Thread: Making the DC a little easier to use

Good idea with the plastic bag! Why don't you do the same thing with your DSS bin?
Geoff

How so, Geoff? Do you mean add a transparent lid? The DSS Bin needs to be really stiff to avoid collapsing in on itself.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Derek

You can cut a hole and rivet a piece of perspex likes the taiwanese done on this bin.

20181103_205735.jpg

Hoey, I have been considering that. I need to check how thick the perspex needs to be prevent it from deforming. Also how best to seal it - I recall Bob reporting that this mod is prone to leaking. I hope he chips in.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek, I'd suggest something like this: Cut the plastic at least 5cm larger in each dimension than the opening. Choose something nice and thick, 5 or 6mm perspex should be ok unless you want a really big window. Heat it evenly with a heat gun and let it sag over the curved side of your bin to get the shape right. Once it's cooled and you've drilled it for any fasteners you plan to use, using windscreen sealant (or another high-strength silicone) run a generous bead both sides of the line of holes (if you have any - in any event use a nice wide bead) and then fasten it to the bin. Make sure you seal the bolts themselves. Clean up the excess and smooth it off with a wet finger or something, and make sure you don't fasten it all the way down - leave a little bit of sealant between the plastic and the drum. Let it set, which might take several days to reach full strength - check the data sheet for your sealant.

In order to fit a window you'd have to somehow arrange it over those ribs in the barrel; the problem is that they are contributing to the intrinsic strength of the drum under a partial vacuum so flattening them may not be a good idea. I'd probably be looking at casting a "window frame" out of an epoxy putty or fiberglass and using that to hold the window; but that would have to be mounted internally and therefore has the pressure acting on the "wrong" side...

At our guild we have the same drums on our dustys as shown in Hoey's picture and to be frank they don't do much as they attract wood dust through static electrickery and you can't see inside. How about a different approach; drum weight? It shouldn't be too hard to adapt a BBQ LPG gas bottle weighing scale thingy to fit on the dolly?

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Hoey, I have been considering that. I need to check how thick the perspex needs to be prevent it from deforming. Also how best to seal it - I recall Bob reporting that this mod is prone to leaking. I hope he chips in.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I replaced the lid form seal to thicker one as in pix, that's all I did and no leaksat all
20181103_224913.jpg

They reveted the plastic screen with metal bracket and thin form seal.
20181103_225118.jpg

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Here is how to keep the plastic clearing off the window when the dc is on, I cut out the bottom off the garbage bin.
20181103_225222.jpg

This starting to get really good for a change. Some great ideas going on, with wheels, windows, rubbish bin liners and a handle on the side. Where have I been all my life? I think I need to think about stuff I want to modify in more depth, you guys are way ahead of me and I don't mean that in a funny way.

SB

Originally Posted by djeddy

Derek, I'd suggest something like this: Cut the plastic at least 5cm larger in each dimension than the opening. Choose something nice and thick, 5 or 6mm perspex should be ok unless you want a really big window. Heat it evenly with a heat gun and let it sag over the curved side of your bin to get the shape right. Once it's cooled and you've drilled it for any fasteners you plan to use, using windscreen sealant (or another high-strength silicone) run a generous bead both sides of the line of holes (if you have any - in any event use a nice wide bead) and then fasten it to the bin. Make sure you seal the bolts themselves. Clean up the excess and smooth it off with a wet finger or something, and make sure you don't fasten it all the way down - leave a little bit of sealant between the plastic and the drum. Let it set, which might take several days to reach full strength - check the data sheet for your sealant.

Derek, I did just as above in my home-made cyclone I have been using for probably 16 years without a problem. I have 2 x 44 gallon drums on top of each other, the top one has the cone for the cyclone and the bottom drum is just the collector. I have a 3mm perspex window in both drums. the bottom one to see how full the collector is and the top one to watch how the cyclone works (keeps grandkids out of the work area while I am cutting )

I pretty much did exactly what Djeddy said above but 3mm perspex is strong enough for the windows and is obviously easier to heat and curve than thicker stuff. I found smooth areas of the drums to cut the windows into and you will probably have to contend with the ribs, but with 3mm perspex, you could probably shape the ribs into the perspex by forming them over a ribbed part of the drum matching where the window goes.

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Also how best to seal it - I recall Bob reporting that this mod is prone to leaking. I hope he chips in.

There are no leaks in my system even after several years, verifiable by looking at the sealant between the perspex and the drum from the inside. Even if there were minor leaks it is on the part of the system before the blower so it would be sucking in clean air through the leak, not blowing dirty air out into the workspace.

Good point Derek. In my haste I didn't realise the cyclone is pre-blower and therefore your bin under negative pressure. I wonder if you can get a clear lid, or even a clear bin, or even further a section of round clear material to sit between the bintop and lid?