# $39 DIY Dust Deputy arrival



## shelly_b

i got this same one a few months ago and have had no issues wiht the lid. i couldnt takeit off if i wanted to!


----------



## copcarcollector

I have the kit that comes with the buckets, and added it all to my Rigid shop vac. Its great being able to dump just the 5 gallon bucket and not have to dump the shop vac, nor clean the filter! I have not had any issue with the DD coming apart, and I drag the whole setup around by the hose connected to the DD. I do from time to time find the lid of the 5 gallon bucket comes loose.

Have fun with your 'cyclone'!


----------



## Hawaiilad

I see several woodworkers using this set up. Mind sharing with us where you purchased the unit for that price?


----------



## Holbs

oops. forgot that part Larry. i re-edited the post to reflect the link


----------



## Hawaiilad

I see there are several different set up you can purchase. The one you have is the bare boned system correct? Are you going to make your own container so mount it to? I see they also sell the unit with a 5 gallon and a 10 gallon container….but most buckets or small drums with a removable top should work…correct?


----------



## Holbs

Larry… correct. i have the bare bones version. the plastic cyclone itself, no parts. i have my own containers to use, my own bolts, my own sealing, my own wheel around tray.
in regards to what all work… i'll leave that to others. but i believe this small dust deputy was initially based on 5gallon bucket with removable tops and they have since offered larger buckets. i have a 5gallon bucket to use (since this will be more so a small project dust collection system)


----------



## Hawaiilad

Thanks for the information. I have buckets and tops as well, but thought I would try this set up with a larger bucket. I also have a dust collection system for larger tools, but thought this would work good with the shop vac.


----------



## byerbyer

I bought the same unit at Woodcraft in Kansas City last weekend while passing through. I'm stuck waiting on a 2.5" hose to connect it to my Ridgid 16gal shop vac. My local hardware store discontinued carrying dust collection accessories, so I'm in a holding pattern until I can get to Home Depot or the like… My dad has the $149 dollar model in line with a Delta Single Stage, and it's made a tremendous difference for him.


----------



## Craftsman70

I bought this same kit this fall. My recommendation is to find someone with a swimming pool and use one of the 5 or 10 gallon chlorine buckets (well rinsed first of course). Those powder chlorine buckets use screw on lids and rubber seals so they work really well. I then also took an old rotor from a car and liquid nailed it into the bottom of the bucket. Now the thing is weighted so it won't tip over.


----------



## WhoMe

I bought my kit about 2 years ago with all the buckets and so on. About a year ago, my lid on the cyclone started coming off. I haven't used it much lately (or for that matter done any woodworking lately) but I am trying to figure out what would be the best way to re-affix the lid. I do want to make a shop vac cart with the DD installed on it instead of dragging it around and setting it next to my shop vac whenever I need to use it.


----------



## SWM

Here's my 2 cents after about 18 months with the Dust Deputy:
The unit has worked as promised since I first installed it on a 5 gallon hardware store bucket with rubber gasket lid. Originally setup with a 2.5" hose from 6HP Ridgid shopvac to DD. Then 2.5" hose from DD to sander/router/etc. with a reducer, ie multiple layers of duct tape for added width. No problems whatsoever, except the 2.5" hose used to connect to my handheld tools was extremely ridgid and always in the way. It never folded up very easily and always came undone while wrapped around the bucket. About 2 weeks ago I ordered the 1.5" bosch vacuum hose with has the 35M end to directly connect to most handheld power tool dust ports.

Within 5 minutes of use the 5 gallon bucket had completely collapsed! I thought maybe this was just a cheap bucket from lowes so I bought a slighly heavier duty bucket from the local ACE. It also collapsed in no time. I'm not talking just an indentation, but vacuum sealed, blackhole 'esque collapsed. Maybe the physics are as simple as 2.5" hose on the output, does not equal 1.5" hose input. I'm now building a mobile cart with plywood box for the extra strength. Here's hoping that tite-bond is up to the task!

Has anyone else had this problem?


----------



## a1Jim

Thanks for the info.


----------



## bowtie

I bought the 39.00 diy from woodcraft several months ago and mounted it on a old ( 15 years) craftsman shopvac 
where the motor was by removing the burned out motor and using a 3/8" plywood adapter. The old recycled vac is great, 10 gallon capacity, wheels and an easily removed lid for emptying.
I use it on a rigid oscilating sander, a router table and vacumming the shop floor.
Very impressed, only about 1/2 cup of dust in my new vac after several months of use!


----------



## DouginVa

I have two Dust Deputys working in my shop. One attached to a Rigid 5 gallon shop vac and the other to a Shop Vac brand, smaller than 5 gallons. For some reason the smaller of the two vacs frequently fill with dust….like it by passes the DD completely. The other one on the Rigid vac never has this issue. Both have the same HP motor.

I've been doing a lot of hand planing and I can tell you that if you try sucking up shavings they do have a tendency to go in the cyclone and straight up in to the vac. I'm not sure what causes this but it happens to both. Maybe it's the mass of the shavings or something, I don't know. I have tried to figure it out but I'm at a loss.

But as far as saw dust goes, and even small chips of wood like from dovetail chopping, it sucks it right up and in to the bucket just like it advertises.

Overall I'm very happy with them.


----------



## b2rtch

This is what I did with mine.
It works well.


----------



## Holbs

PVC pipe… i like that idea. I'll do that for my DD!


----------



## pauldye

Great job Bert. I am truely impressed.


----------



## Hawaiilad

Got a question for you Bert. I like the set up you have…I also have a vac like that, but since you used PVC pipe, how do you take it apart to empty….or is not glued together?


----------



## merle

now on sale 35.95+s+h


----------



## b2rtch

Thank you Paul.
Not glued. 
I did not cleaned the HEPA filter in the vac for probably one year of more.
I use this device only with my orbital sander and to clean the shop.
The grey long 90 is electric conduit


----------



## blackcherry

What size hole must be made to attach the DD to the lid ???


----------



## Holbs

i never measured.
i laid the DD ontop, and from the bottom drew outline of the hole that needed to get cut. 3"? 4"? i think another DD review here says the measurement.


----------

