Cyclonic Separators vs Hand Plane Shavings?

[friedchicken]

I'm wanting to use my CT26 as my exclusive shop vac. I don't really have room for anything else.
I got an Oneida 5-gallon bucket compact separator;



and it worked really well for my needs right up until I introduced it to hand plane shavings. That threw everything out the window, and it constantly got clogged up, unable to separate them. I just spent an hour or so fiddling with it, trying to get it to work, but to no avail.

Do the more vertical cyclonic separators work better?

Does the Festool CT Cyclone do a better job? This is a real problem, and I might end up just removing the bag from my CT26 and using it like a "traditional" shop vac. The shavings all go to the compost.

 

[ChuckS]

Veritas (Lee Valley Tools) introduced a handplane dust collection shroud many years ago -- as part of its April Fool's joke. If it was considered a practical or sustainable product, Lee Valley would've commercialized the idea, I guess.

That said, I have had no suction problem with my Dust Deputy 2.0 / bucket/ shop vac system to extract anything including shavings, though by default, I collect shavings with a broom and dust pan.

 

[mrFinpgh]

The taller separator does fine with shavings up to a point. If the bucket is too full, that can lead to filling up your bag pretty quickly.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

"Fluffy" shavings can be the most difficult for any kind of pre-separation and even pulling through a hose/duct in my experience. I agree with mrFinpgh that careful monitoring of the bin is important.

 

[Packard]

I have something very similar. It resides over a trash can and the larger pieces fall into the can, while the. Dust continues onto my dust collector. The only real advantage I see is that I have to empty out the dust collector bag less frequently.

Also, when I dropped the blade nut from my table saw, it fell into the trash can, making it far easier to locate.

 

[luvmytoolz]

I have the standard taller Dust Deputy cyclone sitting on top of an old very large gas tank cut in half, and it handles shavings just fine. Using the standard 26mm hose it almost never clogs even with the fluffiest of shavings.

 

[bertv]

Even a 4-inch hose on a high end extractor can get clogged by shavings from a hand plane. As these shavings are not a health hazard the old school method of taking care of them with a brush and a dustpan is absolutely the way to go. And it is quite satisfying and even ASMR...

 

[onocoffee]

When I'm hand planing and end up with shavings, I typically will keep a bucket at my feet and instead of just grabbing the shavings and tossing them to the floor, I aim for the bucket. Whatever doesn't land in the bucket I'll hand sweep and put all the shavings in the bucket. I very rarely suck them into the CT or Ridgid (both have separators). I use the shavings as firestarters for my Weber kettle bonfires.

If you want to suck them up, you have to suck them slowly. Trying to take a lot in any one moment is begging for clogging.

 

[friedchicken]

I called Oneida, and he explained that it basically cannot work with a cyclonic separator.

I've had no issue vacuuming up shavings into the "traditional" shop vac, and it is also a very satisfying process.

I can just remove the bag from the CT26 and use it that way. Maybe have a separate bucket rather than do 20 trips to the compost bin. The shavings will have less dust and should therefore not clog the expensive HEPA filter.

 

[luvmytoolz]

I called Oneida, and he explained that it basically cannot work with a cyclonic separator.

I've had no issue vacuuming up shavings into the "traditional" shop vac, and it is also a very satisfying process.

I can just remove the bag from the CT26 and use it that way. Maybe have a separate bucket rather than do 20 trips to the compost bin. The shavings will have less dust and should therefore not clog the expensive HEPA filter.

I don't understand that, aside from the one hooked up to my CNC that performs flawlessly, I also do a massive amount of very deep drilling (I'm talking 125mm deep x 55mm diameter) with forstners into Aussie hardwoods which produces a staggering amount of very curly shavings, and I can't recall the last time the separator clogged? The nozzle if I jam it at the pile of shavings yeah, but never the cyclone itself.

 

[ChuckS]

I called Oneida, and he explained that it basically cannot work with a cyclonic separator.

I've had no issue vacuuming up shavings into the "traditional" shop vac, and it is also a very satisfying process.

I can just remove the bag from the CT26 and use it that way. Maybe have a separate bucket rather than do 20 trips to the compost bin. The shavings will have less dust and should therefore not clog the expensive HEPA filter.

"...it basically cannot work with a cyclonic separator."

By cyclonic separator, you meant the one you showed in your first post, right?

My DD can suck shavings all right.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I just let them hit the floor and sweep them up later, but I don't do a huge volume of them either. For me, keeping the dust/chips from a router, is far more important.

 

[Packard]

I do generate chips with my forstner bit, but the Grizzly dust collector handles that fine. Actually, I use the D-C hose like a vacuum to pick up the chips. Big curly things (carbide bits),

 

[luvmytoolz]

When I'm drilling my door stop blocks I generate a huge amount of curly shavings, the DD just laughs at it.

 

[ChuckS]

It so happened that I still had some shavings left on the bench from this morning session. Minutes ago, I took these before and after pictures of the DD extracting thr shavings with no issues.