Building Your Own And Improving Upon The Oneida Dust Sentry Bin Level Sensor

[David L Morse]

I dont think youd have to make a hole in the dust collector, just the incoming ductwork going into the main inlet.

I think the pressure at that point under most operating conditions won't be low enough to keep the bag pressed against the barrel. The pressure you're tapping into has to be lower than the pressure inside the bag. That pressure is essentially the same as the pressure at the bottom of the vortex.

As the air enters the cyclone it expands thus increasing static pressure. As it flows around and down there's pressure drop due to frictional losses. Unless your duct is really small compared to the inlet that loss will likely be more than the expansion gain.

On the way up the inside of the vortex and outlet tube you get both contraction and frictional losses. The top of the outlet tube should have a lower static pressure than the bottom of the vortex. I think a tap here will do a much better job of keeping the bag inflated.

[Ben Rivel]

The tube into the drum doesn't need to be in the bottom of the drum; in the side near the bottom is fine. Allowing some length to the tube, you can pull the drum from under the lid far enough to remove the bag without disconnecting the tube. So you won't be dragging the *barrel* to the garbage, only the *bag*! You no longer need the "liner".

My trash can is not very close to the dust collector, so I have the 35 gallon steel drum on the Onieda Drum Dolly (note the 4" riser kit was needed on the dust collector stand) and wheel the whole thing to the trash can then pull the bag out and empty it. MUCH easier than carrying the heavy full bag. So for my setup Id need to disconnect the bleed line hose each time.

+1 to this. The whole idea is to avoid lugging the drum around. To do otherwise defeats the purpose of putting a bag in the drum at all. Kinda defeats the purpose.

If dedicating $40 for a small shop vac is too expensive, and is not simple, then nirvana is out of reach.

It is a solution, Ill agree, however $10 in hose fittings and a passive solution using the already existing suction from the dust collector is a far more efficient solution IF it does in fact solve the problem. I rather not have to power two things to solve the problem of only one. but hey, if its the only solution that works, its certainly something Ill keep in mind.

[Ken Andersen]

My trash can is not very close to the dust collector, so I have the 35 gallon steel drum on the Onieda Drum Dolly (note the 4" riser kit was needed on the dust collector stand) and wheel the whole thing to the trash can then pull the bag out and empty it.

Ben, when you disconnect your drum from the DC to wheel "the whole thing" away, is the lid on the drum or is it still on the DC? i.e., exactly where do you disconnect: at the hose/lid or lid/drum? If the lid remains with the drum, you could try installing one end of the bleed line in the lid, the other in the side of the drum. That way you wouldn't need to disconnect the bleed line. In principle this should work as equalization of pressure *inside* the bag to that *between* the bag and drum is what is needed.

[Ben Rivel]

Ben, when you disconnect your drum from the DC to wheel "the whole thing" away, is the lid on the drum or is it still on the DC? i.e., exactly where do you disconnect: at the hose/lid or lid/drum? If the lid remains with the drum, you could try installing one end of the bleed line in the lid, the other in the side of the drum. That way you wouldn't need to disconnect the bleed line. In principle this should work as equalization of pressure *inside* the bag to that *between* the bag and drum is what is needed.

The lid stays connected to the bottom of the cyclone via a short flex hose (V-3000). And how could the hose for the bleed line be connected anywhere on the lid if the bleed line needs to suck air from the outside of the bag?

[Ken Andersen]

The lid stays connected to the bottom of the cyclone via a short flex hose (V-3000). And how could the hose for the bleed line be connected anywhere on the lid if the bleed line needs to suck air from the outside of the bag?

Since the lid stays on your cyclone, my proposal doesn't apply. If instead you disconnected at the short flex hose, it should work. The bleed line installed in the lid connects to the *inside* of the bag, the other end connects to the space *between* the bag and drum, just what is needed. No?

Attachment 337400

[Ben Rivel]

Since the lid stays on your cyclone, my proposal doesn't apply. If instead you disconnected at the short flex hose, it should work. The bleed line installed in the lid connects to the *inside* of the bag, the other end connects to the space *between* the bag and drum, just what is needed. No?

Yea it wouldnt work since I leave the lid attached and kind of have to as getting the drum on the dolly out from under the stand wouldnt be possible due to the cross bar in the stand. I would have to take the flex hose completely out and the lid clamp ring to get it to clear the stand legs. The stand legs really should have been made wider... That said you do pose a very interesting concept. I was planning to run the other side of the bleed hose to the ducting going into the inlet of the blower, however I do wonder if it would work just as well going to the lid. Would it get enough suction being setup like that? Interesting food for thought even if it wouldnt work for my application.

[Kerry Wright]

Why not use an air hose coupling between the bin and the lid/cyclone end?

[Ben Rivel]

Why not use an air hose coupling between the bin and the lid/cyclone end?

Could do that, but how would that be any different than going between the bin and the dust collection inlet?

[Kerry Wright]

As I understand this, the problem is the length of the hose (equalization hose?) keeping you from rolling the bin outside to empty it because one side is attached to the bin and the other is attached to the cyclone.

Simply install the male end of the coupler on the lower side of the bin and the female end on the hose. When you need to empty the bin, disconnect the hose, remove/raise the lid and roll the bin out. After emptying role the bin in, attach the lid and connect the hose.

[Ben Rivel]

As I understand this, the problem is the length of the hose (equalization hose?) keeping you from rolling the bin outside to empty it because one side is attached to the bin and the other is attached to the cyclone.

Simply install the male end of the coupler on the lower side of the bin and the female end on the hose. When you need to empty the bin, disconnect the hose, remove/raise the lid and roll the bin out. After emptying role the bin in, attach the lid and connect the hose.

Okay, I think I get what youre saying now. Yea I had mentioned Id need to setup some sort of quick disconnect for my particular setup in post #47, just hadnt looked up a specific way of doing it. But yes, having it able to be quickly disconnected and reconnected would solve my issue of needing to roll my bin to the trash can outside yet still being able to use the bleed/equalization/etc line.

[Travis Fatzinger]

I ordered my parts off ebay and was reading the Oneida installation manual where they talk about a rubber gasket. What's everyone using for that? I'm a little paranoid about having leaks in my new drum. I'm going to run to the hardware store in the morning and see what they have.

BTW, thanks for creating this thread!

[Ben Rivel]

I ordered my parts off ebay and was reading the Oneida installation manual where they talk about a rubber gasket. What's everyone using for that? I'm a little paranoid about having leaks in my new drum. I'm going to run to the hardware store in the morning and see what they have.

BTW, thanks for creating this thread!

I called Oneida on that and spoke to a technical customer service rep and she said not to worry about it. Just cut the hole as close to the thread size of the sensor as possible and scilicone the heavy out of both sides. She said that was much better than using the rubber washer anyway.

[Matt Robinette]

Thanks for taking the time to draw up the wiring diagram. I bought a Clearvue after the dust warz I did overfill it about 5 years ago and have been keeping an eye on the 33 gallon metal can but have wanted a bin full detector but just never got around to it and I have never spent much time on Oneida's site to see their sensor setup but I did see it the other day on a youtube video and priced it. I have a old 120v warning light and pezo buzzer that came off a conveyor system but the flasher can is out on the light and a new one is about what I spent for the whole 12v setup on fleabay so I am not even going to screw with it. I have the Clearvue set up with a 120v relay it has a extra set of spade connectors tied to where the input from the remote connects to the relay so it should wire up nice and easy. I have a nice new extension cord that I cut up with the electric hedge trimmers this fall so I think I am about set.
Thanks Again

[Lane Hardy]

Does anyone have any information on how the distance that QS18VP6D can be adjusted? I see 18 inches on the data sheet. Does that mean 0- to 18 inches adjustment? My dust barrel is only 19 inches tall I would like to at least be able to fill the barrel 1/2 full or more before the sensor is triggered.

[Lane Hardy]

I just ordered the QS18VP6D on eBay $28.00 and free backwards sailboat delivery from China to the US with a October 19, thru Nov 8 delivery date.
I do have a work around if the light beam trigger point can not be adjusted shorter than 18 inches! If interested ask.