When I bought a single-stage dust collector last year, it was a step toward a cleaner shop and lungs. But the system wasn’t as efficient as I wanted. The collection bag filled fast, and I cringed every time I heard a chip bang the impeller.

The solution was a pair of Rockler’s 4-in. dust separator components and a fiberboard drum ($38 at amazon.com). The two sections are threaded through the drum lid and oriented to create a cyclone inside the drum.

I took a blue-collar approach to check whether the separator container worked. I cleaned out the bag on my dust collector and then planed and sawed some boards with the machines hooked up to the system. After I was finished, the collector bag had barely a layer of material at the bottom, while most of the debris had landed in the drum. This setup will reduce the times I have to empty the dust collector’s bag, protect the impeller from impact, and more importantly, prevent the filter from clogging, which ultimately increases airflow and aids collection.

Simple assembly. Each two-part section is threaded through the lid and oriented to create a cyclone effect in the drum.

It’s in the drum, not the bag. Most of the debris lands in the drum, keeping it out of the filter, where it impedes airflow

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