A better Chip Bin for Dust Collector?

[Tom Hyde]

I've got my v3000 dust collector outside, and under roof. I'm looking for a good collection bin design. The barrel fills quickly and I'd like to dump at the end of the day, not having to stop to do it at least twice a day. I've got nearly 60" of clearance below the collector so I could have a fairly large bin.

I've thought about making a plywood box on wheels with a door and a plexi viewing window but it needs a quick disconnect solution. And obviously it needs to be airtight.

Another option would be some type of bin with wheels inside a larger fixed bin ... but the chips will likely fall around the sides on the inner box making a bit of a mess. Could put in an internal baffle to help with that ...

I've seen a few posts here and elsewhere that were close but not quite. One, with the nested boxes, where they ended going back to the barrels.

Anyone found a good solution for a DIY Chip Bin?

[Jesse Busenitz]

Tom, I don't have any good answers, but this is one of the next to do's so I'll be following this for sure. I come from a farming background so I think a little different than most folks, but you can get bulk soybean seed in a big plastic hopper, approximately 6x6x6 with fork slots, and a removable lid so it'd be easy to transport and dump. Problem is they reuse them so I'm afraid they might miss one if it disappeared:D. I have also considered the same idea of a big ply box of similar design. I also considered buying/building an rotary air lock but as well, but as of now I'm still emptying the barrel:mad:

[Jim Andrew]

I have a 50 gallon plastic barrel, and would not want anything heavier, unless it could be handled with my skidsteer, or a tractor. The drum is heavy when full, nice when someone stops by when it needs emptying. I use the chips and dust to mulch around trees.

[Tom Hyde]

Thanks guys. Plastic can is a good idea. Been thinking about this ... plywood bin with internal shelf about 12" below top. The shelf would be on drawer slides and have a round hole for a 55 gal. plastic trash can to drop into. Slide out the shelf, pull out the can. The shelf keeps chips from filling the entire box. Any chips that mass on top of the shelf can be easily brushed into the can. A front door can close on 2x2s with weather stripping and have a plexiglass window in the top for viewing the upper chamber.

I'm not sure how to get a tight seal on the door. Rest of the box can be framed internally with 2x2s and sealed with silicone.

Thoughts?

326783

This could be expanded to hold two cans with some type of splitter extending up from center of the shelf. But the box would have to be more than 5 feet wide, and an airtight door likely gets more complicated.

[Charles Lent]

For really big dust collectors they make a rotary unit the works much like a gumball machine. The cavity in the unit rotates and takes a certain volume of sawdust from the filter and then continues rotating to dump this sawdust into a bin or container, even a truck. It is a sealed system so the dust collector can continue running while the sawdust is being dumped. Your dust collector may not be large enough to justify one of these, but it would make sawdust removal very easy, and not require the dust collector to shut down during the dumping process. If you need to dump your system every day it would seam like this kind of dumper would be worth the investment.

Charley

[Martin Wasner]

It's called a rotary airlock.

From the airlock you can have it drop into a pipe and use another fan to transfer it into a dumpster or trailer.

[Charles Lent]

That's it! My old brain couldn't come up with the name. Thanks.

Charley

[Tom Hyde]

For really big dust collectors they make a rotary unit the works much like a gumball machine. The cavity in the unit rotates and takes a certain volume of sawdust from the filter and then continues rotating to dump this sawdust into a bin or container, even a truck. It is a sealed system so the dust collector can continue running while the sawdust is being dumped. Your dust collector may not be large enough to justify one of these, but it would make sawdust removal very easy, and not require the dust collector to shut down during the dumping process. If you need to dump your system every day it would seam like this kind of dumper would be worth the investment.

Charley

Well that sounds pretty slick but a bit much for my needs. I don't generate that many chips every day but tend to pre-mill lumber in batches, so some days generate a lot. Think I'll go buy a trash can today and give this idea a whirl. I'll skip the expensive slides.

A place where I used to work had a 130-foot lathe, they just backed the dump truck up to the shute.

[Garth Almgren]

Wow, what were they turning on a 130' lathe?

[Tom Hyde]

Mostly masts and spars for tall ships, there are more than you might think. Did a fair bit of work for Hollywood too - Pirates of the Caribbean movies and circus tent poles for Water for Elephants. It could turn a blank up to 40" in diameter. Took a round tree, cut it square, then made it round again.

[John Lankers]

Would a wheel barrow style box or barrel work - just an idea.

[John C Bush]

My DC(cyclone) is in an attached shed and I welded axels and used 5" wheels from old lawm mowers on the bottom of the 55 gal metal drum. I just wheel it out and dump in a composting pile for future mulching. Doesn't answer your question on increasing capacity but it makes emptying quick and simple. I just have to keep in mind how much milling I have done!!

[Bill Space]

I built 2' x 2' x 6' high box that I inserted between my dust collector and piping that goes to my tools. A large plastic garbage can sits at the bottom of this box. The front of the box is a hinged door that allows me to remove the garbage can to dum it whenever it. Is full. I put a plastic window in the door so I can shine a flashlight in and see how full the garbage can is.

The key is to have a simple baffle so that air flow slows down within the chamber and larger chips and dust fall out into the garbage can. Air enters and exits the chamber at the same speed, but within the chamber, due to a larger cross-sectional area than the pipes have, the air flow slows down allowing the bigger particles to fall out into the waiting garbage can.

Works really well. I think 80 or 90% of the chips end up in the garbage can rather than in the dust collector bags. Maybe more.

Bill

[Tom Hyde]

Well I built a big airtight box (32 x 32 x 48) using every scrap of two sheets of plywood. I used a 32 gallon trash can until I can find a larger 55 gallon for a reasonable price (I just can't spend more than $50 on a plastic can). It works pretty well but a lot chips end up on the can deck. With a larger can that sits higher in the upper chamber, most chips should end up in the can. I can modify the interior easily to keep experimenting and making improvements. Full extension slides would be nice.

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[Bruce Wrenn]

Why not extend inlet pipe to top of trash can?

[Tom Hyde]

Why not extend inlet pipe to top of trash can?

That should work too.