Cyclone

[Doug]

Whilst searching for something else on the tinternet I came across this little Chinese cyclone




I’ve had the Oneida Dust Deputy for over 10 years & have been really pleased with it, this unit is just about the same size




I have two shop vacs one at each end of the workshop & after reading about the Thien separator I made one to run off my Camvac about 5 years ago. Whilst it has work ok I’ve never achieved the levels of separation that I get from the cyclone regardless of how I’ve tweeked the settings, so I decided as the Chinese version was so cheep I’d give it a punt.

This was my set up with the Thien.





I wanted to use the same metal drum but with the cyclone on top it would have been above bench height so I needed to reduce the drum height.
As the top seals on a rounded rim I figured the best bet was to cut this off & then cut on one of the mid ribs so the top piece would fit inside that rib.
Cuts made




Trial fitting




Snug fit achieved once any burrs were removed



I re-attached the two pieces with Stixall putting a thick bead inside & out



More to follow

 

[Doug]

The old lid had a few too many holes in it & as I had another though slightly unloved lid I decided to use that, with the template provided I marked & cut the 75mm hole & 4x4mm holes




After a couple of coats of paint the cyclone was ready to be fixed to the lid with stixall & screws provided



This Is as much as I could do this evening as the paint needs to cure a little more as does the Stixall but hopefully I’ll be able to get it plumbed up & working tomorrow

 

[Dan0741]

Doug - excellent work.

I just made one with a very similar chinese import and it works fabulously, only problem is I bought a huge blue pastic food barrel to collect dust and the cheap screwfix vac sucks the sides in so it looks like a discarded coke can!

Full of fine dust tho!

Dan

 

[Doug]

Cheers Dan, good to hear the cyclone part is working well I’m always weary of cheap Chinese rip offs.

Could you build a cage that fits inside you barrel to stop it imploding?

 

[Malc2098]

Looking good. Watching with interest for commissioning my 'shop.

Got an old record vac bin that needs up-cycling.

Care to share the supplier?

 

[9fingers]

Looking good. Watching with interest for commissioning my 'shop.

Got an old record vac bin that needs up-cycling.

Care to share the supplier?

I'm sure I've seen them on Banggood Malc
hth
Bob

 

[Doug]

Looking good. Watching with interest for commissioning my 'shop.

Got an old record vac bin that needs up-cycling.

Care to share the supplier?

Thanks Malc, I got the cyclone off evil-bay, if you’re willing to wait & take the chance of it arriving then they are quite a bit cheaper direct from China, the one I bought was from a supplier in Bristol, arrived in a couple of days so I was happy.
There appears to be a few versions, they all have the same markings but the designs are different I think the one I bought is the mark 3.

 

[Rod]

Are you fitting a pressure relief valve?

Rod

 

[AndyP]

A shame they do not seem to make a 100mm one.

 

[Doug]

Are you fitting a pressure relief valve?

Rod

I wasn’t going to Rod, I’ve never had any bother with my Dust Deputy & this cyclone is remarkably sturdy so I can’t see I should need one.

 

[Mark Hancock]

Watching this with interest as I just got the French version Dust Commander S30 which comes with it's own steel drum as I'd read about the plastic food bins collapsing. The only issues I'm having is finding the right connectors and pipes.

 

[9fingers]

Watching this with interest as I just got the French version Dust Commander S30 which comes with it's own steel drum as I'd read about the plastic food bins collapsing. The only issues I'm having is finding the right connectors and pipes.

Pipes size adaptors are easily made from offcuts of mdf. The s30 has 55mm OD inlet I think so an MDF ring could take you to 68mm UK gutter downpipe but the range of fittings are limited and need either solvent welding or duct tape to seal joints. As you mention French version, French soil pipe is 100mm od and all the usual bends/fitting etc are available and fits 100mm flexi pipe perfectly. I keep a few lengths in the workshop and make dust extraction spigots from it as well as flexipipe couplers.

A UK 100mm blast gate can be fitted inside UK 110mm soil pipe with expanding PU adhesive and makes a dual purpose 110mm to 100mm flexi adaptor with blast gate. I use these a lot in my shop.

If you are making a big diameter transition with mdf then screw two or three pieces together and form a taper on the inside for a smooth air flow and reduced chance of blockages.

HTH

Bob

 

[Mark Hancock]

Watching this with interest as I just got the French version Dust Commander S30 which comes with it's own steel drum as I'd read about the plastic food bins collapsing. The only issues I'm having is finding the right connectors and pipes.

Pipes size adaptors are easily made from offcuts of mdf. The s30 has 55mm OD inlet I think so an MDF ring could take you to 68mm UK gutter downpipe but the range of fittings are limited and need either solvent welding or duct tape to seal joints. As you mention French version, French soil pipe is 100mm od and all the usual bends/fitting etc are available and fits 100mm flexi pipe perfectly. I keep a few lengths in the workshop and make dust extraction spigots from it as well as flexipipe couplers.

A UK 100mm blast gate can be fitted inside UK 110mm soil pipe with expanding PU adhesive and makes a dual purpose 110mm to 100mm flexi adaptor with blast gate. I use these a lot in my shop.

If you are making a big diameter transition with mdf then screw two or three pieces together and form a taper on the inside for a smooth air flow and reduced chance of blockages.

HTH

Bob

Thanks Bob. You're right regarding the S30 55mm OD inlet and outlet.
I'm setting up the cyclone for dust extraction for 2 lathes. The cyclone will be connected to a Yorkeen WV2 dust extractor so I have to run a flexible pipe between the 2. Any suggestion on pipe diameter bearing in mind the cyclone size 55 mm and the Yorkeen is 110mm ID?
The same query on the lathe side of the cyclone; 2.5 or 4 inch ducting? I like the idea of the Loc-Line adjustables by the lathes but they are only 2.5 compared to the Stayput hoses available from Rutland at 4 inch. and still have to step down to the cyclone.
Apologies to Doug for stepping in on his thread. Happy to start another if necessary.
Cheers
Mark

 

[9fingers]

Gut instinct says keep the pipework as big as you can for as long as you can.

I presume the vac is designed to take UK soil pipe at 110mm? You could glue in a bit of French 100mm into a stub of 110 to get it to 100mm flexi. I can send you a bit of 100mm French pipe if you like. At the cyclone end you could make an MDF polo ring 55 ID and 100 od and 36 long with 2 bits of 18mm mdf stuck together.

The cyclone input could have an internally tapered 55 to 100 adaptor with say 4 x 18 mdf stuck together and an internal taper from 85 to 55 to remove most of the turbulence at the input of the cyclone.

A Y piece and pair of blast gates in 100mm from axi(?) and a couple of fixed hoods for the lathes with a stub of 100mm French in each to connect to the hose.

Any good?

Bob

 

[Mark Hancock]

Bob
You're a genius :eusa-clap: I've been making heavy work of this for a couple of days and in one post you've sorted me out. Thank you.

And thank you for the French 100mm offer but with the existing 4 inch(?) flexible ducting and other bits I already have and your suggestion of MDF adaptors I can now see that I can manage it with those plus a few odd bits from the Builders Merchant, a couple of blast gates and the stayput hoses.
bscene-drinkingcheers:
Mark

 

[9fingers]

Bob
You're a genius :eusa-clap: I've been making heavy work of this for a couple of days and in one post you've sorted me out. Thank you.

And thank you for the French 100mm offer but with the existing 4 inch(?) flexible ducting and other bits I already have and your suggestion of MDF adaptors I can now see that I can manage it with those plus a few odd bits from the Builders Merchant, a couple of blast gates and the stayput hoses.
bscene-drinkingcheers:
Mark

Only too pleased to have stimulated your little grey cells towards a pragmatic solution Mark
I've long believed and counselled others that if a design is getting more and more complicated, it is time to scrap it and re-think from the beginning. There is nearly always a simple elegant solution to a problem that you just have not thought of yet.

Bob

 

[Mark Hancock]

[
Only too pleased to have stimulated your little grey cells towards a pragmatic solution Mark
I've long believed and counselled others that if a design is getting more and more complicated, it is time to scrap it and re-think from the beginning. There is nearly always a simple elegant solution to a problem that you just have not thought of yet.

Bob

So true. And as they say 2 heads are better than one. :text-thankyouyellow:
Mark

 

[AndyP]

If anyone wants lengths of 100mm french siil pipe and or accessories I am travelling to SE London/NW Kent in a week or so. Would be happy to bring at cost for collection in Bromley.

 

[Doug]

Just posted a video of the cyclone working on instagram, link in signature, don’t know how to post videos here.

I’m after some hooked toggle latches for fixing the top at a reasonable price without ordering from abroad, if anyone knows of a uk supplier

 

[9fingers]

Just posted a video of the cyclone working on instagram, link in signature, don’t know how to post videos here.

I’m after some hooked toggle latches for fixing the top at a reasonable price without ordering from abroad, if anyone knows of a uk supplier

Have you looked at the buyers guide for your latches Doug? There is a huge diversity of stuff in there that Dave keeps adding to.
I was going to try and link directly to your cyclone video but I can't even get it to play from instagram. maybe I have to have an account?
Bob

 

[Rod]

Worked on my phone without an account??

Rod

 

[Doug]

Worked on my phone without an account??

Rod

Yep it usually just takes you to the web page if you haven’t got the app, my accounts not private so anyone should be able to view it through the web version of Instagram

 

[Mark Hancock]

Doug

What size hoses are you using in and out of the cyclone, couldn't see on the video.

Mark

 

[Doug]

Doug

What size hoses are you using in and out of the cyclone, couldn't see on the video.

Mark

They’re just 50mm hoses Mark, you can get bigger cyclones for larger hoses but this is been run off my small Camvac

 

[woodstalker]

Doug, where do you get your metal barrels from? I have a little chines e bay cyclone and have a plastic food barrel with pressure relief valve but no matter what I do to tweak the settings the barrel always collapses and dust gets through to the shop vac.

I'm after a relatively small one rather than a full size 55 gallon oil drum.

Cheers

 

[Doug]

The one I used was an air freight barrel used for transporting lithium batteries, I was given a few some years ago as they were surplus to requirements once the batteries arrived.
I have seen similar ones being sold on Gum tree, that might be worth a search

 

[Mark Hancock]

I've been meaning to post a picture of the set up I finally did following on from the great advice I got here.

 

[Doug]

Nice one Mark :eusa-clap:

 

[TrimTheKing]

Looks good :eusa-clap: but does it work...?

 

[RogerS]

What's that shiny new black thing right of frame? Don't recall seeing that before ...

 

[Doug]

What's that shiny new black thing right of frame? Don't recall seeing that before ...

Looks a little like one of these bad boys Rog




Niceeeeee

 

[Mark Hancock]

Looks good :eusa-clap: but does it work...?

It sure does. The suction is incredible and virtually nothing getting to the filters. First time I switched on I had both motors running on the extractor and both blast gates closed, thought the thing was going to take off Now only need to use one motor on the extractor and always ensure one blast gate is open.

 

[Mark Hancock]

Roger and Doug

Nearly right with the shiny thing. It's the latest model a Titan 315G, the cast version with the invertor hidden out of the way. My dream lathe