A Visit To Clear Vue Cyclones

Clear Vue Cyclones is located just outside of Pickens, SC, about a 30 minute drive from Greenville. I had business in Greenville Friday that finished up around Noon. I have been thinking about adding a cyclone to my workshop, so I gave Ed Morgano, Clear Vue's President and CEO, a call to see if I could drop by for a visit. Ed certainly lives up to his reputation as a nice guy. He was very warm and freindly over the phone and invited me "by all means" to drop in Friday afternoon.

The drive from Greenvile to Ed's place winds through the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. After doing battle with a very contentious opposing attorney all morning, the drive was a welcome respite. Ed is as nice in person as he is on the phone. He showed me around his shop, the manufacturing operation, and the new manufacturing facility he has under construction. I met his son Matt who is taking an increasing role in the business. Matt is cut from, the same cloth as his dad and is very enthusiastic about Clear Vue Cyclones.

Actually, it was Matt that got Ed into the Cyclone business in the first place. He wasn't happy with the BORG dust collector he had in his workshop and decided to build a cyclone. He got Ed to help with the construction. Their home-built cyclone worked great and Ed was impressed. "I want to see how that thing works," said Ed, and the idea of building one of clear plastic was born. It was a success and, after refinement and collaboration with Bill Pentz, the Morganos went into the Cyclone business. They have a great product.

Their operation is currently housed in several small buildings on Ed's property, including' Ed's workshop where the CNC cutting machines are located. The new manufacturing facility will provide space enough to move everything into one building and Ed will get this workshop back. He's elated. They're close to done and it will really be nice when they move in.

Ed and Matt looked at my shop layout, answered my questions and provided me with lots of food for thought. My wife has been great about the workshop noise from my basement shop, but I think a cyclone would push her tolerance over the line. I've got to figure out where I can put a sound insulated enclosure in my small shop and build it. When that's done, I'll be posting a gloat about my new Clear Vue Cyclone.

Thanks to Ed and Matt Morgano for an interesting afternoon. If any of you have a chance to pay them a visit, I recommend you do so. They are genuinely nice folks and their enthusiasm about their product is contageous.

Hank

When I got my mini I email Ed a few times and as you say he is a delight to deal with.

I wish I could have made that trip with you.

Thanks for the report.

I got my CV a little over 2 years ago. I opened things and made sure it was all there and not broken, but it was a good 6 months or so before I started seriously looking at it to assemble it. It was slightly disformed in the cone...kinda leaned to one side. I emailed Ed and he got right back to me, made arrangements to get a new one out to me and pick up the bad one. He wasn't really concerned that it would't operate properly, but he was very concerned that I wouldn't be happy with it. He made sure to get my phone number and called me, even though I said that wasn't necessary, that I was not unhappy, and actually thrilled that he was going to the lengthes he was going through, to make sure I was happy. And I am!!!!!! Ed is one of the A#1 guys to deal with. If Gary Herrmann's first problem had been with a Clear Vue and not a jointer, the only thing we would have heard about was how Ed immediately took care of things and made it right.
I did have a little scare with the replacement and I teased Ed a little. When the UPS guy was carrying it to the front door, I opened the door before the dogs went nuts and I couldn't get to the door. As he was walking across the yard, there was this 'ching-chingle-ching-rattle' noise coming from the box. The driver said, "this doesn't sound good...I can take it right back." I opened the box, and it was the hardware bag that had broken and all the nuts and bolts banging around in the bottom of the box! :p The cyclone was fine!!
I'm also envious with your visit to Ed's operation. Ed is too far away from me to get to go see his set up. Glad he is setting up a separate work building so he can maybe spend some time with his hobby again. Guess we need Ed to do a shop update with pictures!! Jim.

Wow! I've never seen the Mini CV06 Cyclone. It looks like its just what I'm looking for for my current situation. Has anyone used one?:D

My neighbor has the ''mini cyclone'' from Clearvue. It is simply fantastic. I have the large Clearvue in my shop and am way more than just satisfied. My wife and I are hoping to drive up and see Ed before it gets too cold later this year. Ed is simply put a nice person. His customer service is the best I have ever encountered.

Don,

I have a CV06 hooked to a Festool CT22. Works very well. Do a search for CV06 here and at the Festool Owners Group and you'll find some discussions on the mini.

~mark

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Originally Posted by Don Bullock

Wow! I've never seen the Mini CV06 Cyclone. It looks like its just what I'm looking for for my current situation. Has anyone used one?:D

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That is what I am using in my shop at this time because I do not have the space for a larger DC system. At some point I may build on to my little shop and but a larger system outside.

I have mine mounted on a 5 gal. HD bucket, just cut a hole in the top and mounted the unit on that, it works really great. Now I can go for weeks without cleaning the filter on the old shop vac. The really fine dust will still get though to the filter but it takes a long time for it to show any signs of needing to be cleaned.
For the things I am doing right now the 5 gal bucket works well, I do some planning and it handles that just fine. I will have to dump the bucket about once every 2 or 3 weeks with the small projects that I am doing now.

Now I will have to say the first week I had it I dumped the bucket 2 or 3 times, on the floor just to pick it up again to watch it work.

Here is the little unit setting behind my DP and the shop vac is under the end of end of my lower bench. I have used the 2 1/2 in. kit to pipe it around the shop, to the saw, router and sander. I use the end gate for the planer and general cleaning. The other end gate is for the saw and general cleaning.




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Thanks to all for the input on the Mini. Bill, the pictures of your setup really helped. One is definately now on my "must have" list. Even if I did buy a larger system in the future, I can see where this one would be useful.

Yes, these would be great for work inside the house, or for mobile work to keep sanding dust down. Jim.

I, too, had the opportunity to visit Ed's shop when I was cyclone shopping. Ed is personable, patient, and interesting. Pretty much the first words out of his mouth when my dad and I stepped out of the truck were, "You don't have to buy anything if you don't want to." I appreciated that attitude.

Since I've set my Clearvue up, I've been impressed with its performance.

I have both a full-size CV1400 cyclone and a mini. I am almost finished with large cyclone but have been using the mini for a while and am very impressed.

When the mini arrived, I made an MDF lid and attached it to a 5-gal. bucket. I emptied my Shop Vac, rinsed out the vac canister and replaced the cartridge filter. After firing it up and filling the 5-gal. bucket over the course of a few days with shavings and dust, there was virtually no detectable dust in the Vac or on the filter. It was all in the cyclone bucket!

This weekend I cut enough MDF for a David Marks style torsion box with the mini attached to the TS. I popped the top off the vac and found just a hint of MDF dust on the filter. Without the mini, the filter would have been caked with dust halfway through the project. Ed's got a good product and I expect that full-size cyclone will perform just as well when I get it finished.

As for Ed himself, when I finally decided to go with Clearvue, I called Ed to place my order, late on a Friday afternoon. My call went to voice mail, but Ed called me back shortly - after 5:00 PM, on Friday of a holiday weekend. He patiently answered all of my questions before taking my order.

Great guy, great product.

I just ordered a CV06 and a Penn State Industries small barrel for the CV06. I'll beattaching it to my Festool CT22. I'm very much looking forward to this.

I'd post links, but I can't do that on this site. (Strange policies.)

Regards,

Dan

I would like to see the complete mini set up. In other words (or pics), how do all the parts connect? This looks like just the thing for my shop.
Bill

Another happy customer here. I purchased one for work. Ed was very friendly on the phone, and a pleasure to deal with.

Too bad all companies aren't that nice to their customers!

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Originally Posted by Bill White

I would like to see the complete mini set up. In other words (or pics), how do all the parts connect? This looks like just the thing for my shop.
Bill

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Bill, go to the Clear Vue Web site (www.clearvuecyclones.com) and click on the photo galleries. There are several mini cyclone galleries, some of which have good photos of the mini set-up.

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Originally Posted by Bill White

I would like to see the complete mini set up. In other words (or pics), how do all the parts connect? This looks like just the thing for my shop.
Bill

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Just look up the thread, I have pictures of my setup and you can see in them how it all connects.

Shop vac goes in the top.
Vac line goes in the side.

I guess the thing that throws me is the idea of using it in conjunction with a shop vac. Is my old Ridgid 12 gal. gonna drive the collection enough?
Bill