Cyclone.. Which one? ClearVue won

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Quite the thread here guys

Lots of info for sure, and it is a confusing and amusing subject

I recently built a Pentz cyclone,

it works VERY well, so well I have to laugh out loud everytime I open the clean out at the bottom of my filter stack and find almost NO DUST.

If I wipe my hand across the surface of the bottom of the
clean out, I come away with a slight, tiny amount of dust.

It really works!

If you don't mind, I'll share a funny story, I was doing a lot of heavy work, jointing, planing, and cutting dados and using the router table, I thought I should check to see if the dust bin was full...


Ah........yep, I'd say that was FULL.....

Over　full, as some dust dropped out of the dust chute when I pulled the bin out.

I was fearing a bunch of dust in my filter stack, but...

There was ONE lonely chip, I stopped just in time!

I've since put a window in the top of the lid.


I've run about 150 US Gallons of dust through this cyclone, and I've yet to get enough dust to measure in the clean out of the filter stack.

So, if the Clea-Vue is based on Mr. Pentz's design, I'd be leaning that way.

Cheers!

[Ed Lang]

I had a long reply for the thread ready to go this morning and my ISP went down. I have it saved on my desktop for posting later today but after the last post.... I want to hear if other have the same results in the dust box under the filter stack. I think this shows how the cyclone works better than any numbers. Real world is what I am looking for. Numbers don't lie, but the way the numbers are obtained may not be perfect. I just want to know where the dust is going? In with the chips or in the filters.

Post your real world results please.

I'll send up my saved post later today.

[Jim Becker]

Ed, the only time I've ever had more than a tiny bit of flour in my under-filter cleanout bin was when I accidently "overfilled" the bin...which I also have a window in now. Of course...the window doesn't help if you forget to look at it! Jointing and planing can fill a 55 gallon bin REALLY fast...

[Allan Johanson]

I just want to know where the dust is going? In with the chips or in the filters.

Post your real world results please.

I'll send up my saved post later today.

With a Pentz cyclone, the dust is going in the dust bin with the tiniest amount ever going in the filters. I've found this with my Pentz cyclone.

Considering Andy London's amazing success with the Oneida Dust Gorilla (over 100 barrels and a handful of dust in the filters), I'd say that is excellent performance too.

When you compare these machines to a single-stage DC with filter bags that clog up in as little as 10 minutes with a drum sander or sanding on the lathe, there is simply no comparison.

You'll be a happy man.

BTW, remember that the ClearVue cyclone is roughly equivalent with the Oneida 3HP cyclone so when you're comparing cost/performance numbers please keep that in mind.

Cheers,

Allan

[Bob Dodge]

Hi Stu,

Good to see you again. Have you gotten around to that blower mod we spoke about a while back, or are you now satisfied with your suction at that last drop?

Bob

[Jim O'Dell]

Don't look now, but I just saw on the Clear Vue site that there is a sale for the combo unit at 895.00 as a 1 year in business anniversay special. I got mine on sale at 943.00 and thought it was a great price. Just verified, that INCLUDES SHIPPING!!!! This might push several others on the bubble over the edge. Includes 6 blast gates, and everything except the filters and chip barrel. Happy shopping! Jim.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Hi Stu,

Good to see you again. Have you gotten around to that blower mod we spoke about a while back, or are you now satisfied with your suction at that last drop?

Bob

Hi Bob.

No I've not "tweaked" the blower yet, and not I'm not 100% happy with the set up, but, I'm very busy at work, and the "honey to do" list is getting longer all the time, so I'm getting some work done and I'll tweak the blower when I have some time.

Really it all works very well, but I know there is "Some more" there, and I want to see what I can get. Can you tell my other hobby is motorcycles (as in let's find that last 5 hp...!!)

Cheers!

[Ed Lang]

I must admit, I have stayed away from this thread due to the tone it took on. Kinda wished I had not started it now.

For those who are asking..... I have not decided as of today. I plan to draw up the shop layout this weekend and FAX it to the "O" on Tuesday and get a quote. Then I will start trying to narrow the field down further.



So far I plan to NOT mount the unit to the wall but have it on a metal stand. I have seen several web sites and posts that talk (or show) how folks have tried to isolate the DC from the wall for noise. I am also looking for something with a large "can" as the 20" planer will fill up a little one quickly.



I have not ruled out installing the DC outside under a shed roof that runs the length of my shop and putting the output filters in the shop to save on my A/C and heat. I may lose more A/C and heat by running air outside and then back in.... Still thinking on this one.



The Clear Vue, Grizzly and Onieda are the only ones in the running at this time.



It is easy to tell that some folks just crunch numbers and other just go and do it. I am not a number cruncher, thus my original post. I understand that the duct design is a big part of it. I see this type of thing all the time in HVAC duct trunk lines and plumbing where the main line is larger so you can deliver the volume to several little lines. All makes sense, I just don't know how to calculate it. (not looking for more how to calculate it here)



For those of you who are following this thread on the edge of your seats (if you are, don't admit to it in a public forum :0) ) I don't think I would like MDF in my DC. I don't think I want to get the DC from one source and need extra stuff from another source. I would like for the "system" to be designed to work together. I like getting one shipment and installing it. I have a lot of green in my shop. I like the color white on a lathe. I don't need to see the dirt going down the drain.



I will post what is ordered. I should know later next week or the first of the following.

[Andy Hoyt]

ed, yOu've answered your Own quest. The Big O.

It's the Only way to gO

You're in a mild climate and in the design stages. Put it outside in a shed. Insulate the shed. Mount it on a wall that's not common to the shop.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Good Luck Ed!

Whatever you decide, trust me, once you have a Cyclone, you will be very happy with it, one of the few times in life when "Boy it REALLY sucks" is a good thing

Cheers!

[Ed Lang]

Andy!


There is Only Oneway to make this happen and allOw this thread tO end.

I'll be calling On Tuesday. Oh this sucks

Pictures tO fOllOw when it gets here.

I like the idea of mounting it outside and building walls around it. I will give this more thought.

[Andy Hoyt]

Ed. I'm attaching a photo of my cyclone installation. Building a shed for mine was not an option, so I built a closet for it. The interior dimensions are only 29" deep by 79" wide. So your shed doesn't neccessairily have to be huge, unless it will do double duty for something else, like your air compressor. My compressor is noisier than my cyclone!

Had I been able to steal more space from the shop I'd have added another 6" to both. The door is standard 3068 (36" wide), but should have gone with anything wider such as a 3668 (42" wide) because that barrel just squeeze through. Also should have moved the door about 6" to the left.

But it works great.

Also attaching a picture of my homemade barrel tilter for ease in getting the chips out of the barrel and into a trash bag. Works pretty well. Actually it's the tilter that makes the barrel tough to get through the door.

The Big O now offers (didn't when I coughed up the bucks) a device that allows you to put a trash bag in the barrel and then let the DC fill it up. My concern here, especially if you opt for a 55 gallon barrel as I did, is that the bag could be too heavy or too tight to easily remove. You'd have to ask the folks at O more about that feature.

That's it, gonna go lurk elsewhere

[David Less]

I would like to chime in here on DC's in general. Most people realy do not understand there real significance of a cyclone (at one point my self included) until they purchace a bag type system. That significance is the amount of dust separation from the exiting air a cyclone can produce. Such that Bill P's sight trys to explain. The more efficient separators have better air/dust separation as evident by the previous photos. After using a conventional DC with canister I've come to appreciate why a cylone is so important. My canister is always clogging up causing the lost of precious CFM, ie dust collection. The better cyclones, such as Bill P's design offer very high dust to air separation with means around 95+ % efficienties. The cheeper or poorly designed cyclones do not separate the dust as well causing plugged filters thus producing a loss of CFM.

My $.02

David

[Jim Becker]

Ed, I did the closet similar to Andy, but would have done the outside installation had it been feasable for my shop. (Grading prevents it) Either way, you can get nice sonic isolation. BTW, I find the 55 gallon fiber drum quite manageable for emptying. Unfortunately, you can't use the fiber drum if you do the outdoor installation, so be sure to plan for easy access, and, perhaps, the use of a drum caster system.

[Ed Lang]

I would like to hear from any Grizzly cyclone users or anyone who knows of a user with one.