Thread: Where do I get a 14 to 15" impeller in Oz for a Bill Pentz cyclone

The sort of question I'd be asking before you even get to this point is is do you really need a cyclone?
Can you put your DC outside or place it inside in a sealed cupboard and vent the DC outside?

Originally Posted by BobL

The sort of question I'd be asking before you even get to this point is is do you really need a cyclone?
Can you put your DC outside or place it inside in a sealed cupboard and vent the DC outside?

Yes after a lot of thought I am convinced it is the tidiest and easiest solution. The shed is pretty full as it is. I have 2 extractors with 9 feeds and I want to tidy it all up so that I have improved dust control and don't have to keep cleaning filters etc. I will put the cyclone outside (42 acres to vent to but close enough to house to need filtering). I probably could put a 3HP conventional DC outside with a basic chip separation system but I would need to maintain the flow rate high and having to turn paddles on pleated filters when they are outside is a pain.
BB

Yep makes sense.

Originally Posted by Billy Bignutz

. . . . . but I would need to maintain the flow rate high and having to turn paddles on pleated filters when they are outside is a pain.
BB

There has to be a simpler solution than going outside to turn filter paddles. What about a bike chain and sprocket set that connects the paddles and runs back inside the shed to a pedal crank and drive sprocket inside the shed and every time you walk past that point you give it a crank maybe even connect it up to a 12V motor?

This is what I did on my home made CS mill to adjust the height . I'm sure it would work for paddles.

Like you I searched high and low, got prices from a few Aussie companies to build one (mostly well over $1000- yes that is correct!!!) so I bought one from Clear Vue (shipped it to OZ). For our 50 hz Bill Pentz suggested to me to use the larger 16".
Using a VFD, would be one option.

I did find you could buy a 14" spare part for Asian built units but worked out about the same, for memory. (and not as well made ?) There is a post here somewhere, where they are acting as an agent for Clear Vue.

Billy, built myself a BP design cyclone years ago and used an impeller from an old furnace blower, diameter is 24" so drive it with a 5hp/1450rpm/3phase motor. Works brilliantly! All up It cost less than $250. There are some pictures on my albums page.

Have you tried Gary Pye? He might be able to sorce one for you.

Otherwise I would suggest attending auctions advertised locally, many old companies or those going under, sell their equipment and you should be able to pick up something relatively cheap.

I built my own impellor, only a 12" dia, would rather have built larger but at the time,,,, it was to be a 12", enclosed backward sloping curved blades and angled from wide at the inlet to narrower at the outlet, made up a flange with locating shoulder using a weldon taper lock hub and then machined the backing plate to suit, then I just used a taper lock onto the motor shaft, nice and easy 3kw 3ph motor easilly copes with the fan load, only have some pics of it in the DC, cant really see much.
For balance I mounted the fan on a dummy shaft and I statically balanced it by adding wieghts until it didn't roll, it's not perfect but it's good enough for me not to worry about it.

I have another smaller fan I also built of same design that I could take pics of if u are interested.

impellor in DC.jpglooking up the cone.jpg



Pete

BB

There was a thread a few days ago announcing the Clearvue products in Australia. An inquiry might get you the impeller you're looking for.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f200/c...nes-oz-131621/

Pete

Buy a cheap second hand extrator a rat it for the fan

Thank you all for your comments. To respond to a few points raised
- I want to get away from having to clean/paddle filters several time a day
- all second hand units to get a fan from to date have been 12" - even 4-5hp units and BP inplies theis is just to small
- clearvue in Australia appears to be a dead end - no input since thread was created many years ago. $200+++ to buy one from Clear vue US
- Stringy - great lead for other options depending if strong enough
- PJT - sounds promising - perhaps I will have a go myself as I have the materials and means

Thanks again for the ideas
Bill

Hi Billy,
As I understand it (very basically) the diameter of a fan is related to the pressure at which the system will operate at.. e.g. a long pipe/s run with lots of restriction will need a larger dia. than for a short pipe run and less restriction, the hieght/depth of the fan is related to the volume of air moved, there's way more to it than that, blade shape(straight/curved/foil/enclosed/spacing of blades) etc
Based on the performance of mine (12" dia) it moves plenty of air, (wide) (not measured it yet) I have 200mm mainlines 120mm to each machine and a better designed fan than say an open straight blade design so I probably get away with a smaller diameter fan, if I was to redesign it I would make it larger but only to improve the inlet area which is not as good as it should be
Just a bit of food for thought.

I have my cyclone/DC outside with no filter so no pleats/bags to clean
Heres a few pics
overall view of DC.jpgAttachment 163051fan housing.jpg


Pete

For $200+freight I'd be looking into the Clearvue option. As you have already stated, getting it balanced at 3000ish rpm won't be the easiest of tasks. As such, an impellor is a presicion made fan and I don't think that you will get out of it cheaply.

Funny thing is that I actually had a custom made (and quite well balanced) 15" plate steel impellor come into my possesion about a year ago. It was way to big for my application (didn't want a 3 phase DC) so I tried to flog it off. All I wanted was $50, no one was interested so it ended up at the scrap metal yard! lol

Originally Posted by Billy Bignutz

- clearvue in Australia appears to be a dead end - no input since thread was created many years ago. $200+++ to buy one from Clear vue US

Clearvue is now is very much alive in Australia and selling cyclones. It is early days yet but some have already been sold and more will follow as the word gets out and we develop advertising etc. For any Clearvue products email or PM me and I will get back to you. The recent thread link above outlined all this and is not the the thread you are thinking of. My email is c_parks at bigpond dot com. I don't think the fan is a big problem, the biggest problem is driving it at sufficient speed. As I have said before our mains frequency dictates a motor speed of 2800 rpm which is too low for a 15" fan in anything but a fairly small workshop and we are using a VFD to get the rpm back to its designed speed of 3450 rpm. A 16" fan will be a lot better in this regard and was designed to run at 50hz with good airflow using 150mm ducting.

Sorry for delayed response - just back from being away
- thanks Pete for the comments and thoughts - may go for a recycled unit yet and crank up the rpm a bit as a trial
- socratous - if only I had pulled my finger out earlier!!!
- apologies Chris - will contact you re quote for clearvue impeller - I already have 3hp motor and VFD

Bill