For regulars of this site, you’d know my preference for cyclonic dust collection. There is one time particularly, when a cyclone just won’t do it for you- when you’ve used it, and used it, and ignored it, and the bin has overfilled!
Sure, we can lift the lid and check levels, but that is often forgotten (or a matter of just one more small job following another, and each is just not enough for the hassle of checking).
How about a visual indicator that the levels have gotten too high?
Oneida have a unit that measures the level in the collection bin using infrared to sense the levels. Not only would you not rely on the unit giving a reasonable response midway through a dusty job, but infrared has very good dust penetration (ask any photographer from the old days who used infrared film).
When the unit senses the level is too high, it turns on the attached strobe.
I don’t know if the units are being bought into Oz (I doubt it unfortunately), but they can be ordered here
Personally, I’d love one of these units on my main, 4″ collector as well! Given it isn’t in the same shed as I work, it would stop me from ignoring the dusty until it makes strange noises and stops sucking when the dust levels block the extraction fan!
Thee may be other solutions out there, but this one looks pretty good, if not a bit expensive.
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looks like a great thing to have . great product.
sham its by oneida.
these things always happen just when youv put in a long wide board into the planer and cant stop.
Why a shame it is by Oneida? Price? Quality? Availability?
Just curious!
its the whole stealing bill pentz idea and patenting it then forcing him to stop his work. he had plans for much better designed cyclones on the net free years before oneida filed for a paternt. its a disgusting situation and il have nothing to do with them. forceing a very ill man to stop selling (small roalties through clear view, thay had a small cyclone before oneida had adn they made them stop selling it) his design after spending years desiging on his sick bed after all the other type extractors allowed enough dust through to sicken him. cant remember the exact details of his ilness . google bill pentz and you will get all the dust extraction info you will ever want , including how to build his cyclone
i dont want to start a flame war etc on here as it would ruin the great site.
i must look into building one of those sensors or buy one from a good honest company
Is there a patent on this device? Wouldn’t be difficult to build something similar. Can’t see $148 in it personally.
Wayne.
im talking about the dust deputy not the sensor. i dont know about patenting the sensor but i doubt you could patent that , its probably in use in most industrial systems. 148 dollars (us i assum from your post) is a bit rich . im sure you could make one for 40 dollars from your local electronics place
For $148, I’ll occasionally have a look in my separator, and, if it’s getting full, I’ll empty it.
Some very interesting background information out there- have been reading up about it (and also seem that Oneida has taken on at least one occasion, to asking a website to take down comments by Bill Pentz.)
Regarding the sensor- doesn’t matter if it is patented or not, if you want to make something equivalent for your workshop and you have some knowledge/ability/plans, there is nothing stopping you, so long as you don’t try to market/sell the product. You should be able to come up with something cheaper than the $150 ish price tag,
For what it is worth, I’ve contacted ClearVue to see if they are interested in having their product reviewed on Stu’s Shed (the CV-06, which appears to be back on the market).