# Clear Can Cyclone Build



## jeffswood (Aug 17, 2011)

I have been working on upgrading my Dust Collection to a two stage system. I have a small shop and ofter work with the overhead door open and I have long giving up on getting a Penz style dust collection system that collects 'everything' at the source. This is about better and less messy and not about collecting every bit of dust.

The only thing really interested or different about this system is I went with a clear garbage can and clear out bucket. I am glad I did, as I like the visual reminder to empty them when needed.

Here is the finished system:

Click image for larger version.










My starting point was an offshore no-name brand "2hp" dust collector that I bought ages ago and have run in various formats. The motor as far as I could tell after running a few test appears to be a true 2hp, and when I looked under the hood it had 11 3/4" impeller. So not a bad starting point. According to my (crappy) Anemometer it was pulling some pretty good CFM numbers.










The inlet and outlets were 5" so I made short work of switching them over to 6" to fit the Dust Deputy better. After the mod it was pulling 35% more CFM. I was moving so fast I took a shot of the before, with holes drill out to make jig sawing out the 6" hole easier that I forgot to take after picture with the 6" Hvac fitting in place.










Then it was on to building the unit. I am not sure if this was the easiest way to go about things, but I decided I would use an 8' section of plywood as a base for the unit. I built and mock things out on the bench and then shimmied it into place. In the end it worked out fine, but as I had a tight fit it took bit of work to get it up on the wall.










I never took good picture of it, but I built a simple box to connect the filter to the blower. I also added a blast gate to direct vent outside most of the year when I have the overhead door open anyway. I picked the filter up an industrial supplier. The specs would be very competitive with the more popular filters on the market at about half the cost.










For the clean out I used a gamma seal lid and clear 5 gallon bucket. Finding a clear bucket was a major project of internet sleuthing, but I have to say I love being able to see if any dust is collecting in it.

I also had to hunt around to find a clear garbage can. I found it a food supply company, and it is very robust and heavy gauge. No issues with the collapsing.

Click image for larger version.










The lid has a channel routed in it and a couple of hinges and a hook to make pulling the can in and out easier. I had planned to use a gasket of some kind in the channel, but so far the suction of the dust collector creates a perfect seal.










I ran 5" ducting to the tools with a mix of 5" and 4" ports. The runs are the best I could do with where I needed the duct work to go.



















I am getting some shockingly high numbers for FPM (from my super unreliable Anemometer). I take the numbers with a grain of salt, but compared to my old setup the FPM has gone up allot over-all even with the addition of the Cyclone. It could be that I have no or less leaks now, but I actually suspect it has more to do with getting ride of the filter bag and going to the cartridge filer and direct vent outside. As an aside, with the filter fresh and and clean I am not seeing any difference from venting outside or through the filter.

If you are eagled eyed you will notice I used what looks like grey duct tape to attache the Cyclone to the blower. It is actual tarp repair tape, that you heat and it shrink to size. I wanted to to try it out for this application over the long term as I link the idea of shrink tube over the joints. Not sure how it will work, so I just used in that one area to try out for a bit.

Thanks for having a look.


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## clagwell (Dec 20, 2018)

Nice looking setup.

If your previous setup was the typical bagger then yes, the SDD will certainly result in higher flowrates. But it's not so much the filter bag as it is the outlet hose and the separator (aka "bag holder). Those two alone have about twice the pressure loss of the SDD.

What tests did you do the confirm the 2HP motor rating?


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

I was at a store today thinking about the 5" cyclone to upgrade my Jet to a two stage. The salesman suggested as a hobbyist, I would never load up the canister filter and need to replace it. The flappers inside work fine. Not sure I buy that.

What s the wisdom here?


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## jeffswood (Aug 17, 2011)

> Nice looking setup.
> 
> If your previous setup was the typical bagger then yes, the SDD will certainly result in higher flowrates. But it s not so much the filter bag as it is the outlet hose and the separator (aka "bag holder). Those two alone have about twice the pressure loss of the SDD.
> 
> ...


Guess work for the most part. I tested amps without the fan and with and then compared it against a know motor.


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

One can build a slack-tube manometer pretty easy and get relative before and after in-duct pressures. Does not translate to velocities though. Guess You need one of those little hand held jobs for that to see if you can maintain the 4000 FPM in the mains.


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## jeffswood (Aug 17, 2011)

> One can build a slack-tube manometer pretty easy and get relative before and after in-duct pressures. Does not translate to velocities though. Guess You need one of those little hand held jobs for that to see if you can maintain the 4000 FPM in the mains.
> 
> - tvrgeek


I have a cheap Anemometer, but the cheap ones are pretty unreliable though, so I take it with a grain of salt and only use it for relative measurement. Having said that, according to my little device I am getting 6300 FPM at my 4" drops and 5500 at my 5" drops. So about 750 CFM to the 5" ports and 541 to 4" ports.

I changed the duct work at the same time, so I don't have great apples to apples comparisons, but I picked up ALLOT of FPM in this build. About 1500+. But even with numbers I can easily see, hear and feel the increase air flow.

As I changed everything, but the blower, hard to say where the gain come from.


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## fivecodys (Dec 2, 2013)

That is a great idea!
I wish I would have thought of that. I have a small 20 gallon can on mine and it makes a real mess when you let it get too full.
I may have to follow you lead and look for one for my shop.
Thanks for sharing your idea.


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## jeffswood (Aug 17, 2011)

> That is a great idea!
> I wish I would have thought of that. I have a small 20 gallon can on mine and it makes a real mess when you let it get too full.
> I may have to follow you lead and look for one for my shop.
> Thanks for sharing your idea.
> ...


It is the super low tech way of knowing when the can is filling up. I also really am liking being able to see my cleanout bucket to see if anything is getting through with out having to take it off.


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

Did not know an anemometer is as cheap as $15, so I should grab one before I re-do my ductwork! I just have temporary 4 inch. Thanks.


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## jeffswood (Aug 17, 2011)

> Did not know an anemometer is as cheap as $15, so I should grab one before I re-do my ductwork! I just have temporary 4 inch. Thanks.
> 
> - tvrgeek


Don't go too cheap, make sure to get one that will record max FPM and it one that has the gauge on a wire and the readings separate. With out features like this you will have a tough time getting reading in more awkward locations.

An extra $5 or $10 should do it.


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