CV1800LH new installation - first posting

[Dave Kennedy]

A few years ago I started researching dust collection largely to reduce the mess on the floor and shelves and tables and so on. But, as anyone who has done any dust research I quickly found Bill Pentz's site and found that my home basement shop was not so great on my lungs. Being the tech geek that I am, I read way too much about this for many months. Timing sort of lined up when Clearvue ran a bundle special, but life got in the way and it set in boxes in the basement for a little over a year. Interestingly, reading on here, I'm not the only one to have a pretty big gap between purchase and installation! In short, I started the install Jan 7, 2017.

Most of the boxes. I forgot to pull out the box that contains the cyclone, so imagine one more big box.
Attachment 352091

The space where the "noise closet" is going to go.
Dave-DCBuild002.jpg

Motor mount assembly and transition parts
Dave-DCBuild003.jpg

Dave-DCBuild004.jpg

The aluminum parts for attaching the motor assembly to a wall. I ended up not using this mounting method.
Dave-DCBuild005.jpg


Hmmm... Can't attach any more pics to this post. Looks like 5 is my limit. What's the best way to post a lot of pics? 50 or so now. Another similar batch later.

Dave

[James K Lee]

You could create an album on http://imgur.com/ and link to that. Would love to see more!

[John K Jordan]

Hmmm... Can't attach any more pics to this post. Looks like 5 is my limit. What's the best way to post a lot of pics? 50 or so now. Another similar batch later.

Dave,

PICTURES: SMC lets me attach eight pictures. I don't know if that is one of the advantages of Contributor vs Member status but I didn't think so. Also, all my pictures are JPGs compressed to 100K max, maybe that makes a difference.

I do know if I attach some by upload then change my mind and delete some then try to upload more, the deleted pictures count against the maximum. The fix in this case is to use the Advanced option and scroll down and click on "Manage Attachments" and delete the unused resources. Then add more pictures.

If you put your photos on a server somewhere you can use a link to them rather than upload them. I THINK there is not a limit this way but I haven't tried that. Also, be kind to viewers and resize them to a reasonable number of pixels first!

Another way to include more pictures is create a composite with an image editing program and combine several pictures into one. I like to do this anyway on occasion since it puts several views together like this:

carved_bowl_IMG_4195.jpg

CLEARVUE CYCLONE: I'm one who had the CV1800 in boxes for a long time! I bought the system early in my shop building process. With a crew of one (me) and lazy at that, it was over a year before I was ready to put it together. I built a 4x8 sound-insulated closet for the cyclone and the big air compressor and ran the ductwork up through the roof trusses above the ceiling. (not recommended unless you have a lot of extra time!) MAN the thing sucks! I can't believe sometimes how strong it is. After reading so many threads on several forums I am glad I went with this unit rather than one with less power.

ducts_IMG_20141228_194934_8.jpg

ELECTRICAL: Since mine was not in the main shop, I did bring out all the controls for the cyclone and the air compressor where I could see and access them. I put all the electrics for the wireless remote control, bin sensor, power supply, and remote disconnect in one neat package and put a subpanel, contactor, secondary disconnect, and other electrical in the closet itself. (I didn't like a rats nest of wires strung all over) This has worked out very well. If you are interested in any of this or the wiring I used just ask!

DC_controller_box_ce.jpg DC_electrical_shop_s.jpg DC_electrical_closet.jpg

END GAME: I use a 30 gal metal trash can and lid for the bin. I'm impressed at how efficient the separation of this unit is - almost all of even the very fine dust goes into the bin. After a few years of operation I still don't have more than a few tablespoons of dust in the cleanout box below the filter stack.

I ran 6" S&D PVC to the machines and split to 4" where it made sense. Here's the drop and pickkup at the lathe. This splitter also connects a shop vac hose for cleanup.

lathe_PM_Jan17_IMG_5751.jpg

Just ask here if you have any questions or issues that I may have run into. I think you will be very pleased with this monster!

JKJ

[Don Parker]

I am a very happy Clear Vue owner. A few thoughts:

1. A flexible rubber transition from the intake to the first several feet of duct can really help you out. It is hard to get everything to go together otherwise.

2. Like John, I use 6" S&D. If you go with this, make sure to buy thin wall PVC, and buy it at a plumbing wholesaler to save some money.

3. Use 6" all the way to the tool, if you possibly can. If you can't, then running a pair of 4" from a Clear Vue 6" to 4" transition, with blast gates, is an OK 2nd choice. Homemade tool connections can be made with plywood, a short length of the PVC, and some epoxy.

4. I love Clear Vue blast gates.

5. You need to learn the crucial skill of how to stretch the end of a piece of 6" wire-reinforced flex hose over a fitting. Here is how I do it: I very carefully cut the outside (the outside only!) of the channel that holds the wire in order to let the wire out of the channel. I do this for about 2-3 winds of the spiral. I "kink" the wire about 3/4" from where I stop cutting the channel. I grind the wire to break at the kink, using a Dremel and a cutoff wheel. Don't bother with regular wire cutters; the wire inside the hose laughs at wire cutters. I smooth the end of the wire with a file and bend it so I won't get hurt by it. I heat the floppy (now it's floppy) end of the hose with a heat gun until it is hot to the touch and more flexible than before. Then I hurry and stretch it over the fitting, scooching it down as far as it will go (usually to where the wire starts). When it cools, it will not come off without hard work.

6. Unless you are a good electrician, hire out the job of hooking up the 220V power and the relay.

7. Buy some gun range earmuffs, because this thing is loud! It works great.

Good luck!

[John K Jordan]

Don, what a great list! I also use a couple of feet of flex at the intake. I mocked up the intake path with cardboard ahead of time to get the angles right and used a combination of several 22.5 deg fittings to get the angle very close but in the end used the flex to close the gap - also gives me a disconnect point if needed for maintenance.

I did have Knipex wire cutters that will cut the wire in the flex-hose from ClearVue.
https://www.amazon.com/71-01-200-SBA.../dp/B004WMZQ24
These will snip through the wire when no other cutters I have will touch it. I bought mine from a fencing supplier when installing livestock fencing - cutting through 12.5 gauge high-tensile wire really needs a bolt cutter, which is what Knipex claims for these.

Stretching the 6" flex IS a challenge! I used a slightly different method. I don't unwrap any of the wire but do heat it with a heat gun. Then grab a couple of places on the end of the flex with needle nose plier and stretch it outwards and pull. It's been a few years but I think I also lubricated the end of the pipe with some silicone grease. It also helps to smooth the rim of the pipe with a file or sandpaper. I usually pulled two or three turns (with the wire) over the pipe and used one of the offset clamps from ClearVue. Great clamps since they bridge the wire and clamp tightly on the flex itself all the way around. I dislike the clamps made from wire.

I found myself constructing a number of adapting rings to connect both the 6" and 4" S&D, fittings, and blast gates exactly how I wanted them. For a step-down ring, for example, I cut a ring about an inch or so from a piece of the pipe then cut out a small segment to leave a little gap. I calculated the gap width ahead of time to avoid trial and error. Squeeze the ring until the gap is closed and the modified ring would slide snugly into the fitting, a piece of pipe, or whatever.

When fastening fittings, pipe, and blast gates together near the machines I used three self-drilling truss-head screws at each junction. This allowed me to easily take things apart if needed for mods. Everything else was glued.

I agree about the sound. I tell people it sounds like a freight train up close. However with the sound-insulating closet two people can carry on normal conversation in the shop with it running. Most of what I hear in the shop is from the air rushing into the pickups. All my walls are 6" so for the closet I used 2x4 studs in a staggered-stud configuration with insulation snaked between. I also made a baffled return-air duct to keep sound from coming through that way.

staggered_studs_IMG_2013071.jpg

Installing the whole system was in fact a bunch of work and took some serious time. However, this way you end up with exactly what you want. And I can't imagine how much it would cost to pay someone to install it, at least not the way I wanted it!

I agree about running the 6" where possible. I don't do it at the drum sander, where 4" works well. I use a 4" at the lathe. And at the 18" bandsaw I split the 6" into three 4" - one to the lower cabinet, one to just below the lower guides (I had to make a shroud for that) and the third one on a piece of flex that holds the shape for the top of the table, positioned to catch dust from skimming cuts. I fastened a strong magnet to the rim of this one so it will stick either on the top of the table where I need it or on the side of the table out of the way. I get no sawdust buildup in the saw cabinet.

I use a Dylos laser air quality monitor to check for fine dust in the air.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AWEG0Y

I do like the ClearVue blast gates as well. I like the clear cyclone so I can see exactly what is happening inside, especially useful when testing to be sure it was functioning as planned. It's fun to go into the closet and watch the spiraling too while someone feeds sawdust and chips to it! (WITH the hearing protection!)

BTW, I mentioned this in another thread, but while I bought my pipe from a plumbing supplier, I found the best prices on the fittings at the local ACE hardware store down the hill! And be careful with the thin wall pipe - it's fragile until installed. In fact, that got me a bunch of free shorter pieces since the plumbing supplier said I could have any I wanted from the damaged pile.

JKJ

[Patrick McCarthy]

JKJ: John,

I think this is the second time I have seen the photos of your control panel et al, and wanted to comment upon how nice and clean the installation is. I was initially surprised with the "Not a fire alarm" tag, but it makes PERFECT sense. Well thought out, sir.

Best regards, Patrick

[Andy Giddings]

I got these for cutting the wire in flex hose - like a knife thru butter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Andrew R Miller]

I got these for cutting the wire in flex hose - like a knife thru butter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just use a fence tool for electric fences........ works great and will not damage the pipe

[Andrew R Miller]

Dave,

PICTURES: SMC lets me attach eight pictures. I don't know if that is one of the advantages of Contributor vs Member status but I didn't think so. Also, all my pictures are JPGs compressed to 100K max, maybe that makes a difference.

I do know if I attach some by upload then change my mind and delete some then try to upload more, the deleted pictures count against the maximum. The fix in this case is to use the Advanced option and scroll down and click on "Manage Attachments" and delete the unused resources. Then add more pictures.

If you put your photos on a server somewhere you can use a link to them rather than upload them. I THINK there is not a limit this way but I haven't tried that. Also, be kind to viewers and resize them to a reasonable number of pixels first!

Another way to include more pictures is create a composite with an image editing program and combine several pictures into one. I like to do this anyway on occasion since it puts several views together like this:

carved_bowl_IMG_4195.jpg

CLEARVUE CYCLONE: I'm one who had the CV1800 in boxes for a long time! I bought the system early in my shop building process. With a crew of one (me) and lazy at that, it was over a year before I was ready to put it together. I built a 4x8 sound-insulated closet for the cyclone and the big air compressor and ran the ductwork up through the roof trusses above the ceiling. (not recommended unless you have a lot of extra time!) MAN the thing sucks! I can't believe sometimes how strong it is. After reading so many threads on several forums I am glad I went with this unit rather than one with less power.

ducts_IMG_20141228_194934_8.jpg

ELECTRICAL: Since mine was not in the main shop, I did bring out all the controls for the cyclone and the air compressor where I could see and access them. I put all the electrics for the wireless remote control, bin sensor, power supply, and remote disconnect in one neat package and put a subpanel, contactor, secondary disconnect, and other electrical in the closet itself. (I didn't like a rats nest of wires strung all over) This has worked out very well. If you are interested in any of this or the wiring I used just ask!

DC_controller_box_ce.jpg DC_electrical_shop_s.jpg DC_electrical_closet.jpg

END GAME: I use a 30 gal metal trash can and lid for the bin. I'm impressed at how efficient the separation of this unit is - almost all of even the very fine dust goes into the bin. After a few years of operation I still don't have more than a few tablespoons of dust in the cleanout box below the filter stack.

I ran 6" S&D PVC to the machines and split to 4" where it made sense. Here's the drop and pickkup at the lathe. This splitter also connects a shop vac hose for cleanup.

lathe_PM_Jan17_IMG_5751.jpg

Just ask here if you have any questions or issues that I may have run into. I think you will be very pleased with this monster!

JKJ

i'm getting really to buy one of these I already have the Ivac system with the contactor for my 1.5HP collector (it support up to 10HP)

do I need to buy this peice?

[John K Jordan]

I think this is the second time I have seen the photos of your control panel et al, and wanted to comment upon how nice and clean the installation is. I was initially surprised with the "Not a fire alarm" tag, but it makes PERFECT sense. Well thought out, sir.

Why thank you! I wondered if people ever get annoyed when I post the same picture more than once, but I figured there are new members here every day and someone might be interested.

The red box actually came with the McRabbit bin-full sensor alarm that ClearVue sells. (Some are evidently white, as in the pic below) While functional, following the installation instructions gives you a mess of wires! This is a picture of a typical installation the bin-full alarm designer sent to me when we were discussing housing the cyclone in a location remote from the shop. The white control box in the shop is nice and neat but there are exposed low-voltage wires and a power jack on the top and switches on the sides and bottom.

DC-Controls_typical.jpg

Everything in these pictures comes with the system when you buy the ClearVue electrical box plus the bin sensor. In the closet here you can see the steel contactor box, an off-the-shelf wireless receiver stuck to the side, an AC wall wart for the controller in the other room, the optical sensor wires, the AC power cords. A conduit feeds and wire protector feed control wires and low-voltage power through the wall to the shop. On the wall there the white box (in this model) houses the bin sensor and control PC board, the strobe and audio alarm, switches, and terminal connectors for the sensors.

In case anyone is interested in the details, these were my goals and what I did. (Note that I am not criticizing the above installation, it is perfectly functional.)

I wanted the wireless receiver in the same room as the power tools. (My closet was more remote, not just on the other side of the wall and I didn't want to take a chance on a weakened signal from the transmitters)

I wanted to eliminate all exposed connectors, such as on the top of the white box so they would not be subject to damage. I didn't want the switches visible from the front, not on the sides of the white box. I didn't want a push button switch without a state indicator for to disable the horn. I also like a clear system on/off switch with a pilot light I can see across the room. And I especially wanted all wiring to be tucked away. I learned long ago when I designed and built electrical/electronic devices and software that if I kept things neat and organized it was a lot easier to debug and fix a problem.

In the shop I used a big plastic electrical box from Home Depot, the top of the red alarm box that came with mine (contains the strobe and the audio alarm), and good toggle switches mounted on the face. The bin sensor circuit board, 110v relay to switch the contactor, wall wart power supply, and wireless receiver are mounted in the plastic box. The 110v switch underneath with the pilot light is wired in series with another in the DC closet and both have to be on to enable the cyclone motor. Since I mounted all that in one box, I found I could simplify the wiring in the original system and eliminate some redundant wires. I also eliminated the external terminal connectors and power jack. A label on the bottom of the box has complete contact information for the supplier for whoever owns this shop when I'm gone. As a bonus, carefully analyzing all this (I DIDN'T want to make a mistake and fry something!) gave me a good understanding of how it works - if it fails some day I can probably fix it rather than buy another one.

Inside the closet only the center box contains the cyclone wiring - the other two are simply 220v and 110v sub-panels. The central box houses just the cyclone motor contactor. The switch on the lower right (a pilot light switch) is wired in series with the one in the shop and enables/disables the DC control wiring from inside the closet. I turn it off when I empty the bin. The switch on the lower left is a heavy-duty disconnect rated for 5 hp motors. I decided to include a plug and receptacle (twist-lock style) for the cyclone motor as a secondary isolation disconnect in case I need to service the motor. (An identical power connection is on another wall for the air compressor.)

I bought three extra off-the-shelf wireless transmitter/receiver kits from Amazon, identical to what came with the ClearVue electrical box. This gave me extra key-fob transmitters to hang near the major tools AND some backup receivers in case of a failure in the future.

The bin sensor designer/builder said all this looked great but pointed out what I did would void the warranty. So sad. Fortunately, the installation so far has worked flawlessly and as I mentioned, the 5HP cyclone is amazing. The only problem I've had is the suction is so strong I tend to lose little blocks of wood at the bandsaw and sandpaper, paper towels, and other things at the lathe! ClearVue had a video where someone released a 30' (IIRC) measuring tape at an inlet in the shop and it sucked it up and dumped it in the bin. Yikes I'd hate for my cat to get too close...

JKJ

[John K Jordan]

i'm getting really to buy one of these I already have the Ivac system with the contactor for my 1.5HP collector (it support up to 10HP)

do I need to buy this peice?

I don't exactly understand - you are getting ready to buy one of "these", what, a ClearVue cyclone to replace the 1.5hp DC?

I don't know what an Ivac system is, but if it controls a 220V contactor suitable for 10HP it should certainly switch on a 5HP motor. (If you are not fluent with electrical systems you might want to get it wired up or at least checked by an electrician.)

Part of what I wired up was the ClearVue wireless remote and contactor which you would not need.

Part was a bin-sensor that optically monitors the bin and when full cuts off the power, flashes a strobe light to get your attention, and sounds an alarm. I've been using my cyclone for a couple of years and I check it often so I can empty it before it gets too heavy so I have never let the bin get full. If you do the same, you don't need a bin sensor. If you forget and let it get full once and your cyclone uses the filters instead of exhausting outside, then the filters will fill up with dust and chips and will make a big mess.

The rest was just electrical sub-panels and circuit breakers for power.

JKJ