Cyclone Barrel Emptying Question

[Dean Ousterhout]

I am installing my Clearvue and wondered about emptying the barrel? Does anyone use a plastic trash bag in the barrel? I don't really want to dump the dust into the garbage can... and have to deal with all the dust that will be in the air when I do the dumping... so... I was wondering how folks deal with that?

Thanks, Dean

[John Coloccia]

I dump it, hold my breath and walk away from the area quickly to be very honest. I've found that spritzing it with a water bottle keeps it from getting too bad when I'm carrying it, and then I spritz it again on the walk back and that keeps the dust down as I reinstall it.

[Stephen Cherry]

I think that you really don't want a big plastic bag sucked up into the blower.

[Dean Ousterhout]

Stephen, I was wondering about that.... and you are right... what a shame to have a plastic bag sucked into that beautiful blower...

But.. if the sawdust stays in the barrel and isn't sucked back up... why would the bag get sucked back up? That question is one that I haven't been able to make sense of?

I think I saw where someone made a metal frame that went inside the bag and kept it in place?

But that nagging thought of bag in blower... ouch... so I was just wondering what folks that have theirs up and running do????

Thanks

[Stephen Cherry]

Maybe one way to do it would be to put a hose nipple at the bottom of the drum, and another one at the inlet of the blower.

Then connect the two with a length of hose (maybe 1/4 inch id)


then make sure that the drum/plastic bag/drum lid connection is as tight as possible.

This way the liner would be sucked into the drum because the inlet of the blower is the minimum pressure point in the system. This is not something that I have tried, but it seems like it would work, if you have it in your mind to use a liner for the drum.

[Paul McGaha]

I use bags. Oneida recommends a 6 mil bad. I get them from a company named Uline.

There are a couple of ways to keep the bags in the drum. Oneida sells something called a bag gripper that is some type of air pump that is wired to the starter and comes on at the same time as the collector (its 220V and connects to the same terminals as the fan motor). It changes the pressure inside the drum and makes the collection bags cling to the drum. Thats what I have on mine.

A lower tech way is to build some type of framework that you put inside a new bag when you change the bags and take it out when you go to empty the bag.

You still get some dust in your face when you close up the bags for disposal but I think its far less dust than dumping the drum without a bag.

PHM

[Jeff Duncan]

I use bags...and no they don't get sucked up into the cyclone. 6 mil is a bit overkill for sawdust IMHO...heavy duty contractor bags are roughly 3 mil and more than beefy enough for my 55 gal drum. I'm using 2.5 mil right now and they also are working fine.
If you splurge for 6 mil I would probably find a way to re-use them.
good luck,
JeffD

[Jim O'Dell]

I've wondered before if the thick plastic sheets that you get to go into a plastic lawn bag to hold it up for lawn clippings and leaves would work to keep the bag down. I bought one, but it isn't tall enough for my 55 gallon barrel. I suppose being a little short might not be a problem, just haven't dumped the barrel to try it to see. Jim.

[glenn bradley]

I went with the 35gal barrel on my cyclone because I knew I didn't want to deal with 55gal or waste. I dump mine into the "green barrel" which is used for that sort of waste where I live. I put on a respirator (no special occasion as I wear one in the shop frequently), dump it and flip the lid closed. No worries.

[richard poitras]

I use bags. Oneida recommends a 6 mil bad. I get them from a company named Uline.

Paul what size bags do you use… Outside W x L ? And what size drum are you using?
Thanks Richard

[David Hawxhurst]

i will try using a bag in mine as emptying would be easier.

[Paul McGaha]

Hi Richard,

I use 36" x 36" x 48" for a 35 gallon steel drum.

I use (3) small spring clamps at the lid of the drum to get a good seal

I really do prefer to use bags. My sawdust and wood scraps go out with the regular house trash and I've seen the guys empty the containers when the dust wasnt bagged and I dont want to put them thru that. A small cloud of dust.

Just my $.02.

PHM

[Nick Lazz]

I am installing my Clearvue and wondered about emptying the barrel? Does anyone use a plastic trash bag in the barrel? I don't really want to dump the dust into the garbage can... and have to deal with all the dust that will be in the air when I do the dumping... so... I was wondering how folks deal with that?

Thanks, Dean

Dean,

I have a CV cyclone and use bags in my 55 gallon drum I found at Lowes. I do not see how bags could be sucked up into the blower, but if they did there are two safeties: first the bags are large enough to pull down several inches outside the drum which is locked into place with the locking ring. Second, my bin full sensor would shut the DC off when the bag blocked the photocell.

I started off without bags and had the same problem with dust when emptying. Then I tried dumping the contents into large bags, which was helpful but still a little cumbersome as the bag would have to be burped causing, although lighter, dust. I found these bags on accident and tried them. They work great.
If you're interested, I can post the name and size of bags I bought for you to try and find at your local Lowes.

Nick

[richard poitras]

Dean,

I found these bags on accident and tried them. They work great.
If you're interested, I can post the name and size of bags I bought for you to try and find at your local Lowes.

Nick

Nick please post bag info.

Thanks Richard

[ian maybury]

It'd certainly be a very elegant solution if Stephen's suggestion of taking a tapping and running a tube from a low(er) pressure point somewhere near the fan to the bottom of the drum would work - no need for switches, wires and other stuff.

The million $ question is whether or not there is a point delivering low enough pressure - lower than that at the cyclone outlet that is. His suggestion that the minimum pressure point should be right at the entry to the fan (at the top of the inlet tube on a Pentz cyclone) makes sense, the question i guess is whether or not that's likely to be enough lower than at the cyclone outlet.

Thoughts anybody? Think i'll fit a connection and see what happens when i assemble my Pentz system in the coming month or so.

ian