1.5 hp Oneida Cyclone - Closet or no closet?

[Bryan Nuss]

Hello all,

Just received my new cyclone (gloat!) yesterday. It has the external filter with built-in silencer and the 35 gal drum.

Before I mount it, I was wondering if maybe I should plan to put it in a closet to reduce the noise. I haven't heard one running yet. My shop (garage) is 20' x 22' with one single garage door to one side. I don't have a lot of room to build a closet, but could spare 2'-6" x 4'-6" to enclose both the cyclone/drum and the external filter together if the noise level is rather high (my garage is attached to the house). Is it desirable to enclose the cyclone AND the filter, or just the cyclone?

Onedia recommends a 2 sq.ft. louvre. Would that be enough if I built an "S" bend 1' x 2' plywood duct out of the closet? Would it matter if the duct exhausted from the top or at the bottom of the closet?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Richard Allen]

Closet YES. It isn't that the cyclone is THAT loud. Just that you might be inclined to use the dust colection more if you don't have to listen to it. Using the dust colection a LOT is good for your health. Of course this is just my opinion.

[Scott Coffelt]

I don't have the Onieda, but my cyclone is not that loud. It is actually quiter then the jointer, planer (duh!), table saw, router, etc.

So if you run those and the sound level is fine, then I don't see it having to be in a closet, especially if space is an issue. The closet has to be big enough for you to access the drum easily and the filter. In addition, you will have to install a return air vent.

[Steve King]

Bryan,
I don’t have the Oneida cyclone but I built the Bill Pentz cyclone. Because of lack of space I had to put the cyclone in the same closet that houses my gas hot water heater that is in the garage. To keep the dust away from the hot water heater I enclosed the filter in a box and vented back to the garage. You know how quite the Fein mini vac is; I can have the cyclone running and the Fein vac is louder! The only Oneida I have heard running is the one Mike Tubbs installed. It is the 2 HP unit and it is not too bad but he said he was thinking about moving it outside his shop and venting back into the shop area.
Steve
Cyclone (http://sekingusa.home.comcast.net/cyclone.htm)

[Ted Calver]

I have the 2hp Oneida in a similarly sized garage shop. It is much quieter than my shop vac. If you had the luxury of available space I'd say sure, put it in a closet. I didn't have the space and haven't regretted it.
Ted

[Bryan Nuss]

I have the 2hp Oneida in a similarly sized garage shop. It is much quieter than my shop vac. If you had the luxury of available space I'd say sure, put it in a closet. I didn't have the space and haven't regretted it.
Ted

Thanks to all for their comments.

I'll try it out in the open before deciding on a closet for it, but will locate it where I can build a small closet. Now all I have to do is mount it, hook it up and put in ducting ... all this after I finish painting the upstairs of the house (only one bedroom left .... scoring lots of points from SWMBO!).

[Jim Becker]

I recommend the closet if you have the time, money and space. It greatly reduces the noise level to where it's actually pleasant and only gets really noticable when a gate is open. That sound varies by hood design and drop size.

I have comments on my new cyclone closet in these threads:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?threadid=6770&highlight=oneida

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?threadid=6983&highlight=closet

[Bryan Nuss]

Jim,

Thanks for the advice and the links. I will reconsider. Rather than making a "walk-in", maybe I'll make the closet about 2'-6" by about 4'-4", using the 4'-4" wall as the access door. I'll have to get my tape measure & specs out tonight!

[Chris Padilla]

Bryan,

Have fun...keep warm! :)

[Jim Becker]

Rather than making a "walk-in", maybe I'll make the closet about 2'-6" by about 4'-4", using the 4'-4" wall as the access door.

I think that might be mighty tight--don't forget that the external filter takes up room. Be sure you consider that you need to actually get to the filter and the bin, etc., for maintenance.

Using the wall as the door works...my previous closet was that way and that "door" is now the end wall of the new closet!

[Mike Kelly]

Bryan, I am sure you have figured out what you are going to do by now. I have the smaller 1.5 H.P. Oneida. I mounted the cyclone on the outside of my shop and ducted it back in via a muffler. When I had my ear plugs in for routing or other machines, I would look over near the exhaust to see if the airflow was moving wallhangings I had near it. That way I knew the DC was on. When I retrofitted the external filter on this exhaust the wallhangings didn't move anymore because of the diffused exhaust. It is more quiet now too. What I am saying is that it is not that noisy to me. I can hear it if I don't have my earplugs in, but any other machine, saw, or whatever will drown out the DC noise. Try it without the closet first, and if it is objectionable, build something around it.

[Bryan Nuss]

Mike,

Thanks for the advice. I had reached the same conclusion ... wait and see if the noise warrants building a closet.

I got my son-in-law to help me mount the beast yesterday (the promise of a turkey dinner helped! We got my 4 year old grandson to grunt for us at appropriate times). All I have left to do is to complete the wiring for the switch. Hopefully I can do that tomorrow in between coats of paint in the master bedroom.

You can see from the attached picture that I located the cyclone in a place I can enclose later. I don't have a free corner in the garage, what with an oil tank, house vac, window and garage overhead door. In any case, I'll have to put up some sort of protection for the filter.

Thanks again.