# Dust Deputy



## KMJohnsonow

Lots of posts about this thing.


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## toddc

KMJohnson - You are right. Now I know what all the excitement is about.


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## Dustin

You know, I'd just rather build one that buy one. But it looks like it works!


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## toddc

Dustin - I have no doubt that a person could build one. But I know for the time it would take, I might as well just buy the thing ready to go. I have to measure my time as a business and what it would cost me in time vs. building it myself.

I have to admit that I like the clear plastic. It is not clear glass, but I can see into the bucket just good enough without removing the lid.


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## gbear

Good information Todd, thanks for the post.


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## Brad_Nailor

I have been eyeballing this thing for a while….thanks for the review. I have the same Rigid shop vac you do. I was thinking of bolting it to the side. It really is annoying how quick a shop vac filter just clogs right up and you loose all the suction. I had bought the HEPA filter for mine, but I went back to the standard filter cause the HEPA clogged up even faster!


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## toddc

Brad_Nailor - This thing REALLY works. I was having the same problem that you were with the filter clogging rapidly.

The tub of the shopvac does not have to very full to lose suction when the filter is caked with fine dust from the sanders.

In the future I will be sure to document and share the construction of a cart.


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## matt1970

sounds good…I have been wanting to increase my efficiency in this area…


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## GuyK

Ok, stop twisting my arm, I am going to order one tommorow. I complain everytime I have to clean out the fliter on my shop vac, this should at least eliminate some of the complaining. Thanks for the review Todd


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## toddc

It is waaay more efficient to simply empty a 5 gallon bucket than it is to empty the shopvac and blow out the filter.


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## blackcherry

I'm glad you found a solution to your shop vac collection system . The dust deputy was on my list as well but I try the Phil Thein cyclone build and found the same results. Can't say enough about it I just wish I had it a lot sooner. Happy breathing and stay safe…Blkcherry


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## kosta

I really need to get one of those


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## dustyal

Mine works as claimed and as you tested. I have a paper bag and the pleated filter in my shop vac that catches what remains of the finer dust. Shop vac stays in place and the Onieda unit moves around to the different tools. Great for my very small shop.


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## weinerdog

+1 on the dust deputy


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## TopamaxSurvivor

Thanks for going out on a limb and checking this out for us Todd ) I've been thinking about one too.


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## sbryan55

Thanks for the review, Todd. I have been considering one of these for my shop vac.


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## bluchz

I got one for christmas this year and mounted it on a 35gallon metal grease container. It works well and while i don't use my shop every week i haven't had to empty it yet. The only downside i see is that it now stands taller than tabletop height.


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## CharlieM1958

I got one a while back and I'm still amazed!

I mounted mine to my shop vac like they suggest. The only problem is that when you tried to roll the whole thing around, the bucket would tip the shop vac to one side. I solved that by just mounting a couple of small casters to the bottom of the exterior bucket. Works great, and takes up a little less space than building a cart for both.


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## JayPique

The only thing I'm not too keen on with the Dust Deputy is that it appears they may have stolen the idea from the public domain, put a patent on it, and have forced at least one competitor to stop making them. Clear Vue cyclones made a small one for a time, but Oneida has put a halt to it. I'm not affiliated with Clear Vue but they make excellent products and have relied on and worked closely with Bill Pentz, whose knowlege I respect.

Check out http://www.clearvuecyclones.com/Order_Page.htm and then scroll down halfway to see their product similar to the Dust Deputy.

JP


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## toddc

JayPique - I was not aware of that. The corporate world has a hideous face hidden behind a mask of marketing beauty.


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## russv

jp,
how does the 5 gallon bucket lid stay on. is it hard to remove?

hey dustin, just build the bucket instead. lol

russv


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## GuyK

I just sent ClearVueCyclones a email asking what their status is on their version of the Mini and wether they were going to produce it again. I will let you know when they get back to me. I took a look at theirs on their website and seems to be a good product, They have several videos of it in use, works great.


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## toddc

The bucket lid is not difficult to remove because it was a bucket and lid that I bought from Sherwin Williams. Those lids are intended to be snapped on and pulled off by the consumer.

The lids that are difficult to remove are the ones that people salvage from almost any bucket that has been sealed at a factory.


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## Skylark53

Thanks Todd, I've been determined to find a better way to handle the dust in my small shop. I'll place this order tomorrow. Good job on the review.


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## LakelandDave

Todd, I totally agree with your enthusiastic comments about the Dust Deputy. The one I have is an early steel model that I bought a couple of years ago. I'd planned to send a photo of the cart I made for mine - but I can't find a way to do that, so I'll just add a couple of thoughts that might be helpful. First, I didn't find the lid clips that came with mine too satisfactory, so I used all-thread rods into the base instead. I also replaced the foam air-seal with a circle of flexible plastic tubing fitted inside the standard bucket lid and then fastened that lid to a wooden disk. I found that 1-1/2" PVC pipe caps make great 'posts' for holding accessories, and I mounted six of those on top of the wooden disk and another two on the base itself to hold the rigid vacuum tubing.

I've recommended the Dust Deputy to every woodworker who has asked about it. To paraphrase a French waiter who - on our declining wine with our meal - said "But -but a meal without wine is like a kiss without a moustache". To me a shop vac without a Dust Deputy is equally lacking.


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## toddc

HA! Well stated Dave - it's like a kiss without a moustache.


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## citmadon

I have had the metal Dust Deputy on my wall mounted system ( with a rigid shop vac in the loft). I used a 5 gallon paint bucket with a hinged piece of plywood to hold it in place. I used carpet padding to seal the top. It works great, I have to empty the vacuum about once every year. Cyclonic vacuum system, per se, have been around since the turn of the last century, I'm curious as to what can be patented and if it's a utility patent or a "design" patent. And what does Mr. Dyson say?


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## toddc

citmadon - These are thoughts that I had as well. Often, just the threat of litigation causes a reaction that cripples the company under attack or stymies their sales enough to cause them to go under. It may cause them irreparable harm regardless of winning in court or not.


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## Splinters

Nice post Todd…mine is on order….. thanks for taking the time to share your experience…


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## Brad_Nailor

I have been reading a lot of stuff about this thing online…reviews and in wood working blogs… and I stumbled upon a great solution to the tipping problem. If you bolt the dust deputy to your shop vac (lord knows my Rigid is big enough to hold it!) you have a problem with the whole deal becoming top heavy and tipping over. Well since the 5 Gallon bucket is where all the dust goes, just park a few bricks, or a cinder block, or a few bags of framing nails…in the dust bin of the shop vac! There wont really be any dust in there…at least not so much that you couldn't get rid of it once and a while with the air blast. That will keep it from tipping for sure! I think it would be simpler to bolt the DD to the shop vac since mine already has casters and is big enough to handle it.


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## Viking

I put a couple of pavers in my shop vac and eliminated the tipping problem completely. I have had mine for several months and still have nothing in the shop vac. It works great for normal saw dust from TS, BS, etc. but, I was really impressed how well it works with fine sanding dust. I think that is the real test.

I also bought the complete kit as thought my time, to kluge something up, was worth at least the $40 difference.

The DD is well worth the price, considering all the time it save in shop vac filter maintenance but, Oneida would probably sell three times as many units if they would drop the $99 kit to about $60 with all the good press that out on it.

Great review Todd!


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## jcwalleye

Thanks for the review Todd. I'm a sucker for the latest gadget and many are a waste of money. I might figure out a way to make this work for me.


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## LeeJ

Great review Todd.

Lee


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## Tim_456

I've had the metal version for 3 or 4 years now and it's great especially when I need to do some sanding or dusty clean up outside the shop. It works just as good on drywall dust.

I will say, however, that it (Dust Deputy and ShopVac combo) still doesn't compare to my dedicated DC system because it can't pull the volume of air needed from tools like my TS.

thanks for the review.


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## toddc

Tim_456 - You are correct about the shopvac. It does not have near the CFM volume of a dust collector.


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## charlie48

Thanks for the review Todd. I think one is in my future. Also ShopNotes magazine #109 has a Shop vac / Dust Depty cart that looks like it would help with the tipping problem.


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## toddc

Charlie48 - I just picked it up at the store.


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## Tangle

Great review, Todd, but your shop is so clean it makes the rest of nervous!!


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## BigG

Yup, it works just as you say. It is amazing what it will suck up when hooked to my Dewalt 735 planer! I always use a bag in my Ridgid vac and never have to clean or repalce the filter.


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## toddc

Thos. - Be not nervous, I aim to inspire, not judge.


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## Karson

I've replaced the paper cartridges with HEPA filters thhat I bought at Lowes and Home Depot for the shop vacs that I've got. I find that I can vacuum up until the tank and hose get clogged with debie.

It's made the shopvac more useful and it works great with Drywall dust.

Don't use your air hose to clean the Hepa filter because it causes the filter media to peal away from the filter cartridge. (take that tip from my experience) I just tap it against something hard and the dust breaks loose.


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## waynep

I bought one of these last year and I love it. Originally I mounted it on a 5 gallon bucket like everyone else, but that so sucked. When the bucket was empty, the weight of the hoses caused it to tip over very easily. I put the first bucket inside another and that was better. I could just swap the lids and keep going because the bucket always fills while your in the middle of something. So I didnt' want to weigh down the second bucket. Eventually, I mounted it on top of a 15 Gallon fiber container. They are pretty light, but just heavy enough to resist the hoses. Note that the cyclone action lays those chips in there pretty well and that larger can can get heavy.

The only problem I've had with it (other than the tipping) is the top part came unglued from the mani part. This is no doubt due in part to the hoses pulling it over before being mounted on the larger can. However, there wasn't a ton of glue on that rim. Fortunately, a little epoxy and we were back in business.


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## atceric

I've had mine for about a week or so now. Don't know how I did without it. My Ridgid shopvac has just a fine coat of dust on the filter; otherwise it's completely clean inside the vac. Dust Deputy does a great job and the fact that I don't lose any suction is great, too!


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## Beginningwoodworker

Todd that looks like a nice tool.


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## Westy

Amazon has it for $59 now.

http://www.amazon.com/Oneida-AXD001004-The-Dust-Deputy/dp/B002JP315K


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## TLE

Hi Todd -

What size hose connections does it have? Do I need any adapters for standard 2 1/2" shopvac connectors?

Thanks.

Tim


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## toddc

Tim - The standard 2 1/2" hoses fit right onto the Dust Deputy.


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## Viking

Westy;

The $59 unit on Amazon is the plastic cyclone only. The $99 kit gets you hoses, 2 buckets, cyclone already mounted on bucket lid, and hardware to attach the DD to the side of your shop vac.

http://www.amazon.com/Oneida-AXD000004-The-Dust-Deputy/dp/B002GZLCHM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1267133917&sr=1-1

Good Luck.


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## toddc

Rockler has the same deal.

I recommend the kit with all of the parts and hose if you do not have the stuff laying around like me.


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## lilredweldingrod

I'm sold. I bought. Now I wait on the pony express.


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## toddc

lilredweldingrod - You will love it


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## LakelandDave

Hey again Todd - I think I finally realized you can post photos in comments in the same way as in a blog. I thought I'd try it here with a photo of my Dust Deputy Cart. Sorry you can't see the wheels, but they're pretty much standard. Also sorry it's not cleaner! You can see the accessory storage I made on top of the wooden disk - as well as one of the PVC caps that I use for holders. I also use the caps to hold the rigid pipes on the base. I guess the main thing my cart lacks is a good place to wrap the hose. I'm still working on that.


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## JollyGreen67

bought my Dust Deputy from Rockler - great buy ! I've emptied the bucket 5 times already, and only cleaned
out the shop vac filter once. Did have one itty bitty problem with it - the top of the cyclone unit popped off.
Emailed Onieda, they called me back the same day, and wanted to know what was I talking about. I told
them the top had not been fully cemented down - and they told me "No problem, we'll send you a new
cyclone unit - no charge". All I wanted was to know what kind of glue to use to repair the unit, and they
said a new unit was on the way. In the mean time I reglued the top on with clear gutter seal, and it still
works to this day. Also have a new cyclone unit on hand, IF I ever need one.


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## toddc

Hey Rosebudjim, I just cleaned my shopvac out a couple of nights ago. It went for SEVERAL months before cleaning out. There was some dust in the vac but not very much. I am still very happy with the purchase.

I am glad that your customer service story had a happy ending. I think most people understand that a defective product gets out but the main thing is how do they handle it? It sounds like they did the right thing


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## Dark_Lightning

Hmm…the top came off my DD a few months ago, and I assumed it was my fault. I caulked it and wired it on, because I don't expect much from anyone, anymore. Maybe I ought to send them an email.


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## lilredweldingrod

Mine did the same just this week. But boy does it do the job. I just wish I had ordered the metal one now.


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## toddc

lilredweldingrod - The top popped off of yours too?

I could see this being a weak spot on them.

I am also in agreement about ordering the metal one, but I did not even know it existed at the time I ordered the plastic model. I am still considering getting the metal unit though.


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## JollyGreen67

My original Cyclone top is still going strong. I used OSI Premimun Gutter Sealer to glue the top on, didn't know if it would work or not. Clamped it down for 2 days to give it time to set, then tried to pull it off. No such luck! It's on for good. I've only had to clean the filter in my shop vac one time since I've had the DD, and that's only because I wasn't paying attention how full the bucket was. This thing sucks!


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## imaginationuninc

My solution to tying the DD and a vac together does away with the hose between the two, allows a bigger drum under the DD, takes up less room, and is stable. More so for the integral handtruck built in, and as the drum fills. Too, it has a viewport to allow monitoring of the debris level.


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## toddc

imaginationuninc said:


> My solution to tying the DD and a vac together does away with the hose between the two, allows a bigger drum under the DD, takes up less room, and is stable. More so for the integral handtruck built in, and as the drum fills. Too, it has a viewport to allow monitoring of the debris level.


I like this idea.

In the images of this post, what I did not cover is that I actually kept the shop vac under the table and I scooted the tool cabinet away from the door, tighter to the table. A vertical cart would have been too wide for my situation. The bucket could slide part way under the table as the Dust Deputy is not as wide. This allowed me to compress everything. 

I no longer have a shop, I shut down my business and moved to Oregon where I started a new woodshop program at a middle school in Salem for the Salem Keizer School District. The Dust Deputy was so effective in my professional shop, that I bought 2 for the school shop, they save time by avoiding the need to clean a clogged vac filter. 

I used the standard kit for attaching the DD to the vac, which is side-by-side, but I need to go to a vertical mount to save space. Your design actually would be very useful for my current needs. 

Thanks for the share!

Your friend in the shop- 
Todd


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