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

[Michael Stockdale]

Michael,

I have the "gripper" that Oneida used to sell before the introduction of the drum liner. It is a small vacuum pump that removes the air between the bag and the drum. Works fine. However, I have read of many others that accomplish the same thing, i.e., equalize the air pressure inside the bag with that between the drum and the bag, by simply installing one end of a plastic tube in the wall of the drum and the other end on the vacuum side of the DC. It is such a simple solution that I'm tempted to try it myself, but as long as the gripper keeps working I have less incentive to do so. I'll post a link if I can find one.

Added: Here's a link, see especially respone 29 and 32.
https://forum.canadianwoodworking.co...er-dust-deputy

Thanks Ken! That actually looks like it will work. I can't see how it would hurt to try it. Worst case, if it doesn't work, I have a couple of 1/2" holes to plug... I'll let you know how it works.

[Ben Rivel]

Yea post #29 sounds like no problem at all.

I stopped in at our favourite orange BORG and picked up a 10' length of 3/8" flexible plastic tubing for $4.97, plus two connectors from the plumbing section (little guys with a barb on one end and a male threaded opening on the other) and two matching nuts and washers. I put a little goop glue on the barbs and popped one in each end of the plastic line, then drilled two 1/2" holes: 1 in the bottom of my barrel, and another in the collar on the suction opening of the dust collector. Then I just stuck the threaded ends in, tightened the nut on the other side, and voila: I was off to the races.

I also tuck taped an old brillo pad over the opening inside the barrel, as someone recomended above.
I left the full 10' of line so that I could still have lots of slack to roll the barrel out.

Only issue I have with that is what about when I want to drag the barrel out to the garbage? The bleed line hose would have to be disconnected each time. Not a terrible inconvenience, but if its under the barrel that might get a little annoying. Maybe if I do this Ill put a right angle going into the bottom of the barrel with some sort of quick disconnect.

So if going this route would it still be necessary to use the drum liner?

[Michael Stockdale]

Ben,

Not sure about the Liner... In theory, I'd say, NO... it's probably not necessary... though I can't see what it could hurt...

[Ken Andersen]

Yea post #29 sounds like no problem at all.



Only issue I have with that is what about when I want to drag the barrel out to the garbage? The bleed line hose would have to be disconnected each time. Not a terrible inconvenience, but if its under the barrel that might get a little annoying. Maybe if I do this Ill put a right angle going into the bottom of the barrel with some sort of quick disconnect.

So if going this route would it still be necessary to use the drum liner?

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".

[Mike Chalmers]

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".

+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.

I dont think youd have to make a hole in the dust collector, just the incoming ductwork going into the main inlet. And if that were the case, I think Id rather do that then dedicate a whole vacuum just to keep the bag in my dust collectors dust bin pressed against the bin. There just has to be a simpler way.

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

[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.