Cyclone

[KimB]

Hi all, so I’m in the process of buying everything to make a cyclone extractor to go inline before my hoover. I have so far bought the cyclone itself and the air tight barrel all I really need to do now is buy myself some hose. A question I have though, so for airlines the larger the line the better the flow of air. Is that the same for a vacuum? Or shall I reduce the coupling on the cyclone from 50mm to 35mm or whatever the standard size is?

Anyway, once I have this all tested I’ll make a trolley thing for it.

 

[Ashley Burton]

@KimB I can't see it making a massive difference tbh

 

[KimB]

@KimB I can't see it making a massive difference tbh

Well I did wonder. I’m unsure what to do. What would be best for running off power tools like plunge saw and table saw etc. Plunge saws I’d say a smaller pipe would be handy to avoid it getting snagged but then on table saw it doesn’t matter so much. Saying it like that the smaller pipe would be better for me I’d say.

 

[awemawson]

I suspect it’s the usual compromise of variables Kim. You want a decently fast air flow to carry the debris and get a good swirl which is helped by a smaller pipe, but you want a pipe big enough not to get blocked. Given a more powerful vacuum you can go with a bigger pipe, but if it’s a weedy one you can’t

. . . So I suppose the answer is ‘it depends . . .’

 

[Ashley Burton]

@KimB Can't you have pipes suspended from your ceiling to save them getting in your way & also becoming a trip hazard?

 

[julianf]

As above, if you increase the diameter too much, you wont be able to suck anything of any mass through, as the air flow will be too slow.

Also, watch out for the weaker blue barrels. Some are very flimsy, and will cave in if you block the inlet only momentarily, and it gets tedious levering them out again.

I have exactly the black thing in your photo - it works great.

 

[KimB]

@KimB Can't you have pipes suspended from your ceiling to save them getting in your way & also becoming a trip hazard?

Unforgivably not. I’m not really after that type of set up. Just something to help my Henry from getting bunged up when I start a few wood working projects I have thought

 

[KimB]

As above, if you increase the diameter too much, you wont be able to suck anything of any mass through, as the air flow will be too slow.

Also, watch out for the weaker blue barrels. Some are very flimsy, and will cave in if you block the inlet only momentarily, and it gets tedious levering them out again.

I have exactly the black thing in your photo - it works great.

I read reviews of those on eBay so I bought it from a decent website. It is very sturdy. I couldn’t get it to flex at all.

 

[mpats]

I've just got the hose that came on the Titan vacuum going to my cyclone, then a 35mm from the cyclone to plug into various tools. Works ok on the thicknesser, but not quite enough suction, and that's with a decent shop vac.
Works fine on the sanders, tablesaw and bandsaw though.

 

[julianf]

I use mine all the time. Ive also used it for sucking up wet material, that i wouldn't dare suck up with a normal henry.

I also suck up oily swarf from the machines with it - before i got the cyclone, i had an incident with the henry being not too chuffed with a load of very oily stuff, but, with the cyclone, its just not a consideration any more.

Mine is a 30ltr drum, and i virtually never empty it - i think the swirling causes the waste to tessilate so much better than it does in a bag, so you get more in as well.

edit - wet material, like clearing up dropped mortar and all sorts.

 

[James1979]

if it works on swarf and things, I wonder if that would work on the downdraft from my plasma rather than going to outside? It goes to a sheep field via a filter but I'm assuming at some point someone will get the hump about it.

Do you have a link to the cyclone you bought please @KimB

 

[KimB]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143837033897

 

[gaz1]

this will help you kim

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/diy-tool-dust-extraction.74031/#post-1272040

ive used it and it does suck in the sides if you block up the end when your vacuming it up

yes we kinda did that often but certainly mishaped it often

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Just use standard extractor hose
Can get adapters off the shelf for tools

Here's mine.

 

[julianf]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143837033897

Can you link to the drum as well? (i was thinking of making another, and if your drum works.... [of course ill wait till youve tried it first!])

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Can you link to the drum as well? (i was thinking of making another, and if your drum works.... [of course ill wait till youve tried it first!])

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303274174042
These don't care if a hose blocks

 

[KimB]

Can you link to the drum as well? (i was thinking of making another, and if your drum works.... [of course ill wait till youve tried it first!])

https://www.patrico.co.uk/60L-open-...ood-solids-paste-powders-chemicals?search=60l

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303274174042
These don't care if a hose blocks

Huh. I paid 25 quid for a small one. Gone up 29 quid in a year.

 

[julianf]

https://www.patrico.co.uk/60L-open-...ood-solids-paste-powders-chemicals?search=60l

Thank you. Ill still let you see if yours caves in before i buy one! : )

 

[Turbo]

I made up one using the stuff you are going to use & my Festool extractor sucked the plastic barrel flat first time I used it! You might need to make up a support ring to fit inside the middle of the barrel to stop this.

I made up a mk 2 version using a steel drum like Elusivemite & it works better.

As for hose sizes - the bigger the better! Mine uses 50mm hoses for most of it with the ability to step down to smaller hoses to fit different power tools. I can also fit standard Henry hoover attachments - hand for cleaning machines, benches & the floor.