Chip Separator

My lovely wife let me order the Jet dust collector you see here as an early Christmas present (probably my only Christmas present this year). I'm exited to get it and am considering getting one of these lids that allegedly turn a trash can into a cyclone. They are about 20 bucks from Rockler and Grizzly but Lee Valley has a more expensive version.

Anyone know if the Lee Valley version is any better or just more expensive?

Thanks,
Jason

By the way, I know that I will eventually want to upgrade from the 30 micron bag that comes with this DC, but for now this a huge step up from the broom and dust pan I've been using!

I made my own. Since you have to buy the garbage can anyway it seemed easier to add $10 worth of pvc fittings and make one. By the way, you live in a GREAT town.

I don't know if the LV is any better, but it can hardly be worse. The Rockler one works; nearly everything but dust stays in the trash can, but the cost in suction is too high.

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Originally Posted by Bob Herpolsheimer

By the way, you live in a GREAT town.

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Are you a turner, Bob? Cause if you are, Great Plains Woodturners has a meeting tomorrow night...

I ordered the low micron bags from Highland Systems for mine. The 30 micron bags just trap the "chunks" flyin' around. You'll know if you saw a piece of mdf.
Bill

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Originally Posted by Wade Lippman

but the cost in suction is too high.

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Is that due to leakage? If so, I assume that the leakage is where the top joins the can, right?

I've been using one of the (even cheaper) ones from Woodcraft, and it does a good job of separation (a MUST if you're running a planer or jointer), and use a rubber seal made from a bicycle tube; I roll it down over the seam between the lid and the can.

Not much Jason. I do have a 1950's vintage home lathe and I have been meaning to start turning but it's on that list with 100 other projects that I want to start. You know the old story, it comes down to time and money. Right now I'm making a mission style love seat and morris chair.

Seperators do put quite a hit on your air flow but the benefits are high. the LV version does look like it would be the least impactive. I am considering getting one to replace my Woodpecker version as I would be hard pressed to do without it even with the hit.

I have had one for so long I can't remember where I got it from. It is the same one shown in your center picture.

I find it much easier to empty a 30 gallon trash can than it is to remove and empty the bags on my HF DC.

I sealed the separator to the trash can with 1/2" water pipe insulation. Just push it down over the top lip on the trash can and the adhesive holds it to the sides of the can. You have to really push to get the lid over the insulation, but it seals it up good and tight. When you turn on the DC you can see the suction pull the lid down a bit.

Jason,
My buddy has the same one pictured in the middle. It does a very good job in most circumstances. However, when we decided to change the filter, the additional airflow (from using the new filter with clean pores) didn't allow for the material (dust/chips) to slow down enough to drop into the can. Too much of the waste material was making it to the filter. We decided to add a piece of acrylic to the input side of the separator to direct the scraps towards the bottom of the can. This resulted in an increase of 50% more material being left in the can.

This mod may not help in the long run once the filter fiber pores begin to clog with dust and the airflow slows.

The one issue with the trash can separators is that they limit you to a 4" hose off the DC. That DC will work MUCH better if you take off the adapter to open it up to the native 5-6" inlet. You'll get too much airflow then to use the separator lids, but a substantial increase in performance at the tool.

I used the garbage can lid device for years, and while it worked 'ok' there was a noticeable degradation in performance after I added it to my system.

Earlier this year I swapped it out with the more 'air-tight' system from Highland Woodworking which really improved suction at the various machines.

In my case it made a huge difference in performance.

Highland Woodworking