Dust collector canister gets filled up

[Yonak Hawkins]

I have a Jet DC-1100C dust collector with a Red Dog pleated canister. Every time I empty it I have to dig out shavings from a packed canister. Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do to fix it ? I know i can go to a different style of dust collector but I'd rather find a solution with the equipment I have.

Some have suggested a certain kind of air flow deflector but has anyone actually found one as a solution ? I wonder about a vortex cone retrofit but, even if I can find such a beast, would it or, say, a Thien Baffle work better ?

I'd prefer not to have another piece of equipment, such as a separator, to have to purchase or find a place for. This is a nagging problem that's vexed me for quite a while. I've posted this question before but I'm wondering if anyone has solved such a problem.

[Mike Henderson]

I wasn't initially convinced that a Dust Deputy cyclone pre-separator would really work well but I bought one and it really does capture most of the swarf. If you can put one on a 5 gallon pail ahead of your DC, I think you'll like it.

Mike

[Yonak Hawkins]

I wasn't initially convinced that a Dust Deputy cyclone pre-separator would really work well but I bought one and it really does capture most of the swarf. If you can put one on a 5 gallon pail ahead of your DC, I think you'll like it.

Mike

Thanks, Mike. The thing is, I have to empty a 44 gal. bag half a dozen times a day when I'm planing. How often would I have to empty the 5 gal. pail ? Is there one that would fit on a trash barrel ? How do you know when it's full ? I appreciate your help.

[Larry Frank]

I put in the vortex parts on my older Jet like yours. It is a great improvement in keeping dust off the filter. I did buy the parts before Jet greatly increased the prices for the parts.

[Mike Heidrick]

The thing is, I have to empty a 44 gal. bag half a dozen times a day when I'm planing.

How full are you letting the bags get? What does the canister look like at 2/3 full? Also many canisters have a paddle to brush off the pleat edges. Do you just tap yours before you empty it or a quick air shot blow off?

If you are doing that much work I am wondering why you have a DC1100. Maybe you will blow it up soon and can get one sized more for the work you are doing.

[George Bokros]

I have a trash can separator ahead of my JDS dust collector and it works very well. It is just a 30 gallon trash can with a plastic lid designed to create a swirl. I also have a small Dust Deputy that I use for sanding and my shop vac filter looks like new. I was going to get a large Dust Deputy but decided that what I had worked well enough that investing more money in the large DD is not worth the investment for me now.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/143290/trash-can-cyclone-lid.aspx

[Ben Rivel]

Thanks, Mike. The thing is, I have to empty a 44 gal. bag half a dozen times a day when I'm planing. How often would I have to empty the 5 gal. pail ? Is there one that would fit on a trash barrel ? How do you know when it's full ? I appreciate your help.
The Dust Deputy DIY is just the cyclone itself and can be installed on any size drum. The drum is just a receptacle. And you can build the Oneida dust bin sensor pretty cheaply with the plans I wrote up here: LINK (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?242096-Building-Your-Own-And-Improving-Upon-The-Oneida-Dust-Bin-Level-Sensor)

[Ben Rivel]

hmm .. maybe so. Perhaps I should check into pricing for a cyclone and sell the old relic.
The advantages if you do that will be great. Better dust collection, better fine particle air filtration, better chip separation, more power, etc.

[Yonak Hawkins]

How full are you letting the bags get? What does the canister look like at 2/3 full?

The canister is the first thing to fill up. That's what's so puzzling to me.


Also many canisters have a paddle to brush off the pleat edges. Do you just tap yours before you empty it or a quick air shot blow off?

The paddles won't budge until I have unpacked the shavings. I always run the paddles after an emptying.


If you are doing that much work I am wondering why you have a DC1100. Maybe you will blow it up soon and can get one sized more for the work you are doing.

..So you think my dust collector may me undersized .. hmm .. maybe so. Perhaps I should check into pricing for a cyclone and sell the old relic.

I wonder if it has something to do with the shape of my shavings. This issue seems to have started about the time I got a new planer.

[Keith Outten]

Thanks, Mike. The thing is, I have to empty a 44 gal. bag half a dozen times a day when I'm planing. How often would I have to empty the 5 gal. pail ? Is there one that would fit on a trash barrel ? How do you know when it's full ? I appreciate your help.


Yonak,

If you are planing that much lumber you might consider using a exterior chip box. Your only costs involved will be the material to build a large box and you will be able to plane lumber for days without the hassle of having to deal with small bags or clogged filters. Since you are in Georgia, a temperate climate area, a chip box is a good option.
.

[Steve Peterson]

Thanks, Mike. The thing is, I have to empty a 44 gal. bag half a dozen times a day when I'm planing. How often would I have to empty the 5 gal. pail ? Is there one that would fit on a trash barrel ? How do you know when it's full ? I appreciate your help.

There is no reason to be limited to a 5 gallon pail under the dust deputy. You could easily replace it with a 55 gallon drum or even larger. It sounds like the super dust deputy would be a more appropriate size considering the volume of shavings that you are generating.

It is amazing how much a cyclone can separate from the mixture going in, especially if it is large planer shavings.

Steve

[Mike Ontko]

For a 1-1/2 hp DC, you could always retrofit a Thien style separator/baffle. I did this with a DC-1100A, based on an article in FWW (Soup Up Your Dust Collector (http://www.finewoodworking.com/toolguide/article/soup-up-your-dust-collector.aspx)) and have been a happy camper since.

For larger scale operations, check out this video on YouTube posted by hffcom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1YxcWnaQy8). He doesn't explain all of the details of the system, but you can get a good idea of how to go about setting up something similar.

[Ole Anderson]

I presume you are buying your stock RS? Consider having your supplier plane it 1/16" over your final thickness and let him deal with the issue of huge amounts of chips. Mine does that for about 15 cents/BF while I wait and it is well worth it. Beyond that I simply recommend you get a decent 3 hp cyclone if you are processing that much wood. Again I am spending your money, very easy to do sitting at my keyboard.

[Curt Harms]

IMO a separator - Thien baffle or similar is mandatory for a cartridge filter dust collector. I didn't want to have to replumb and sacrifice the space for a separate device so put a Thien baffle in the metal funnel of my Penn State dust collector. It works pretty well, virtually no chips and little fine dust make it to the cartridge filter. If I'd make the baffle thinner it might work even better but then how do I fasten it to the funnel? I empty the clear lower bag into a contractor's bag when it gets about half full. That makes it easier to handle and keeping more space between the collected chips and bottom of the funnel may increase the efficiency of separation. I probably should have beveled the ends of the drop slot to reduce turbulence.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Thanks, Curt. this seems like the simplest, least expensive first try.

[Curt Harms]

Thanks, Curt. this seems like the simplest, least expensive first try.


It was certainly inexpensive for me, I had all the pieces already. One thing to consider if you go this route - use something like a 1/2" PVC coupling cut to length over the bolt in the center. A larger diameter seems less likely to catch stringy stuff. I'm not sure you need a bolt in the center of the slot but I tend toward overbuilt. Here's Phil Thien's site:

http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?board=1.0

[Anthony Whitesell]

For larger scale operations, check out this video on YouTube posted by hffcom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1YxcWnaQy8). He doesn't explain all of the details of the system, but you can get a good idea of how to go about setting up something similar.

IMHO, that would not be my first setup. Too much work/time to empty. Personally I would prefer something half that size (last about 6 months, in his case, long enough to get through winter) that was on wheels and easier and quicker to empty. The extra steps and time to empty the bin are a downside in my opinion. His system does not seem to incorporate any cyclone features, just a series of 'drums'.

P.S. If you notice right in the beginning, he remarks about the long shavings being stuck at the intake, you can see he still as the safety grid install at the inlet to the blower.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Thanks, Curt.