I have a router table with a behind-the-fence 2-1/4" port for
attaching a Shop-Vac. I've been thinking of inserting a cyclone
separator to avoid having to empty the Shop-Vac so frequently.

I have a small steel barrel about 19-1/4" in diameter, and it should
be no big deal to make a plywood lid. What I don't have are the
30-degree and 90-degree flanged fittings.

This evening, I realized that I could cut 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" squares from
cutoffs, drill a 2-1/4" hole in the center, and glue 'em together to
make a square "pipe" - then saw the pipe in half on the diagonal to
produce not one, but /two/ intake fittings. The result won't be
exactly 30-degrees, but it'll be "close enough".

My drawing shows four 2x pipe segments, but the segment thickness
doesn't matter.

I'm thinking of using a template and drilling four 1/4" holes so I can
use dowels to ensure alignment (and perhaps add a bit of strength),
but this extra work is purely optional.

A fifth 2x "pipe segment" will be used in the center of the lid as the
outlet connector for the Shop-Vac's hose.

I plan to position the two connectors and trace the holes with a
pencil - then drill and use a jig saw to cut matching holes in the
lid. When that's done I'll just glue my hose attachment fittings to
the lid.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the second one. :-)

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Sat, 12 May 2007 01:10:42 -0500, "Morris Dovey"
wrote:

I have a router table with a behind-the-fence 2-1/4" port for
attaching a Shop-Vac. I've been thinking of inserting a cyclone
separator to avoid having to empty the Shop-Vac so frequently.

I have a small steel barrel about 19-1/4" in diameter, and it should
be no big deal to make a plywood lid. What I don't have are the
30-degree and 90-degree flanged fittings.

This evening, I realized that I could cut 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" squares from
cutoffs, drill a 2-1/4" hole in the center, and glue 'em together to
make a square "pipe" - then saw the pipe in half on the diagonal to
produce not one, but /two/ intake fittings. The result won't be
exactly 30-degrees, but it'll be "close enough".

My drawing shows four 2x pipe segments, but the segment thickness
doesn't matter.

I'm thinking of using a template and drilling four 1/4" holes so I can
use dowels to ensure alignment (and perhaps add a bit of strength),
but this extra work is purely optional.

A fifth 2x "pipe segment" will be used in the center of the lid as the
outlet connector for the Shop-Vac's hose.

I plan to position the two connectors and trace the holes with a
pencil - then drill and use a jig saw to cut matching holes in the
lid. When that's done I'll just glue my hose attachment fittings to
the lid.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the second one. :-)

Okay. Gotcha. Are you going to cyclone in a helical shape down the
sides of a cylinder? That way you wouldn't need a cone shape... I
imagine you could shape a spiral flange guide out of flat sheet metal
and pop rivet it to the sides of the cylinder. Love to see a pic when
you finish it up and hear how it works.

Bob the Tomato

Bob the Tomato wrote:

| Okay. Gotcha. Are you going to cyclone in a helical shape down the
| sides of a cylinder? That way you wouldn't need a cone shape... I
| imagine you could shape a spiral flange guide out of flat sheet
| metal and pop rivet it to the sides of the cylinder. Love to see a
| pic when you finish it up and hear how it works.

Not even. I'm going to make a flat lid to fit on top of a small steel
drum.

It's a single drum version of the lash-up shown at the top of the page
at the link below, scaled down for a wimpy 2+hp DeWalt router and a
6hp (advertized) Shop-Vac. BTW, the separators shown in the photo have
worked well enough that after 5+ years of sucking up the dust from the
ShopBot, there's less than 2" of dust in the bottom bag of my DC.

The Shop-Vac does an adequate job of collecting the debris, but fills
up (both the container and the filter) too rapidly. I'm hoping that
this crude little DC will save me time and effort, and allow the
Shop-Vac to run with a cleaner filter.

Even if it doesn't do any of the above, I'll still have managed to
shrink the scrap pile. If it works /really/ well, I'll see how well
they work together for normal clean-up operations. :-)

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/dust_collection.html

On Sat, 12 May 2007 19:41:57 -0500, "Morris Dovey"
wrote:

Bob the Tomato wrote:

| Okay. Gotcha. Are you going to cyclone in a helical shape down the
| sides of a cylinder? That way you wouldn't need a cone shape... I
| imagine you could shape a spiral flange guide out of flat sheet
| metal and pop rivet it to the sides of the cylinder. Love to see a
| pic when you finish it up and hear how it works.

Not even. I'm going to make a flat lid to fit on top of a small steel
drum.

It's a single drum version of the lash-up shown at the top of the page
at the link below, scaled down for a wimpy 2+hp DeWalt router and a
6hp (advertized) Shop-Vac. BTW, the separators shown in the photo have
worked well enough that after 5+ years of sucking up the dust from the
ShopBot, there's less than 2" of dust in the bottom bag of my DC.

The Shop-Vac does an adequate job of collecting the debris, but fills
up (both the container and the filter) too rapidly. I'm hoping that
this crude little DC will save me time and effort, and allow the
Shop-Vac to run with a cleaner filter.

Even if it doesn't do any of the above, I'll still have managed to
shrink the scrap pile. If it works /really/ well, I'll see how well
they work together for normal clean-up operations. :-)


So I imagine that your (advertised) 6 HP shop-vac will draw around 38
amps on a 120 volt circuit, right??? :-)

Bob the Tomato wrote:

| So I imagine that your (advertised) 6 HP shop-vac will draw around
| 38 amps on a 120 volt circuit, right??? :-)

Only if the shop is struck by lightning on 6 consecutive days.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

Bob the Tomato wrote:

| Love to see a pic when you finish it up and hear how it works.

Used up 5 short 2x4 cut-offs today. Cut 3-1/2" squares and drilled 'em
for the Shop-Vac hose end before I ran out of play time. :-)

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Tue, 15 May 2007 21:39:53 -0500, "Morris Dovey"
wrote:

Bob the Tomato wrote:

| Love to see a pic when you finish it up and hear how it works.

Used up 5 short 2x4 cut-offs today. Cut 3-1/2" squares and drilled 'em
for the Shop-Vac hose end before I ran out of play time. :-)


Congratulations. You've invented the adaptor.

My wife would look at that, not appreciating the inherent aesthetics
of it bein' made of wood and all, and say, "You spent two hours making
THAT? A board with a hole in it?"

LOL

Bob the Tomato

Bob the Tomato wrote:

| Congratulations. You've invented the adaptor.
|
| My wife would look at that, not appreciating the inherent aesthetics
| of it bein' made of wood and all, and say, "You spent two hours
| making THAT? A board with a hole in it?"

Yeah, yeah - been there, heard that, don't hear it any more.

Hmm. You could tell her it's like a napkin ring - but for /placemats/
;-)

Five boards, five holes, fifteen minutes - and won't know for sure
that the idea is worth a darn until it's done and tried.

I'm probably too easily amused by simple things. g

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

"Morris Dovey" wrote in message

Hmm. You could tell her it's like a napkin ring - but for /placemats/
;-)

For bed sheets!


--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 2/20/07
KarlC@ (the obvious)

Glued the four sections together yesterday to make a square "pipe".
Today I cut the block in half on the BS and gave both halves a quick
sanding...

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

Nice wheel chocs.....

Morris Dovey wrote:

Glued the four sections together yesterday to make a square "pipe".
Today I cut the block in half on the BS and gave both halves a quick
sanding...

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

mapdude wrote:

| Nice wheel chocs.....

Wheel chocks are a bit easier because the hole (for a bungee cord)
runs straight across from side to side.

BTW, thanks for the reminder - my shop neighbors are all aircraft
owners and I can use up some/most of my cut-offs on wheel chocks. g

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

Just in case I haven't already bored everyone to death by my slow
progress on this thing, here are two more pix of the (still
unfinished) mini-cyclone to go between the router table and the
Shop-Vac.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

Morris Dovey wrote:
Just in case I haven't already bored everyone to death by my slow
progress on this thing, here are two more pix of the (still
unfinished) mini-cyclone to go between the router table and the
Shop-Vac.

Not dead yet, but can you send one with some wood chips on it soon?? LOL

Rich

Hooked up the shop-vac and fired up the router this morning - and to
my considerable amazement, the mini-cyclone worked like a champ.

Now I'm thinking I may have to add a window to the lid so I can watch
the chips go round and round (and round...)

I'm sure it'll work better with a good paint job. :-)

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/