Do it your self cyclone dust collector

[Jeffrey Shrontz]

Hi guys
Have any of the members here made their own cyclone dust collector.
I have been looking on the net an found some plans at Bill Pentz
cyclone plans. I need help with the cutting Diagram for the 18" cyclone dust collector. I see the cutting diagram but can't come up with the sizing numbers for my cut list . It's in grafe paper boxes, I think he has it layed out on a 4x8 sheet metal. All help would be great.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

As I recall from googling the subject I found a lot of folks have done so with good success.

[Jeffrey Shrontz]

Thanks for the help. I wounder if anyone still has their patters they're willing to sell me

[Hubert Carle]

yes! Wood magazine issue 100 has a great one and there are several upgrades in later issues.

Here are some pictures of the units and of course you must notice the HIGH PRICE tubing I use.

I even have a floor "attachment" so I can sweep things right up to the sucker.

Also I have a muffler on it.

[Hubert Carle]

Tried to add pictures but said they were too big.

By the way there are two sized of this high quality tube. Cut a slice off the roll and take it with you when you buy the street elbows at the big box store.

Notice the window in the collection trash can.

[Jim O'Dell]

I believe Chris Padilla built his from Bill's plans.
"Hey Chris....You got that thing up and running yet???"
I don't remember anyone having the "plans" for his unit, other that what is downloadable from his site. Needs MS Excel if I remember correctly. Should just mark the sheet metal, and plot the dots, connect them then cut. I'm sure those that have actually buit them will pipe in here shortly, (sorry about that) Jim.

[Jack Porter]

I built the wood mag version and "converted" my grizz DC to use for the blower. Very straightforward and can be done in a weekend if you don't have any sheet metal experience.

[Robert Payne]

You need to use Bill's spreadsheet and be sure to read the caption at the bottom left -- the dimensions are given on each piece, but the graphical images are stylized (but the small cut sheet looks correct as the cone angle is just over 71 degrees). I would recommend you buy some posterboard and layout the key curved pieces first (the cone and the air ramp) and then the rectangular ones. Read the information under his Instructions Tab (bottom of EXCEL shreadsheet). I have a ClearVue CV1800 and it is built to these dimensions.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I have a Wood magazine cyclone, and used to teach classes on building them. From here in central NC, I have built units that are in VA, and TEXAS. I need to add the neutral vane to mine. For filters, I use seven of the 6" X 65" "socks" from Onedia. They are mounted into a plentium that mounts on the floor, and supports the dust can. Wood magazine has on their web site a section devoted to cyclones from their plans. I use a 3' X 8'piece of 26 ga to get both my cylinder and cone from. My cone is a one piece, not a three piece as shown in the original plans.

[Jeffrey Shrontz]

Thanks for the help guys. I plan on blowing the air to the out side like a close dryer that will save on a filter.anyone doing the same or is that a bad way to go

[Ed Labadie]

I set mine up that way.
The only thing I've found is if I leave a blast gate open, air will constantly siphon thru the cyclone and ductwork, drawing heat out of the shop.

I did put a piece of mesh wire in between the coupling and the pipe before assembly, I didn't want to be cleaning up Sparrow parts from inside the cyclone unit.

Ed

[Tom Veatch]

Exhausting outside is perfectly acceptable from a dust control viewpoint.

The downside is that the air that is exhausted has to be made up by outside air being pulled into the shop. This may increase your cost of heating/cooling the shop depending on the climate conditions of your area. If that's acceptable to you, and there's no local regulatory prohibitions, exhausting outside is fine.

[Jim Kirkpatrick]

Check out this brilliant design. The video says it all. He sucks up a huge pile of debris and none of it makes it to the fein shop vac. Impressive. And can be scaled up for dust collector too.
http://www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htm

[Todd Crow]

I downloaded Bill's plans and built my cyclone. I found his plans to be good, he has a spreadsheet you can download from his site on the Cyclone Plan page Section L.

Robert has a good idea with making a posterboard version first. I did that when I made my Wood Magazine cyclone.

I built this one because I need better filtration and I used Bill's recommendations on motor and fans.

My Cyclone

[Jeffrey Shrontz]

Todd After looking at your cyclone, It looks to me that your infeed tube should be at the back. Or with the blower air flow.I think yours is fighting the air .Or maybe it just a bad pic angal. Hey it looks good . I'm still working on my pattern, having some trouble with laying out the cone.Thanks for the pic