Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Sealing a standard trash can for a DC cyclone

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    345

    Sealing a standard trash can for a DC cyclone

    Somewhere, can't find it anymore, I saw a recommendation to use a translucent trash can for a cyclone dust bin. I'll be using a Super Dust Deputy.

    Here is the link to the can & lid that I found: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/con...TCKIT32CL.html

    My concern is that the lid, like any other commercial can, is not going to be a tight fit. Are there any good solutions to sealing this can up, or should I look for a different option for a bin?

    Couple ideas have been thin foam weatherstripping around the top of the can, or on the inside of the lid; or a bead of silicone?
    Jon Endres
    Killing Trees Since 1983

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Arlington, TX
    Posts
    452
    Some trash cans are designed to be flexible, so they don't split or crack when a large, odd-sized object is put in them, or from rough handling.

    For a dust collection bin, in a typical system where the blower is after the cyclone & bin, therefore operating under suction, the above flexibility can make them easier to collapse under the vacuum.

    However, collapsing can often be prevented by nesting one container inside another (identical one, if designed for nesting). In order to collapse (buckle) a cylinder, it needs room to temporarily expand in other directions. Thus the outer container, if close fitting, can help prevent the temporary expansion, and therefore the subsequent buckling and collapse.

    In other words, buy 2.

    As for sealing, getting a very smooth, uniform bead of silicone is difficult, and if it is not very uniform, it will not seal against the mating surface (cured silicon is not all that soft/compliant).

    I think soft, compliant rubber/foam weather stripping would probably work best, but getting it to stick to plastic trash cans or lids that are designed not to have garbage/dirt/fluid stick to them for cleanliness reasons (especially one rated for food service), can be difficult. That said, if the lid and can closely match each other (enough that any leakage is small enough that the vacuum will pull them together and seal anyway), it may not be a problem. (Here, the suction is your friend.) I would expect this might be true of a container rated for food service, where a sealing lid is important.

    If weather stripping is needed, I would put it on the underside of the lid, so that it is not subject to damage/displacement when dumping the contents of the bin.

    -- Andy - Arlington TX

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Canonsburg PA
    Posts
    71
    I've had good luck making mating rings out of 3/4 ply. Silicone/screw one to the can and the other to the lid. Or just make a mating lid. A bit of thin weather stripping is usually enough for a good seal. It can be as simple as a few holes with nuts and bolts or as complicated as interlocking rings or a clamps. I usually go for the simplest solution.

  4. #4
    We used to have the same bins in our Bistro with no real impact. The backdoor bin was too small or always full and dirty gathering all sorts of pests and insects. As you can imagine the sanitary issues that could arise made us look into other cleaner and more suitable options for our needs which are enormous even at this point as our delivery serice is booming. As a result we can not use small plastic bins, and we decided to ask for help from 186needabin.com as they bring a bin themselves and pick it up whenever you ask them to replace it. That means we can maintain a clean surrounding for our clients to see.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,811
    Buy a cheap Yoga mat. Cut an appropriate size circle. Glue it to the bottom of the lid. Save the left overs for gaskets or sound deadening material. Feel free to cut a rally big circle out of the middle to reduce wight and to save more material for later use.
    Bil lD.

    PS: yoga mats are grippy and do not work well to crawl under a car.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,811
    [QUOTE=Jessica Underwood;3089400]We used to have the same bins in our Bistro with no real impact.
    Dear Jessica do you use those bins to hold Spam? I did not know Jessica was a common name in China or Nigeria. Was your mother named Hormel? Was she born in 1937? Is dad named George from Minnisota?
    Bill D.

    Spam free, the choice for me
    Just say No to spam
    December 4th, should be a worldwide holiday. it is the birthday for George Hormel, inventer of spam.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •