Thien Separators

[JackLeg]

OK, I'm gonna do it! Do any of you who have built a PT separator have good pics or any advice for me? I'm gonna need 4" fittings as I plan to hook it to my Delta DC. Also, do any of you who have DW735's ever just run it into your DC separator without using the DC fan?

Thanx! :notworthy:

 

[Glennbear]

I did not build a separator but instead bought one of the plastic covers with 4" connections that sits on a galavanized trash can. Most of the usual suppliers sell them. The only time I have used the DW735 without the DC being on was by accident and I was surprised that it still inflated the DC bag. :gar-La;I would not rely on the small planer fan to remove airborne nasties on a regular basis. :wsmile:

 

[JackLeg]

I've got the Rockler lid w/ ports, but, it still puts WAY too much stuff into the DC bag. I think the separator will be the answer. Thanx. :wsmile:

 

[CarvedTones]

I used to have one. It was built with a lined fiber can with the top that has a ring around it that you flip a lever to tighten. I didn't have room for it and Joe has the can now. Anyway, the pressure loss through that was next to nothing. They don't leak and have almost no flex. If I ever made another, I would look for one of those cans again. But now I have a Dust Deputy. I got the DIY version on sale for $39 (little over $50 at my door). The advantage it has is that it is all exterior, so it can go on a smaller container that doesn't have to be round; it just has to seal properly. I think they are roughly equivalent at the job of removing dust. Anyway, that's my $0.02...

 

[scsmith42]

Reggie, Bas built one of the Thein separaters about 3 years ago; send him a PM.

Also, Doug Wilberg (DougW) recently built a separator by using a twenty-some odd dollar part from Grizzly, and it really works well. Search the archives for his post on it (about 3 months ago).

SS

 

[Joe Scharle]

I have the can Andy mentioned and made a new lid and baffle even though his worked. He used a plastic lid but I wanted a place for storing a miter gauge, so I made the lid from MDF. ANYWAY, I've been using it for about 3 years connected to a Fein vac. It's been emptied about 5 times, but there's still nothing in the bag!

As for the DW735. I use a separate, smaller can and the DW hose attachment.

 

[CarvedTones]

I knew you wouldn't leave my ugly piping. I cobbled together something with the idea that I would replace it with the right stuff "someday". But a funny thing about ugly stuff that works; it gets prettier every day. :rolf: The only time I had stuff go through is when I vacuumed and stuck the nozzle into a pile of sawdust and shavings. It needs the mix to be mostly air.

 

[MarkE]

I cobbled one together from stuff I had laying around. Used it that way for several years until I sold the DC along with the separator and the trash can it sat on. I replaced it with an Onieda cyclone that I got from Scott Smith. The cyclone takes up less space than the 4 bag DC and trash can/separator setup did. I would empty the trash can several times before I got more than an inch or two of dust in the bottom pastic bags on the DC.

Here are a couple of pictures:

 

[Mark Stewart]

I have made one like andy was talking about using a cardboard barrel with the tightining ring. I drilled a hole in the center of the top and on the side of the barrel. I used two 22.5 degree pvc 4" fittings on the side with a short piece of 4" pipe between. On the top I used a piece of 6 pipe into a 4" reducer to a 4" pipe out the top.with the 22.5 you start the cyclone effect throwing most of the heavy stuff to the side and lighter dust out the top sorry no pic but I have let a friend use it for a while. works great.

Thanks Mark

 

[Gofor]

I made one, but am using 2 1/2" fittings as I am attached to a shop vac. The Thein gets all the planer chips, but the fine dust goes straight through to the vac filter.

I have the DW 734 and tried it straight into a 32 gal garbage can with a 4" pipe. Problem was that chips all piled up straight under the hose, so it didn't take long before it blocked it and I had to shake down the can. Otherwise they blocked the dump hose and started spraying back out through the planer. I imagine you will have the same result without the DC fan.

JMTCW

Go

 

[junquecol]

Do search here, or google "Another Vote for Phil Thien's Baffle," and you can see how I built mine as a "top Hat," so to not lose can capacity. My cyclone is "buried" in back corner of shop, and I use both 15" planer and jointer of apron out front. Instead of sending shavings to back, and then hauling them back, I just "cut them off at the pass." Rockler sells a set of fittings that could be used for the inlet.

 

[bluedawg76]

i built a similar version to Mark's except I used a 33gal metal trash can from Lowe's. The first time the hose got plugged up, my shopvac almost collapsed the can. I reinforced it by riveting a ring made from aluminum flat bar about half way down the can. Many plugs later, and it has yet to collapse again.

Sam

 

[Rob]

I built one for a 33 Gal metal trash can, works well.

2 changes I've made, the PVC connections are now held to the MDF top with small angle brackets, then silicone for sealing, I siliconed a 2" plastic window on the side so I can glance over and see it's full. While planing a lot of red oak, I filled the can up and didn't know it, filled the bag up also.

That's the one and only time I've had to empty the bag since using this. It works great.

 

[CarvedTones]

The visibility is something I really like about the Dust Deputy I am using now. I am tempted to call it transparent, but it blurs enough to say translucent instead. But it will be real easy to see when it nears capacity.

Gofor,

I am surprised you had the issue with the fine dust going through. Even my ugly build did not unless I fed through too much at once (shown in thread) and I made a later mod (also in thread) that limited the effect of straight dust. Baby wipe containers and duct tape man that was ugly. But as long as no edge stuck into the airflow, it worked fine. But the same principles apply with better pipe; if you can lower the angle of entry it will work better. I got that last bit from Phil Thien himself when I posted it at his forum.

 

[FredP]

mine is like rob and marks, works a treat and is attached to a 40 gallon brute trash can. soon it will be a 55 gallon plastic barrel!:icon_thum I still have a couple barrels left if you get this way you can have one.:gar-Bi

 

[Bas]

Old posting on my separator build -> http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11734. Don (KC7CN) also has pictures of his setup (after which I modeled mine), and a link to Phil Thien's forum.
I no longer have the baffle, I have it to ScottM when I moved. The one recommendation I have is to go easy on the materials used for the baffle. I used 5/8 particle board originally, that's heavy. I think 1/4" plywood would be plenty strong. For the lid, 1/2" plywood should suffice.

 

[Joe Scharle]

I'm with Bas. I used hardboard for the baffle, but 3/4" MDF for the top since I routed a 3/8" groove in the top to mate with the paper barrel ring.

 

[JackLeg]

Old posting on my separator build -> http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11734. Don (KC7CN) also has pictures of his setup (after which I modeled mine), and a link to Phil Thien's forum.
I no longer have the baffle, I have it to ScottM when I moved. The one recommendation I have is to go easy on the materials used for the baffle. I used 5/8 particle board originally, that's heavy. I think 1/4" plywood would be plenty strong. For the lid, 1/2" plywood should suffice.

Good to hear. I cut my baffle from 1/4" mdf and plan to make the lid from 1/2" ply. :wsmile:

 

[KenOfCary]

What do you all think about using plexiglass for the top? That would make it easier to tell when it is getting full, assuming you don't have a clear barrel handy.

- Ken. - Who's getting interested in this after emptying the maple shavings out of the DC one more time.

 

[Canuck]

What do you all think about using plexiglass for the top? That would make it easier to tell when it is getting full, assuming you don't have a clear barrel handy.

Ken

I use the separator with my HF DC. The only problem I would see with the plexi. lid with my setup would be that with a conventional metal trashcan, I still wouldn't be able to see the dust level as it rises because it is hidden by the baffle.:dontknow:

With mine, if i am doing a lot of jointer and planing work, I check the level after about every 20 bdft or so. As soon as the level rises to the bottom of the baffle, I empty.

Wayne