Making a Cyclone from a Drum Dust Collector

[Michael W. Clark]

The only collapsing I've experienced are from the main cylinder in the cyclone. The pipes are fine. When I riveted the metal band to the exterior of the cylinder it stopped most of the collapsing. Knowing me, I'll wait until I run across thicker sheet metal (Home Depot doesn't carry it) or I decide to actually make an effort to run out to a sheet metal fabricator and pick up something there.

I did think about having a fabricator make up the sheet metal part of it but then what fun would that be?

Julie,
Could you make a ring(s) out of plywood and slip it over the body and screw it on from the inside? You could possibly make the rings out of two or more segments to minimize plywood waste and pocket screw them together on the ends? The wider the ring, the more stiffening. We use the concept of stiffeners on our high pressure cyclones, especially on the flat surfaces.

[Tim Race]

I went to an HVAC supply house and bought a 4'x10' sheet of 24 gauge for $40. Cut it, rolled it, soldered it all up in no time. Now to find the time to hang it. I had one made from PETG plastic, which I cut and assembled. It worked great but took up too much space so I decided to go cheap and use sheetmetal this time. 3hp motor and 14 inch impeller, the old one would suck the chrome off a trailer hitch. As for keeping you unit from collapsing, go to a HVAC supply shop and get a barometric damper and place it at the end of your duct run. You can adjust it to the perfect static pressure.

[Julie Moriarty]

Update:

I emptied the drum before beginning a kitchen cabinet refacing project. I've only just finished the rails and stiles (plane, rough rip, crosscut, rout and final rip). I decided to check the drum, which has never been more than half full, and it was packed to the top, with only enough room for a small bowl. There was a lot of fine dust in there too. I'm liking my new toy.

[Alan Melbourne]

it is amazing how fast a drum will fill
im using a thien baffle ontop ofa large barrel
it doesnt take that much planing to fill it
im sure that cyclone itsnt perfect and as efficient as it could be but it is working well

when you are venting outside does it really matter if that last 5 % of the fines are in the drum or blown away in the wind

[Julie Moriarty]

it is amazing how fast a drum will fill

All that would have been blown right outside, before the cyclone addition, because I never had to empty the bin before and I've had the DC for almost 20 years. You should walk on my grass outside the exhaust. It's spongy.

[Michael W. Clark]

Julie,
You mentioned the "bowl" in the top of the full dust drum. Usually, this bowl is created by the vortex when it turns to head back up the middle of the cyclone. If this is the case, you could have been re-entraining material. More of a concern if you had filters downstream instead of exhausting outside. It effectively shortens the cone which reduces collection efficiency. The reduced efficiency would be most noticed on the smaller particles (once again may not affect you with discharging outside). Just wanted you to know in case you overfill the drum and notice material going outside.

Mike

[Julie Moriarty]

Julie,
You mentioned the "bowl" in the top of the full dust drum. Usually, this bowl is created by the vortex when it turns to head back up the middle of the cyclone. If this is the case, you could have been re-entraining material. More of a concern if you had filters downstream instead of exhausting outside. It effectively shortens the cone which reduces collection efficiency. The reduced efficiency would be most noticed on the smaller particles (once again may not affect you with discharging outside). Just wanted you to know in case you overfill the drum and notice material going outside.

Mike

Thanks Mike. This cyclone addition has now created a new job for me - checking the drum. Before, with practically everything ejecting outside, checking the drum was the last thing on my mind.

[Jim Andrew]

You might just get a piece of clear hose to attach between the drum and the cyclone. Then when it starts filling up you can see it.

[Julie Moriarty]

The DC is now set up and working fine in its new location, except for one thing - the movers dinged it up and every time I turn it on I fear it's going to completely collapse. You can see some of the dings and dents thanks to Gorilla Movers, Inc.



It seems to be doing its job well. I can't find any dust collection outside from the exterior exhaust. Everything seems to be going to the drum. But the crinkling I hear every time I turn it on is worse than it. I suppose I'll just keep using it until it fails. Then remake it with thicker sheet metal.

Here's the pics lost from Photobucket:

[Dave Cav]

This cyclone addition has now created a new job for me - checking the drum.

I had a system discharging into a pile in the backyard, too. When I built my new shop I installed a cyclone and a 50 (or so) gallon fiber collection barrel. After overfilling it a couple of times, I put a PVC window in the side of the barrel. It's about 3" wide by about 10" high, in the top half of the barrel, and works great.