Mike Becker
11-28-2005, 11:26 AM
As a new member of the forum I figure it's time for me to share some of my woodworking related experiences. This one is for a fairly decent cyclone-based dust collection system using a GMA 6" cyclone, which can be found here www.cycloneseparator.com (http://www.cycloneseparator.com)
Before proceeding with this cyclone project I was using a PSI DC2000 single-stage dust collector with one of their 1-micron cannister filters mounted in place of the top bag. This system worked well but only briefly - once the filter became coated with dust the machine's suction went away and cranking on the filter's clean-out handle did little good. A cyclone-based system was needed, no question about it. So why didn't I start with a cyclone to begin with - one good reason, my shop measures only 10'x11'x8' high (really!). And since I have just about every major tool needed for woodworking hidden somewhere in the building, spare room is at a premium. In the end though, I ended up with MORE available room with the cyclone system!!! Yeah, I can't believe it either...
OK, to begin the project I stripped down the DC2000 as I wanted to use it's base and blower in the same way Dizzy did with his cyclone, which can be found here:
dizzy's Cyclone Project
http://home.pacbell.net/jdismuk/cyclone.html
Once the DC2000 was apart I turned my attention to a post here on the forum by Andy Howard:
VERY LONG Cyclone Separator Review (dc to cyclone conversion) - Sawmill Creek
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=22907
After reading and rereading Andy's post several times as well as every other cyclone-related post I could find (thanks Mr. Pentz!) plus emailing Allan Johanson with all of my DC/cyclone questions (thanks again Allan) I ordered the GMA cyclone and made the same mods to mine as Andy did to his, with one addition, I added the air ramp. I won't go into details on the method I used to mount the blower to the cyclone but will respond to anyone that may be interested. I do have images...
As for mounting the air ramp, it wasn't that hard. The hardest part was getting myself to forget about making it perfect and to just "go with the flow". I soldered the ramp where it touches the top and bottom of the inlet pipe as well as at any place it touched the outside wall of the cylinder. There weren't many places, just enough to add some rigidity to the ramp. What REALLY makes it rigid is the polyurethane caulk I used to seal the ramp along it's outside edge. When the caulking cured, the ramp became very rigid.
It's inside edge I didn't even worry about sealing as the air's speed should be very low at that point (as per Bill Pentz) and since the cyclone's top cover will seal that area above the ramp, I saw no need for worry. To make clearance for the air outlet pipe (I stayed with the stock 7" air outlet) I first flattened the air inlet pipe just enough to allow for the outlet to clear it then, while using tin snips, I removed any part of the air ramp that prevented the outlet from sliding inside it. Just watch out for those very sharp edges - they bite!!!!
For a filter I ordered a Wynn Env. 9E300BL, a filter with one end sealed so it could be mount it inside a box, which is what was needed for safety reasons. Since I have little room to maneuver things around, the filter getting struck was a real possibility if left exposed! In the attached image I have the filter being fed with the OEM 5" hose which has since been replaced with a 6" hose. Also, I use 6" S&D PVC pipe for the two branches, one of which is just for my jointer while the other is used with the TS, planer and whatever other machine needing dust collection. I have 6" hose going to those machines too with nothing being reduced! The blast gates are homemade and can be found here:
Building a Dust Collection Blast Gate
http://benchmark.20m.com/articles/BlastGate/blastgatebuilding.html
How does it work? Well, very well indeed! With one trash bin (30-gallon can) being filled I pulled the cover off of the filter enclosure to have a peek inside and was surprised to see very little dust. I then removed the filter, tapped it on the bench to see what would have fallen out of it and ended up seeing nothing. In the dust bin there was a mix of chips and talcum powder-like dust. Yeah, it does seem to work.
Guys, sometimes we just cannot make use of the "best" available, in those cases we most make use of what will work well for us, me using a GMA cyclone is one of those times - I don't have room for a Pentz-designed cyclone but this one does indeed work. But don't forget the mods that Andy and I have done to make them work as well as they do! To be honest, I have no idea as to how well the original, unmodified, cyclone works. All I know is what I have in front of me and mine does work well. I would recommend this cyclone to anyone, as long as the mods are made to it first. I have no idea how it will work without these mods...
FYI - here is what my setup looks like. The filter is located inside the brown box to the right of the cyclone:
26645
Well, that's it. It's up and running and working well. I want to thank the sys-ops and admins for brewing up such a fine and sane place for info exchange for we woodworkers. Thank you too for all of the unnamed people that have helped unknowingly with my cyclone project. I did a lot of research before starting it.
Mike
Before proceeding with this cyclone project I was using a PSI DC2000 single-stage dust collector with one of their 1-micron cannister filters mounted in place of the top bag. This system worked well but only briefly - once the filter became coated with dust the machine's suction went away and cranking on the filter's clean-out handle did little good. A cyclone-based system was needed, no question about it. So why didn't I start with a cyclone to begin with - one good reason, my shop measures only 10'x11'x8' high (really!). And since I have just about every major tool needed for woodworking hidden somewhere in the building, spare room is at a premium. In the end though, I ended up with MORE available room with the cyclone system!!! Yeah, I can't believe it either...
OK, to begin the project I stripped down the DC2000 as I wanted to use it's base and blower in the same way Dizzy did with his cyclone, which can be found here:
dizzy's Cyclone Project
http://home.pacbell.net/jdismuk/cyclone.html
Once the DC2000 was apart I turned my attention to a post here on the forum by Andy Howard:
VERY LONG Cyclone Separator Review (dc to cyclone conversion) - Sawmill Creek
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=22907
After reading and rereading Andy's post several times as well as every other cyclone-related post I could find (thanks Mr. Pentz!) plus emailing Allan Johanson with all of my DC/cyclone questions (thanks again Allan) I ordered the GMA cyclone and made the same mods to mine as Andy did to his, with one addition, I added the air ramp. I won't go into details on the method I used to mount the blower to the cyclone but will respond to anyone that may be interested. I do have images...
As for mounting the air ramp, it wasn't that hard. The hardest part was getting myself to forget about making it perfect and to just "go with the flow". I soldered the ramp where it touches the top and bottom of the inlet pipe as well as at any place it touched the outside wall of the cylinder. There weren't many places, just enough to add some rigidity to the ramp. What REALLY makes it rigid is the polyurethane caulk I used to seal the ramp along it's outside edge. When the caulking cured, the ramp became very rigid.
It's inside edge I didn't even worry about sealing as the air's speed should be very low at that point (as per Bill Pentz) and since the cyclone's top cover will seal that area above the ramp, I saw no need for worry. To make clearance for the air outlet pipe (I stayed with the stock 7" air outlet) I first flattened the air inlet pipe just enough to allow for the outlet to clear it then, while using tin snips, I removed any part of the air ramp that prevented the outlet from sliding inside it. Just watch out for those very sharp edges - they bite!!!!
For a filter I ordered a Wynn Env. 9E300BL, a filter with one end sealed so it could be mount it inside a box, which is what was needed for safety reasons. Since I have little room to maneuver things around, the filter getting struck was a real possibility if left exposed! In the attached image I have the filter being fed with the OEM 5" hose which has since been replaced with a 6" hose. Also, I use 6" S&D PVC pipe for the two branches, one of which is just for my jointer while the other is used with the TS, planer and whatever other machine needing dust collection. I have 6" hose going to those machines too with nothing being reduced! The blast gates are homemade and can be found here:
Building a Dust Collection Blast Gate
http://benchmark.20m.com/articles/BlastGate/blastgatebuilding.html
How does it work? Well, very well indeed! With one trash bin (30-gallon can) being filled I pulled the cover off of the filter enclosure to have a peek inside and was surprised to see very little dust. I then removed the filter, tapped it on the bench to see what would have fallen out of it and ended up seeing nothing. In the dust bin there was a mix of chips and talcum powder-like dust. Yeah, it does seem to work.
Guys, sometimes we just cannot make use of the "best" available, in those cases we most make use of what will work well for us, me using a GMA cyclone is one of those times - I don't have room for a Pentz-designed cyclone but this one does indeed work. But don't forget the mods that Andy and I have done to make them work as well as they do! To be honest, I have no idea as to how well the original, unmodified, cyclone works. All I know is what I have in front of me and mine does work well. I would recommend this cyclone to anyone, as long as the mods are made to it first. I have no idea how it will work without these mods...
FYI - here is what my setup looks like. The filter is located inside the brown box to the right of the cyclone:
26645
Well, that's it. It's up and running and working well. I want to thank the sys-ops and admins for brewing up such a fine and sane place for info exchange for we woodworkers. Thank you too for all of the unnamed people that have helped unknowingly with my cyclone project. I did a lot of research before starting it.
Mike