Ultimate DIY Cyclone Build Thread

[Gaza]

mate thoes cones are not going to work under pressure its going fold in on its self

[HeadScratcher]

how so? The cone wouldn't be in a high vacuum area...also the plastic on these ones is a few mm thick and can't be pushed in, so I doubt it is going to suck in.

[HeadScratcher]

Had a good night but had to watch the MotoGP before I could post... I couldn't wait any more.

Well any question around the witches hats being suitable is completely null and void... even with both ends cut off I can't push it out of round. They have about a 4mm wall thickness the same as the outside pipe, and I have no doubts about their suitability.

Ok moving right along... pic 1 shows top and bottom bin lids with two different sized holes. The top lid is a 160mm hole with a very snug fit. The hole in the bottom lid is 90mm giving me an inside hole size of 80mm (8mm wall thickness + 2mm taper).

Pic 2 shows the cones cut to size and sitting in their respective holes to give an idea of how big they are.

Pic 3 is with the 150mm pipes in place.

Pic 4 is an overhead shot showing the cones inside the 150mm pipe.

Pic 5 with pipe and cones still firmly pushed in place the bin lids are turned upside down to show the bottom of the cones.

Pic 6 shows the bottom side of the top section. There is an 2-3mm lip left to locate the pipes so the don't come all the way through, the centre is routed out to equal the inside size of the pipe.

Pic 7 shows the top plate in place

Pic 8 shows the 150mm outlet pipe sitting on top (still needs to be trimmed to size)

Nothing got a sand and only a couple of holes got a minor file (where the last bit of the routing leaves a sharp dag). I was just trying to get the parts knocked out, not that it will take much getting right as everything is turning out far better than I could hope for.

Thinking about using 2 x 4" inlet hoses instead of 1 x 6", need to give it more thought...

Tools Used:
The usual... Router, jigsaw, grinder, drill.

[HeadScratcher]

Been wondering if I could optimise the DC by using three 4” collectors… Figure by using three hoses I can place them around the dusty area for better collection. Also from a dust processing perspective, coming in from the top and pointing towards the holes might be more efficient. If I was to place each of the hoses between two holes it would help fill the DC better?

[doug3030]

Well any question around the witches hats being suitable is completely null and void... even with both ends cut off I can't push it out of round. They have about a 4mm wall thickness the same as the outside pipe, and I have no doubts about their suitability.

Some traffic cones are made of very soft flexible plastic and stand themselves up after being run over, even by a road roller. I think Gaza thought they were the ones Headscratcher had.

Doug

[HeadScratcher]

Guessing so... these are of the cheap and nasty variety that don't flex at all, just a thick moulded plastic, which is perfect for the application.

[doug3030]

No updates for a while?

I am keenly awaiting a progress report

DOug

[Mr Brush]

Possible explanation - he finished it, turned it on, and his entire shed imploded

[HeadScratcher]

Was a sunny weekend and I should have been outside finishing off the dc but alas I was slack... I bought some more 90 degree bends but I'm reassessing the design again. The main consideration is the entry point. Because I will be coming in from the top I am a bit worried that the dirt won't be properly flung to the outside of the tube to cause the proper swirling action.

[HeadScratcher]

Here are a couple of mock up pictures...

Pic 1& 2 are pipes that would be on the very top and plastic glued to the clear 6mm plastic sheet they are sitting on.

Pic 3 simulates the bottom side of the top lid. The three 100mm pipes is where the flow would come down (those three pipes actually belong inside the three 150mm pipes but are there to illustrate the flow of the inlet).

As you can see where those three 100mm pipes are sitting, the flow would go to two different holes off each pipe (due to the flow being smack in the middle).

If all three inlets do the same thing and all go to two 150mm pipes each, I am wondering if this is going to stall the air and cause the swirling action to not happen.

[HeadScratcher]

I didn't want to position the inlet directly over the 150mm tube other wise it might fall in close to the clean 100mm outlet and suck up dirt in the DE.

But if I was to offset the inlets so each one one closer to one of the holes, I should still get good hole filling, and still create an overall vortex in the outer chamber.

[HeadScratcher]

Got busy with the router tonight chopping out circles in the clear plastic top.

Pic 1 shows the layout of the circles pre cut out.

Pics 2,3 & 4 give various angles to show where the pipes are going to run. As you can see in the photos the inlet is twisted anti clockwise slightly towards each of the holes, instead of being in the middle of two holes.

I will be making an MDF outer ring so the top can rotate like a distributor in cars of old. That way I can get the optimum spot where it flows best and lock it down.

Anyone following in my footsteps could make the top out of plain MDF if I can determine a sweet spot and record it.

Pics 5 & 6 show the underside of the top.

Tools Used:

Router, drill and two bits.

[HeadScratcher]

Had a fairly decent night and got a few things done...

Pic 1 Had to make jig of sorts to hold the pipes in place. I took the 12mm plate off with the 3 * 150mm holes and made it round by taking off the square edge I had previously planned to use for the 6" dust inlet.

While I had it off I traced the three 150mm holes onto another piece of board and found the centres, from there I made 3 holes for the 100mm pipes, so the 100mm pipes should be centre to the 150mm pipes (so the theory goes...)

I didn't go all the way through but went most of the way through.

Pic 2 shows the three 100mm pipes sitting in their recesses awaiting work.

Pic 3 while I had the 150mm pipe sat on top I made some marks on the 100mm pipes where the 150mm and 100mm pipe intersected.

I then measured down and chopped out a section of each of the 100mm pipes.

Pic 4 I cut out a 160mm circle from the clear plastic, to form the bottom of the 150mm pipe. Marked the round plate from the bottom side.

Pic 5 Rough jig-sawed out the pieces that need to be remove will tidy up with a file later.

Pic 6 put 150mm pipe in place and did 3 relief cuts on the 150mm pipe.

Pic 7 shows it from the inside and you can see the light shining through the hole.

Pic 8 a better shot of 6.

Pic 9 a mockup shot to show how it all fits together, the board the 3 * 100mm pipe are standing on wont be there and the 100mm pipes will fit inside the 150mm pipes the bottom of the centre 150mm pipe will sit on the point where the 3 * 150mm pipe intersect.

The centre tube need to be cut to size as does the 100mm and 150mm tubes.

Tools Used:
Jigsaw, router, drill, grinder.

[HeadScratcher]

Originally I made the height of the slot in the side 100mm, and hearing Bob in my head "the better the flow the better..." I got to thinking I can make the slot longer than the width of the 100mm pipe.

So I redid the slot in the 150mm pipe to be 150mm long, that way the transition from the 100mm round pipe now has 150mm x 90mm square area, plus the arc section cut in the very bottom to transition into the 150mm pipe.

I finalised the section for the bottom and glued it into place with clear pipe glue. Didn't need to be clear but since I was joining plastic to plastic, and I had it handy, I saw no harm in using it.

I used one of the finished orange cones to spread the 150mm pipe, as it pulled in a slightly once I cut the slots. Rather than do any more tonight I want to give the glue plenty of time to cure.

The 4" grinder with a thin cutting blade makes very neat straight cuts as can be seen in the 150mm pipe. I did right up to the corners and did the last few mm with a hacksaw blade.

Tools Used:
Grinder, File, broken hacksaw blade.

[Gaza]

have you done computer modeling to prove that this set up will work or is it all just gut feel, its amazing mix of pipes cut and patched together