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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    Sydney Upper North Shore
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    4,464

    Default ShopVac, Aldav’s cyclone, Bushmiller’s bucket and a Spring Clean.

    To set the scene;
    I have the above system on a 50mm hose servicing my SCMS, router fence, Disc and belt sander and my table saw fence and saw. My table saw is a converted circular saw so it has a dust outlet which is tee’d with the fence outlet to the 50mm hose. The saw is upside down in a cabinet which has a 150mm extraction hose. Any stray chips/dust off the saw or what the outlet on the saw doesn’t pickup, goes into this cabinet and out the 150mm hose. Keeps the area very clean.

    I have retrofitted a rubber seal on the lid of the Shopvac as in its original state, the seal is not air tight. The ShopVac is stored in a corner with the outlet e haunting outside the shed

    Below is a picture of the seal I fitted.

    1D1035E5-DB21-4500-ADF6-96BBD9C9C1B4.jpeg

    This shows the cyclone set up and the bucket just over 1/2 full

    2B16DC85-B9B2-41E0-9A89-442218EDF5DC.jpegA0794BBB-8515-4F76-86F7-FC98BF682DFD.jpeg


    As well as a spring clean, I was interested in how much dust etc. was getting past the cyclone into the filter and how much was getting fast the filter into the outlet pipe.

    This is the residue in the bottom of the Shopvac.

    F3B909E6-B039-4051-A6BE-BF7800495A81.jpeg

    This is the deposit on the sack I have over the pleated filter and the pleated filter. There was very little dust in the pleated filter.

    CF64A676-F8CC-47AF-B5DE-E0734F0DFF14.jpeg D27D7C62-B2DF-4BE4-BA14-95D0F54B56A9.jpg

    More importantly, this is the outlet from the ShopVac - clean.

    2D7A227A-AE4B-41B1-B0B7-DE9A0ACAEF2F.jpeg

    From these observations, the cyclone is doing a great job with so little residue getting into the ShopVac and the Shopvac filters are doing a great job in trapping the fine dust so it doesn’t get into the outlet.

    I know there was some concern re using these bags on the pleated filters, but flow figures show very little change with the bag fitted to the filter so I’ll keep using it.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    tasmania
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    68
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    49

    Default

    Hi, i am currently in the process of buying new slide compound saw, and just bought a new DeWalt power saw for cutting MDF sheets for my furniture making venture (eventually buying a new DeWalt saw bench as well)

    I need to set up a dust extraction system for these machines, using my red ShopVac, but when i bought it, i noticed that when the top is clamped in place, it is still slightly loose and does not seem to be very well sealed, so after reading your comments above regarding your Vac, i note that you made your own seal.

    I went to the store where i bought my ShopVac to buy 2 new wet and dry filters, and i raised this loose fitting with the guy, and he told me that this is normal, and by using the clips on the sides should seal it properly.

    So my question is, should it be a tight seal, and if so, what can i use as a seal as you have done with yours.

    Also, i used to use my Vac to clean up the mess left behind after sanding the finishing coat on gyprock sheets, and it blocked the paper filter very quickly as it was very fine power, and these days i am cutting a lot of MDF board for my furniture making, and i am not sure if my Shop Vac filter will fair very well with the fine dust from the MDF, so is there another filter i can use that will work ok with MDF dust without it causing the Vac to lose its suction power.

    Cheers

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    Sydney Upper North Shore
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    Default

    For the seal I bought “rubber” tubing (used for fuel or vacuum) and split it the full length. This was then fitted to the edge of the lower section. I’m away for a few days but can take some pictures and get the tubing size early next week when I’m back home. It provides a great seal. It’s not a good seal without it.

    I have a 50mm hose fitted to the outlet of the Supevac which exhausts to outside the shed. You can see from the photo of the outlet how clean it appears but that doesn’t mean there aren’t super fine particles in the exhaust.

    i believe it’s the combination of the cyclone, the “bag” over the pleated filter and the pleated filter which are keeping the outlet do clean.

    Without the cyclone, the filter in the SuperVac would block very quickly, especially with MDF.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    tasmania
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    68
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    Default

    Thanks, i will look in Bunnings over the weekend as i know they have rubber tubing.

    As for the dust filter you showed, can they be bought, or is it home made, and if so, what material would be used as i don't want to inhibit the suction by adding another filter over the current one that will affect the suction, but will hold back the finer dust of MDF.

    I did notice yesterday when i was vacuuming all the MDF dust on the concrete floor under my cutting bench (i set it up outside my garage in the open air) that there was a very small amount of dust coming from the exhaust vent, but it was not much, so today i will be cutting more MDF with my DeWalt saw and i will clean that exhaust outlet before i vacuum the dust up and check to see how much dust is on it when i have finished.

    I always remove the filter after each use and place it into a big black plastic bin liner bag (while holding it) and i seal the bag around my arm and i give it a good shake to clean it, because if i don't clean it each time it just gets blocked up to easily.

    Cheers.

    Edit: i just called DeWalt Aust to ask about getting a dust extraction attachment for my new saw, and they do not have one, the dust just shoots out of a slotted dust outlet which is located on the top right side of the blade guard, and yesterday i noted that the MDF dust prayed all over my t-shirt and trackpants and onto the floor when cutting the MDF, so it looks like i will need to make an adaptor to connect the saw to my ShopVac using a long 50mm flexi hose.

    this is the saw i bought.
    Home - Products - Powertools - Saws - Circular Saws - 65mm DOC Compact Circ Saw65mm DOC Compact Circ Saw - DEWALT

  6. #5
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    Jan 2014
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    Sydney Upper North Shore
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    Default

    Theses are the cloth prefilter bags I place over my pleated filter. You can see it in picture 2 in my first post.

    PowerFit Cloth Pre-Filter | Bunnings Warehouse

    i bought a fitting for my Makita saw which has a dust port similar to yours . I’ll get some measurements when I return.

  7. #6
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    Oct 2019
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    tasmania
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    Default

    thanks a lot, my ShopVac lid is fairly loose so it clearly isn't sealed properly, but after cleaning the exhaust port and sucking up some more MDF dust today, the exhaust port seemed fairly clean, so i will get a dust filter like yours and a rubber seal and see how it goes.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
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    Default

    The lid on the vacuum may not be a tight fit when it isn't running but I'd bet it sucks down and seals when on. Turn it on and release the clamps while lifting it. The bin will stay on and lift up with the top. To break the suction you'll have to hold the bin casters with your foot when lifting. I just did it with mine.

    Pete

  9. #8
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    Oct 2019
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    tasmania
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    Quote Originally Posted by QC Inspector View Post
    The lid on the vacuum may not be a tight fit when it isn't running but I'd bet it sucks down and seals when on. Turn it on and release the clamps while lifting it. The bin will stay on and lift up with the top. To break the suction you'll have to hold the bin casters with your foot when lifting. I just did it with mine.

    Pete
    You are correct, and i now recall that when i bought some spare wet and dry filters from the supplier, i mentioned this loose fitting and asked if there was a rubber seal missing, and he definitely told me exactly what you mentioned above, and it is correct, there is no need for a seal as my Vac is sucked tight when it is turned on.

    I bought 2 of the cloth Pre-Filters today from Bunnings, it seems to work pretty good.

  10. #9
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    Default

    After switching it ON and OFF over a month or more, look for the presence of dust around where the lid joins the body. That’s the reason I added the rubber seal - I wanted a sealed system whether it was running or not.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
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    tasmania
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Lappa View Post
    After switching it ON and OFF over a month or more, look for the presence of dust around where the lid joins the body. That’s the reason I added the rubber seal - I wanted a sealed system whether it was running or not.
    Will do, need to wait until i cut more MDF, so i will clean the whole Vac with a wet cloth and look for MDF dust at the exhaust outlet and around the lid.

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