I have a standard dust collector (Grizzly G1029) with two bags, one on top and one on the bottom. Every time I went to empty the bags, I found myself generating a cloud of dust. As shown in the drawing, I came up with a solution that deposits the dust into a 33-gal. heavy-duty plastic bag, virtually eliminating the dust-disposal problem.

First, I built a 17-in.-tall base platform to lift the collector/motor assembly off the floor. Then I added extensions to the support legs that carry the weight of the separator. Next, I got a 50-gal. plastic drum and cut off its bottom, making it 28 in. tall. I also slit the drum down the side and pop-riveted it back together at 19 in. dia. (the same diameter as the separator).

The next step was to remove the lower bag of the dust collector and cut off its bottom. I turned the bag upside down and then reconnected it to the separator with a strap clamp. Now the bottom of the bag has the built-in strap that came with the bag. It slips over the plastic drum and its bag liner, and is cinched tight below the drum’s rim.

The lower dust bag now acts as a chute that conveys its dusty contents to the plastic bag. When the drum is full, I loosen the strap, cinch the bag, and replace it with an empty one. By the way, I don’t lift the bag out of the drum. It’s a lot easier simply to lift the bottomless drum off the bag.

Corry M. Dodson, Careywood, ID

Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller

From Fine Homebuilding #158

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