# Does one really need the original collection bag when using a cyclone separator?



## bluehorizons (Jun 20, 2016)

Hi folks. Hope everyone is enjoying the start to summer. Anyways, I am wondering if I really need to keep the collector bag that hangs from the housing below the filter bag. 

Here are my details: I have a Jet DC1100 with a Wynn filter that replaced the original bag filter, and I'm in the process of changing the layout by mounting the motor to the wall and hanging the Wynn filter and Jet housing from the ceiling, both downstream from a Super Dust Deputy. I'm one fernco short so will have to wait until tomorrow to try everything out but now I'm wondering if I really need the whole big long chip collector bag that originally came with the DC. I expect very little dust to actually make it there, with most of it falling out of the SDD into a bin/can. Could I not just shorten up the collector bag to something like 12" or so, just to free up space? 

Or asked another way, in an unmolested scenario of just using the SDD in a stand-alone manner with the original factory setup of the DC1100, couldn't one utilize the space where the big 3' high collector bag sits and just use a smaller collector bag? 

Hopefully this makes sense. If not I'll try to post some pics. Thanks in advance - I really appreciate any input!

Best,

Matt


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## jdonhowe (Jul 25, 2014)

First, a disclaimer: I have no definite specific experience related to your question, so my predictions are speculative!

That said, yes, the Super Dust Deputy should separate the vase majority of your dust, such that very little reaches your Jet collection bag, and theoretically you could get by with a much smaller bag.

However, with my Jet DC1200, there's a lot of vortex air flow that I can see in my full size collection bag, evidenced by swirling of dust in the (clear) bag. the vortex seems more pronounced as the bag fills, and the dust top layer gets closer to the separator ring.

I think that with a 12" bag, you'd get a lot of that vortex action, with a greater chance of dust being scrubbed (resuspended into the airstream), and ending up sticking to your Wynn filter surface.

My DC doesn't have a vortex cone, which is supposed to reduce scrubbing- that might let you get by with a small bag. Or, you might replace the bag with some sort of long tube/funnel extension, with your small bag atttached at the bottom (far from the vortex)- reminder: pure speculation!!!


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## Brian(J) (Feb 22, 2016)

I have the same question and just posted it to the Thein Baffle forum.

http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?board=1.0


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## ORBlackFZ1 (Dec 25, 2013)

Very good question. I would refer you to a thread I started a few years ago to improve my dust collection: http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f32/pipe-diameter-vs-performance-59625/

If you would like to jump to the answer for your question, the answer is implied in post #33: http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f32/pipe-diameter-vs-performance-59625/index2/#post827313

My dust collection is very similar to yours. I have found that very little of the "fines" get past the pre-separator. I have often thought of reducing the size of the original Jet collection bag to a smaller container, but since the space is not needed, I have left the original sized bag. I would assume that you can use a smaller size bag without any performance degradation, but I would suggest that you test it first to make sure.

Please post your results, so the rest of us can benefit from your testing. 

Thanks,
Eric


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