Thien separators needed in Houston!

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  • dbhost
    Slow and steady
    • Apr 2008
    • 9209
    • League City, Texas
    • Ryobi BT3100

    Thien separators needed in Houston!

    I am realizing something I hadn't considered about the hurricane / flood recovery.

    There is a LOT of drywall work being done here, and a mess of cleanup. People are using shop vacs, and clogging them with drywall dust almost instantly.

    Anyone interested in doing some Thien cyclone builds to help folks out?
    Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.
  • Bill in Buena Park
    Veteran Member
    • Nov 2007
    • 1865
    • Buena Park, CA
    • CM 21829

    #2
    Dave, (and no disrespect to Phil) but I'm not sure the Thien baffle would be as effective for drywall as it is for sawdust. I add a filter bag to my shopvac when working drywall, its fairly effective, and cost effective. Also, what separator platform would be the standard, the Homer bucket?
    Bill in Buena Park

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    • Biolite
      Forum Newbie
      • Nov 2014
      • 12

      #3
      I've found the best solution for drywall dust is to fabricate a water filter from a 5 gallon bucket. Have the hose side running through a few inches of water at the bottom of the bucket and then put the vacuum side up higher away from the water with a baffle to avoid water ingestion at the top of the bucket. The water catches a great deal of the dust and you can just dump it out afterwards. You do have to experiment with the water level to find the sweet spot between having enough to filter, but not enough to scrub into the vacuum.

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      • atgcpaul
        Veteran Member
        • Aug 2003
        • 4055
        • Maryland
        • Grizzly 1023SLX

        #4
        Originally posted by Biolite
        I've found the best solution for drywall dust is to fabricate a water filter from a 5 gallon bucket. Have the hose side running through a few inches of water at the bottom of the bucket and then put the vacuum side up higher away from the water with a baffle to avoid water ingestion at the top of the bucket. The water catches a great deal of the dust and you can just dump it out afterwards. You do have to experiment with the water level to find the sweet spot between having enough to filter, but not enough to scrub into the vacuum.
        That's what I pretty much use. I bought a commercial system for something like $50 that includes the water bucket with a hose connected to a sanding pad that has holes in the base like a ROS does. The other end connects to your shopvac. The sanding pad uses the standard holey drywall sanding sheets that look like window screen.

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        • dbhost
          Slow and steady
          • Apr 2008
          • 9209
          • League City, Texas
          • Ryobi BT3100

          #5
          I'ved used my Thien for Drywall dust with great success, but the,water based separator idea actually sounds practical, and quick

          I remember my mom had a vacuum when I was a kid that did that, I think it is called a Rainbow...

          Using a Wet Dry vac, water ingestion shouldn't be a problem... I am not 100% certain, but I don't think a baffle is needed.

          I have a mess of 5 gallon buckets in my shop that need a home anyway... Time to get busy...
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          • atgcpaul
            Veteran Member
            • Aug 2003
            • 4055
            • Maryland
            • Grizzly 1023SLX

            #6
            One word of warning regarding water buckets..as the drywall dust fills up the bucket, the water level rises and the water can then get sucked up into the hose leading to the shopvac. It's not really an issue for a shopvac to suck up water, but it can start making a mess in there.

            Comment

            • os1kne
              Senior Member
              • Jan 2003
              • 901
              • Atlanta, GA
              • BT3100

              #7
              Agreed - the Thien separator will work with drywall dust, and works better with water in the bottom of the bucket. Also, watch the water level and dump the bucket more frequently than you think you need to. My Thien baffle now has a warp to it from getting wet and being used for a while. The vac suction warped it when it was wet. It still works well, but not quite as effectively as it used to.
              Bill

              Comment

              • dbhost
                Slow and steady
                • Apr 2008
                • 9209
                • League City, Texas
                • Ryobi BT3100

                #8
                Okay latest report. We've done 6 ear out / clean ups, filled the trash can several times, jammed up the filter once. No water used.

                My vac is an old 12 gallon Rigid wet / dry vac with a HEPA filter, and I can assure you, I am not getting drywall dust bypassing the separator... Or at least not enough to worry about... The HEPA filter is fine enough to catch the bypass, and as I said, only one time having to clean it...
                Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

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