Connecting garbage can lid on Cyclone.

[jeff norris 2011]

I am wondering how people are connecting the lid of their shop made 2 stage collectors to the 'garbage can' they are using? How do you get it air tight?

I am thinking of cutting a nice circle and rounding over the edge to jam inside the can, I am thinking that the suction will seed it nicely and that should be airtight. However most photos I see have the lid sitting atop the can.

[Doug Garson]

I have a three Thien baffles one on an old shop vac canister, one on a Home Depot 5 gal bucket and the third on a Rubbermaid garbage can. In each case I routed a groove to fit over the top of the container and put a thin layer of silicone caulk in the groove (not enough to fill it), let it dry overnight before use. Suction holds it in place but I added a bungee cord over one of them in case it gets bumped when not under suction.

[jeff norris 2011]

I have a three Thien baffles one on an old shop vac canister, one on a Home Depot 5 gal bucket and the third on a Rubbermaid garbage can. In each case I routed a groove to fit over the top of the container and put a thin layer of silicone caulk in the groove (not enough to fill it), let it dry overnight before use. Suction holds it in place but I added a bungee cord over one of them in case it gets bumped when not under suction.

Thanks, I was thinking about a gasket of some kind. I was actually thinking of using a bike tire stretched around the outside. My Can tapers, so by pressing down I should get a tight fit.

Having said that I was also thinking of making it like you suggested. I might do that first, as it will be easier to make the lid smaller if it does not work and really hard to to make it bigger (with out starting again)

[Robert Engel]

I use a Rubbermaid Brute can with a bicycle tube around the lip.

A road bike type tube works best. I cut the valve out and stapled it into the plastic rim.

[John K Jordan]

I am wondering how people are connecting the lid of their shop made 2 stage collectors to the 'garbage can' they are using? How do you get it air tight?

I am thinking of cutting a nice circle and rounding over the edge to jam inside the can, I am thinking that the suction will seed it nicely and that should be airtight. However most photos I see have the lid sitting atop the can.

I use a 30 gal galvanized trash can for a bin on my cyclone. The lid sits on the can just like it would normally. I put heavy weatherstripping inside the lid which gets pulled down tight against the can rim by the vacuum. The seal is perfect. The strong rim of the lid forces the rim of the can to be round even it it has gotten warped a little by dragging around while emptying.

To make the connection to the cyclone cone I use a piece of 6" PVC pipe and glued to a piece cut from a 6" PVC fitting to make a flange. The flange sticks straight up through a hole cut in middle of the trash can lid. I slid another shorter ring cut from a PVC fitting slid down over the 6" pipe above the lid and glued it into place. Silicone caulk sealant (Alex Plus, clear) seals everything. The length of the 6" pipe above the lid is about 3", enough to clamp a short (6") piece of 6" dia flex hose. The lower part of the 6" pipe extends downward a few inches into the can inside the lid.

This has worked well from the first.

Note that the cyclone I use is so powerful the first galvanized trash can I tried collapsed immediately on the first test. I replaced it with an older can of the same brand and model that I had on hand. The steel on the older trash can is thicker than the newer cans, probably changed to save a few pennies.

JKJ

[Jon Nuckles]

I made a lid from mdf and cut a circular channel to accept the rim of my galvanized garbage can. (I used my lathe, but a router and trammel would work well.) I put weatherstripping foam in the channel and it seals very well.

[Charles Lent]

Closed cell type Weatherstripping with the peel and stick backing works well. For your application I would get the 1" wide version. The closed cell type is most important. Overlap the two ends and then cut through both. Remove the loose end scraps and seal the ends of the strip tightly together to leave an almost invisible and leak proof joint. Do this to the inside of the lid where it will touch the top rim of the can and you should have a very good lid seal that will last a long time for about $10. I'm using a 20 gal steel former grease drum with a birch plywood top made from 2 layers of 3/4 thick birch plywood. The bottom layer just fits inside. The top layer is 2" larger all around and the bottom side of this top layer, up against the edge of the lower layer, is where I installed the closed cell foam. A perfect seal that has lasted 5 years now. This lid has a center hole through both layers, with a Dust Deputy attached. My vacuum source is a re-purposed whole house central vacuum unit. I use this for my sanders, drill presses, and scroll saws, and I vacuum the cars and trucks with it. I have other methods for dealing with my larger saw dust and chip producers.

Charley

[William Hodge]

I am wondering how people are connecting the lid of their shop made 2 stage collectors to the 'garbage can' they are using? How do you get it air tight?

I am thinking of cutting a nice circle and rounding over the edge to jam inside the can, I am thinking that the suction will seed it nicely and that should be airtight. However most photos I see have the lid sitting atop the can.

I use a 55 gallon drum. It came with a lid clamp that tightens with a bolt that needs a 1" socket. The inlet aims at the circumference, the outlet is vertical in the
center. The second shop vac was inspired by"The Human Centipede".
IMG_3709.jpg

[jeff norris 2011]

Did a dry run with just a groove routed out for the can. Sealed 100% as far as can tell. I might add a bead of silicone, but the air pressure alone made a very tight seal.

[Charles Lent]

If there are leaks, you will get a lot of fine saw dust in your vacuum filter and a significant loss of filter efficiency. A safe smoke source, like smoke detector spray, will help you find the leaks. Spray it near the suspected leak point and look to see if it is being drawn in through a leak at that point. Inward leaks are difficult to find, but this method works quite well.

Charley

[jeff norris 2011]

If there are leaks, you will get a lot of fine saw dust in your vacuum filter and a significant loss of filter efficiency. A safe smoke source, like smoke detector spray, will help you find the leaks. Spray it near the suspected leak point and look to see if it is being drawn in through a leak at that point. Inward leaks are difficult to find, but this method works quite well.

Charley

What a great idea! Thanks for that advice.