Dust collection troubleshooting

[dstreck]

Im looking for any insight into a problem I've been having with my dust collection system. I have a Grizzly dust collector pulling through a small cyclone unit. The problem is that when planing wide softwood stock (such as pine or cedar) the chips tend to bypass the cyclone and head straight into the dust bags, eventually clogging the intake. This only happens when I'm generating a high volume of lightweight shavings; planing hardwood doesn't seem to cause the same problem. Is it possible that I've got too much suction, so that the shavings dont hang suspended in the cyclone but just get sucked straight through, or should I be looking at another cause, like too small a cyclone unit? Any ideas?

I'll post pics and more detailed specs if anyone thinks that would be helpful. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Jim Ledger]

It might be that the seal between the barrel and the cyclone is leaking air.

[Paul Girouard]

We had the same problem at a shop I worked at. With dry Red Cedar it always happened, we'd just disconnect the hose and collect the shavings in a barrel.

I think it's just a volume / and nature of the shavings thing.

Good luck with your solution / situation.

[dstreck]

Here are more details:

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k182/davestreck/IMG_0002.jpg

The dust collector is a Grizzly 1029, 220V, rated at 1600cfm. The cyclone is an ebay purchase, 16" in diameter and 34" high. Its bolted to the bench and a 30 gal metal trash can underneath collects the shavings. The suction is high enough that the can is held to the underside of the bench when the system is running, and occasionally even buckles slightly under the vacuum pressure. The inlet to the cyclone is 4" metal pipe, the outlet 6"

These are the type of shavings (cedar, in this case) that tend to clog the system:

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k182/davestreck/IMG_0005.jpg

[Ron Williamson]

It wouldn't hurt to get some distance between the bottom of the cyclone and the top of the garbage can.
Once the fluff is down there,it shouldn't tend to come back up, unless it doesn't get dropped out of the airstream,(pointing to an air leak or a short cone) or the can is approaching full .
R

[David G]

The cyclone bit should have a baffle that directs the laden incoming airflow to swirl & drop. If it doesn't, it should. If it does, maybe it's not large enough, or angled correctly. Is the cyclone component home-built, do you think? That would explain how it came to be sold, perhaps.

[dstreck]

The cyclone is home-built, but well-built (as far as I can tell). Looking up inside I cant see any baffle as you describe. I could try to fabricate one, but I have no idea what it should look like or how it should be oriented. I need to do some detective work to figure out how these things are supposed to be designed.

[Ron Williamson]

More than you want to know right here
http://www.billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/CyclonePlan.cfm
R