# Poor Retired Plumbers extract window



## Coleve (Oct 31, 2012)

Hi there Fraternity

Ok so as you all know the situation is unusual in that we all find ourselves in a world that a year ago we would never have envisaged, but it’s here and for the immediate future it’s going to hang about and impact on our lives in ways many we are not able or prepared to deal with. But that’s life and as its effects transcends upon and into our very existence, we have little choice but to push forward to allow some form of normality eventually return to our lives.

Ok the sermon I have just inflicted upon you resulted in my self-venturing into the sanctuary of the workshop, which after my last post where I formed a roof over my decking left me to be truth totally knackered and at an impasse in that the restrictions here in the UK are such that any travel is severely limited and we are mostly stuck at home and I really wanted a break and didn’t want to get engaged into a large project with winter forcing it’s edges over the horizon.

So, it’s off to the workshop for me, and standing there trying to figure out what to do that wouldn’t tax mind and body. As I looked around my only domain my attention was drawn to something that has niggled me for some time (not the wife)

I recently made a dust collection hood and connected to my band saw system and I fitted a shut off flap that allow me to swap over machines. The hood is held in place by a series of very powerful magnets embedded into the hood structure.

The problem I encountered was while it is in bandsaw mode the dust container takes about six months to fill up, but in jointer mode that turns into six minutes and I have no idea when it is full until I switch off and remove the hood and pipe to find it solid and chocked.

So here is my not so taxing next project.

So, decided to insert a viewing slot in the dust container to tell me when to empty. I was going to fit a lever and flap within the container to switch it off when full but the noise from the jointer would drown out the shut off extract and I couldn’t include the jointer in the shut off as its 3 phase and I didn’t want it shutting down half way through a process.

I think the photos tell the story in that I just cut the slot with my jigsaw and fitted a Perspex cover again cut with the jigsaw first which failed even with a fine blade, and ended up on the band saw, silicone and pop rivets did the rest. I placed steel washers over the pop rivets to spread the load over the Perspex.


Did it work, yes and no. What you see is the second attempt. First one cracked and split. I think it was a combination of the cold up here in Scotland and the radius I was asking it to take on. So the second attempt even when heated still gave me mini cracks.

I was in a dilemma, strip it all out and try again. Decided on a second opinion.

Phoned my good wife to get permission to come in from the workshop. Explained the situation. She never hesitated, reply was It’s only a workshop, live with it.

It’s only a workshop... it’s only a workshop. I was so incensed I almost spoke back.

So, my last photo of the finished article is taken so you don’t see the cracks.

Does it work, yes very well. I have fed a few 4x2’s through it and you can see the shavings level easily. And I don’t now have to clean out the extract hose as it fills up.


Colin, living with it

Scotland


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## Flipsaw (Mar 11, 2016)

Always enjoy your story telling of a project Colin ! You and the Mrs. stay safe and healthy and enjoy the holiday season.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Live with it, live with. Hmmm. Not exactly "living" with it, but if I were in your position - First, I'd make a screen for one corner, something that would not be very obvious, maybe hang tools on it, as camoflage. Then make a composting toilet, you generate sawdust so no extra costs. Then, you get a small fridge, perhaps a coffee pot and/or hot plate, and then a cot. A home away from home, when you have "live with it". 

Nice idea on the dust collecter also. My first thought was something to make a light come on when time to empty it.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I've been thinking about doing that for some time, but with a 30 gallon container, I only need it to see the top third or so. I have also seen guys use a dowel they lift and then drop onto the top of the sawdust. When it reaches whatever you call full, red paint on the bottom section of the dowel starts showing up. This is pretty easy to do as well. Put a little cross piece on the bottom of the dowel.


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## neville9999 (Jul 22, 2010)

You have an impressive little workshop, nice machines, your band saw and table saw will not fill that container that fast, however it is fundamentally far too small for the combination planer thicknesser, running that machine needs a different solution, it can create bags and bags of shavings that will never fit in your container, you need a bypass outlet for when the planner is run, one that directs the shavings into bags, it looks like you have a new project to me. N


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

DesertRatTom said:


> I've been thinking about doing that for some time, but with a 30 gallon container, I only need it to see the top third or so. I have also seen guys use a dowel they lift and then drop onto the top of the sawdust. When it reaches whatever you call full, red paint on the bottom section of the dowel starts showing up. This is pretty easy to do as well. Put a little cross piece on the bottom of the dowel.


I like that, a lot. Cheap, easy, fast to make, and you can likely see the red dowel from anywhere in the shop. Now just waiting for Woodpecker to read this, start making their own version, and likely charge $100+ for one.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Coleve said:


> ...First one cracked and split. I think it was a combination of the cold up here in Scotland and the radius I was asking it to take on. So the second attempt even when heated still gave me mini cracks...


Lexan (polycarbonate) might be a better choice, Colin. I once took a strip and folded it with a hammer, then repeated that in the opposite direction without breaking it. It sounds like the material you used is more like acrylic... any nicks will travel and can become cracks. Lexan is also more resistant to that. Great idea though, very nice.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I have posted this before, but for the Dewalt planer, the fluffy chips just need to go into a barrel with a screened opening on top to stop the chips. If your planer or jointer doesn't spit out chips fast enough, you could just get a blower (HF), hook a short hose from the machine into the blower, that blows the chips down into the barrel. You could do this with a nice heavy duty trash can if you carefully fit and lash down a plywood lid across the top. Here's a picture of a passive setup with a 735. For a less aggressive chip ejector, put a blower on top of the barrel to suck the chips out of the machine. Won't work for anything that produces fine sawdust.


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## schmitt32linedrill (Apr 23, 2013)

neville9999 said:


> You have an impressive little workshop, nice machines, your band saw and table saw will not fill that container that fast, however it is fundamentally far too small for the combination planer thicknesser, running that machine needs a different solution, it can create bags and bags of shavings that will never fit in your container, you need a bypass outlet for when the planner is run, one that directs the shavings into bags, it looks like you have a new project to me. N


I agree with Neville. You need a much bigger capacity for jointer and planer chips. A little blower with a cyclone and bagger hanging below might work for you. I think you could build one from a 50 gallon barrel with tangential air entrance to start the cyclone action. The dust and chips should just fall down into the bag. It might take some trial and error to get it right, but that's half the fun. Or you could just buy one from Grizley.

In my retirement shop, I just blow the chips out behind the shop and pick them up a couple of times a year with a tractor loader. If you've got close neighbors, You might not be able to get away with that.


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## Roland Johnson (Oct 27, 2015)

Coleve said:


> Hi there Fraternity
> 
> Ok so as you all know the situation is unusual in that we all find ourselves in a world that a year ago we would never have envisaged, but it’s here and for the immediate future it’s going to hang about and impact on our lives in ways many we are not able or prepared to deal with. But that’s life and as its effects transcends upon and into our very existence, we have little choice but to push forward to allow some form of normality eventually return to our lives.
> 
> ...


After buying this beast, I too was faced with a dust collection problem. However after springing for the machine funds were almost none and from the treasure room came up with this from the leaf blower vac bag and elbow. Not fancy but works and easy to tell when full.


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