Untitled - Wood Tools

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Tethniques
high-copocity
DUST SEPARATOR
Emptyrng the bag on a dust collector is a dirty job.That's
why many woodworkers use a separator, a specialized
plastic cover that fits on a trash can. It separates large
chips and deposis them into the trash can so only fine
particles go to the dust collector. Since the bag doesnt
fill as quickly, you dont have to empty it as often.
These separators work okay, but they have one drawback.
When the trash can is about two-thirds
full,- all
the chips go to the dust collector bag, so it still has to
be emptied fairly often. To solve that problem, I made
my own high-capacity separator (see Photo).It allows
the trash can to fill completely with chips, so I dont have
to empry the trash or the dust b"g - as often.
The separator is a 20-gallon, plastic tub attached to
a plywood mounting ring that sits on the trash can
(Illustrations, below).A smaller alignment ring, sized to fit
inside the trash can, makes it easy to reposition the separator
after you empty the trash can.
To connect the separator to the dust collection system,
you'll need to remove the bottom ofthe plastic rub and
add a plywood top. Two holes in the top hold metal
pipe fittings that connect to flexible hoses. For an airtight
seal, caulk around the fittings and attach self-adhesive
weatherstripping to the large ring.
Mike Harris
Innilon. Ontario
For sending us his tip,
Mike Haniswins a
Black and Decker
cord,ess ho,kit
Incominoir Fine
looded iirh dust porticles
chips & dust go io collecior
ToP f{
P/a" pi.rityo" airH I
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holes forfittings . :1
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of rub )
#8 xlh" Pon Heod
Sheet Mebl Scrcws
Mounting Ring
P/a" ply. x
l97z" l.D. x
24 O.D.I
Mail lips to:
Wo*iench lips
& Techniques
2200 Grand Avenue
Des Moines. lA
s0312
Etmift eoioro
workbenchmag,com
sEcTtoN vtEw
W x3h'Lvide
Weother-
Alignfient
Ring P/n" ply.
xl9Wl.D.
14
woRKBENcH !.JuNr 2004