When long acrylic ribbons is a bad thing.

[toolcrazy]

When I am turning acrylic, I get long ribbons coming off my Skew. Well, I just found out today, this can be a bad thing.

I was trying to figure out why my dust collector wasn't pulling these long ribbons away from my work as well as it did. In fact, it seemed to of dropped off maybe 50%.

I pulled off the bag, thinking it needed cleaning, nope that wasn't it.

I checked to make sure the impellers where moving and not plugged up. Nope not it.

Finally, I pulled the hose off the bottom of the motor, and wouldn't you know it. There was a large bundle of these long ribbons all bundled up in the end of the hose and about 6 inches of the hose was blocked.

What had happened, these long curly ribbons have been catching on the X that they have at the entrance of the motor. I cleaned it all out and now my dust collector is back up to normal pulling power.

I guess I need to keep an eye on this, and clean it out on occasion. You would think that these little ribbons would just go by the 4" diameter pipe with the X on it. But I guess it wont. But for now, I will have to put up with it. I can't afford a cyclone DC.

 

[gketell]

For $25 you can get one of these http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1515&filter=separator and add a 35-gallon trash can. They work GREAT. I've been running one on my DC for 4 years now and in that time the plastic bag of the DC has only collected about 1/2" of really fine dust in the bottom of it. Now the 35-gallon gets emptied regularly and is full of saw dust, sandpaper, off-cuts, paper towels, etc.

I Highly recommend them if you have the room to put it in.

 

[toolcrazy]

For $25 you can get one of these http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1515&filter=separator and add a 35-gallon trash can. They work GREAT. I've been running one on my DC for 4 years now and in that time the plastic bag of the DC has only collected about 1/2" of really fine dust in the bottom of it. Now the 35-gallon gets emptied regularly and is full of saw dust, sandpaper, off-cuts, paper towels, etc.

I Highly recommend them if you have the room to put it in.

That thought did cross my mind.

There is, also, one that you can make yourself.

If this continues to be a problem and I think it will. I will just have to do that.

 

[rjwolfe3]

Wait till it clogs up the grate at your band saw. Those separators don't help then. I am thinking of cutting mine out.

 

[sbell111]

For $25 you can get one of these http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1515&filter=separator and add a 35-gallon trash can. They work GREAT. I've been running one on my DC for 4 years now and in that time the plastic bag of the DC has only collected about 1/2" of really fine dust in the bottom of it. Now the 35-gallon gets emptied regularly and is full of saw dust, sandpaper, off-cuts, paper towels, etc.

I Highly recommend them if you have the room to put it in.

That thought did cross my mind.

There is, also, one that you can make yourself.

If this continues to be a problem and I think it will. I will just have to do that.

We just clean the X after each acrylic blank. It just takes a second.

 

[mick]

I have the same problem after several "plastic" blanks. My DC is outside under the stairs along with my compressor. Cuts down on alot of noise in the shop plus I don't have all that ultra fine stuff that escapes the bag getting into the shop. The big drawback is I have to go outside, move all the stuff that collects in front of the screen I use to hide everything under the steps:frown:....then take the hose off and remove the shaVings.

For $25 you can get one of these http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1515&filter=separator and add a 35-gallon trash can. They work GREAT. I've been running one on my DC for 4 years now and in that time the plastic bag of the DC has only collected about 1/2" of really fine dust in the bottom of it. Now the 35-gallon gets emptied regularly and is full of saw dust, sandpaper, off-cuts, paper towels, etc.

I Highly recommend them if you have the room to put it in.

Greg, I might be interested in one of these. Does it decrease your airflow any?

 

[jskeen]

Greg, I might be interested in one of these. Does it decrease your airflow any?

Not that I have found, and the gain in power you get from your bags not getting full as quickly would more than make up for it. I think these are indispensable, and if you don't want to lay out the cash, you can make one relatively easily. But if your DC is outside, the plastic ones probably tolerate getting wet better than a plywood version.

 

[randyrls]

When I am turning acrylic, I get long ribbons coming off my Skew. Well, I just found out today, this can be a bad thing.

Yep; I have to clean off the screen about every pen.....

I thought of posting a contest to see who could make the longest continuous string...

I can turn from one end of the blank to the other end without a break.....