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Thread: Two stage dust collector issues

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Spartanburg, SC
    Posts
    42

    Two stage dust collector issues

    My wife got me a dust collector from Harbor Freight for my birthday and I decided that i wanted to make it a two-stage system. I bought a trash can cyclone lid from Woodcraft and a new trash can from Lowe’s and added that as the first stage for the system. The thing is, it seems like most of the dust and chips are going straight through the trash can and straight into the dust collector bag. Any ideas why this is happening and/or how I can fix it?

  2. #2
    Trash can needs to be sealed well.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Spartanburg, SC
    Posts
    42
    The lid has a foam gasket. How can I make sure it is sealing properly?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,678
    Even the tiniest of leaks can cause blow by with a pre-separator setup. You should probably check the gasket that it's even all around and that the lid seats fully all the way around. The trash can you use must also be completely leak free...not even a pin-hole.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
    I used to use something like this with a 1 hp Delta DC. I wasn't satisfied with it mainly because it did not get much of the fine dust. I got it to capture the chips but not the fine dust. The fine dust is what clogs up the filter. So I got a cyclone. In my current setup, I discharge outside but I like using the cyclone so I am not putting chips or much dust in the bushes where my DC exhaust is.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Deep South
    Posts
    3,970
    The truth is trash can lid dust collection add-ons simply don't work very well. Not only do they fail to catch most of the fine dust, they don't even catch most of the coarse shavings after the can is partially full. I tried one for a while but eventually bought a wildly overpriced Oneida Super Dust Deputy because it actually works.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Spartanburg, SC
    Posts
    42
    Guess i’ll have to do a little more investigating on any leaks in the can and/or lid. Worst case scenario, I’ll have to do like what Art mentioned and upgrade to a better unit. Thanks for the tips, guys.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    San Diego, Ca
    Posts
    1,647
    I have a 2 HP Harbor Fright dust collector to which I added a homemade Thien baffle. I live in a climate and on a large enough lot that I then exhaust outside. If I overload it momentarily by dumping in a big pile of sawdust and chips all at once, I'll see a small amount of fine dust come out the outside vent. But it still is very little that doesn't get caught. But at reasonable loading levels (like power sanding on the lathe, radial arm saw pick up, etc.) I can't see any visible dust going outside. I haven't tried a weight test but I suspect that the percent of chips/dust caught is well north of 95 percent. Nothing appears visually to be collecting or accumulating outside but I need to dump my 35 gallon trash can regularly of a lot of both coarse and fine stuff.

    So, I'd suggest to the original poster to consider buying a Dust Deputy or build your own Thien baffle (it's easy to build if you have more time than money). If you collect 95% plus with it, then very little will be getting to your filter.

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