From the very beginning of working in the workshop I encountered the problem of removing dust after work. The only available way to clean up the floor was to sweep it. But because of this, an incredible amount of dust rose into the air, which settled in a noticeable layer on furniture, on machines, on tools, in hair and in the lungs. The concrete floor in the workshop made the problem worse. Some solutions have been to spray water before sweeping and use a respirator. However, these are only half measures. Water freezes in winter unheated room and you have to carry it with you, in addition, the water-dust mixture on the floor is difficult to collect and it also does not contribute to the hygiene of the workplace. The respirator, firstly, does not block 100% of the dust, some of it is still inhaled, and secondly, it does not protect against dust settling on the environment. And not all nooks and crannies can be reached with a broom to pick out small debris and sawdust.
In such a situation, the most effective solution it would be to vacuum the room.
However, using a household vacuum cleaner will not work. Firstly, it will have to be cleaned every 10-15 minutes of operation (especially if you work on milling table). Secondly, as the dust container fills up, the suction efficiency decreases. Thirdly, the amount of dust greatly exceeding the calculated values will greatly affect the service life of the vacuum cleaner. Something more specialized is needed here.
There are many ready-made solutions for dust removal in the workshop, however, their cost, especially in light of the 2014 Crisis, does not make them too affordable. Found it on thematic forums interesting solution- use a cyclone filter in conjunction with a regular household vacuum cleaner. All of the listed problems with household vacuum cleaners can be solved by removing dirt and dust from the air to the standard vacuum cleaner dust collector. Some people assemble cyclone filters from traffic cones, others from sewer pipes, others from plywood and whatever their imagination allows. But I decided to buy a ready-made filter with fasteners.
The operating principle is simple - air flow screws into a cone-shaped filter housing and dust is removed from the air under the influence of centrifugal force. In this case, the dust falls through the lower hole into the container under the filter, and the purified air exits through the upper hole into the vacuum cleaner.
One of the common problems in the operation of cyclones is the so-called “carousel”. This is a situation where dirt and sawdust do not fall into the dust collection container, but endlessly swirl inside the filter. This situation arises from too high a flow rate of air created by the turbine of the vacuum cleaner. You need to reduce the speed a little and the “carousel” will disappear. In principle, it does not interfere - the next portion of garbage pushes most of the “carousel” into the container and takes its place. And in the second model, plastic cyclones of this carousel practically do not exist. To eliminate air leaks, I coated the junction of the filter with the lid with hot glue.
I decided to get a larger dust collection container so that I would have to take out the trash less often. I bought a 127 liter barrel, apparently made in Samara - just the right size! I'm going to carry the barrel to the trash can like a grandmother carrying a string bag - on a different cart, so as not to strain herself.
Next is the choice of layout. Some install the dust collection unit permanently and lead channels to the machines. Others simply place a vacuum cleaner and a barrel next to each other and drag them into Right place. I wanted to make a mobile unit on wheels to move everything around the workshop in one unit.
I have a rather small workshop and the issue of saving space is very relevant. Therefore, I decided to choose a layout in which the barrel, filter and vacuum cleaner are located one above the other, occupying a minimum area. It was decided to make the body of the installation from metal. Frame from profile pipe determines the dimensions of the future installation.
When installed vertically, there is a risk of tipping over. To reduce this probability, you need to make the base as heavy as possible. For this purpose, a 50x50x5 corner was chosen as the material for the base, which took almost 3.5 meters.
The noticeable weight of the cart is compensated by the presence of swivel wheels. There were thoughts, if the structure was not stable enough, to pour lead shot or sand into the cavity of the frame. But this was not required.
In order to achieve verticality of the rods, I had to use ingenuity. The recently purchased vice came in handy. Thanks to such simple equipment, it was possible to achieve precise setting of the angles.
It is convenient to move the cart while holding the vertical bars, so I reinforced their attachment points. In addition, this is an additional, albeit not large, weighting of the base. In general, I like reliable things with a margin of safety.
The barrel will be fixed in the installation frame using clamps.
At the top of the rods there is a platform for the vacuum cleaner. Next, holes will be drilled in the corners at the bottom and secured wooden planks using self-tapping screws.
Here, in fact, is the entire frame. It seems to be nothing complicated, but for some reason it took four evenings to assemble it. On the one hand, I didn’t seem to be in a hurry, I worked at my own pace, trying to complete each stage efficiently. But in other way low performance due to lack of heating in the workshop. Safety glasses and a welding mask quickly fog up, impairing visibility, and are bulky outerwear hinders movement. But the task is completed. Besides, there are only a couple of weeks left until spring.
I really didn't want to leave the frame like this. I wanted to paint it. But on all the cans of paint that I found in the store it is written that they can be used at a temperature not lower than +5, and on some even not lower than +15. The thermometer in the workshop shows -3. How to be?
I read thematic forums. People write that you can safely paint even in cold weather, as long as the paint is not on water based and there was no condensation on the parts. And if the paint has a hardener, don’t worry about it at all.
I found in the caches an old, slightly thickened can of Hammerite, which I used to paint a horizontal bar at the dacha back in the summer - . The paint is quite expensive, so I decided to test it in extreme conditions. Instead of the expensive original solvent, Hammerite added a little regular degreaser to make it a little thinner, stirred it to the desired consistency and began painting.
In the summer this paint dried in one hour. It’s hard to say how long it took to dry in the winter, but when I returned to the studio by the evening of the next day, the paint was dry. True, without the promised hammer effect. It's probably the degreaser that's to blame, not negative temperature. Otherwise, no other problems were found. The coating looks and feels reliable. Perhaps it’s not for nothing that this paint costs almost 2,500 rubles in the store.
The cyclone body is made of good plastic and has fairly thick walls. But the attachment of the filter to the barrel lid is quite flimsy - four self-tapping screws screwed into plastic. In this case, significant lateral loads may occur on the hose, which is attached directly to the filter. Therefore, the attachment of the filter to the barrel needs to be strengthened. People have different approaches to solving this problem. Basically, an additional stiffening frame for the filter is assembled. The designs are very varied, but the idea is something like this:
I approached this a little differently. I welded a holder for pipes of a suitable diameter onto one of the rods.
In this holder I clamp the hose, which bears all the twisting and jerking. Thus, the filter housing is protected from any loads. Now you can pull the unit directly behind you by the hose without fear of damaging anything.
I decided to secure the barrel with tightening straps. When I was choosing locks at a hardware store, I made an interesting observation. A five-meter tie-down belt with a foreign-made ratchet lock cost me 180 rubles, and the bare frog-type lock lying next to it cost me 180 rubles. Russian production would have cost me 250 rubles. This is where the triumph of domestic engineering and high technology lies.
Experience has shown that this method of fastening has an important advantage. The fact is that on forums dedicated to these filters they write that barrels like mine, when connecting a powerful vacuum cleaner, can be crushed due to the vacuum that occurs when the inlet hose is clogged. Therefore, during testing, I deliberately blocked the hole in the hose and, under the influence of vacuum, the barrel shrank. But thanks to the very tight grip of the clamps, not the entire barrel was compressed, but only in one place below the hoop a dent appeared. And when I turned off the vacuum cleaner, the dent straightened itself out with a click.
At the top of the installation there is a platform for a vacuum cleaner
I purchased a bagless, almost two-kilowatt monster as a household vacuum cleaner. I was already thinking that this would be useful for me at home.
While buying a vacuum cleaner from an ad, I encountered some inexplicable human stupidity and greed. People sell used items without a guarantee, with a worn-out part of the resource, defects in appearance at prices lower than store prices by some 15-20 percent. And okay, these would be some popular items, but used vacuum cleaners! Judging by the period of posting of advertisements, this trade sometimes lasts for years. And as soon as you start haggling and name an adequate price, you come across rudeness and misunderstanding.
As a result, after a couple of days I finally found an excellent option for 800 rubles. Famous brand, 1900 Watt, built-in cyclone filter (the second one in my system) and another fine filter.
To secure it, I couldn’t think of anything more elegant than pressing it with a tightening strap. In principle, it holds securely.
I had to get a little tricky with connecting the hoses. As a result, we have such a setup. And it works!
Usually when you read reviews from the first use of such things, people are choked with delight. I experienced something similar when I first turned it on. It's no joke - vacuuming in the workshop! Where everyone wears street shoes, where metal shavings and sawdust fly everywhere!
I have never seen this concrete floor, which is impossible to sweep due to the dust stuck in the pores, so clean. Persistent attempts to sweep it up only lead to an increase in the density of dust in the air. And such purity was given to me in a couple of easy movements! I didn't even have to wear a respirator!
We managed to collect what was left after the previous cleaning with a broom into the barrel. When the device is operating, thanks to the transparency of the filter, you can observe streams of dust swirling inside. There was also dust in the dust collector of the vacuum cleaner, but there was a small amount of it and it was a particularly light and volatile fraction.
I'm very pleased with the result. There will be no more dust storms in the workshop. You could say I'm moving to new era.
Advantages of my design:
1. Occupies a minimum area, determined only by the diameter of the barrel.
2. The unit can be carried and pulled by the hose without fear of tearing out the filter.
3. The barrel is protected from crushing when the inlet pipe is clogged.
After some time of using the installation, I still encountered the problem of a lack of rigidity of the barrel.
I purchased a more powerful vacuum cleaner. Household, but it sucks like a beast - it sucks up stones, nuts, screws, tears off plaster and tears bricks out of masonry))
This vacuum cleaner collapsed a blue barrel even without clogging the inlet hose! Tightly wrapping the barrel with clamps did not help. I didn't have my camera with me, it's a shame. But it looks something like this:
On thematic forums they warn about this possibility, but still I did not expect this. With great difficulty, he straightened the barrel and sent it, fairly dented, to the dacha to store water. She is not capable of more.
There were two ways out of this situation:
1. Buy instead plastic barrel metal. But I need to find a barrel of a very specific size so that it fits exactly into my installation - diameter 480, height 800. A superficial search on the Internet did not yield any results.
2. Assemble the box yourself the right size from 15 mm plywood. This is more real.
The box was assembled using self-tapping screws. The joints were sealed using double-sided foam tape.
The cart had to be altered a little - the rear clamp had to be modified to fit a square tank.
The new tank, in addition to strength and increased volume due to right angles, has another important advantage - a wide neck. This allows you to install a garbage bag in the tank. It greatly simplifies unloading and makes it much cleaner (I tied the bag right in the tank and took it out and threw it away without dust). Old barrel didn't allow this.
The lid was sealed with foam insulation for windows
The lid is held in place by four frog locks. They create the necessary tension to seal the cover on the foam gasket. A little higher I wrote about pricing policy on these frog castles. But I had to fork out more.
It worked out well. Cute, functional, reliable. How I love.
A home vacuum cleaner is so commonplace in the household that no one thinks about the principle of its operation. Since the invention of this cleaning assistant, it has been used only possible way separating dust from clean air– filter.
Over the years, the filter element has been improved, from a banal bag made of thick tarpaulin, it has turned into high-tech membranes that retain the smallest particles of debris. However, it was not possible to get rid of the main drawback.
Filter creators are constantly looking for a compromise between cell density and throughput for air. In addition, the dirtier the membrane, the worse the air flow through it.
30 years ago, physicist James Dyson made a breakthrough in dust collection technology.
He invented a compact dust separator that works on the principle of centrifugal force. I must say that this idea was not new. Industrial sawmills have been using centrifugal cyclone-type scorch and chip storage for quite a long time.
But no one thought of applying this physical phenomenon in everyday life. In 1986, he registered a patent for the first cyclonic vacuum cleaner, called G-Force.
In general, there are three ways to separate dust from clean air:
- Filter membrane. The most widespread and cheap way remove dust. Used in most modern vacuum cleaners;
- Water filter. Air with debris passes through a container of water (like in a hookah), all particles remain in liquid medium, a perfectly clean air flow comes out. Such devices have gained popularity, but their use has not become widespread due to high cost.
- Centrifugal dry cleaning filter of the “cyclone” type. It is a compromise in cost and quality of cleaning compared to a membrane and water filter. Let's look at this model in more detail.
Operating principle of a cyclone
The illustration shows the processes occurring in the chamber of a cyclone-type filter.
Contaminated air enters the cylindrical filter housing (2) through the pipe (1). The pipe is located tangentially to the walls of the housing, due to which the air flow (3) twists into a spiral along the walls of the cylinder.
Under the influence of centrifugal force, dust particles (4) are pressed against the inner walls of the housing, and under the influence of gravity they settle into the dust collector (5). Air with the smallest particles of debris (which are not affected by centrifugal force) enters the chamber (6) with a conventional membrane filter. After final cleaning they exit into the receiving fan (7).
The membrane filter is minimally contaminated and only needs to be cleaned occasionally after cleaning. All dirt is simply poured out of the reservoir, and the vacuum cleaner is ready for use again.
Vacuum cleaners with such a filter are cheaper than water ones, but still more expensive compared to membrane ones. Therefore many craftsmen make a “cyclone” type filter with your own hands and connect it to the inlet of a regular vacuum cleaner.
Article about how I did it homemade construction vacuum cleaner
with a cyclone type filter. The performance of this useful homemade product for home You can appreciate it by watching a video of his work.
To demonstrate the work, I collected a bucket of sand. In general, I am satisfied with the result of the work done (given that this is a working prototype layout, so to speak).
I’ll say right away: this article is a statement of my history of creating my first (and, I think, not the last) homemade cyclone vacuum cleaner, and I am in no way going to impose anything on anyone, prove or claim that the solutions described here are the only correct and error-free ones. Therefore, I ask you to be understanding, so to speak, “understand and forgive.” I hope my little experience will be useful to “sick” people like me, for whom “a bad head does not give rest to their hands” (in in a good way this expression).
I once thought about the upcoming renovation and the ensuing consequences in the form of dust, construction debris, etc. And since it is necessary to groove, saw concrete and “perforate”, the experience of the past suggested that it is necessary to look for a solution to these problems. It is expensive to buy a ready-made construction vacuum cleaner, and most of them are designed anyway with a filter (in some models even with a special “shaker”) or a paper bag + filter, which gets clogged, worsens traction, periodically requires replacement and also costs a lot of money. And I just became interested in this topic, and a “pure sporting interest” appeared, so to speak. In general, it was decided to make a cyclone vacuum cleaner. A lot of information was gleaned here: forum.woodtools.ru I did not carry out special calculations (for example, according to Bill Pentz), I did it from what came to hand and according to my own instinct. By chance, I came across this vacuum cleaner on an advertisement website (for 1,100 rubles) and very close to my place of residence. I looked at the parameters, they seem to suit me - he will be a donor!
I decided to make the cyclone body itself metal, because there were strong doubts about how long the plastic walls would last under the influence of “sandpaper” from a stream of sand and pieces of concrete. And also about static electricity when rubbish rubs against its walls, and I didn’t want the future homemade vacuum cleaner threw sparks at its users. And personally, I think that dust accumulation due to static will not have a positive effect on the operation of the cyclone.
The general scheme for constructing a vacuum cleaner is as follows:
The polluted air passes through a cyclone, in which large particles settle into the lower waste container. The rest goes through the car air filter, the engine and through the outlet pipe to the outside. It was decided to make a pipe for the outlet as well, and the dimensions of the inlet and outlet should be the same. This will allow you to use a vacuum cleaner, for example, to blow something off. You can also use an additional hose to release the “exhaust” air outside so as not to raise dust in the room (this suggests the idea of installing this unit as a “built-in” stationary vacuum cleaner somewhere in the basement or on the balcony). Using two hoses at the same time, you can clean all kinds of filters without blowing dust around (blow with one hose, draw in with the other).
The air filter was chosen to be “flat”, not ring-shaped, so that when turned off, any debris that gets there falls into the garbage bin. If we take into account that only the dust remaining after the cyclone gets into the filter, then it will not be necessary to replace it soon, as in a regular construction vacuum cleaner with a filter without a cyclone. Moreover, the price of such a filter (about 130 rubles) is much cheaper than the “branded” ones that are used in industrial vacuum cleaners. You can also partially clean such a filter with a regular household vacuum cleaner by connecting it to the inlet pipe of the “cyclone”. In this case, garbage will not be sucked out of the garbage disposal. The filter mount is made dismountable to simplify its cleaning and replacement.
For the cyclone body, a suitable one was found very conveniently can, and the central pipe is made from a can of polyurethane foam.
The inlet pipe is made with plastic sewer pipe 50 mm into which the hose included in the vacuum cleaner is inserted quite tightly with an appropriate rubber coupling.
The second end of the pipe goes into a rectangle, so to speak, to “straighten” the flow. Its width was chosen based on the smallest diameter of the hose inlet (32 mm) so as not to clog. Approximate calculation: L= (3.14*50 mm - 2*32)/2=46.5 mm. Those. pipe cross-section 32*46 mm.
I assembled the entire structure by soldering with acid and a 100-watt soldering iron (it was almost the first time I worked with tin, except for soldering boats in childhood, so I apologize for the beauty of the seams)
The central pipe was soldered. The cone was made using a pre-fitted cardboard template.
The housing for the autofilter is also made from galvanized templates.
The upper part of the central pipe of the air duct was bent in the shape of a square and the lower hole of the autofilter body (pyramid) was adjusted to it. Put it all together. I made three guides on the sides of the cyclone can to increase rigidity and fastening. The result is something like this “gravity”.
For the garbage disposal and the engine compartment I used 2 barrels of machine oil (60 liters). A little big, of course, but this is what we managed to find. I made holes in the bottom of the engine compartment for attaching the cyclone, and glued sponge rubber onto the contact surface of the garbage disposal to seal around the perimeter. After that, I cut a hole in the sidewall for the inlet pipe, taking into account the thickness of the rubber cuff.
The “gravitapu” cyclone was secured with M10 studs and nuts with fluoroplastic to prevent unscrewing due to vibration. Here and further, all places where tightness is necessary were connected with a rubber seal (or rubber washers) and auto sealant.
To connect the engine compartment and the garbage bin I used latches from the military wooden boxes(special thanks to Igor Sanych!). I had to leaven them a little in a solvent and “adjust” them with a hammer. Fastened with rivets (with rubber gaskets from the chamber).
After that, for greater rigidity and noise reduction, I foamed the entire structure polyurethane foam. You can, of course, fill everything to the top, but I decided to play it safe in case the need arises to take it apart. In addition, everything turned out quite tough and strong.
For ease of movement and carrying of the garbage bin, I attached 2 door handles and 4 wheels with brakes. Since the waste container barrel has a flange at the bottom, to install the wheels it was necessary to make an additional “bottom” from a plastic sheet 10 mm thick. In addition, this made it possible to strengthen the bottom of the barrel so that it would not “squish” when the vacuum cleaner was running.
The base for attaching the filter funnel and the engine platform was made of chipboard with fastening to the barrel along the perimeter with furniture “Euro-screws”. To fix the engine platform, I glued 8 M10 bolts onto epoxy (I think 4 would be enough). Painted it. I sealed the perimeter of the filter installation site with sponge rubber.
When assembling, I coated the neck of the autofilter housing around the perimeter with sealant and tightened it to the base with flat-headed self-tapping screws.
The engine platform was made from 21 mm plywood. For a more uniform distribution of air over the filter area, I used a router to select a 7 mm recess in the area.
To collect the exhaust air and mount the engine, the plastic engine compartment found in the vacuum cleaner was used. “Everything unnecessary” was cut off from it and the outlet pipe was glued onto epoxy reinforced with self-tapping screws. Everything is assembled together using sealant and using metal profile(thick sponge rubber is inserted into it) is pulled to the engine platform with two long M12 bolts. Their heads are recessed flush into the platform and filled with hot-melt adhesive for tightness. Nuts with fluoroplastic to prevent unscrewing due to vibration.
Thus, a removable motor module was obtained. For easy access to the auto filter, it is secured using eight wing nuts. The oversized washers are glued (the shrouds have not escaped).
I made a hole for the outlet pipe.
I painted the entire “pepelats” black from a spray can, after sanding and degreasing.
The engine speed controller used the existing one (see photo), adding to it homemade circuit to automatically start the vacuum cleaner when you turn on the power tool.
Explanations for the homemade vacuum cleaner diagram:
Automatic devices (2-pole) QF1 and QF2 protect, respectively, the circuits for connecting power tools (socket XS1) and the speed control circuit of the vacuum cleaner engine. When the tool is turned on, its load current flows through diodes VD2-VD4 and VD5. They were selected from the reference book due to the large voltage drop across them with forward current. On a chain of three diodes, when one (let’s call it “positive”) half-wave of current flows, a pulsating voltage drop is created which, through fuse FU1, Schottky diode VD1 and resistor R2, charges capacitor C1. Fuse FU1 and varistor RU1 (16 Volt) protect the control circuit from damage due to overvoltage, which can occur, for example, due to a break (burnout) in the chain of diodes VD2-VD4. The Schottky diode VD1 is selected with a low voltage drop (to “save” the already small Volts) and prevents the discharge of capacitor C1 during the “negative” half-wave of the current through the diode VD5. Resistor R2 limits the charging current of capacitor C1. The voltage received at C1 opens optocoupler DA1, the thyristor of which is connected to the control circuit of the engine speed controller. The variable resistor R4 for regulating the motor speed is selected with the same value as in the vacuum cleaner regulator board (it is removed) and is made remote (in the housing from the dimmer) for placement on the top cover of the vacuum cleaner. A resistor R removed from the board is soldered in parallel to it. The “on/off” switch S2 in the open circuit of the resistor R4 is used to manually turn on the vacuum cleaner. Switch S1 “automatic/manual”. In manual control mode, S1 is turned on and the regulator current flows through the chain R4 (R) - S2 is turned on - S1. In automatic mode, S1 is turned off and the regulator current flows through the chain R4 (R) – pins 6-4 DA1. After turning off the power tool, due to the large capacity of capacitor C1 and the inertia of the motor, the vacuum cleaner continues to work for about 3-5 seconds. This time is enough to draw the remaining debris from the hose into the vacuum cleaner.
The automatic start circuit is assembled on a breadboard. Switches S1, S2, dimmer housing (to accommodate variable resistor R4) and socket XS1 were selected from one not very expensive series, so to speak, for aesthetics. All elements are placed on the top cover of the vacuum cleaner, made of 16 mm chipboard and covered with PVC edging. In the future, it will be necessary to make insulated housings for the boards to protect live parts from accidental contact.
To power the vacuum cleaner, a three-core flexible cable in rubber insulation KG 3*2.5 (5 meters) and a plug with a grounding contact were selected (do not forget about electrical safety and fight static electricity). Considering the short-term intermittent operation of the vacuum cleaner together with a power tool, the selected cable cross-section is sufficient not to heat up. A thicker cable (for example, KG 3*4) is correspondingly heavier and rougher, which would create inconvenience when using a vacuum cleaner. It was decided to discard the device for winding the cable, which was in the donor vacuum cleaner, since the contacts existing there would not withstand the total load of the vacuum cleaner and power tool.
The top cover is secured with a pin and wing nut.
To make it easier to remove the top cover, the motor is connected to the control circuit via a connector. The motor housing and the vacuum cleaner are connected to a protective grounding conductor. To cool the regulator circuit, I drilled a small hole in the outlet pipe to create an air flow inside the engine compartment housing.
In order to be able to insert a garbage bag into the garbage bin, the top edge was covered with a rubber door seal cut lengthwise.
To prevent the garbage bag from being sucked into the cyclone due to air leaks through leaks, it is necessary to make a small hole in it.
The finalization and testing of the resulting vacuum cleaner took place when the repairs had already begun, so to speak, in “combat” conditions. The traction, of course, is many times more powerful than that of a household vacuum cleaner, which would not be enough for even a couple of minutes of work with construction waste. Relatively heavy concrete debris is almost completely deposited in the garbage container and the additional filter does not need to be cleaned for a long time, while the draft is uniform and does not depend on the degree of filling of the garbage container. Dust from putty (in the form of flour) is very light and, accordingly, is less filtered by the cyclone, which forces you to periodically clean the autofilter. The task of making a vacuum cleaner was not set and therefore no test was carried out for this function.
CONCLUSION and CONCLUSIONS:
The resulting device eventually turned out to be functional and has already been tested during the renovation of one room. Now I consider it more like a working model from the “will it work or not for fun” series.
The main disadvantages of this design:
— relatively large dimensions are not convenient for transportation in a car, although the vacuum cleaner moves around the room very easily on wheels. You can use 30 liter barrels for example. As operation has shown, such a large garbage container is inconvenient to clean, and a bag with a large amount of garbage can tear.
— the diameter of the hose can be increased, for example, to 50 mm and a hose from an industrial vacuum cleaner can be used (but the question of price arises from 2000 rubles). Although even with the existing hose, the debris collects quite quickly, unless, of course, you try to pull in half a brick.
— it is necessary to make an easily removable mount for the additional auto filter and engine for more convenient and quick maintenance and cleaning.
— you can include a thermal relay in the control circuit (just determine the response temperature) to protect the engine from overheating.
Poor screening of light fine dust, which can be solved by introducing a second stage of smaller cyclones.
In conclusion, I would like to thank all my friends who helped with ideas and materials in the construction of this “pepelats”. And separate Thanks a lot my beloved wife Yulia for supporting me in my hobbies.
I hope my little experience will be useful to readers.
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?
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.
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. 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
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. height 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 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 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.
- 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 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 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.
Co 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 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 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.
About filters.
The cyclone filter does not retain more than 97% of dust. Therefore, additional filters are often added to them. From English “HEPA” is translated as “High Efficiency Particulate Air” - a filter for particles contained in the air. 
Do you agree that even you cannot imagine your life without such necessary equipment as a vacuum cleaner? They cope not only with dust, but also with dirt.
Of course, vacuum cleaners can be used not only at home, but they also come in different types: battery-powered, washing, and pneumatic. As well as automobile, low-voltage industrial, backpack, gasoline, etc.
Operating principle of a cyclone vacuum cleaner
James Dyson is the first creator of the cyclone vacuum cleaner. His first creation was G-Force in 1986.
A little later in the 1990s, he submitted a request to manufacture cyclone devices and had already assembled his own center for the creation of vacuum cleaners. In 1993, his first vacuum cleaner, known as the Dayson DC01, went on sale.
So, how does this cyclone-type miracle work?
It appears that the creator, James Dyson, was a remarkable physicist. Thanks to centrifugal force, it is involved in collecting dust.
The device has two chambers and is divided into two types - external and internal. The air that spins inside the dust collector moves upward, as if in a spiral. 
According to the law, large dust particles fall into the outer chamber, and everything else remains in the inner chamber. And the purified air leaves the dust collector through filters. This is how vacuum cleaners work cyclone filter.
Vacuum cleaners with a cyclone filter, features
Do not opt for those models that require little power. You will definitely not like this kind of cleaning and most likely, you will want to throw away such a device.
Don't waste your money, but take a more serious approach to buying a vacuum cleaner. You just have to contact the sales consultant and he will help you with choosing a particular vacuum cleaner.
You should choose a device that is 20-30% more powerful than a bagged vacuum cleaner. It is best to take the one with a power of 1800 W. Almost all vacuum cleaner manufacturers produce models with this filter, which is good news.
Advantages of cyclone dust collectors
1. This has probably happened to everyone, when an item you accidentally needed ended up in the dust collector? Now this is not a problem because it is transparent! And you will always be able to notice objects that need to be pulled out of there as quickly as possible.
This is one of the most important advantages.
2. The power of such vacuum cleaners is maximum and does not reduce speed and power, even when the container is clogged. Cleaning is much more enjoyable, power does not drop, cleaning is cleaner.
This vacuum cleaner is capable of holding much more than you imagine. Up to 97%!!! Not likely, right? Although some are dissatisfied with this result, as they prefer vacuum cleaners with a water filter.
3. By buying a cyclone vacuum cleaner, you are not only making a good purchase, but also saving space for storing it, since its weight is quite light. You won't have to carry heavy weights. 
4. There is no need to constantly change paper bags for the vacuum cleaner.
5. Power. She is not lost from fullness.
6. It can be washed thoroughly with water and dried.
Disadvantages of cyclone dust collectors
1. One of the disadvantages of these vacuum cleaners is not very pleasant. This is washing and cleaning the filter. Of course, you won’t have to clean the container with a brush every day, but still, this is one of the disadvantages. Laziness is present in every person. Yes, of course it’s unpleasant to face the fact that you need to get your hands dirty.
2. Noise. The noise from this type of vacuum cleaner is much greater than from a regular one.
3. Energy consumption. It is also much higher than that of a conventional vacuum cleaner. It's a small tornado.
It's up to you to decide whether to buy this little miracle or not. In fact, all its advantages outweigh its few shortcomings. A clean house is much nicer than a half-finished tidy, wouldn’t you agree?
Personal impressions
Compared to an old vacuum cleaner, the cyclonic dust collector looks quite modest in size. It is impossible to believe that such a little thing is capable of something serious. Now the old vacuum cleaner can only be used for wet cleaning.
When I use it for the first time, I take out the accessories, insert a small diameter pipe, turn on the device, and what’s really surprising is that the brush cleans the carpets much better than my previous assistant.
He cleans everything. Dirt, hair from our pets. Previously, you had to make a lot of effort to cope with such “now little things”.
I have laminated flooring in my hallway and it was just as easy to clean. The fact is that I have another brush in stock, tougher than the previous one for carpets, so I coped with this task so easily. You know, the sound of this vacuum cleaner is not as loud as they wrote about it on the Internet. 
I am pleased with this device because it is light and not so loud. I also liked the compartment for storing everything the necessary attachments, it is very convenient that it is built into the vacuum cleaner itself.
Once I knew what this little tornado could do, it was time to clean out the container. Thank God, when I started emptying the dust collector, it fell in dense, large clumps.
Since the debris was compacted by the air flow. No clouds of dust were visible, and it did not rise into the air! So I finished my first cleaning with my cyclone vacuum cleaner. I rinsed the container and that was the end of the cleaning!
Cyclone for vacuum cleaner photo
All vacuum cleaners are designed for one purpose - cleanliness. It's about about all vacuum cleaners
Industrial and construction vacuum cleaners are usually used on machines or for cleaning any premises. These vacuum cleaners are quite expensive, since the operating principle of the cyclone filter vacuum cleaner must be selected carefully.
You should also know that industrial devices are most often used during repairs and construction. Leave yours workplace needs to be clean.
DIY cyclone, made of transparent plastic video
Construction work is carried out after preparing it and cleaning the surface. As you understand, General cleaning impossible to do with a regular vacuum cleaner. In other words, this is fraught with damage to the device.
Even small debris such as sand, oil, dry mixtures, powdered abrasives and wood shavings are designed only for an industrial vacuum cleaner.
If you suddenly go to choose a vacuum cleaner for construction work, then be sure to specify the types of pollution that it will encounter.
Are you planning to use a vacuum cleaner in a repair environment? Then consider the DIY cyclone vacuum cleaner option. There are many examples of how you can make this kind of vacuum cleaner.
DIY cyclone for vacuum cleaner
1. In order to make such a vacuum cleaner yourself, you will need a Ural PN-600 Vacuum Cleaner, a plastic bucket (even suitable for paint), a pipe 20 cm long and 4 cm in diameter.
2. The nameplate is also unscrewed, and the holes need to be sealed.
3. The pipe is quite thick and will not fit into the hole, so you need to grind off the rivets using a grinder and remove the pipe fastenings. Before doing this, remove the springs with clamps. Wrap electrical tape around the plug and insert it onto the plug.
4. At the bottom, make a hole in the middle with a drill. Then expand it to 43 mm with a special tool.
5. To seal it, cut out gaskets with a diameter of 4 mm.
6. Then you need to put everything together, the bucket lid, gasket, centering pipe.
7. Now we need self-tapping screws 10 mm long and 4.2 mm in diameter. You will need 20 self-tapping screws.
8. Cut a hole from the side of the bucket along the suction pipe. The cutout angle should be 10-15 degrees.
9. We try on and edit the shape of the hole using special scissors that cut for metal.
10. Don’t forget that you need to try on the inside too. Also leave strips on the inside for self-tapping screws.
11. Using a marker, mark the hole in the bucket and trim off the excess material with scissors. Attach the pipe to the outside of the bucket.
12. To seal everything you need to use a 30x bandage. From an ordinary first aid kit and glue like “titanium” for polystyrene foam. Wrap a bandage around the pipe and soak it with glue. Preferably more than once!
13. While the glue is drying, you can check how this vacuum cleaner will work. Turn on the vacuum cleaner and load it, blocking the nozzle with your palm. When checking the operation of the vacuum cleaner, the process of sealing and connection with the pipe is improved. It is unlikely that he will soon become obsolete.
14. It is best to store the vacuum cleaner in a case.