Fighting Dust #1: Dust Collector Mods - Phase II

I finally got around to Phase II of my HF DC Mods. Thanks to DBHost for the help!!! I contacted DB about his conversion but I quickly learned that he had the type of barrel that the lid is removable.

I got a blue barrel from work but it’s the kind that you have to cut the lid off. :’( So that caused me all sorts of “issues.” The biggest problem was how to cut lid off and keep the top flat. I never solved this problem so I worked around it.

(This picture doesn’t do the problem justice. It is 1,000x worse than the picture shows.)

So I cut the top off and then used a router, file, rasp, sand paper, et al to clean the edge the best that I could. It got better but it still leaked like a sieve.

So I glued up a piece of 3/4 MDF and 3/4 ply and use the router with a trammel to make a big “gasket.”

I can’t say enough about how well this works. I expected an improvement but I didn’t expect it to completely seal the edge. But I got a tube a silicone today anyway at the hardware store that I’ll use to seal the gasket to the top of the barrel permanently.

For the top and baffle, I used 3/4” ply and 1/4 hardboard. The fittings are a ‘universal 4” adapter’ and a normal 4” DC hose 90 that are held in place with silicone. I used these because it solves the problem of trying to adapt to PVC to hose. And there’s a tool store here in the small (tiny) town that I live in that carries a very wide assortment of fittings. YEAH ME! ;D

So for the eagle eyes among us, you may notice a blast gate on the suction side of the barrel. This is by design because I have a ‘Y’ at the DC that I use as a bypass of sorts. Also, it’s the only way that I have found to go from 4” sewer PVC pipe to 4” hose.

The 4” PVC to DC Hose fittings are for schedule 40 DWV NOT sewer pipe! If you know how to transition from sewer pipe to hose, I’d love to hear from you!!

I should mention that this is a “The Thien Cyclone Separator Lid w/ the Thien Cyclone Separator Baffle” Modification.

-- Chunk's Workshop pictures: http://spadfest.rcspads.com/thumbnails.php?album=135