# Any point to the Harborfreight Dust collector drum if you already have a cyclone separator?



## Bob5700 (9 mo ago)

I'm starting my frankencollector build of a Harbor Freight 2HP dust collector, a Wynn Environmental cartridge filter (double open-ended), and a Super Dust Deputy 4/5 cyclone separator.

Due to height restrictions and limited space in my shop, I want to try and mount the blower and cyclone as close to the max height of the ceiling as I can, which doesn't leave any room to mount the filter on top of the drum. I want mount it under the drum instead.

But that got me thinking - what is the point of the drum in that case? I get that it is used as a kind of baffle for dust to drop into the plastic bag while protecting the filter bag from the heavy stuff in the stock setup, but do I even need the drum if I have a cyclone separator? Can I just connect it directly to the blower and then collect any remaining dust in a small bucket attached to the bottom?

If I can ditch the drum, that saves me the headache of making a lid and an adapter that fits the drum. I will have more flexibility in how I attach the outlet from the blower (e.g. just a simple wood donut, elbow, and flange).

Any thoughts?


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## OzarkJim (8 mo ago)

Not exactly sure what you are calling the "drum"? Send pictures.

If your talking about the OEM ring that the filter and bag attach too, I see no reason why you can't flip the filter upside down and put a 5 gallon bucket under that so it collects the tiny amount of dust that gets by the cyclone. In fact, we are thinking of something similar in our shop to reduce footprint of the dust collectors and clean the setup up. Although I admit the ring makes things easy to hookup.

We have two Harbor Freight blowers. One has direct suction and is vented directly outside because we lost the OEM filter bag. The second runs thru a cyclone that sits on a 55 gallon drum and then to the blower and finally to the OEM bag filter with a collection bag under it. I find that about 99% of the dust is collected in the 55 gallon drum under the cyclone. I would say that any small bucket would do under your Wynn filter. In fact, our plans for more or less the same setup on both collectors in the near future (just haven't gotten around to it yet). We want to vent heated or cooled air back into the shop fully filtered of course. However, since we already have a hole in the wall, we may well setup the system such that we can route air outside when we want to (either to control fumes or when we aren't running the HVAC systems).


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## Bob5700 (9 mo ago)

> Not exactly sure what you are calling the "drum"? Send pictures.


https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61ChxOW+b+L._AC_SX569_.jpg

It's the green thing separating the filter bag on top from the plastic dust collection bag at the bottom.

Maybe "pan" is a better term instead of drum here.

If I'm already separating the coarse stuff prior to the blower, do I still need a pan separator like this for the cartridge? Just wondering if it serves any other function.


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## OzarkJim (8 mo ago)

> Not exactly sure what you are calling the "drum"? Send pictures.
> 
> https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61ChxOW+b+L._AC_SX569_.jpg
> 
> ...


I don't think it serves any more purpose than a mounting point for the hose, and bags. Maybe a slight cyclone effect since it does shoot the air in at an angle.

I don't see why you couldn't take it off the mount and attach it say to the ceiling to minimize footprint? In fact, if you mount the fliter to the ceiling with the ring (I like the term filter ring?) on the bottom of the filter you could them mount a 5 gallon bucket to the bottom of the ring?? Then you could mount the blower up close to the celling as well, say directly over the top of your cyclone?

Wish I had access to Sketch up and I would draw out the concept.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Just take the bag off the "thingy" and replace it with the new filter. Any dust you blow out of the filter during periodic cleaning falls into the bag. Don't complicate things.


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## AlanWS (Aug 28, 2008)

If you use a cyclone instead of the DC drum or bag or whatever, yes it's a good idea to run the outlet directly to the filter and not to the drum. That will work better.

That's because the air circulates to throw dust outward to separate it from air. Redirecting the air to circulate takes power and reduces the flow. The cyclone already has paid that cost and should have removed almost all the dust, so you want to minimize flow resistance after that. You should not really need any space to hold dust that makes it past the cyclone. It will be in the filter.


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## OzarkJim (8 mo ago)

> If you use a cyclone instead of the DC drum or bag or whatever, yes it's a good idea to run the outlet directly to the filter and not to the drum. That will work better.
> 
> That's because the air circulates to throw dust outward to separate it from air. Redirecting the air to circulate takes power and reduces the flow. The cyclone already has paid that cost and should have removed almost all the dust, so you want to minimize flow resistance after that. You should not really need any space to hold dust that makes it past the cyclone. It will be in the filter.
> 
> - AlanWS


My worry with that is if there is too much turbulence it might prevent what dust does make it to the actual filter section to fall back into the secondary collector bag/bucket? And I am not sure that a turbulent flow in the filter isn't worse than a laminar flow created by a vortex? We will need a Physicist for this one LOL.


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## Bob5103 (Feb 13, 2016)

This is how I did mine. Yes you can loose the green thingy.


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## OzarkJim (8 mo ago)

> This is how I did mine. Yes you can loose the green thingy.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I like that, looks really clean, but where does the air go after it leaves the blower?


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

It looks to be vented out that wall. Outside, or just another room???


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## OzarkJim (8 mo ago)

> It looks to be vented out that wall. Outside, or just another room???
> 
> - therealSteveN


That would work for us before we add the HVAC but after that the expensive air has to stay inside the shop. Hence, a filter at the end of the line.


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## Bob5103 (Feb 13, 2016)

I like that, looks really clean, but where does the air go after it leaves the blower?

- W2Woodworks
[/QUOTE]

Outside. No neighbors to annoy with the noise.


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## clagwell (Dec 20, 2018)

> If you use a cyclone instead of the DC drum or bag or whatever, yes it's a good idea to run the outlet directly to the filter and not to the drum. That will work better.
> 
> That's because the air circulates to throw dust outward to separate it from air. Redirecting the air to circulate takes power and reduces the flow. The cyclone already has paid that cost and should have removed almost all the dust, so you want to minimize flow resistance after that. You should not really need any space to hold dust that makes it past the cyclone. It will be in the filter.
> 
> - AlanWS


This is correct. I've tested the flow resistance of the various HFDC parts. Replacing the reducer, 5" hose, and collector ring with an adapter to a six inch elbow to a filter will make a huge increase in airflow. Just be sure the motor isn't overloaded too much.


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## SekyroCred (4 mo ago)

Ok, now it’s clearer to me how to install such a thing in my garage. I want to turn the garage into a shop for my carpeting hobby and would like it to have all the necessary equipment for that because I don’t want to breathe with sawdust.
I also know a guy who graduated from one of the schools from https://www.hvacschools411.com/, who knows how to deal with stuff like that. Hope he will help me to install the whole system so it doesn’t leak. 
I think an HVAC specialist is a nice job, especially now when everyone wants AC in their house and those things constantly need maintenance and technical support.


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