Vacuum cleaner for the workshop cyclone. How to make a cyclone filter for a vacuum cleaner with your own hands. What to consider when making a homemade vacuum cleaner

Article about how I did it homemade construction vacuum cleaner with a cyclone type filter. The performance of this useful homemade crafts for home You can appreciate it by watching a video of his work.

To demonstrate the work, I collected a bucket of sand. In general, I am satisfied with the result of the work done (given that this is a working prototype layout, so to speak).

I’ll say right away: this article is a statement of my history of creating my first (and, I think, not the last) homemade cyclone vacuum cleaner, and I am in no way going to impose anything on anyone, prove or claim that the solutions described here are the only correct and error-free ones. Therefore, I ask you to be understanding, so to speak, “understand and forgive.” I hope my little experience will be useful to “sick” people like me, for whom “a bad head does not give rest to their hands” (in the good sense of this expression).

I once thought about the upcoming renovation and the ensuing consequences in the form of dust, construction debris, etc. And since it is necessary to groove, saw concrete and “perforate”, the experience of the past suggested that it is necessary to look for a solution to these problems. It is expensive to buy a ready-made construction vacuum cleaner, and most of them are designed anyway with a filter (in some models even with a special “shaker”) or a paper bag + filter, which gets clogged, worsens traction, periodically requires replacement and also costs a lot of money. And I just became interested in this topic, and a “pure sporting interest” appeared, so to speak. In general, it was decided to make a cyclone vacuum cleaner. A lot of information was gleaned here: forum.woodtools.ru I did not carry out special calculations (for example, according to Bill Pentz), I did it from what came to hand and according to my own instinct. By chance, I came across this vacuum cleaner on an advertisement website (for 1,100 rubles) and very close to my place of residence. I looked at the parameters, they seem to suit me - he will be a donor!

I decided to make the cyclone body itself metal, because there were strong doubts about how long the plastic walls would last under the influence of “sandpaper” from a stream of sand and pieces of concrete. And also about static electricity when rubbish rubs against its walls, and I didn’t want the future homemade vacuum cleaner threw sparks at its users. And personally, I think that dust accumulation due to static will not have a positive effect on the operation of the cyclone.

The general scheme for constructing a vacuum cleaner is as follows:

The polluted air passes through a cyclone, in which large particles settle into the lower waste container. The rest goes through the car air filter, the engine and through the outlet pipe to the outside. It was decided to make a pipe for the outlet as well, and the dimensions of the inlet and outlet should be the same. This will allow you to use a vacuum cleaner, for example, to blow something off. You can also use an additional hose to release the “exhaust” air outside so as not to raise dust in the room (this suggests the idea of ​​installing this unit as a “built-in” stationary vacuum cleaner somewhere in the basement or on the balcony). Using two hoses at the same time, you can clean all kinds of filters without blowing dust around (blow with one hose, draw in with the other).

The air filter was chosen to be “flat” and not ring-shaped, so that when turned off, any debris that got there would fall into the garbage bin. If we take into account that only the dust remaining after the cyclone gets into the filter, then it will not be necessary to replace it soon, as in a regular construction vacuum cleaner with a filter without a cyclone. Moreover, the price of such a filter (about 130 rubles) is much cheaper than the “branded” ones that are used in industrial vacuum cleaners. You can also partially clean such a filter with a regular household vacuum cleaner by connecting it to the inlet pipe of the “cyclone”. In this case, garbage will not be sucked out of the garbage disposal. The filter mount is made dismountable to simplify its cleaning and replacement.

A suitable tin can was very useful for the cyclone body, and the central pipe was made from a can of polyurethane foam.

The inlet pipe is made to fit a 50 mm plastic sewer pipe into which the hose in the vacuum cleaner is inserted quite tightly with an appropriate rubber coupling.

The second end of the pipe goes into a rectangle, so to speak, to “straighten” the flow. Its width was chosen according to the smallest diameter of the hose inlet (32 mm) so as not to clog. Approximate calculation: L= (3.14*50 mm - 2*32)/2=46.5 mm. Those. pipe cross-section 32*46 mm.

I assembled the entire structure by soldering with acid and a 100-watt soldering iron (it was practically the first time I worked with tin, except for soldering boats in childhood, so I apologize for the beauty of the seams)

The central pipe was soldered. The cone was made using a pre-fitted cardboard template.

The housing for the auto filter is also made using galvanized templates.

The upper part of the central pipe of the air duct was bent into the shape of a square and the lower hole of the autofilter housing (pyramid) was adjusted to it. Put it all together. I made three guides on the sides of the cyclone can to increase rigidity and fastening. The result is something like this “gravity”.

For the garbage disposal and the engine compartment I used 2 barrels of machine oil (60 liters). A little big, of course, but this is what we managed to find. I made holes in the bottom of the engine compartment for attaching the cyclone, and glued sponge rubber onto the contact surface of the garbage disposal to seal around the perimeter. After that, I cut a hole in the sidewall for the inlet pipe, taking into account the thickness of the rubber cuff.

The gravitational cyclone was secured with M10 studs and fluoroplastic nuts to prevent unscrewing due to vibration. Here and further, all places where tightness is necessary were connected with a rubber seal (or rubber washers) and auto sealant.

To connect the engine compartment and the garbage bin, I used latches from military wooden boxes (special thanks to Igor Sanych!). I had to ferment them a little in a solvent and “adjust” them with a hammer. Fastened with rivets (with rubber gaskets from the chamber).

After that, for greater rigidity and noise reduction, I foamed the entire structure with polyurethane foam. You can, of course, fill everything to the top, but I decided to play it safe in case the need arises to take it apart. In addition, everything turned out quite tough and strong.

For ease of movement and carrying of the garbage disposal, I attached 2 door handles and 4 wheels with brakes. Since the waste container barrel has a flange at the bottom, to install the wheels it was necessary to make an additional “bottom” from a plastic sheet 10 mm thick. In addition, this made it possible to strengthen the bottom of the barrel so that it would not “squish” when the vacuum cleaner was running.

The base for attaching the filter funnel and the engine platform was made of chipboard with fastening to the barrel along the perimeter with furniture “Euro-screws”. To fix the engine platform, I glued 8 M10 bolts onto epoxy (I think 4 would be enough). Painted it. I sealed the perimeter of the filter installation site with sponge rubber.

When assembling, I coated the neck of the autofilter housing around the perimeter with sealant and tightened it to the base with flat-headed self-tapping screws.

The engine platform was made from 21 mm plywood. For a more uniform distribution of air over the filter area, I used a router to select a 7 mm recess in the area.

To collect the exhaust air and mount the engine, the plastic engine compartment found in the vacuum cleaner was used. “Everything unnecessary” was cut off from it and the outlet pipe was glued onto epoxy and reinforced with self-tapping screws. Everything is assembled together using sealant and, using a metal profile (thick sponge rubber is inserted into it), pulled to the engine platform with two long M12 bolts. Their heads are recessed flush into the platform and filled with hot-melt adhesive for tightness. Nuts with fluoroplastic to prevent unscrewing due to vibration.

Thus, a removable motor module was obtained. For easy access to the auto filter, it is secured using eight wing nuts. The oversized washers are glued (the shrouds have not escaped).

I made a hole for the outlet pipe.

I painted the entire “pepelats” black from a spray can, after sanding and degreasing.

The engine speed controller used an existing one (see photo), supplementing it with a homemade circuit to automatically start the vacuum cleaner when the power tool is turned on.

Explanations for the homemade vacuum cleaner diagram:

Automatic devices (2-pole) QF1 and QF2 protect, respectively, the circuits for connecting power tools (socket XS1) and the speed control circuit of the vacuum cleaner engine. When the tool is turned on, its load current flows through diodes VD2-VD4 and VD5. They were selected from the reference book due to the large voltage drop across them with forward current. On a chain of three diodes, when one (let’s call it “positive”) half-wave of current flows, a pulsating voltage drop is created which, through fuse FU1, Schottky diode VD1 and resistor R2, charges capacitor C1. Fuse FU1 and varistor RU1 (16 Volt) protect the control circuit from damage due to overvoltage, which can occur, for example, due to a break (burnout) in the chain of diodes VD2-VD4. The Schottky diode VD1 is selected with a low voltage drop (to “save” the already small Volts) and prevents the discharge of capacitor C1 during the “negative” half-wave of the current through the diode VD5. Resistor R2 limits the charging current of capacitor C1. The voltage received at C1 opens optocoupler DA1, the thyristor of which is connected to the control circuit of the engine speed controller. The variable resistor R4 for regulating the motor speed is selected with the same value as in the vacuum cleaner regulator board (it is removed) and is made remote (in the housing from the dimmer) for placement on the top cover of the vacuum cleaner. A resistor R removed from the board is soldered in parallel to it. The “on/off” switch S2 in the open circuit of the resistor R4 is used to manually turn on the vacuum cleaner. Switch S1 “automatic/manual”. In manual control mode, S1 is turned on and the regulator current flows through the chain R4 (R) - S2 is turned on - S1. In automatic mode, S1 is turned off and the regulator current flows through the chain R4 (R) – pins 6-4 DA1. After turning off the power tool, due to the large capacity of capacitor C1 and the inertia of the motor, the vacuum cleaner continues to work for about 3-5 seconds. This time is enough to draw the remaining debris from the hose into the vacuum cleaner.

The automatic start circuit is assembled on a breadboard. Switches S1, S2, dimmer housing (to accommodate variable resistor R4) and socket XS1 were selected from one not very expensive series, so to speak, for aesthetics. All elements are placed on the top cover of the vacuum cleaner, made of 16 mm chipboard and covered with PVC edging. In the future, it will be necessary to make insulated housings for the boards to protect live parts from accidental contact.

To power the vacuum cleaner, a three-core flexible cable in rubber insulation KG 3*2.5 (5 meters) and a plug with a grounding contact were selected (do not forget about electrical safety and fight static electricity). Considering the short-term intermittent operation of the vacuum cleaner together with a power tool, the selected cable cross-section is sufficient not to heat up. A thicker cable (for example, KG 3*4) is correspondingly heavier and rougher, which would create inconvenience when using the vacuum cleaner. It was decided to discard the device for winding the cable, which was in the donor vacuum cleaner, since the contacts existing there would not withstand the total load of the vacuum cleaner and power tool.

The top cover is secured with a pin and wing nut.

To make it easier to remove the top cover, the motor is connected to the control circuit via a connector. The motor housing and the vacuum cleaner are connected to a protective grounding conductor. To cool the regulator circuit, I drilled a small hole in the outlet pipe to create an air flow inside the engine compartment housing.

In order to be able to insert a garbage bag into the garbage bin, the top edge was covered with a rubber door seal cut lengthwise.

To prevent the garbage bag from being sucked into the cyclone due to air leaks through leaks, it is necessary to make a small hole in it.

The finalization and testing of the resulting vacuum cleaner took place when the repairs had already begun, so to speak, in “combat” conditions. The traction, of course, is many times more powerful than that of a household vacuum cleaner, which would not be enough for even a couple of minutes of working with construction waste. Relatively heavy concrete debris is almost completely deposited in the garbage container and the additional filter does not need to be cleaned for a long time, while the draft is uniform and does not depend on the degree of filling of the garbage container. Dust from putty (in the form of flour) is very light and, accordingly, is less filtered by the cyclone, which forces you to periodically clean the autofilter. The task of making a vacuum cleaner was not set and therefore no test was carried out for this function.

CONCLUSION and CONCLUSIONS:

The resulting device eventually turned out to be functional and has already been tested during the renovation of one room. Now I consider it more like a working model from the “will it work or not for fun” series.

The main disadvantages of this design:

— relatively large dimensions are not convenient for transportation in a car, although the vacuum cleaner moves around the room very easily on wheels. You can use 30 liter barrels for example. As operation has shown, such a large garbage container is inconvenient to clean, and a bag with a large amount of garbage can tear.

- the diameter of the hose can be increased, for example, to 50 mm and a hose from an industrial vacuum cleaner can be used (but the question of price arises from 2000 rubles). Although even with the existing hose, the debris collects quite quickly, unless, of course, you try to pull in half a brick.

— it is necessary to make an easily removable mount for the additional auto filter and engine for more convenient and quick maintenance and cleaning.

— you can include a thermal relay in the control circuit (just determine the response temperature) to protect the engine from overheating.

Poor screening of light fine dust, which can be solved by introducing a second stage of smaller cyclones.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all my friends who helped with ideas and materials in the construction of this “pepelats”. And a special big thank you to my beloved wife Yulia for supporting me in my hobbies.

I hope my little experience will be useful to readers.

The process of mechanical processing of wooden workpieces is always accompanied by the release of dust or the scattering of shavings and sawdust. Modern power tools provide the ability to connect any installations for the collection and disposal of wood waste, but purchasing them for household needs is not always justified. At the home level, a homemade device successfully copes with the problem of dust removal. Let us consider in detail the procedure for making a vacuum cleaner for the workshop.

Required materials and tools

The basis for the project is an old household vacuum cleaner, from which the following components are used:
Motor part;
Power regulator;
Power cord;
Suction hose;
Nozzles

For the homemade body, select a polyethylene barrel with a capacity of 50–80 liters, always with a fixed lid. You will also need:
A piece of plastic sewer pipe with a diameter of 50 mm;
Plywood 5–10 mm thick;
M6 bolts and nuts – 14 pieces each;
Strip of galvanized sheet metal;
Air filter from a minibus;
220 Volt switch;
Threaded rod with washers and nuts;
Construction sealant;
Sandpaper;
Glue rods;
Corrugated drain hose for washing machine;
Electrical installation corrugation HDPE 32.

Docking units are made of plastic tubes and fittings, selected depending on the size of the pipes on the tools and the diameters of the vacuum cleaner intake hoses. List of tools used:
Glue gun;
Drill;
Locksmith keys;
Screwdrivers;
Wire cutters;
Electric jigsaw;
Sharp knife;
Files;
Caulk gun.

The process of making a vacuum cleaner for a workshop
Stepping back approximately 100 mm from the top, mark a hole on the wall of the barrel for the inlet pipe and drill it using a drill. Then use a knife to give the hole an oval shape so that the inner end of the pipe is placed close to the wall and points down at a slight angle. Degrease the surfaces to be joined and, using a glue gun, fix the pipe in place.

Using the same “hot” method, an adapter for the suction hose is attached to the outside of the pipe.

Using a jigsaw, cut out two circles from plywood with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the barrel lid. First, two holes are made in the blanks for bolts and the parts are secured on both sides of the cover. Next, drill the remaining holes, remove the circles and remove the burrs with sandpaper. Apply sealant around the perimeter of the workpieces, place the parts on the lid and completely install the fasteners. A hole is made for the pin in the center of the plywood circles, and a little to the side for the air intake of the motor block.

Remove the metal mesh from the air filter with pliers, otherwise it will become clogged with sawdust and interfere with cleaning the vacuum cleaner. One end of the cylinder is covered with a plywood plug.

The prepared filter element is secured to the stud with a wing nut.

The motor part, as a rule, has a round shape. Therefore, for ease of installation, the plastic parts in which the motor was located are cut out from the body of the old vacuum cleaner. Thanks to them, to secure the unit to the barrel lid, you only need one clamp, made from a strip of tin.

A switch and power regulator are placed next to the engine, placing the latter in a suitable box. All that remains is to connect the elements together with wires and connect the cable with the plug. After making sure that the connections are correct and that there are no exposed contacts, apply power and check the operation of the device.

The standard suction hose of a household vacuum cleaner is too short; it is extended with a corrugated tube for laying wiring or another similar product.

Manufacturing of nozzles and adapters

Cleanliness in the workshop begins with the workbench. To clean the workplace, use a standard brush that comes with the household appliance.

The nozzle is connected using a rubber adapter cut from a tube of appropriate caliber, for example, from a pipe of a car’s cooling system.

One of the most littered power tools is the power planer. The outlet fitting of the tool is large enough; most likely, the vacuum cleaner hose will connect without problems.

The design does not provide a filling sensor - at first you should look inside more often to prevent the vacuum cleaner from overfilling.

Cleanliness and order in a home workshop is the result of work done with your own hands, achieved with a minimum of financial investment.

If a person has his own workshop, then one of the most important issues is cleaning the premises. But unlike cleaning dust in an apartment, a regular household vacuum cleaner will not help here, since it is not designed for construction waste and sawdust - its garbage container (dust container or bag) will very quickly become clogged and become unusable. Therefore, they often use a homemade cyclone filter, which, together with a household vacuum cleaner, will help clean the workshop.

Introduction

Wood dust and other technical debris, although it seems harmless at first glance, actually pose many different dangers, both for the master and for the equipment. For example, prolonged work without protective equipment that prevents dust from entering the respiratory system can cause serious complications with the respiratory tract, impair the sense of smell, etc. In addition, a tool that is in the workshop under the influence of dust can quickly fail. This happens because:

1. dust, mixing with lubricant inside the tool, forms a mixture that is completely unsuitable for lubricating moving parts, which results in overheating and further damage
2. dust can make it difficult for the moving parts of the tool to rotate, which leads to additional stress, overheating and failure,
3. dust clogs the air ducts designed to ventilate the heated parts of the tool and remove heat from them, again resulting in overheating, deformation and failure.

Thus, the issue of the quality of removal of sawing products and, in general, cleaning of the premises is very acute. Modern power tools are equipped with systems for removing dust and chips directly from the sawing area, which prevents dust from spreading throughout the workshop. In any case, the dust removal process requires a vacuum cleaner (or chip cleaner)!

There are good industrial vacuum cleaners, and if possible, it is better to choose the best option in terms of price and quality and buy a construction vacuum cleaner.

However, there are cases when you already have a household vacuum cleaner and it is easier to upgrade it and solve the problem of collecting construction waste indoors. To do this, you need to use a cyclone filter - it can be done in half an hour if all the necessary elements are available.

Principle of operation

There are a great many different designs of cyclones, but they all share the same operating principle. All designs of cyclone chip suckers consist of three main parts:

• Household vacuum cleaner
• Cyclone filter
• Waste collection container

Its design is such that the flow of intake air is directed in a circle and its rotational movement is obtained. Accordingly, the construction waste contained in this air flow (these are large and heavy fractions) is acted upon by a centrifugal force, which presses it against the walls of the cyclone chamber and, under the influence of gravity, it gradually settles in the tank.

The disadvantage of a cyclone vacuum cleaner is that in this way you can only collect dry garbage, but if there is water in the garbage, then there will be problems when sucking up such a substance.

The vacuum cleaner must be powerful enough, since in its normal mode of operation it is assumed that air is sucked through a standard hose. If an additional cyclone filter is used, an additional filter appears in the air path, and the total length of the air duct is more than doubled due to the additional air duct. Since the design is as maneuverable as a separate vacuum cleaner, the length of the last hose should be sufficient for comfortable work.

Preparatory work

As mentioned above, you can make a cyclone filter for a workshop in half an hour, but to do this you need to check the availability of everything necessary for the production of a chip blower with your own hands, namely: tools, materials and consumables.

Tools

To carry out the work, the following tools will be needed:

1. electric drill,
2. screwdriver,
3. jigsaw,
4. compass,
5. clamps,
6. Phillips screwdriver,
7. pencil,
8. on wood (50-60mm),
9. kit .

Materials and fasteners

Materials can be used both new and used, so carefully review the list below - you may already have something in stock;

1. The air duct (hose) for a vacuum cleaner is corrugated or in a textile braid.
2. A sewer pipe with a diameter of 50 mm and a length of 100–150 mm, into one of the ends of which the air duct of your household vacuum cleaner should be inserted.
3. Sewer outlet 30 or 45 degrees, 100–200 mm long, into one end of which the air duct specified in paragraph 1 will be inserted.
4. Plastic bucket (“large”) 11-26 liters with a hermetically sealed lid.
5. Bucket (“small”) plastic 5-11 liters. Note. It is important that the difference between the two maximum diameters of the buckets is approximately 60–70 mm.
6. Sheet 15–20 mm thick. Note. The sheet size must be larger than the maximum diameter of the Large Bucket.
7. Wood screws with a flat wide head and a length of 2/3 of the thickness.
8. Universal gel sealant.

Table of standard sizes of round plastic buckets.

Making a cyclone filter

Creating a homemade chip sucker consists of a number of stages:

1. Creating a retaining ring and a shaped insert
2. Installing the Retaining Ring
3. Installing the side pipe
4. Top entry installation
5. Installing a shaped insert
6. Cyclone filter assembly

Creating a retaining ring and a shaped insert

It is necessary to cut off the side of a small bucket, which is used to attach the lid. The result should be a cylinder like this (well, slightly conical).

We make markings - place a small bucket on it and draw a line along the edge - we get a circle.

Then we determine the center of this circle (see school geometry course) and mark another circle, the radius of which is 30 mm larger than the existing one. Then we mark the ring and the shaped insert, as shown in the figure.

Installing the Retaining Ring

We fix the ring on the edge of a small bucket so that we get a side. We fasten using self-tapping screws. It is advisable to pre-drill the holes to avoid splitting.

We mark the roof of a large bucket. To mark, you need to place the bucket itself on the lid of a large bucket and trace its outline. It is better to make markings with a felt-tip pen, as the mark is clearly visible.

It is important to note that all connections must be airtight; therefore, before installing the cover, the connection area must be coated with sealant. You also need to coat the junction of the wooden ring and the small bucket.

Installing the side pipe

The side pipe is made from a sewer outlet of 30 degrees (or 45 degrees). To install it, you need to drill a hole in the top of the small bucket with a crown. Notice that the top of the small bucket has now become its bottom.

Top entry installation

To make the upper input, you need to drill a hole in the upper part of the chip sucker (small bucket), that is, in the center of the former bottom.

To securely fix the inlet pipe, you need to use an additional strength element in the form of a square piece of 20 mm thickness with a central hole for the pipe of 50 mm.

This workpiece is fastened from below with four self-tapping screws. Before installation, the joint must be coated with sealant to ensure a tight seal.

Installing a shaped insert

The shaped insert is a very important component of a homemade chip cleaner; it must be secured inside the cyclone filter, as shown in the photo.

Cyclone filter assembly

Then you need to connect the air ducts correctly:

1. Upper pipe – to a household vacuum cleaner
2. An angled outlet that enters from the side at an angle to the hose.

The homemade cyclone vacuum cleaner (chip cleaner) is ready.

Video

Video this review is based on:

Today we will tell you about a cyclone filter for a vacuum cleaner in the workshop, because one of the problems that we have to deal with when working with wood is dust removal. Industrial equipment is quite expensive, so we will make a cyclone with our own hands - it’s not difficult at all.

What is a cyclone and why is it needed?

In a workshop there is almost always a need to remove fairly large debris. Sawdust, small trimmings, metal shavings - all this, in principle, can be caught by a regular vacuum cleaner filter, but it is highly likely to quickly become unusable. In addition, it will not be superfluous to be able to remove liquid waste.

The cyclone filter uses aerodynamic vortex to bind particles of different sizes together. Spinning in a circle, the debris manages to stick together to such a consistency that it can no longer be carried away by the air flow and settles at the bottom. This effect almost always occurs if the air flow passes through a cylindrical container at sufficient speed.

These types of filters are included in many industrial vacuum cleaners, but their cost is by no means affordable for the average person. At the same time, the range of problems solved with the help of homemade devices is not at all narrower. A homemade cyclone can be used both in conjunction with planes, hammer drills or jigsaws, and for removing sawdust or shavings from various types of machine tools. In the end, even simple cleaning with such a device is much easier, because the bulk of dust and debris settles in a container, from where it can be easily removed.

Difference between wet and dry cyclone

To create a swirling flow, the main requirement is that the air entering the container does not follow the shortest path to the exhaust hole. To do this, the inlet pipe must have a special shape and be directed either to the bottom of the container or tangentially to the walls. Using a similar principle, it is recommended to make the exhaust duct rotary, optimally if it is directed towards the cover of the device. The increase in aerodynamic drag due to pipe bends can be neglected.

As already mentioned, a cyclone filter has the potential to remove liquid waste as well. With liquid, everything is somewhat more complicated: the air in the pipe and cyclone is partially rarefied, which promotes the evaporation of moisture and its breaking into very small droplets. Therefore, the inlet pipe must be located as close as possible to the surface of the water or even lowered under it.

Most washing vacuum cleaners introduce air into the water through a diffuser, so any moisture contained in it is effectively dissolved. However, for greater versatility with a minimum number of alterations, it is not recommended to use such a scheme.

Made from scrap materials

The simplest and most affordable option for a cyclone container would be a bucket of paint or other building mixtures. The volume should be comparable to the power of the vacuum cleaner used, approximately one liter for every 80-100 W.

The bucket lid must be intact and fit tightly onto the body of the future cyclone. It will have to be modified by making a couple of holes. Regardless of the material of the bucket, the easiest way to make holes of the required diameter is to use a homemade compass. You need to screw two self-tapping screws into a wooden strip so that their tips are 27 mm apart from each other, no more, no less.

The centers of the holes should be marked 40 mm from the edge of the cover, preferably so that they are as far apart as possible. Both metal and plastic are excellently scratched with such a homemade tool, forming smooth edges with virtually no burrs.

The second element of the cyclone will be a set of sewer elbows at 90º and 45º. Let us draw your attention in advance that the position of the corners must correspond to the direction of air flow. Their fastening in the housing cover is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. The elbow is inserted all the way into the side of the socket. Silicone sealant is first applied under the side.
2. On the reverse side, a rubber sealing ring is pulled tightly onto the socket. To be sure, you can additionally compress it with a screw clamp.

The inlet pipe is located with a narrow rotating part inside the bucket, the socket is located on the outside almost flush with the lid. The knee needs to be given another 45º turn and directed obliquely downwards and tangentially to the wall of the bucket. If the cyclone is made with wet cleaning in mind, you should extend the outer elbow with a piece of pipe, reducing the distance from the bottom to 10-15 cm.

The exhaust pipe is located in the reverse position and its socket is located under the bucket lid. You also need to insert one elbow into it so that air is taken from the wall or make two turns for suction from under the center of the lid. The latter is preferable. Don’t forget about the O-rings; for a more reliable fixation and to prevent the knees from turning, you can wrap them with plumber’s tape.

How to adapt the device for machines and tools

To be able to draw in waste when using manual and stationary tools, you will need a system of adapters. Typically, a vacuum cleaner hose ends in a curved tube, the diameter of which is comparable to the fittings for dust bags of power tools. As a last resort, you can seal the joint with several layers of double-sided mirror tape wrapped in vinyl tape to eliminate stickiness.

With stationary equipment everything is more complicated. Dust extraction systems have very different configurations, especially for homemade machines, so we can only give a few useful recommendations:

1. If the machine's dust extractor is designed for a 110 mm or larger hose, use plumbing adapters with a 50 mm diameter to connect the corrugated hose of the vacuum cleaner.
2. To connect homemade machines to a dust catcher, it is convenient to use press fittings for 50 mm HDPE pipes.
3. When designing the dust collector housing and outlet, take advantage of the convection flow created by the tool's moving parts for greater efficiency. For example: the pipe for removing sawdust from a circular saw should be directed tangentially to the saw blade.
4. Sometimes it is necessary to provide dust suction from different sides of the workpiece, for example, for a band saw or router. Use 50 mm sewer tees and corrugated drain hoses.

Which vacuum cleaner and connection system to use

Usually, you don’t choose a vacuum cleaner for a homemade cyclone yourself, but use the one that is available. However, there are a number of limitations beyond the power mentioned above. If you want to continue using the vacuum cleaner for domestic purposes, then at a minimum you will need to find an additional hose.

The beauty of the sewer elbows used in the design is that they ideally match the diameter of the most common hoses. Therefore, the spare hose can be safely cut into 2/3 and 1/3, the shorter section should be connected to the vacuum cleaner. The other, longer piece, as is, is tucked into the socket of the cyclone inlet pipe. The maximum that is required in this place is to seal the connection with silicone sealant or plumbing tape, but usually the fit density is quite high. Especially if there is an o-ring.

The video shows another example of making a cyclone for dust removal in a workshop

To pull a short piece of hose onto the exhaust pipe, the outermost part of the corrugated pipe will have to be leveled. Depending on the diameter of the hose, it may be more convenient to tuck it inside. If the straightened edge does not fit slightly onto the pipe, it is recommended to warm it a little with a hairdryer or an indirect flame of a gas burner. The latter is considered an excellent option, because this way the connection will be located optimally in relation to the direction of the moving flow.

Owners of small workshops and just home craftsmen often have to deal with the problem of air purification after intensive work on wood processing, grinding metal surfaces, etc. Conventional room ventilation will not help here; you will need to install specialized equipment. With known skills, you can do it yourself.

Purpose and characteristics of cyclones

A cyclone is a specialized air purification unit (although similar units are also used as chip ejectors, sawdust and other means for removing waste).

As air purifiers, industrial cyclone designs must provide suction and dust removal with an efficiency of at least 85...90%, when removing dust fragments with sizes of at least 10...12 microns. They are equipped with filters of various designs. The most effective are electrostatic precipitators, which simultaneously remove static electricity charges from dust particles.

The principle of operation of the cyclone is as follows. Air enters the snail-shaped inlet space of the cyclone at high speed (up to 20 m/s), for which fans are usually used. The air containing dust particles is swirled and then enters the conical cavity of the device. Features of the geometric structure of the cyclone cause a gradual increase in the speed of the air flow containing dust and other waste. During this process, heavier dust particles self-separation from lighter ones. The former settle to the bottom, and the latter, moving in a cone-shaped space, end up in the dust collector, from where they can be easily removed using a bucket or sealed container. The purified air is released into the atmosphere through the pipe.

The number of cyclones, depending on the requirements for the quality of dust removal, can be made different: there are groups of three, four and even eight single cyclones.

Operational requirements for cyclones include the following parameters:

1. permissible dispersion of particles that enter the cyclone, microns.
2. the efficiency of the process, which is expressed in the maximum weight concentration of particles after dust removal, in g/mm 3 ;
3. cyclone productivity, m 3 /h;
4. limit temperature of air or gas entering the cyclone socket (more typical for gas cleaning systems than dust removal systems) - usually up to 400...600 °C;
5. internal diameter of the cyclone, mm.

In addition to purely design requirements, there are also conditions for high-quality installation of air cleaning devices. For example, if the gaps in the air duct connections are exceeded, air leaks often occur, during which the performance of dust separation from air sharply decreases. The permissible suction value should not be more than 6...8%.

Cyclones not only remove dust from the surrounding air, but can also provide clean air into the room.

Construction of a household cyclone

There are no universal cyclones for performing various cleaning operations. For example, the chip ejector must have increased strength of the pipe walls, which will prevent premature wear. Regarding a cyclone designed to collect and remove sawdust, it is important to ensure minimal losses in the suction air ducts. When providing a cyclone for the purpose of cleaning the air from cement dust arising during construction work, special attention is paid to the design of the filters.

In domestic conditions, cyclones that clean the air from coarse dust are considered the most universal. By changing the design of the filters, such devices can be made for dust removal purposes, as a chip suction unit, or for cleaning the air from sawdust in a woodworking workshop (for example, at an operating sawmill).

The components of such a unit are:

• body - includes conical and cylindrical parts, and the shape of the conical part has a predominant influence on the quality of the process;
• pipe - one or more, where the original polluted air enters;
• an exhaust pipe designed to remove dust-free air;
• inlet filter (or their system) as a chip suction device;
• receiving bucket;
• drive motor;
• fan.

All of the listed parts/assemblies can be purchased or made by yourself.

Motor selection

Since a homemade cyclone is installed in a workshop, the main parameter of the engine is its power and the number of rotor revolutions. If there is a fan, the power of the engine does not matter much, since dust particles will still enter the operating machine, sawmill, etc. will not hit. However, the power and diameter of the cyclone scroll must be interconnected. With a snail wheel diameter of up to 300...350 mm, a high-speed (required!) engine of up to 1.5 kW is quite suitable. With smaller diameters, the power may be lower, but the cleaning performance will also decrease. Therefore, if there is a metalworking machine in the workshop, a motor of 1 kW or more is accepted.

The power of the electric motor increases significantly if you plan to build a homemade device with your own hands outside the premises. There will be more free space, but cleaning efficiency will decrease, mainly due to losses in the air ducts. It is also worth noting that during the cold season, such a homemade cyclone will effectively “pull” heat from the workshop.

A good option is to purchase an electric motor complete with a receiving volute, the number of which determines the consumer capabilities of a homemade air purification system. The most common parameters of snails and recommended electric motors for domestic use are shown in the table:

The systems are supplied with rubber vibration isolators. They are capable of creating operating pressures of 0.8 kPa and above.

When choosing (or making with your own hands) a snail, preference should be given to a radial air intake pattern rather than a tangential one.

In the latter case, unproductive losses for a homemade snail increase, and the inertia of the particle selection method for the option with a chip suction device will be very low.

When choosing an engine, it is necessary to take into account that the speed of air movement in the device cannot be less than 2.5...3 m/s. If cleaning is unsatisfactory, the elements of a homemade cyclone like a chip suction device (filter, bucket) quickly become clogged with shavings, sawdust and other small waste.

Manufacturing of cyclone elements

On specialized Internet forums you can find drawings of all components of the unit, which are available for making them yourself. Using improvised means, a household (or better yet, an industrial) vacuum cleaner is often remade. Additionally required:

• a set of hoses made of translucent corrugated material (this will facilitate visual control of dust particles settled inside). For chip extraction, rubber hoses are more practical;
• a soundproofing box that will perform two functions - it will reduce the noise level in the workshop, and provide additional protection for all machines and power tools located there from static electricity periodically accumulated by dust. For this purpose, you can make the box yourself from plywood, and decorate the inside with any type of sound insulator;
• air ducts for purified air: assembled with your own hands from a thin aluminum sheet and connected to each other with folds;
• waste collection container - can be made from an ordinary construction bucket with a capacity of 20 liters or more, which is sealed with the body of a homemade cyclone using a corrugated hose;
• filter (you can use a filter from trucks), which is installed on the outlet pipe.

A vacuum cleaner converted with your own hands for the needs of dust removal is checked: first at idle, passing normal air through the system, and then with the vacuum cleaner connected to a working machine.