Mini Cyclone WIP

[Al Barale]

Here is a WIP of a mini cyclone I am making, The plans came from Bills Pentz’s site.

I had purchased an 8’ x 4’ gal sheet (26-gauge) to make the mini cyclone.
I started off by marking out and cutting all the parts needed for the mini cyclone,

Next step was to roll up the Cone, upper cylinder, outlet pipe and dust chute. I used some 2” gal pipe which I just held in my bench vice to help bend/roll the cylinders and cone around.

[Al Barale]

I began with the cone and slowly started shaping the cone over the gal pipe until both ends met.

Next to be rolled up were the Upper cylinder

[Al Barale]

and the Outlet pipe and the dust chute.

[Al Barale]

To bend up the inlet pipe I just used a piece of angle iron over the edge of the workbench and worked the sheet metal over the angle iron using a hammer. Due to the size (small) I wasn’t able to bend all the sides on the angle iron I pre-creased the bend lines and then clamped a piece of timber and finished bending the remaining sides of the inlet pipe.

[Al Barale]

Once I finished rolling and bending the cyclone pieces into shape I was ready to solder them together, Starting with the cone I clamped both ends of the join with some vise grips and cleaned the area to be soldered with some steel wool. I brush on some hydrochloric acid, “I just do a small section at a time” and begin to solder the join using some resin cored solder with an electric soldering iron.

Where possible I soldered both the inside and outside to ensure that the joins wont come apart and try and prevent any areas where dust would get caught in the joins.

[Al Barale]

Once I finished soldering all the pieces I cut and bent up the tabs along the opening on the upper cylinder to be able to fit the inlet pipe. I also swaged up a flange on both cone and the upper cylinder so that I could join the two together.
The inlet pipe was slid into position and soldered.

[Al Barale]

Next was the air ramp I marked a 6mm (1/4") line on the outer and inner sides which I cut tabs along and bent the tabs at approx 90 deg . (The tabs allow the air ramp to be soldered into position)

I start by getting the air ramp roughly where it should go and then slid in the outlet pipe, I solder the top of the air ramp to the top section of the inlet pipe and the slowly work the air ramp into position soldering it to the upper cylinder. Once this was done I flipped the upper cylinder over and sealed along the edge of the air ramp.

[Al Barale]

I then joined the Upper cylinder to the cone and soldered all the way around the flange.

I also took some Pics of the Mini cyclone next to my Other cyclone to show the difference in size.

[Jeff Nicol]

Al, As a retired sheetmetal worker, I would say you did a great job on your little cyclone! I built a big one like you show in the comparison picture and used a Pennstate Industries 2hp fan on it. It will suck up any thing I put in it! I made a muffler and that helps the noise too.

Great job and wonderful pictures of the process!

Jeff

[Art Mulder]

Is it going to be used with your shop vac ? Sure is tiny.

[Al Barale]

Al, As a retired sheetmetal worker, I would say you did a great job on your little cyclone! I built a big one like you show in the comparison picture and used a Pennstate Industries 2hp fan on it. It will suck up any thing I put in it! I made a muffler and that helps the noise too.

Great job and wonderful pictures of the process!

Jeff

Thanks Jeff

Is it going to be used with your shop vac ? Sure is tiny.

Yes it will be hooked up to a shop vac and be used for hand held power tools.

[mreza Salav]

Thanks Al for posting this.
I want to build a cyclone dust collection and I also need to build one for my shopvac (just got tired of cleaning/changing filters). Thought building a smaller one would be good exercise. Your step by step photos are excellent!

[Dewey Torres]

I agree! I wonder what the expense is from start to finish vs. buying a clearvue????

[Aaron Berk]

Excellent job Al!! I'm feeling inspired, have always wanted to make my own mini. Are you mounting it to a hand truck type stand or something non mobile?
Blessed Be
Aaron

[Burt Waddell]

I agree! I wonder what the expense is from start to finish vs. buying a clearvue????

Take a look at the new plastic Dust Deputy. If I recall correctly it is only $99 including the bucket.

Burt