Empty your dust collector!
Empty your dust collector!
This tip courtesy of Rad Davis, who mentioned he let his go too far... If you wait until you can see stuff in the little window there is no way you're going to be able to lift the bag to empty it! While pipe making we make mostly very fine sanding dust, which is really dense once it collects for a while. This is much different than saw dust or planer shavings, which these things are designed for. So, I finally got around to emptying my dust collector this morning. It only had about a foot of accumulation in the bottom of the bag, but I was barley able to lift it! Must have weighed close to 100 lbs!
On a related note, I finally got around to buying a fire extinguisher for the shop, also due to a cautionary tale from Rad. Turns out he's not only a fantastic pipe maker, but he also learns from a few mistakes made along the way, and is willing to pass that hard earned knowledge along to the rest of us. Thanks, Rad, I owe you a beer, if not something older and stronger
On a related note, I finally got around to buying a fire extinguisher for the shop, also due to a cautionary tale from Rad. Turns out he's not only a fantastic pipe maker, but he also learns from a few mistakes made along the way, and is willing to pass that hard earned knowledge along to the rest of us. Thanks, Rad, I owe you a beer, if not something older and stronger
Last edited by sethile on Sun Dec 01, 2013 3:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Scott E. Thile
Collector, smoker, and aspiring pipemaker.
http://sethilepipes.com
Sysop: http://pipedia.org
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Collector, smoker, and aspiring pipemaker.
http://sethilepipes.com
Sysop: http://pipedia.org
---------------------
Re: Empty your dust collector!
Thanks for the reminder. I need a fire extinguisher too.
Andrew
www.andrewstaplespipes.com
www.andrewstaplespipes.com
Re: Empty your dust collector!
I look forward to seeing you in Chicago, Scott!
Rad
Rad
Re: Empty your dust collector!
Thanks for the reminder, Scott. I've never emptied mine. I think I might be in trouble.
Re: Empty your dust collector!
This would probably be a good point to ask how Rad got it emptied.
Re: Empty your dust collector!
I'm asking for a friend of course.
Re: Empty your dust collector!
I emptied mine once when it was almost full.wdteipen wrote:This would probably be a good point to ask how Rad got it emptied.
First, you wrestle the bottom bag off the collector onto the floor. Take a 50 gallon black plastic yard bag and slide it over the top of your dust collector bag as far as it will go. Then put a 50 gallon trash can over this whole mess and then tip them over. Get someone to help you turn the can upright (trust me, you can't do it by yourself) and use a sturdy hand truck to cart it to the street. Don't hurt yourself.
If you're lucky, you'll only get about 5 gallons of suspended particulate into the air in your shop. If your unit has wheels, you might want to disconnect it and take it outside to do this. Your neighbors may laugh at you though.
Rad
Re: Empty your dust collector!
The good news is that my dust collector has wheels AND I don't have neighbors so I can generally look as silly as I want. Thanks.
Re: Empty your dust collector!
I empty mine regulalrly, I find the efficiency really takes a hit the more dust is in it, I think it gets stirred up and blocks the filter. Of course it is helped a great deal now by having the cyclone separator in line too.
Re: Empty your dust collector!
Oh shut up.caskwith wrote:I empty mine regulalrly, I find the efficiency really takes a hit the more dust is in it, I think it gets stirred up and blocks the filter. Of course it is helped a great deal now by having the cyclone separator in line too.
Rad
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Re: Empty your dust collector!
Most experienced shop guys already know it, but since beginners read this board too, it's worth repeating that you should
NEVER
...connect a metal bench grinder or similar to a dust collection system. No machine that produces significant sparking and a shower of hot bits.
Stem material curls and shavings are damn near as inflammable as gasoline, and having a canister full of them torch off is a great way to burn your house down.
NEVER
...connect a metal bench grinder or similar to a dust collection system. No machine that produces significant sparking and a shower of hot bits.
Stem material curls and shavings are damn near as inflammable as gasoline, and having a canister full of them torch off is a great way to burn your house down.
Last edited by LatakiaLover on Mon Dec 02, 2013 5:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
UFOs must be real. There's no other explanation for cats.
Re: Empty your dust collector!
On the other hand, smoldering briar dust is kinda' pretty to watch...LatakiaLover wrote:Most experienced shop guys already know it, but since beginners read this board too, it's worth repeating that you should
NEVER
...connect a metal bench grinder or similar to a dust collection system. No machine that produces significant sparking and a shower of hot bits.
Stem material curls and shavings ares damn near as inflammable as gasoline, and having a canister full of them torch off is a great way to burn your house down.
Just sayin'
Cheers!
-Walt
http://waltcannoy.com
http://www.facebook.com/WaltCannoyPipes
http://www.youtube.com/user/wcannoy
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http://twitter.com/WCannoy
"I have no idea what's going on here. " - Ernie Markle
-Walt
http://waltcannoy.com
http://www.facebook.com/WaltCannoyPipes
http://www.youtube.com/user/wcannoy
http://instagram.com/waltcannoy
http://twitter.com/WCannoy
"I have no idea what's going on here. " - Ernie Markle
Re: Empty your dust collector!
RadDavis wrote:Oh shut up.caskwith wrote:I empty mine regulalrly, I find the efficiency really takes a hit the more dust is in it, I think it gets stirred up and blocks the filter. Of course it is helped a great deal now by having the cyclone separator in line too.
Rad
Duly noted.