So I guess I screwed up! Dust collection

[Charlie T. Bear]

I installed that new cyclone over the last couple of days. Today while running the molder, I went to check the drum..... Well I guess you cant use a rubber maid trash can as a drum! It collapsed the damm thing!!!!!!!

My question is the filter bag was damm near full!!!!!! I thought only the fines where to go into the filer bag??? This is a 2.5 horse Penn state cyclone. The trash can was 3/4 full but so was the filter bag???

wHAT DID I do wrong here?????

[John Keeton]

Charlie, there are others that know a lot more about the dynamics of a DC than I do, but I would guess that collapsing the can/drum had a lot to do with the air flow in the cyclone. In essence, when it collapsed, the only place for the stuff to go was on thru to the filter, much like when the drum gets full and isn't emptied. I would replace the can with something more substantial and give it another try before I went to much further with the analysis.

[Charlie T. Bear]

Yup tomorrow morning I am gettin a steel drum!

[Jim O'Dell]

Charlie, check your local car dealerships. They get cleaning chemicals in 55 gallon plastic drums. Works great. Much stronger and thicker walled than the Rubbermaid trash cans. And I bet the manager will give you as many as he has!! Most of the cleaning chemicals we use are pretty tame. Degreasers and such. A little soap and some water and they clean up well. I cut the top off with a reciprocating demo saw on the inside lip so that I had a "factory" smooth top edge, and finished up with a 1/2 round file to smooth the edges. A 3/4" MDF or plywood top with a fitting for some flex from the cone to the top and some rubber gasket material and you are good to go. Much lighter and easier to modify than the steel drums. My 5 HP Clear Vue sorks fine with it. Jim.

[Jim Becker]

When you filter fills with material, it's because of one of two things: 1) the bin was over filled or 2) a leak between the cone and the drum including the top on the bin. (even a tiny leak is bad) When your bin collapsed, it likely caused an air leak. Hence, your "impacted" filters...

[Tom Veatch]

...
wHAT DID I do wrong here?????

I think Jim nailed the problem. Replace the plastic bin with something more able to resist the external pressure and make sure there are no air leaks in any part of the system at and below the cone outlet.

If the bin was collapsed and still 3/4 full after you opened it, it may have been completely full in the collapsed condition. And, if there was any leakage below the cone, airflow into the bottom of the cyclone would carry the dust and chips up through the impeller into the filters. Unless you did something special to seal the top of the Rubbermaid trash can, I'd almost bet the farm there was plenty of leakage. I've never seen one of those things that looked like it'd have an airtight seal with the lid.

[Gene Michael]

Charlie, we use Rubbermaid roughneck cans for storing horse feed. Got them at the blue borg. Very tough, very solid; about $40. If you can collapse one of them with your cyclone, I'd be very surprised.