Thread: The Tale of the Twenty Dollar Cyclone (not yet a saga, but we're working on it.)

Well; I have the identical item to you, and for me it works as advertised. Unmodified.

I have changed the bag once in the past three years. That was only because the bag was not staying on the outlet inside the vac. I could have just taped it on I suppose but I honestly could not be bothered.

I bought one of the cheapest Bunnings plastic buckets and added ribs on the inside to prevent it collapsing.

I need to clean the vac filter, but that's in the round-tuit department because it does not seem to be affecting performance.

Here is how mine is setup:

IMG_0179.jpg

I got one of those and was not impressed either. For years I was using a 50 ltr plastic drum as a collector and it actually did a reasonable job. After adding the cyclone there was more dust in the vac than before. Went back to just the drum on its own.
Regards
John

What sort of shop vacuum machine are you guys using?

The ProTool one I'm using is not the most powerful unit around. Perhaps that is working in its favour in this setup, maybe.

Originally Posted by markharrison

What sort of shop vacuum machine are you guys using?

The ProTool one I'm using is not the most powerful unit around. Perhaps that is working in its favour in this setup, maybe.

Thanks for your reply above too - that's the outcome I was hoping for.

The original one was a Jet 1200w, the new one a Ryobi 30 l 1400w (I think). I leave it under the bench and run a 6m hose. Presently I have the two connected via a 3m length of hose (temporarily) as well, which I would have thought would slow things down a bit, but not so apparently.

I was wondering what I did wrong @markharrison! I wouldn't be surprised if the internal geometry is slightly different - they look the same, and there are indeed people getting good results (I'm was hoping to write your sort of report!) that I wonder. I am curious to see whether putting the bag on the machine will throttle it enough to do the trick?

I took it off to make it easier to see how much dust I'm getting.

I dont think throttling it is the answer.... perhaps the opposite?

You gotta PUMP those numbers!

Make it swirl like a bastard!

Originally Posted by woodPixel

I dont think throttling it is the answer.... perhaps the opposite?

You gotta PUMP those numbers!

Make it swirl like a bastard!

Next test is to shorten everything up! Maybe size does matter.

_M042790.jpg

Mines similar and the vac is a Aldi wet dry that quite a few years old now. Nearly everything that goes into this would be small chips and fines from sanding and mitre cross cut, yes i still need to give the vac filter a bit of a clean as there is some bypass but it's minor compared to what is in the metal garbage bin that has a brace about 1/2 way down to stop it collapsing.

One lesson i've observed is that the amount of bypass is governed by how full the bottom collection container is and for my setup about 1/3 -> 1/2 seems to be the magic point.

I have a similar looking unit I bought from Aldav. Works as advertised. Probably give the Supervac a clean out once a year. Only a small amount of fine dust. I have 50mm flexible pipes connecting everything.

My testing found a small cyclone like that (a dust deputy) was able to removed between 96.5 and 98.75% of the sawdust.
My setup was a Ryobi W&D shop vac and a dust deputy on top of a 20L bucket and I always empty the bucket before it gets more than 20% full.

Of course this depends on a few factors like
- the makeup of the sawdust - the finer the saw dust, the less is removed
- the air speed - there will be some sort of optimum air speed for extracting a max amount of fine dust.
- shape and volume of the container which relates back to the previous point.
- the amount of sawdust in the container which also relates back to the previous point.

Don't be fooled into thinking the vac filters will trap all of the (most health significant) fine dust that gets past the cyclone.
The greatest percentage of PM2.5 dust produce by wood processing is quite small, ie <1% but this is the stuff to worry about especially as only very small amounts are needed to contaminate sheds and a significant proportion will pass straight through most basic vac filters. Another good reason to locate or vent vacs outside.

This is why I worry a bit when I hear things like "I put a cyclone on my vac and haven't had to clean my vac filters for 2 years ". The most likely reason for this is the really fine dust is probably just going straight through the filters.

I mainly use my shop vac to vac up metal swarf from the MW end of the shed, occasionally on my SCMS which I don't use that often, and to vac the shed floor of leaves and dirt the dogs track into the shed, also does not happened that often. Wood Dust from my fan powered power tools is extracted via 2" hoses connected to my DC system.

Originally Posted by BobL

This is why I worry a bit when I hear things like "I put a cyclone on my vac and haven't had to clean my vac filters for 2 years ". The most likely reason for this is the really fine dust is probably just going straight through the filters.

My setup is a DD with a HEPA CT36. I haven't cleaned the filter since I got it and it is now well out of warranty. There is a small quantity of fine dust in the bag but the rest is stopped by the DD and regularly dumped.

Originally Posted by BobL

My testing found a small cyclone like that (a dust deputy) was able to removed between 96.5 and 98.75% of the sawdust.
My setup was a Ryobi W&D shop vac and a dust deputy on top of a 20L bucket and I always empty the bucket before it gets more than 20% full

Don't be fooled into thinking the vac filters will trap all of the (most health significant) fine dust that gets past the cyclone.
The greatest percentage of PM2.5 dust produce by wood processing is quite small, ie <1% but this is the stuff to worry about especially as only very small amounts are needed to contaminate sheds and a significant proportion will pass straight through most basic vac filters. Another good reason to locate or vent vacs outside.

This is why I worry a bit when I hear things like "I put a cyclone on my vac and haven't had to clean my vac filters for 2 years ". The most likely reason for this is the really fine dust is probably just going straight through the filters.

I really wonder why mine is behaving like a lemon!

As to the dust - I too have a HEPA filter, and am fitting the cyclone in an effort to reduce maintenance. I am hyper-sensitive to wood dust, didn't wear a mask when emptying the bins into the ice-cream tubs pictured, and will probably be over the hay fever and sinus issues by tomorrow. My workspace is not for woodwork per se, but on days when it is I have an outside dust extractor, exhaust fans, air filtration unit (an old Jet) and wear a respirator - (the Trend Stealth has been a godsend as it's small and comfortable to wear all day.)

So I'm keen to get this working!

I might shorten up the run of hose by four metres or so and see if that makes a difference! It's just that it's a lot easier to keep the vac in one place than to have to build a trolley!

Cheers,

P

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

I really wonder why mine is behaving like a lemon!

If you have the smallest leak in the container below the cyclone the fine dust will be picked up by the airflow the continue into the vac filter.

I really wonder why mine is behaving like a lemon!

stop swearing at it like a right royal bassstad, they are sesitive little things and prefer sweat talking too

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

I might shorten up the run of hose by four metres or so and see if that makes a difference! It's just that it's a lot easier to keep the vac in one place than to have to build a trolley!

I think my trolley took about 4 hours to make. Most of that was figuring where to put stuff. Cost me nothing except the cyclone and plumbing. Scrappy plywood from a machine that was delivered and bits of scrap wood. I even had the wheels left over from something else.