tossed on a dump cart and towed behind the lawnmower and out into the woods.

[Matt Meiser]

I realize that most can not setup their shop as I have for a variety of reasons, but I do present this option for those who might be able to and have not thought of it yet.

Lou, how do you deal with the heat loss from pumping all that air outside in the winter? Or do you find that in practice its not a problem?

[Jeff A. Smith]

I eliminated the dust bag I used on my 2-stage because, as you say, emptying it caused me to consume far more dust than I wanted. Now, I blow through a huge dryer-type vent (6") right outside and just collect the large stuff in the barrel.

The amount of suction is enormous without the bag in place to restrict airflow.

Jeff Smith
Athens, AL

[Jamie Buxton]

One way to get the dust into a bag is the following. Buy trash bags big enough to fit over the bin. When I say "fit over", I mean like a pillow case fits over a pillow. With the bin standing upright, put the bag on the bin, with the mouth of the bag as close to the floor as you can go. Now tip the the bin+bag over so that the bin is standing on the floor, upsidedown. Reach inside the bag to grab the edge of the bin, and pick it up. The sawdust will stay in the bag.

[Howard Acheson]

I have a plastic bag inside my canister. I hold it open with a piece of plastic laminate that fits inside the bag keeping it against the inside of the drum and keeping it from collapsing.

When I go to remove the bag from the drum, I first slide the plastic laminate up and out, then just tie off the top of the bag and remove it. No mess.

[lou sansone]

Lou, how do you deal with the heat loss from pumping all that air outside in the winter? Or do you find that in practice its not a problem?

Hi matt
excellent question! Glad to see you are thinking about it.
I return the all the air back into the shop and then through the final pleated filter cartridge. I hope this makes sense.

lou

[Jay Knepper]

Howard has nailed it as a solution for me. And, being close to completing Norm's router table, I happen to have some spare laminate! (The Borg wants $108/4x8 sheet for this stuff..when they admit they can get it. Local counter top fabricators sell it for $40/sheet.)

While a large bag that (easily) fits over the drum would work the largest bags I have found make a TIGHT seal...no pillowcase fit.

I too want to use the material for compost but fresh wood shavings are a nitrogen sink. They are Ok for paths, not great for plants. I plan to store them and compost them with grass and leaves.

Thanks to all for your comments.