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Dust Collector question

1K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  bbrown 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hello folks,

Quick question:

I just moved my cyclone dust collector to a space below the shop. Unfortunately, the space is about 6 inches too short for me to fit a large metal can to collect the chips. So, I had to use a much smaller 25" tall can.

My question is: can you use a horizontal bin (of some sort) instead of a vertically place bin (which is all I ever see with a Google search). In other words, can the collector bin be long in the horizontal direction where There is much more space, vs. the vertical can which greatly limits my cubic inches - I'd have to empty the can much more often and clogging the system if it overflows.

I am wondering if the physics of the system means that the bin has to be vertical, but not sure.

Hope this makes sense.

Thanks,
-Bill
 
#2 ·
I think the sawdust will still accumulate most directly under the center of the cyclone opening. I think you'll find there's not enough airflow to distribute the accumulation around the collection bin, and the dust won't distribute itself around the bin.

I, too, am in the middle of reconfiguring my DC. The behemoth DC in the corner of the shop; 12' ceilings did not incentivize me much to watch the height of the unit, so it was well over 9 feet tall. So now, here I am two years later and reconfiguring the whole shop, including moving the DC from that corner to an area under the stairs in the middle of the shop to achieve much shorter DC duct runs and quieter operation since that space is walled off from the rest of the shop. I had to reduce the max height to about 76 inches. One of the steps to achieve the height reduction was a smaller collection bin, which I made from a reused heavy plastic 55 gallon barrel. I cut it down by about a third. More frequent cleanout is one of the compromises I have to make to obtain a quieter, more efficient DC setup.
 
#3 ·
I ran into a similar situation and got a fiber (cardboard) drum for mine and cut the bottom to the appropriate height and installed 3/4" plywood as the new bottom. Glued and screwed around the perimeter and caulked on the inside for good measure then added some recessed swivel casters into the new plywood bottom. It made everything fit quite nicely vs. a previously much larger 55 gallon steel drum.
 
#4 ·
You can probably use a wider bin and get a little more space but with a limited vertical space for the dust to drop, my guess is that about twice the height is about the most that you will get any benefit from. Even then, you may not utilize all of the space unless you regularly sort of rock the bin so that the pile inside spreads out and levels. If any of the 2 dimensions are larger than that, I doubt you will get much benefit from the extra space.
 
#5 ·
Felder RL's use such an arrangement.

However they are not "cyclones" and there are really two bins inside the rectangle. I'll bet you could use the same on a cyclone as long as it's airtight. Might want to add an angled baffle to direct chips/dust to the outside.
 
#6 ·
Another option would be to have 2 dust bins. To do this you would have to cobble together a wye on the outlet of the cone to dump into each. You might be able to find an HVAC fitting that would handle that. That aside, I think you could build a box (they don't have to be round) that is larger and still meet the height requirements you have.
 
#7 ·
Thanks Ray,
Seems I'm not the only one with this problem. I kind of figured that the airflow dynamics might not work for a horizontal collection bin.
 
#8 ·
Big Block Yeti,

My concern was not so much making the bin smaller, but could I make it larger by going horizontally. I don't suspect that would work due to airflow issues and the chips collecting in a heap in the center, but I could be wrong.
 
#9 ·
I think the sawdust will still accumulate most directly under the center of the cyclone opening. I think you ll find there s not enough airflow to distribute the accumulation around the collection bin, and the dust won t distribute itself around the bin.

I, too, am in the middle of reconfiguring my DC. The behemoth DC in the corner of the shop; 12 ceilings did not incentivize me much to watch the height of the unit, so it was well over 9 feet tall. So now, here I am two years later and reconfiguring the whole shop, including moving the DC from that corner to an area under the stairs in the middle of the shop to achieve much shorter DC duct runs and quieter operation since that space is walled off from the rest of the shop. I had to reduce the max height to about 76 inches. One of the steps to achieve the height reduction was a smaller collection bin, which I made from a reused heavy plastic 55 gallon barrel. I cut it down by about a third. More frequent cleanout is one of the compromises I have to make to obtain a quieter, more efficient DC setup.

- RClark
+1
 
#11 ·
Thanks Xedos and Fred. No room below the cyclone for any more add-ons but perhaps wye could be made inside the cyclone itself. I like the idea of two bins. Gets kind of complicated though, so maybe I'll just stick to my little mini-bin, as much as a pain as it is to constantly have to check and empty it.
The good thing is that the noise is so much better after moving the cyclone out of the shop!
 
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