Homemade cyclone for the workshop. Homemade cyclone-type construction vacuum cleaner Cyclone filter for sawdust

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 be able to remove 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.

This kind of filters are included in the kit of 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 bell is located with 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 made with wet cleaning in mind, you should extend 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 o-rings, for more reliable fixation and to prevent rotation of the knees, they can be wrapped with plumber’s tape.

How to adapt the device for machines and tools

To be able to draw in waste when using hand-held 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 connection in several layers double sided tape for mirrors, wrapped with 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 extraction from different sides workpiece, for example, for band saw or a router. Use 50mm sewer tees and corrugated hoses for drains.

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 section, 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 an excellent option, because this way the connection will be positioned optimally in relation to the direction of the moving flow.

During machining various materials may form large quantities o shavings. With its removal manually many difficulties arise. To significantly simplify the procedure under consideration, they began to use special devices, called chip ejectors. They can be found in specialized stores; the cost varies over a fairly wide range, which is associated with functionality, performance and popularity of the brand. If desired, such equipment can be made with your own hands, for which it is enough to know the types and principles of operation.

Operating principle

You can do a cyclone-type chip ejector with your own hands only after determining the basic principles of operation. The features include the following points:

A corrugated hose of small cross-section is connected to the main body, which concentrates and enhances traction. The tip may have different attachments, it all depends on the specific task at hand.
At the top of the structure there is a motor, which is directly connected to the impeller. During rotation, the air is discharged, thereby creating the required thrust.
During suction, the chips settle in a special container, and the air is discharged through a special pipe on which a coarse filter is installed.
A fine filter is also installed at the outlet pipe, which traps small particles and dust.

In general, we can say that the operating principle of cyclone-type chip ejectors is quite simple, due to which the design is characterized by reliability.

Types of chip ejectors

Almost all models of cyclone chip ejectors are similar. In this case, the main mechanisms, for example, the engine or the cyclone system, may differ slightly, which determines the main classification. All cyclone type chip extractors can be divided into several categories:

For household use.
Universal.
For professional use.

When choosing a model for a home workshop, you should pay attention to the first two groups of equipment. This recommendation is due to the fact that their cost should be relatively low, while the performance will be sufficient.

If you frequently carry out work in the workshop, there is a large amount of shavings and if you provide professional cleaning services for workshops and other premises, you should consider when choosing cyclone-type chip ejectors from the professional group. This is due to the fact that it is characterized by higher performance and reliability, and can withstand long-term use.

Cyclone type chip suction device

Most models resemble a regular vacuum cleaner, which, due to its strong traction, sucks up large and small chips. However, even a powerful and high-quality vacuum cleaner cannot be used to clean the workshop. Main structural elements can be called:

A flange-type electric motor is installed, the power of which is only 3.5 kW.
To discharge the air, a fan with a durable and mechanically resistant impeller is installed. It must be large enough to produce the required thrust.
The cyclone is designed to purify the air that will be exhausted outside. Its device is designed to filter large elements.
A multi-stage filter significantly increases the efficiency of the procedure. This is due to the fact that at the primary stage, large elements are separated, after which small ones are separated. Through multi-stage cleaning, you can significantly extend the life of the filter and increase its efficiency.
The lower cyclone is intended for direct collection of chips.
A collection bag made of durable material is designed to temporarily store chips and other debris that have been separated from the passing air flow.

High-quality models have a sealed body, which is lined with sound-absorbing panels. To control a cyclone-type chip extractor, an electrical or mechanical unit is placed; there must be a special hole for connecting a corrugated hose with a nozzle.

It is not difficult to make a cyclone-type chip extractor with your own hands, since it is in many ways similar to a conventional vacuum cleaner with a large number of filter elements and high power. The woodworking cyclone device is characterized by high reliability; if the operating instructions are followed, the device will last a long time.

Design features

In most cases, when self-production A cyclone-type chip ejector is equipped with a low- and medium-capacity motor, which can be powered from a standard 220V network.

More powerful units are equipped with three-phase motors, powered by living conditions Quite a lot of difficulties arise.

Among design features It should be noted that the impeller is installed to ensure spiral turbulence of the air flow. In this case, heavy particles are dumped into a special container, after which centrifugal force again lifts the air to remove it.

Preparatory work

When making a structure with your own hands, you can save a lot, but some mechanisms still cannot be assembled yourself. An example would be the most suitable motor and impeller. TO preparatory stage The following actions may include:

Formation of an action plan for assembling homemade equipment.
Searching for a suitable electric motor, checking its condition.
Selection of other mechanisms that cannot be made by hand.

In a carpentry workshop, much of what is required to create cyclone-type chip ejectors can be made with your own hands.

Tools

Depending on the chosen scheme, the most various instruments. The easiest way is to make the outer casing from wood. It is to this that other elements will be connected. The recommended set of tools is as follows:

Indicator and multimeter.
Chisel and other tools for working with wood.
Screwdriver and various screwdrivers, hammer.

The simplicity of the design determines that it can be manufactured with the most common tools.

Materials and fasteners

The device being created must be light and airtight, and also withstand the pressure exerted by air swirling. To make it you will need:

The body can be assembled from plywood, the thickness of which is about 4 mm. Due to this, the structure will be durable and lightweight.
To make other parts, you will also need pieces of wood of various thicknesses.
Polycarbonate.
The filter can be taken from a VAZ injection type. Such a filter is cheap and will last quite a long time.
The engine can be removed from an old powerful vacuum cleaner, the impeller will be mounted on the output shaft.
To connect the main elements you will need screws, self-tapping screws, bolts with nuts, and sealant.

After finding everything you need, you can start doing the work.

Making a cyclone filter

As previously noted, making a filter is quite difficult; it is best to purchase a cheap one already ready-made option execution. However, it will also require a sealed seat.

The seat is also made of wood. In this case, the main thing is to correctly select the appropriate diameter of the outlet hole, since too small will lead to a decrease in bandwidth. There is no need to attach the filter, just create a block for it that will fit perfectly in size.

Creating a retaining ring and a shaped insert

To fix the polycarbonate during the manufacture of the case, wooden rings are required. They must have an internal diameter that provides the required volume storage tank. Between the two fixing rings there will be vertical strips holding the polycarbonate sheets.

You can make such rings in a home workshop if you have the appropriate skills and equipment. At the same time, do not forget that they must have high strength.

Installing the Retaining Ring

Assembling the case can begin by placing the locking wheels and polycarbonate sheets. Among the features of this stage the following points can be noted:

The sheets are fixed on both sides with strips.
The connection is made using self-tapping screws.
To improve sealing, slots are created in the lower and upper rings for sheets, after installation of which the seams are sealed with sealant.

After assembling the housing, you can begin installing other structural elements.

Installing the side pipe

In order to eliminate the possibility of rupture of the structure due to clogging of the filter element, a side pipe with safety valve. To do this, a hole is created in the polycarbonate sheet, which is closed on both sides by the body of the safety pipe.

A rubber gasket should be placed between the wooden planks and the wall; the degree of sealing can be increased by using sealant. The element is secured to the body using bolts and nuts.

Top entry installation

Suction of chips and air occurs from the top of the structure. To accommodate the upper input, a small housing is created in which the pipe from the old vacuum cleaner is placed.

When using a special pipe, reliable fixation of the suction hose is ensured, which, moreover, can be quickly removed if necessary. That is why you should not make it yourself.

Installing a shaped insert

A shaped insert is also required to connect the inlet pipe. It must be positioned so that air containing particles can flow in without difficulty.

As a rule, the figure is located opposite the fan, due to which the air flow swirls. It is best to seal the seams with sealant, which will increase the degree of insulation of the structure.

Cyclone filter assembly

After creating a housing to house the filter, it needs to be installed in its place. It is worth considering that there will also be located inside electronic elements, providing power to the electric motor.

Another pipe is removed from the outer part of the cyclone filter housing. It will be needed to divert the air flow.

Principles for choosing a chip ejector and the main manufacturers

Quite a large number of different companies are engaged in the production of cyclone-type chip ejectors. The principle of operation of the device is no different, only the power and reliability of the design increases.

Cyclone-type chip ejectors from foreign brands are more popular; domestic ones are cheaper, but last much less.

Owners of small workshops and just home craftsmen often have to deal with the problem of air purification after intensive work on wood processing and sanding. metal surfaces etc. Conventional room ventilation will not help here; you will need to install specialized equipment. With known skills, you can do it yourself.

Purpose and characteristics of cyclones

A cyclone is a specialized air purification unit (although similar units are also used as chip ejectors, sawdust and other means for removing waste).

As air purifiers industrial structures cyclones must provide suction and dust removal with an efficiency of at least 85...90%, when removing dust fragments with sizes of at least 10...12 microns. They are equipped various designs filters. The most effective are electrostatic precipitators, which simultaneously remove static electricity charges from dust particles.

The principle of operation of the cyclone is as follows. Air enters the snail-shaped inlet space of the cyclone at high speed (up to 20 m/s), for which fans are usually used. The air containing dust particles is swirled and then enters the conical cavity of the device. Features of the geometric structure of the cyclone cause a gradual increase in the speed of the air flow containing dust and other waste. During this process, heavier dust particles self-separation from lighter ones. The former settle to the bottom, and the latter, moving in a cone-shaped space, end up in the dust collector, from where they can be easily removed using a bucket or sealed container. The purified air is released into the atmosphere through the pipe.

The number of cyclones, depending on the requirements for the quality of dust removal, can be made different: there are groups of three, four and even eight single cyclones.

Operational requirements for cyclones include the following parameters:

permissible dispersion of particles that enter the cyclone, microns.
process efficiency, which is expressed in the maximum weight concentration of particles after dust removal, in g/mm 3 ;
cyclone productivity, m 3 /h;
limit temperature of air or gas entering the cyclone socket (more typical for gas cleaning systems than dust removal systems) - usually up to 400...600 °C;
internal diameter of the cyclone, mm.

Except purely design requirements, there are also conditions quality installation air purification devices. For example, if the gaps in the air duct connections are exceeded, air leaks often occur, during which the performance of dust separation from air sharply decreases. The permissible suction value should not be more than 6...8%.

Cyclones not only remove dust from the ambient air, but can also supply clean air into the room.

Construction of a household cyclone

There are no universal cyclones for performing various cleaning operations. For example, the chip ejector must have increased strength of the pipe walls, which will prevent premature wear. Regarding the cyclone intended for collecting and removing sawdust, it is important to provide minimal losses in the intake air ducts. Providing a cyclone for the purpose of cleaning the air from cement dust arising in construction work, special attention pay attention to filter design.

In domestic conditions, cyclones that clean the air from coarse dust are considered the most universal. By changing the design of the filters, such devices can be made for dust removal purposes, as a chip suction unit, or for cleaning the air from sawdust in a woodworking workshop (for example, at an operating sawmill).

The components of such a unit are:

body – includes conical and cylindrical parts, and the shape of the conical part has a predominant influence on the quality of the process;
pipe - one or more, where the original polluted air enters;
an exhaust pipe designed to remove dust-free air;
inlet filter (or their system) as a chip suction device;
receiving bucket;
drive motor;
fan.

All of the listed parts/assemblies can be purchased or made by yourself.

Motor selection

Since a homemade cyclone is installed in a workshop, the main parameter of the engine is its power and the number of rotor revolutions. If there is a fan, motor power special significance does not, since dust particles still end up in a working machine, sawmill, etc. will not hit. However, the power and diameter of the cyclone scroll must be interconnected. With a snail wheel diameter of up to 300...350 mm, a high-speed (required!) engine of up to 1.5 kW is quite suitable. With smaller diameters, the power may be lower, but the cleaning performance will also decrease. Therefore, if there is a metalworking machine in the workshop, a motor of 1 kW or more is accepted.

The power of the electric motor increases significantly if you plan to build a homemade device with your own hands outside the premises. There will be more free space, but cleaning efficiency will decrease, mainly due to losses in the air ducts. It is also worth noting that during the cold season, such a homemade cyclone will effectively “pull” heat from the workshop.

A good option is to purchase an electric motor complete with a volute, the number of which determines the consumer capabilities homemade system air purification. The most common parameters of snails and recommended electric motors for domestic use are shown in the table:

The systems are supplied with rubber vibration isolators. They are capable of creating working pressure from 0.8 kPa and above.

When choosing (or making with your own hands) a snail, preference should be given to a radial air intake pattern rather than a tangential one.

In the latter case, unproductive losses for a homemade snail increase, and the inertia of the particle selection method for the option with a chip suction device will be very low.

When choosing a motor, it is necessary to take into account that the speed of air movement in the device cannot be less than 2.5...3 m/s. If cleaning is unsatisfactory, the elements of a homemade cyclone like a chip suction device (filter, bucket) quickly become clogged with shavings, sawdust and other small waste.

Manufacturing of cyclone elements

On specialized Internet forums you can find drawings of all components of the unit, which are available for making them yourself. Using improvised means, a household (or better yet, an industrial) vacuum cleaner is often remade. Additionally required:

a set of hoses made of translucent corrugated material (this will facilitate visual control of dust particles settled inside). For chip extraction, rubber hoses are more practical;
a soundproofing box that will perform two functions - it will reduce the noise level in the workshop, and additional protection protect all machines and power tools located there from static electricity periodically accumulated by dust. For this purpose, you can make the box yourself from plywood, and decorate the inside with any type of sound insulator;
air ducts for purified air: assembled with your own hands from a thin aluminum sheet and connected to each other with folds;
waste collection container - can be made from an ordinary construction bucket with a capacity of 20 liters or more, which is sealed with the body of a homemade cyclone using a corrugated sleeve;
filter (you can use a filter from trucks), which is installed on the outlet pipe.

A vacuum cleaner converted with your own hands for the needs of dust removal is checked: first at idle, passing normal air through the system, and then with the vacuum cleaner connected to a working machine.

Wood has always been considered environmentally friendly and safe material. Fine wood dust generated during processing wooden blank, is not as harmless as it might seem. Inhaling it does not at all contribute to saturating the body with useful microelements. Accumulating in the lungs and upper respiratory tract (and wood dust is not processed by the body), it slowly but effectively destroys the respiratory system. Large chips constantly accumulate near machines and working tools. It is better to remove it immediately, without waiting for insurmountable blockages to appear in the carpentry space.

In order to maintain the required level of cleanliness in your home carpentry, you can buy an expensive exhaust system consisting of powerful fan, cyclone, chip catchers, chip containers and auxiliary elements. But the users of our portal are not those who are used to buying something that they can do with their own hands. Using their experience, anyone can build an exhaust system with the power to meet the needs of a small home workshop.

Vacuum cleaner for collecting sawdust

Chip extraction using conventional household vacuum cleaner– most budget option of all existing solutions. And if you manage to use your old cleaning assistant, who, out of pity, has not yet been thrown into the trash, it means that your inherent frugality has once again served you well.

ADKXXI User FORUMHOUSE

My vacuum cleaner is over fifty years old (brand: “Uralets”). It copes well with the role of a chip sucker. He is only as heavy as my sins, but he can not only suck, but also blow. Sometimes I take advantage of this opportunity.

By itself, a household vacuum cleaner, installed in a place of honor in the workshop as a chip extractor, will be useless. And the main reason for this is that the volume of the bag (container) for collecting dust is too small. That is why there must be an additional unit between the vacuum cleaner and the machine exhaust system, consisting of a cyclone and a volumetric tank for collecting sawdust.

Osya User FORUMHOUSE

The most easy installation –vacuum cleaner and cyclone. Moreover, the vacuum cleaner can be used at home. Instead of a cyclone (cylindrical cone), a separating cap can be used.

DIY sawdust vacuum cleaner

The design of the chip suction device we are considering is extremely simple.

The device consists of two main modules: a cyclone (item 1) and a container for chips (item 2). The principle of its operation is as follows: using a vacuum cleaner, a vacuum is created in the cyclone chamber. Due to the difference in pressure inside and outside the device, sawdust, along with air and dust, enters the internal cavity of the cyclone. Here, under the influence of inertia and gravity forces, mechanical suspensions are separated from the air flow and fall into the lower container.

Let's look at the design of the device in more detail.

Cyclone

The cyclone can be made in the form of a lid that is installed on top storage capacity, or you can simply combine these two modules. First, let's consider the second option - a cyclone made in the body of a container for chips.

First of all, we should purchase a tank with a suitable volume.

ForceUser FORUMHOUSE user,
Moscow.

Capacity – 65 l. I took it on the principle that I needed volume and convenience when carrying a filled container. This barrel has handles, which is very convenient for cleaning it.

Here is the list additional elements and materials that we will need to assemble the device:

Screws, washers and nuts - for fastening the inlet pipe;
Segment sewer pipe with cuffs;
Transition coupling (from the sewer pipe to the suction pipe of the vacuum cleaner);
Gun with assembly glue.

Do-it-yourself vacuum cleaner from a barrel: assembly sequence

First of all, a hole is made in the side of the tank for the inlet pipe, which will be located tangentially to the body. The figure shows a view from the outside of the tank.

It is advisable to install the pipe in the upper part plastic barrel. This will allow you to achieve the maximum degree of cleaning.

From the inside, the inlet pipe looks like this.

The gaps between the pipe and the walls of the tank should be filled with mounting sealant.

At the next stage, we make a hole in the lid, insert the adapter coupling there and carefully seal all the cracks around the pipe. Ultimately, the design of the chip ejector will look like this.

The vacuum cleaner is connected to the upper outlet of the device, and the pipe that removes chips from the machine is threaded into the side pipe.

As you can see, the presented design is not equipped with additional filters, which does not greatly affect the quality of air purification.

day_61 User FORUMHOUSE

I made a chip pump based on the theme. The basis is a 400 W "Rocket" vacuum cleaner and a 100 liter barrel. After assembly of the unit, tests were successfully carried out. Everything works as it should: sawdust is in the barrel, the vacuum cleaner bag is empty. So far, the dust collector is connected only to the router.

Be that as it may, the cyclone still cannot retain a certain percentage of wood dust. And in order to maximize the degree of cleaning, some users of our portal are thinking about the need to install an additional fine filter. Yes, a filter is needed, but not every filter element will be appropriate.

Osya User FORUMHOUSE

I think that installing a fine filter after the cyclone is not entirely correct. Or rather, you need to install it, but you will be tired of cleaning it (you will have to very often). There the filter fabric will just roll around (like a bag in a vacuum cleaner). In my Corvette, the top bag catches the bulk of the fine dust. I see this when I remove the bottom bag to remove sawdust.

A fabric filter can be created by attaching a frame to the top cover of the cyclone and covering it with dense material (can be tarpaulin).

The main task of the cyclone is to remove sawdust and dust from working area(from a machine, etc.). Therefore, the quality of cleaning the air flow from fine suspended matter plays a secondary role in our case. And, taking into account that a standard dust collector installed in a vacuum cleaner will certainly retain the remaining debris (not filtered by the cyclone), we will achieve the required degree of cleaning.

Cyclone cover

As we have already said, the cyclone can be made in the form of a lid that will be placed on the storage tank. A working example of such a device is shown in the photo.

PointLogs User FORUMHOUSE

The design should be clear from the photographs. The plastic was soldered with a regular soldering iron using a fine steel mesh. The cyclone is quite effective: when filling a 40-liter barrel, no more than a glass of garbage has accumulated in the vacuum cleaner bag.

Despite the fact that this cyclone is part of a homemade construction vacuum cleaner, it can be successfully integrated into the design of a carpentry chip ejector.

Sawdust pipeline

It is better to purchase hoses connected to the chip ejector from a vacuum cleaner. A plastic pipeline with smooth inner walls can be laid along the wall. It will connect the machine to the suction pipe of the cyclone.

A certain danger is posed by static electricity, which is formed during the movement of sawdust through a plastic pipe: sawdust sticking to the walls of the pipeline, ignition of wood dust, etc. If you want to neutralize this phenomenon, it is better to do this during the construction of the sawdust pipeline.

Not all owners of home workshops pay attention to the phenomenon of static electricity inside the sawdust pipe. But if you design the chip suction in accordance with fire safety rules, then you should use a corrugated sawdust pipe with a built-in metal conductor. Connecting such a system to a grounding loop will help avoid problems during operation.

alex_k11 User FORUMHOUSE

Plastic pipes must be grounded. Hoses should be taken with a wire, otherwise static will accumulate very strongly.

But what solution for combating static electricity in plastic pipes is offered by one of FORUMHOUSE users: entwine plastic pipe foil and connect it to the ground loop.

Exhaust devices

The design of devices that remove chips directly from the working parts of carpentry equipment depends on the characteristics of the machines themselves. Therefore, products made of plastic, plywood and other suitable materials can be used as exhaust elements.

To solve this problem, the tank body can be equipped with metal frame, or insert several metal hoops of suitable diameter inside (as suggested by the user alex_k11). The design will be more bulky, but absolutely reliable.

Chip ejector for several machines

A system based on a household vacuum cleaner has low productivity. Therefore, it can only serve one machine at a time. In other words, if there are several machines, the suction pipe will have to be connected to them alternately. It is also possible to install the chip ejector centrally. But to ensure that the suction power does not drop, idle machines should be disconnected from common system using gates (dampers).

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 is quite expensive, so we will make a cyclone with our own hands - it’s not difficult at all.

What is a cyclone and why is it needed?

The cyclone filter uses aerodynamic vortex to bind particles of different sizes together. 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.

This kind of filters are included in the kit of 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 is not at all narrower. A homemade cyclone can be used both in conjunction with planes, hammer drills or jigsaws, and for removing sawdust or shavings from various types of 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

Most washing vacuum cleaners introduce air into 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 most affordable option for a cyclone container would 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 of the required diameter is to use a homemade compass. You need to screw two self-tapping screws into a wooden strip so that their points are 27 mm apart 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 are excellently scratched with such a homemade tool, forming smooth edges with virtually no burrs.

The elbow is inserted all the way into the side of the socket. Silicone sealant is first applied under the side.
On the reverse side, a 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 made with wet cleaning in mind, you should extend 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 hand-held 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.

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: the pipe for removing sawdust from a circular saw should be directed tangentially to the saw blade.
Sometimes it is necessary to provide dust suction from different sides of the workpiece, for example, for a band saw or router. Use 50 mm sewer tees and corrugated drain hoses.

Which vacuum cleaner and connection system to use

Usually, you don’t choose a vacuum cleaner for a homemade cyclone yourself, but use the one that is 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 section, 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 with silicone sealant or plumbing tape, but usually the fit 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 an indirect flame of a gas burner. The latter is considered an excellent option, because this way the connection will be positioned optimally in relation to the direction of the moving flow.