Considering getting rid of my Thien Separator.

[dbhost]

No I am not ditching the Thien design all together, but space constraints have me seriously looking into getting rid of my 55 gallon drum separator, and getting back into an inlet ring mounted separator. The reason I went with the drum in the first place was the god awful noise that the impeller made when I picked up cutoffs from the shark guard particularly and it got sucked into the impeller. Always sounded like a gun shot in my shop... I am thinking I just need to put up with it and move on. The drum has become tedious to deal with, and I could use the floor space...

Has anyone else come up with a good solution for this? Shy of building the HF DC into a true Cyclone that is...

[Ruben]

No I am not ditching the Thien design all together, but space constraints have me seriously looking into getting rid of my 55 gallon drum separator, and getting back into an inlet ring mounted separator. The reason I went with the drum in the first place was the god awful noise that the impeller made when I picked up cutoffs from the shark guard particularly and it got sucked into the impeller. Always sounded like a gun shot in my shop... I am thinking I just need to put up with it and move on. The drum has become tedious to deal with, and I could use the floor space...

Has anyone else come up with a good solution for this? Shy of building the HF DC into a true Cyclone that is...

I dont understand exactly why you want to get rid of the separator? if it's just floor space, there is a lot of designs for HF dust colector adding the separator and keeping the same footprint like this one. (picture from lumberjocks)
PS: after reading your first post again, now i understand what you mean.

[Cochese]

You could always incorporate the separator into a tool stand. Mine has found it's way back under my miter saw bench, and will live under the infeed table of the jointer when it gets rebuilt.

[toolguy1000]

here's how i handled it:

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/40189

works quite well. this video demonstrates how the baffle (whatever it's configuration - pan, cone, wok, "vortex cone", etc) reduces the swirling within the collection bag:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6KpAhEsrV0

i'd like to do what ruben did, but i'm concerned about setting the blower and motor on it's side.

[LCHIEN]

here's how i handled it:

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/40189

works quite well. this video demonstrates how the baffle (whatever it's configuration - pan, cone, wok, "vortex cone", etc) reduces the swirling within the collection bag:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6KpAhEsrV0

i'd like to do what ruben did, but i'm concerned about setting the blower and motor on it's side.

The bearings and motor should work at any attitude.

[Ruben]

here's how i handled it:

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/40189

works quite well. this video demonstrates how the baffle (whatever it's configuration - pan, cone, wok, "vortex cone", etc) reduces the swirling within the collection bag:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6KpAhEsrV0

i'd like to do what ruben did, but i'm concerned about setting the blower and motor on it's side.

it's not my design, i got the pic from lumberjocks.
Like Loring said, there should not be any problem putting the motor on it's side, the weight of the rotor it's not going to damage the bearing.

[Stytooner]

The only concern I would have with putting it on the side was to first confirm that the fit from fan to shaft was stout and secure enough. Of course this is a concern with any attitude, but even moreso when the full weight of the impeller and centrifugal forces are applied. The later works against the motor actually to try to climb air kinda depending on the vane shape. Couple that with gravity and you have a blade that is having help pulling away from the motor. So yes, there is cause for concern.

[Ruben]

Of course this is a concern with any attitude, but even moreso when the full weight of the impeller and centrifugal forces are applied. The later works against the motor actually to try to climb air kinda depending on the vane shape. Couple that with gravity and you have a blade that is having help pulling away from the motor. So yes, there is cause for concern.

I think centripetal force would help to keep the rotor centered in between the upper and lower bearing.
I understand about the impeller sucking air and forcing the rotor towards the bearing, that's the same scenario as putting the motor horizontal. I'm also in the process of setting my dust collector and separator so i'm just thinking out loud

[dbhost]

FWIW, the side flip configuration with the HF DC is actually pretty common. I have yet to hear of any issues with it... I have been hesitant to flip mine due to the 55 gallon drum. I can easily make a fresh one with my 30 gallon galvanized trash can. The side exit isn't super easy though... I might want to get my BIL to fab up / weld the side exit on the can. With the stresses the motor would put on it, I am wondering if it would be worth it to build the framing with metal...