Dust collector not collecting.

[DamnYankee]

Why is it that the most obvious solution is always the one checked last?

Dust collector not sucking, running but no suction. So, I'm thinking it plugged before it gets into the seperator. Nope! Okay, must be those freaking blast gates that if not mounted upside down, get the gate channel clogged with sawdust to the point that they won't close so the suction goes way down on the other machines. Nope! Do you suppose I've got a clog at the collector at the chunk collector grate? Duh! Of course that was it. I'd been planing some wide pine and the nice wide "curls" had gotten past the chip collector made a nice 5x5 wad right at the grate. Got all kinds of suction now!!!!

I did remount the blast gates while I was screwing around so I got all the suction I need at the 20" planer. Gates close completely everytime now.

Bryan

[wood_newbie]

Don't feel bad...a few months ago, I got my new (first) dust collector, only to discover that it was running the wrong way!!

Or so I thought. They had "pre-assembled" the Y-connector onto the outlet port in order to fit it into the box. The instructions (who reads those?!) clearly stated you had to remove the Y and put it on the inlet side.

You have no idea how stupid _I_ felt after that one.

Kind of still do, come to think of it...

[Edwin Pawlowski]

While we are on the subject of DC and dumb stuff, that plastic window on the side of the bag should be looked at closely. Just be cause it is lighter above the dark chips does not mean there is space there.

[CW]

Ever failed to check until the top bag is 1/2 full? Bit of a mess.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Of course not. I know better than that.

OK, how about 1/3 full?

[CW]

Close enough. :)

[Mike Pio]

Same thing happened to me the other day. The clog that came out could have made a blonde wig for someone. I've found I get much better suction when I really clean out the DC filter and keep the chips in the bag low. I think there's a formula out there that tells you this...somewhere.

-m

[DamnYankee]

I was planing boards at a friends shop and filled up all 4 bags(both upper bags). That was alot of a mess. It only happened once! :-)

Bryan

[mac davis]

I've done all that trouble shooting and found later that the trash can on the cyclone was full.. *blush*

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[Patrick Conroy]

"DamnYankee" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt. Finally wized up and loosed the hose clamp, since clumping was a common occurance.

On the "Dumb DC Moves" front, a few months ago, I was planing up a slew of stock and in a hurry. Slowly, it dawns on me that the shop is getting kind'a foggy, kind'a hazy.

One of the DC piping joints had come apart and the last 20 minutes of planing shavings were getting spewed all over the garage corner. DW735 has a fan on it and it was a heck of a mess.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

----- Original Message ----- From: "DamnYankee"

Speaking of mess Some years after graduating from school, my son told me about the time they opened the zippers on the DC bags in shop class. I imagine it was quite a sight when the teacher turned them on.

[Steve knight]

hell these stories did not cost anything. I thought because I used a larger air hose that I used too much air blowing out my cartridge fillers and I was smelling sawdust. so I broke down and bought another set (about 145 with shipping) well get the new ones and take the old ones off and they are full of sawdust. I had been tapping the catch bucket at the bottom and it sounded fine. silly me should have taken it off and looked. then the sawdust started getting in the filters again after my cyclone. after asking I found out the plastic can was collapsing and losing the seal. Knight-Toolworks

handmade wooden planes