DIY cyclone attachment for a vacuum cleaner. DIY cyclone filter or how to remove construction waste with a household vacuum cleaner. The principle of operation of a homemade construction vacuum cleaner with a cyclone filter
Recently I became interested in working with wood and the issue of removing shavings and sawdust arose very urgently. So far, the issue of cleaning the workplace has been solved with a home vacuum cleaner, but it quickly becomes clogged and stops suction. You have to shake out the bag often. In search of a solution to the problem, I looked through many pages on the Internet and found something. As it turns out, it is possible to make fully functional dust collectors from scrap materials.
Mini vacuum cleaner made from a plastic bottle
Here is another idea for a mini vacuum cleaner based on the Venturi effect
This vacuum cleaner operates using forced air.
Venturi effect
The Venturi effect is a pressure drop when a liquid or gas flows through a constricted portion of a pipe. This effect is named after the Italian physicist Giovanni Venturi (1746–1822).
Rationale
The Venturi effect is a consequence of Bernoulli's law, which corresponds to the Bernoulli equation, which determines the relationship between speed v liquid, pressure p in it and height h, on which the fluid element in question is located, above the reference level:
where is the density of the liquid, and is the acceleration of gravity.
If the Bernoulli equation is written for two sections of the flow, then we will have:
For a horizontal flow, the average terms on the left and right sides of the equation are equal to each other, and therefore cancel, and the equality takes the form:
that is, with a steady horizontal flow of an ideal incompressible fluid in each of its sections, the sum of the piezometric and dynamic pressures will be constant. To fulfill this condition, in those places of the flow where the average velocity of the fluid is higher (that is, in narrow sections), its dynamic pressure increases, and the hydrostatic pressure decreases (and therefore the pressure decreases).
ApplicationThe Venturi effect is observed or used in the following objects:
- in hydraulic jet pumps, in particular in tankers for oil and chemical products;
- in burners that mix air and combustible gases in the grill, gas stove, Bunsen burner and airbrushes;
- in Venturi tubes - constricting elements of Venturi flow meters;
- in Venturi flow meters;
- in ejector-type water aspirators, which create small vacuums using the kinetic energy of tap water;
- sprayers (sprayers) for spraying paint, water or aromatizing the air.
- carburetors, where the Venturi effect is used to draw gasoline into the inlet air stream of an internal combustion engine;
- in automated cleaners swimming pools, which use water pressure to collect sediment and debris;
- in oxygen masks for oxygen therapy, etc.
Now let's look at the samples that can take their rightful place in the workshop.
Ideally, I would like to get something similar to a cyclone filter, but from scrap materials:
Homemade chip separator.
The principle is the same, but made much simpler:
But I liked this option the most, since it is a smaller analogue of an industrial cyclone:
ch1
Since I don’t have a traffic cone, I decided to settle on this design, assembled from plastic pipes for sewerage. An undoubted advantage is the availability and low cost of material for assembling the structure:
Homemade cyclone from plastic sewer pipes
Please pay attention to the mistake that the master made. The garbage collection pipe should be located like this:
In this case, the desired vortex will be created.
The following video shows a similar design in action:
And finally, a slightly modified version:
Keep your lungs healthy. If you're into woodworking, you know that a wood shop, no matter its size, needs a dust collector. Make a cyclone for a vacuum cleaner with your own hands.
Many say that the heart of the workshop is hand saw, others say it is a table, band saw, planer, etc.
Whatever the heart is, it is certain that the lungs of the workshop are the dust collector.
Most pieces of wood you work with are heavy enough to fall to the floor. But wood dust and sawdust float in the air you breathe. These fine particles easily enter your lungs and pose a serious health threat.
There are many ways to protect yourself. Dust masks (they're not cheap, but they work well), inexpensive paper respirators (not very safe, but better than nothing). You can install air filter on the ceiling (dust needs to pass through the level of your face first before getting into it, so this is good for cleaning up after work), and finally there are dust collectors, which can be complex or simple (if you can afford them, they very good to a certain extent).
No matter how good your dust collection system is, there is still dust floating in the air that has escaped the system, especially if you are sanding or cutting anything. You need something that is easy to use, portable, and powerful enough to remove dust from your tools. This is where a vacuum cleaner comes in handy.
The problem with store-bought vacuum cleaners is that if you connect them directly to the tool, the filters will clog within 10 minutes. They are also not easy to clean, even if you increase the waste collection capacity.
An alternative to this is to have an intermediate system between your tool and the vacuum cleaner, namely a cyclone.
The cyclonic dust bucket collects 99% of the dust that accumulates at the bottom, leaving the vacuum cleaner almost dust-free and clean.
My homemade filter for a vacuum cleaner it is very inexpensive and effective. The construction vacuum cleaner cost me less than 2000 rubles and was easy to build over the weekend.
Step 1: Material List and Drawings
List of materials:
- 1 vacuum cleaner (1600 W +)
- 1 plastic bucket 20 liters
- 1 metal (tin) bucket 20 liters
- 1 plastic funnel
- 1 PVC pipe about 30 cm long
- 2 pipe couplings
- 1 x 90 degree water fitting
- 4 nuts, bolts and washers
- 8 screws
- fast acting epoxy glue
- some kind of primer
- 2 pieces of plywood 0X30X18 mm
Blueprints:
Above is the drawing that guided me when designing the cyclone attachment for the vacuum cleaner.
Step 2: Cyclone System
The cyclone system consists of two stages.
The first stage is a plastic bucket with a top lid, fittings and a funnel. The second stage is a metal bucket that is attached under the plastic one and collects dust and waste.
The two stages are connected to each other using standard clamps that come with the buckets.
Step 3: First Stage - Top Cover
Before purchasing any fittings, be sure to check the end of your vacuum cleaner's flexible hose and buy the correct diameter (not all vacuum cleaners have the same diameter hoses and ends).
Take the lid of the top plastic bucket and make a hole in the center the same diameter as your pipe (this is where the long pipe will sit) and one hole in the side of the lid (this is where the elbow fitting will sit).
Insert the coupling into the first hole and seal it - there will be a long pipe here (use PVC glue or epoxy). Make sure the pipe is perpendicular to the cover.
You can cut a long pipe if necessary, and after the first test, if there is dust in the vacuum cleaner, you will need to drive it deeper, up to the wooden ring.
Insert the coupling into the side hole and glue. Once the glue has dried, insert a 90-degree elbow fitting into the glue so that the fitting is parallel to the sides of the plastic bucket. This will give a cyclonic circular action on the incoming dust. Make sure there are no leaks. If you feel holes, fill them with epoxy glue or silicone.
Additional modification:
If plastic cover too soft like mine, you can add two circles of chipboard with a diameter of about 22 cm and a thickness of 6 mm for support. The wooden circles are located under the cover, and I secured them with 4 bolts.
This gives me added strength and an advantage if I want to add two more 90 degree elbow fittings and insert longer PVC pipes to minimize the use of flexible hoses and improve air flow and pressure drop.
Step 4: First Stage - Funnel
Show 4 more images
To insert the funnel, you will need to cut a wooden disk/ring from one of the pieces of wood. The wooden ring should fit into the plastic bucket (the inner disk that remains after cutting the ring is used later).
The outer diameter of the disk should be such that the disk fits tightly into the bucket approximately halfway, and inner diameter should be wide enough for the funnel to sit in the ring. I cut the ring using an inverted jigsaw on my workbench and then trimmed it to a perfect circle using grinder. Insert the ring into the bucket to test.
Do not do the following things until the second stage is completed!
After the second step, I will place the wooden ring inside the plastic bucket (about halfway up or a little deeper) so that the end of the funnel will protrude from the opening of the bucket. I screwed the wooden ring on the outside with 8 self-tapping screws.
In my version, I trimmed the funnel a little so that its end hole would not be too narrow (this makes it easier for dust to go down) about 4 cm in diameter, and then glued a pipe to secure the element.
Now it gets more complicated. I glued the edge of the funnel to the edge of the wooden ring and then added
primer to tilt towards the center of the funnel for better downward movement of dust. Since I couldn't find a good primer, I used a polyester primer that would stick to both wood and plastic. Other than the ugly color (black) and diluted dirt (use gloves), it works fine.
Note. If I do this again, I will use less hardener than the intended value so that I have more time to shape and smooth the surface, even if it takes longer to dry.
This polyester filler gave me a surface that I covered with a softer, white layer. Using a damp cloth, I was able to smooth the surface so that the dust flowed into the funnel.
One more idea. I am informed that finding a large enough crater is not easy. There is a solution here. You can go to any auto accessory store and buy an outdoor/road cone and then cut it to size for your bucket. This will work too.
Step 5: Second Stage - Bottom Bucket and Top Metal Lid
The plastic bucket should fit tightly over the metal one. Here's how we'll do it. We will need 2 pieces of circular plywood or chipboard to support and connect the plastic bucket to the metal bucket lid.
We cut two disks about 4/5 the diameter of the bottom of the plastic bucket (we already have one piece left over from cutting out the funnel ring, so we only need to cut one).
Precision is not very important here, so you can use a jigsaw or saber saw. I used a jigsaw.
We will place the first circle at the bottom of a plastic bucket, and the second under the lid of a metal one.
Since the two disks have the same hole in the center, we need to make the same holes in the bottom of the plastic bucket and in the lid of the metal one so that the funnel passes through them.
Press the first disc to the bottom of the plastic bucket, and the second on top of the metal bucket lid and tighten them with 4 bolts, nuts and washers. Now we can connect the two buckets together.
Step 6: Final Assembly and Test Run
Now I can place the plastic bucket on top of the metal one and secure the buckets with a clamp. Paste flexible hose vacuum cleaner to the central connecting pipe, and the second hose (I found it in an old vacuum cleaner) into the side pipe, turn on the vacuum cleaner and let the cyclone work. All dust falls into a metal bucket, leaving the vacuum cleaner clean.
Be sure to wear a mask when cleaning the bottom bucket. You don't need to breathe this dust.
Step 7: Addition
Moving a cyclone and vacuum cleaner around the workshop is not an easy task, so I think a trolley on casters might be practical and useful.
The design of the cart is very simple and can only be built using plywood. There are no dimensions here because you will have to adjust the dimensions to suit your dust collector.
Let me just say that the base is made of two sheets of plywood, the top of which has a hole in which the bucket sits.
You can also add Velcro to secure the vacuum cleaner and make two wooden handles on the plastic bucket to prevent it from falling over when emptying the bottom bucket.
Repair and construction works Not only are they difficult, but they also leave a lot of dust and debris, which most often you are too lazy to remove, and ordinary home vacuum cleaners are simply not capable of coping with the task. A cyclone for a vacuum cleaner will help, capable of sifting out shavings, sawdust and other debris without clogging the dust collector itself.
Operating principle
Many people know what construction debris is and how difficult it is to remove it, especially on an industrial scale. There are special construction vacuum cleaners on the market that have high power, in comparison with household ones, but at the same time they have large dimensions and a considerable price. Therefore, masters of their craft create cyclone-type chip extractors with their own hands, thereby improving their household vacuum cleaners and making their work easier.
The filter is a structure of two compartments: external and internal. Under the influence of centrifugal force, all rubbish entering the dust collector, based on the cyclone principle, sorts into large and small particles.
Large ones settle in external camera, and small ones - in the inner one. It is because of this principle of operation of the filter that it was called cyclone.
DIY making
Before starting work, you need to remember that building such a simple device will not be difficult, so after mastering the principles, you can immediately make your own masterful modifications to the mechanism.
When making a cyclone with your own hands from scrap materials, you need:
To make a vacuum cleaner with your own hands, you need:
- In the lid of the container it is necessary to make a hole for the polypropylene elbow at 90 degrees and in the side of the container itself the same hole for the elbow at 30 degrees.
- A filter is placed inside the container, already connected to a polypropylene elbow.
- All holes should be sealed tightly with sealant.
The hose is tightly fixed with a polypropylene elbow and is directed clearly downwards, thereby setting a stable trajectory. Testing is carried out on hard debris.
Aquafilter from improvised means
If you have problems finding a store-bought aqua filter, you can easily make a cyclone filter for a vacuum cleaner with your own hands. All you need for this is plastic pipe, the dimensions of which are determined based on the size of the container (a sewer pipe of small diameter is suitable).
To make a filter yourself, you need to cut the pipe into pieces and tightly connect it into a T-shape so that air can easily pass between the chambers, and the side branches need to be plugged with breathable fabric material.
From below, at the base of the wide part, it is necessary to drill holes in a checkerboard pattern (for water intake). Next, you need to connect the cyclone filter to the water filter using a polypropylene elbow so that the water filter, while inside the container, lightly touches the water.
Water is added immediately before using the vacuum cleaner.
Dust bag
When making a vacuum cleaner bag with your own hands the material is suitable any, but it is important that it is tight. In order to make such a bag, you will need only three materials:
- Textolite (the size is selected individually for each vacuum cleaner).
- Any textile thick bag (many people use shoe bags).
- Clamp for debris dump part.
A hole is made in the PCB with a diameter the size of the dust collection valve outlet; the sizes are different for everyone, depending on the model of the vacuum cleaner. Next, the same hole is made in the bag and secured between the PCB and the bag.
A hole is made in the opposite part of the bag to discharge dust and debris, after which the bag is secured with a clamp.
Cyclone was created in 1986 Jameson Dyson and since then has gained its authority in the sales market and maintains its position to this day.
Not a single industrial sector can do without this invention, which has such qualities as speed and reliability.
Very often when installation work With electricity, it is impossible to do without a vacuum cleaner. This is primarily due to the processes of wall gating.
You cannot use homemade household models for this task, otherwise you will ruin them on the very first day of work. Their dust collectors will fill up very quickly, and the vacuum cleaner itself will overheat.
Only the professional craftsmen who earn daily from this type of activity. 
But what if you are not a builder and you only need such a device to complete electrical repairs in your apartment? In this case, there is only one optimal solution - to make a construction vacuum cleaner yourself from an ordinary one. 
Moreover, such a change will only take you a few minutes. And the materials that are required for this can be easily found in the pantry, or purchased in addition at the nearest plumbing store.
Let's take a closer look at two very similar methods, which nevertheless have design differences between themselves.
Homemade cyclone from a household vacuum cleaner
The first method has been presented on the Internet and on YouTube for quite some time. You can easily find many videos with similar homemade cyclones.
However, they raise quite natural questions and skepticism among professional builders. Therefore, you should immediately make a reservation that they are suitable for the most part for cleaning wood chips. 
But it is better not to work with cement dust with such devices. The second option is more tailored to it. 
The main “trick” that will allow you to easily suck in kilograms of garbage, wood, and metal filings and not worry about frequently changing filter bags is a homemade “separator”.
It will then need to be constructed from several components. For the entire assembly you will need:
A bucket of Shitrok putty is best suited here. It is harder to flatten it with a vacuum.
First of all, drill or carefully cut a through hole for the tube in the center of the bucket lid. 
Mark the third hole closer to the edges of the cover, where the stiffener is. 
If you do not have a special crown, then first pierce the intended circle with an awl and carefully cut it with a stationery knife. 
The edges will be uneven, but they can be processed with a round file. 
Two sewer outlets are inserted into these holes. So that they hold securely and there is no additional air leakage, it is better to glue them.
To do this, first sand the edges of the tube with sandpaper or a file to create a rough surface. 
Do the same operation with the lid.
After this, insert it into the tube cap and apply thick layer glue with a hot glue gun. 
Don't skimp on glue. This will help create a good seal in these places and tightly close all the cracks. 
There is actually another option in which you can do without glue and fan pipes. To do this, purchase rubber adapter couplings from Leroy Merlin.
They are different diameters. Select according to the size of your hose. 
For example, a tube from a 35mm hose is tightly inserted into a 40/32 coupling. But in a 40mm pipe it will dangle. We'll have to reel in something and collective farm.
On the tube that is located on the edge of the lid, place the sewer outlet at 90 degrees. 
At this point, the separator design can be said to be almost ready. Install the lid with outlets on the bucket. 
The air intake hose from the vacuum cleaner is inserted into the central hole. 
And the piece that you will use to collect all the debris and dust is stuck into the corner joint. 
It is desirable that the tubes contain sealing rings that match the size of the corrugated hoses of the vacuum cleaner.
This completes the entire assembly. You can plug in the vacuum cleaner and use it.
Here visual video from inside the bucket similar design. It clearly shows how sawdust is sucked into the separator, but cannot escape from it and get into the vacuum cleaner.
The operating principle here is as follows. Coarse dust sucked into the container falls to the bottom of the container. At the same time, it does not enter the area where air is pumped directly.
Three factors help in this matter:
- gravity
- friction
- centrifugal force
They then make the garbage rotate inside the bucket, pressing against its walls, and then fall to the bottom. And only the fine fraction goes directly into the dust collector of the vacuum cleaner. 
Typically, such a cyclone in factory designs has the shape of a cone, but cylindrical specimens also often cope well with this task. 
True, the higher the bucket, the better the installation will work. Much here depends on the correct combination of the design of the container and the power of the vacuum cleaner. Here is a sign from Chinese cyclones correct selection diameter of hoses and power of units. 
In cylindrical buckets, the tangential air flow enters not through a curved side wall, and through the flat lid. Assembling such a device is much easier.
Also, if you have several buckets, you can use them alternately. Just remove the lid from one and move it to the other. Moreover, this is even easier to do than in bulky cyclones. 
If you have powerful vacuum cleaner, instead of a plastic bucket from under emulsion paint, it is better to use a metal tank of the same shape. Otherwise, the bucket will collapse and flatten it. 
A power regulator helps in this matter. If, of course, it is present in your model.
Why does the vacuum cleaner still fail?
With this method, all the fine dust will enter the vacuum cleaner bag, and more or less large fractions will simply settle and remain in the bucket. As do-it-yourselfers assure, more than 95% of construction waste settles in the separator and only 5% goes directly into the dust collector of a household vacuum cleaner.
However, the thing is that even this 5% can gradually kill the vacuum cleaner. In addition, even for industrial cyclones, the declared efficiency is rarely more than 90%, but what about home-made products, in which the aerodynamics are far from perfect. 
For 100% collection of the fine fraction, an electric precipitator or bubble column is needed.
By the way, some types of dust cause very strong static voltage. Be careful when working.
The longer you work with the unit without unplugging it, the higher the charge may be. Here, read an instructive comment from one real user such a homemade product. 
Therefore, on many cyclones, even factory-assembled ones, the flange is grounded.
Five percent petty wood shavings Of course, they are not terrible for a household vacuum cleaner. What if it is fine cement dust during gating? 
When such particles get inside, they clog the filter tightly.
And this happens very quickly. The entire effectiveness of the “cyclone” drops by at least 2/3 within a matter of minutes.
The main problem is the dust bag. It is dense and the filtration area is small. Therefore, it is not suitable for waste from plaster and concrete walls. 
What to do? Is it really impossible to do without a real construction project? During intensive work, only an expensive and professional tool really saves you.
What is the difference between a construction vacuum cleaner and a regular one?
But for occasional work, this design can be slightly modified and improved. The idea belongs to Shayter Andrey.
Before we look at the second design option, ask yourself the question: “What is one of the main differences between household vacuum cleaners and construction vacuum cleaners?”
In domestic models, cooling occurs due to the intake air. 
That is, you vacuum the floor, the air sucks in debris. Next, it is filtered and cooled by the engine itself. After which the air is thrown out.
This is where the risk of engine damage comes from. Firstly, when the filter becomes clogged, engine cooling drops sharply.
Secondly, cement dust is 100% not retained in the dust collector, and some of it flies through the windings, along the way removing the varnish insulation like sandpaper. Such dispersed dust kills everything that rubs and rotates. 
Adding water to the bottom of the tank doesn't really help. Instead of dust, you will get a lot of dirt, the weight of the bucket, and the filters will still eventually become clogged.
In professional devices, the engine is cooled separately, through special technological holes. Therefore, they are not so afraid of bags completely filled with garbage. 
Moreover, they also have automatic cleaning or shaking. 
In order to intelligently remake a household model, you will need a little more spare parts than in the first case.
Working version of a construction vacuum cleaner from a household one
Main additional element here is a filter bag from nonwoven material. Instances from Karcher are very suitable - article number 2.863-006.0 
Actually, this filter is disposable. Your task is to make a reusable element out of it.
To do this, cut its lower part and fold it a little, slightly reducing the width (up to 22cm).
Next, this lower part needs to be closed with a special lid. You make it from two plastic elements cable channel and a piece of polypropylene pipe. 
Saw the tube lengthwise, with a slot width of approximately 5mm.
Apply them with the back side to the fabric at the bottom. 
Then insert the prepared tube through the slot. 
As a result, from a disposable one you have a reusable filter bag. And much more bigger size than the one installed inside the household model. 
Next, you go through the previously discussed steps to modernize the bucket. Drill holes in the lid and insert rubber corrugated adapters into them. 
One will be for connecting the filter bag, the other will be for the hose. Select the sizes according to the diameters of your devices.
Here you can do without fan pipes and corners. Next, place the plastic insert from the reusable filter onto the adapter. 
All that remains is to tightly close the lid on the bucket. The structure is ready for use.
Although it is similar, it differs from the first option above. After you turn on the unit and begin to suck in debris, it is the homemade reusable dust collector that will collect all the muck and dirt. 
Dust will not fly around as in the previous case. On the contrary, this bag will swell inside the bucket due to the air flow.
Gradually it will be filled with both heavy and small fractions that could have been missed by the cyclone. 
However, do not forget about clogging the walls of the reusable filter and reducing the draft of the cooling air flow. In order not to burn out the motor of a household vacuum cleaner, it is necessary to carry out one more action.
How not to burn a household vacuum cleaner
Most modern models there is a built-in safety valve. It shows when the filters are already clogged and at this moment additional air flow opens.
True, this is already considered emergency. Your task is not to wait for the valve to operate, but to use a slightly different trick.
Some devices have a draft regulator directly on the handle in the form of a hole that opens or closes. It should just be opened slightly for any type of work. 
If you do not have such a factory regulator, you can drill a small additional hole with a diameter of 12 mm in the bucket lid itself.
Well, and most importantly, do not forget that any household vacuum cleaner, no matter how you modernize it, has a certain lifespan continuous operation. Be sure to record the start time and do not work longer than the prescribed period.
That is, just take breaks. At least to shake the homemade filter. And it just shakes itself along with the bucket.
When the dust container is significantly full, open the lid of the bucket and lightly pull the tube out from the guides at the bottom of the bag. 
It will open and the debris and dust can be removed. After that, put the entire structure back together and continue working. 
Normal operation of the bag is enough for about three full fillings. After this, cement dust in the fabric itself begins to greatly inhibit the air flow.
You will have to either replace the filter with a new one, or not just shake it, but thoroughly clean it of all fine debris and continue working as if nothing had happened.
Today we will tell you about a cyclone filter for a vacuum cleaner in the workshop, because one of the problems that we have to deal with when working with wood is dust removal. Industrial equipment It’s quite expensive, so we’ll make a cyclone with our own hands - it’s not difficult at all.
What is a cyclone and why is it needed?
In a workshop there is almost always a need to remove fairly large debris. Sawdust, small trimmings, metal shavings - all this, in principle, can be caught by a regular vacuum cleaner filter, but it is highly likely to quickly become unusable. In addition, it will not be superfluous to have the opportunity to clean and liquid waste.
The cyclone filter uses aerodynamic vortex to bind debris different sizes. Spinning in a circle, the debris manages to stick together to such a consistency that it can no longer be carried away by the air flow and settles at the bottom. This effect almost always occurs if the air flow passes through a cylindrical container at sufficient speed.
These types of filters are included in many industrial vacuum cleaners, but their cost is by no means affordable for the average person. At the same time, the range of problems solved using homemade devices, not at all anymore. The homemade cyclone can be used both in conjunction with planes, hammer drills or jigsaws, and for removing sawdust or shavings from various kinds machine tools In the end, even simple cleaning with such a device is much easier, because the bulk of dust and debris settles in a container, from where it can be easily removed.
Difference between wet and dry cyclone
To create a swirling flow, the main requirement is that the air entering the container does not follow the shortest path to the exhaust hole. To do this, the inlet pipe must have a special shape and be directed either to the bottom of the container or tangentially to the walls. Using a similar principle, it is recommended to make the exhaust duct rotary, optimally if it is directed towards the cover of the device. The increase in aerodynamic drag due to pipe bends can be neglected.
As already mentioned, a cyclone filter has the potential to remove liquid waste as well. With liquid, everything is somewhat more complicated: the air in the pipe and cyclone is partially rarefied, which promotes the evaporation of moisture and its breaking into very small droplets. Therefore, the inlet pipe must be located as close as possible to the surface of the water or even lowered under it.
In the majority washing vacuum cleaners Air is supplied to the water through a diffuser, so any moisture contained in it is effectively dissolved. However, for greater versatility with a minimum number of alterations, it is not recommended to use such a scheme.
Made from scrap materials
The simplest and affordable option for the cyclone container there will be a bucket of paint or other building mixtures. The volume should be comparable to the power of the vacuum cleaner used, approximately one liter for every 80-100 W.
The bucket lid must be intact and fit tightly onto the body of the future cyclone. It will have to be modified by making a couple of holes. Regardless of the material of the bucket, the easiest way to make holes is required diameter- use homemade compass. IN wooden slats you need to screw in two self-tapping screws so that their tips are at a distance of 27 mm from each other, no more, no less.
The centers of the holes should be marked 40 mm from the edge of the cover, preferably so that they are as far apart as possible. Both metal and plastic can be scratched perfectly with this homemade instrument, forming smooth edges with virtually no burrs.
The second element of the cyclone will be a set of sewer elbows at 90º and 45º. Let us draw your attention in advance that the position of the corners must correspond to the direction of air flow. Their fastening in the housing cover is carried out according to the following scheme:
- The elbow is inserted all the way into the side of the socket. Silicone sealant is first applied under the side.
- WITH reverse side The rubber sealing ring is pulled tightly onto the socket. To be sure, you can additionally compress it with a screw clamp.
The inlet pipe is located with a narrow rotating part inside the bucket, the socket is located on the outside almost flush with the lid. The knee needs to be given another 45º turn and directed obliquely downwards and tangentially to the wall of the bucket. If the cyclone is manufactured with the expectation of wet cleaning, you should increase the outer elbow with a piece of pipe, reducing the distance from the bottom to 10-15 cm.
The exhaust pipe is located in the reverse position and its socket is located under the bucket lid. You also need to insert one elbow into it so that air is taken from the wall, or make two turns for suction from under the center of the lid. The latter is preferable. Don’t forget about the O-rings; for a more reliable fixation and to prevent the knees from turning, you can wrap them with plumber’s tape.
How to adapt the device for machines and tools
To be able to draw in waste when using manual and stationary tools, you will need a system of adapters. Typically, a vacuum cleaner hose ends in a curved tube, the diameter of which is comparable to the fittings for dust bags of power tools. As a last resort, you can seal the joint with several layers of double-sided mirror tape wrapped in vinyl tape to eliminate stickiness.
With stationary equipment everything is more complicated. Dust extraction systems have very different configurations, especially for homemade machines, so we can only give a few useful recommendations:
- If the machine's dust extractor is designed for a 110 mm or larger hose, use plumbing adapters with a 50 mm diameter to connect the corrugated hose of the vacuum cleaner.
- To connect homemade machines to a dust catcher, it is convenient to use press fittings for 50 mm HDPE pipes.
- When designing the dust collector housing and outlet, take advantage of the convection flow created by the tool's moving parts for greater efficiency. For example: a pipe for removing sawdust from circular saw must be directed tangentially to the saw blade.
- Sometimes it is necessary to provide dust suction from different sides of the workpiece, for example, for band saw or a router. Use 50 mm sewer tees and corrugated drain hoses.
Which vacuum cleaner and connection system to use
Usually a vacuum cleaner for homemade cyclone They don’t choose on their own, but use what’s available. However, there are a number of limitations beyond the power mentioned above. If you want to continue using the vacuum cleaner for domestic purposes, then at a minimum you will need to find an additional hose.
The beauty of the sewer elbows used in the design is that they ideally match the diameter of the most common hoses. Therefore, the spare hose can be safely cut into 2/3 and 1/3, the shorter section should be connected to the vacuum cleaner. The other, longer piece, as is, is tucked into the socket of the cyclone inlet pipe. The maximum that is required in this place is to seal the connection silicone sealant or plumber's tape, but usually the planting density is quite high. Especially if there is an o-ring.
The video shows another example of making a cyclone for dust removal in a workshop
To pull a short piece of hose onto the exhaust pipe, the outermost part of the corrugated pipe will have to be leveled. Depending on the diameter of the hose, it may be more convenient to tuck it inside. If the straightened edge does not fit slightly onto the pipe, it is recommended to warm it a little with a hairdryer or indirect flame gas burner. The latter is considered excellent option, because this way the connection will be positioned optimally in relation to the direction of the moving flow.
