Clear plastic garbage can?

[Spencer Keysan]

Does anyone know where I can find a 30gal or so clear plastic garbage can or barrel? I want to use it in a dust collection system.
Thanks in advance

[Eric Wong]

Windsor Barrel Works makes ones for recyclables, but they are kind of pricey.

[glenn bradley]

For what clear barrels cost I would cut a tall rectangle in the side of a regular drum and epoxy in a lexan window. Just my .02

[Spencer Keysan]

its could be a box too. I supose I could glue together a lexan box to do the job. AFter checking prices, it would be $100 to buy enough 1/8 lexan. A long window in a Rubbermaid might be a good compromise

[Spencer Keysan]

When looking at plastic sheets I found these guys sell clear barrel inserts. They have a 30gal 15mil insert for about $20 shipped but I dont know if 15mil is strong enough to hold shape in a partial vacuum.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=110&product%5Fid=25041

[Jim Becker]

You'd also need to insure that whatever top you put on it will fit snugly with zero air leaks. My gut feeling is that the 15 mill material isn't going to withstand the pressure that a good cyclone is going to put on it...based on the fact that mine (2hp commercial from Oneida) can lift the fiber barrel (heavier than the plastic one) up off the ground until it has a few inches of chips in it. What I did was put a 1/4" Lexan "window" (about 4" square) in the top of the bin so I could check for the level of chips and dust inside visually.

[Spencer Keysan]

I think now that 15 mil would be way to weak as well. Thats only about 1/64" thick.
A lexan window cut into a Rubbermaid is a good compromise. But I do enjoy watching the system work And I can gauge system performance by watching the height and speed of the vortex in the clear bag dust collector to tell if I got a partial clog or filter needs cleaning.

Sealing the top is no problem. I currently use a 20gal Rubbermaid and I cut out a wood disk slightly smaller then the opening and wrapped it with 3/4 wide dense foam gasket and taped around the gasket to the disk with metal duct sealant tape. It pushes down and makes an excellent seal on the Rubbermaid and can be easily removed and replaced.

A clear drum used as a chip collector in front of the intake fan catches the big wood chunks and the metal stuff before it gets into the DC impeller but the smaller lighter stuff would go onto the clear bag. Since I also use it to vacuum the shop, it picks up the odd nail, bolt, washer now and again.
So a clear chip collector would be partly to check fillage and partly to enjoy watching the DC at work.

Ive had it up and running about 2 weeks now and its been great. Maybe even a translucent vertical storage barrel would be ok. Maybe that could be had where they sell water softeners and pools supplies and such.

[Scott Loven]

Lee Valley sells clear lids (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=30282&cat=1,42401&ap=1) so you can see when your can is full.
Scott

[Ken Milhinch]

I think now that 15 mil would be way to weak as well. Thats only about 1/64" thick.


Spencer, 15mm is actually 3/5" , or just over 1/2" in rough terms. (1" = 25.4mm) Perhaps they meant to say 1.5mm. Would pay to check.

[Jim Becker]

Spencer, 15mm is actually 3/5" , or just over 1/2" in rough terms. (1" = 25.4mm) Perhaps they meant to say 1.5mm. Would pay to check.

A "mil" is not a "mm"... 1 millimeter = 39.3700787 mil

[Ken Milhinch]

A "mil" is not a "mm"... 1 millimeter = 39.3700787 mil

Crikey, how embarrassing :o A Phillistine from the Imperial Measurement Outpost correcting me on a metric measure !!
In all my years, I have never heard of a mil, except in the context of volume, where it is a shortened version of millilitre. A Google search proves you to be absolutely correct Jim.
I am going to shut up for a while. I will be sitting in the corner if you need me.:o

[Jim Becker]

This Philistine from the Imperial Measurement Outpost is often quick to Google things like that! LOL :D

[Jim O'Dell]

When looking at plastic sheets I found these guys sell clear barrel inserts. They have a 30gal 15mil insert for about $20 shipped but I dont know if 15mil is strong enough to hold shape in a partial vacuum.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=110&product%5Fid=25041

I missed this post somehow when it started. I just saw the same site today when googling for plastic laminate information. I wondered if the 15 mil inserts would work for plastic bag holders within another barrel? I've emailed them with what I would be interested in them for and we'll see what their answer might be. Not sure the plastic barrel I'm using will work with the liner, but the other one I have that I discarded might. Hopefully they will send the measurements tomorow and I can see. Shipping was actually less than I thought it might be for the liner. Barrel prices are pretty high, but they have a wide assortment of sizes and types. Jim.

[Gary Keedwell]

To clear things up a bit....Wikipedia says that a MIL is the same as a THOU.
A THOU is equal to 1/000 of an inch, which in decimal is .001 15 mil is equal to .015 which is indeed 1/64th of an inch.;)
(Just for the few that really care:) )
Gary K.