Official Luthiers Forum!

I pulled a Bruce Dickey (Thanks for the inspiration, Bruce) and built my mini-cyclone in a vertical tower. It was a snap to put together, even for a klutz like me. I used a 6 gallon, 3hp small shop vac for the power, the ClearVue mini for the cyclone, and a Rubbermaid Brute 20-gallon trash can on a dolly for the container.

Plugged that puppy in and it worked like a DREAM...UNTIL...I stuck the hose on it, and my "heavy duty" trash can collasped like a crushed aluminum can. When there is no load whatsoever on the can, it's just fine...but any load at all, (say something as simple as the line sucking your shirt tail into it) and whammo, it's down and out, literally imploding on itself.

So, I just thought I'd mention it in case somebody else is going to go the trash can route. Looks like I'll be trying something new.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

I don't believe you...let's see a picture!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Yea, How about a picture? You know what they say (a picture is worth a thousand words)

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We Bend the Wood, So You Can Bend the Strings

OK doubting Thomases...doing a photo would require crushing my nice trash can, again, which I'm not going to do...so, you'll just have to imagine it. Trust me, it's rather dramatic and surprising (and funny once you get over the shock).

B

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Boy, that really sucks...

I did mine in the vertical configuration as well but I attached it to a hand truck for more stability and mobility.
MIne is hooked up a little different than Bruces and I would have done mine that way as well but I had already bought this big ol vaccum and it too would have been a little top heavy so I put the shopvac on the bottom and used a hose.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

See, John took pictures.

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We Bend the Wood, So You Can Bend the Strings

Now I have to go clean the tea off my keyboard!

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Brad Tucker

Bill, Gee, I forgot to tell you about my inline suction breaker valve. I've had my hose grab an object, like clothing or my hand, just testing or forgetting. I've heard my can pop inward, but nothing like crush it. Partly because I don't have a perfect seal at the incoming hose, I wrapped blue masking tape around it numerous times and while it holds, it still permits a bit of air to come in, most likely avoiding the crushing suction the unit is capable of. Mine just pops in and right back out when suction is released, but mine hasn't collapsed.

Bill, did you add a 1/2 inch circle of plywood inside your lid? I did, and it makes it rock solid. The cyclone would have to break to cause my vac to fall. Come to think of it, I meant to go back and reinforce the lid, cyclone, vac combination with three legs. Must do that.

I had a science teacher collapse a 1 gallon metal can in class one day. Showing the magnitude of expansion of water when it becomes a gas. He slammed the lid on the little boiling water inside the can, then quickly ran cool water on the can. The shrinking gas vapors of the water, instantly crushed the can, there was no air in it anywhere. I believe you Bill. Photos man. Photos.

Rubbermaid CONTAINER BRUTE WH 20 GAL - 10-0340 * All-plastic, professional-grade construction will not rust, chip or peel; resists dents * Reinforced rims add strength and durability * Built-in-handles allow easy, non-slip lifting and anti-jam nesting * NSF approved 10-0340, 2620 WHITE, crushes easily under vacuum.

Bill, I just found the specs on this Trash Can, you must have missed the last four words of the fine print.

You can say that again...ah, what they hey, I still have nice trash can! Now I'll just have to move towards a more sturdy receptacle. One thing is for certain though, the little cyclone rocks.

B

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Bill, you are right about it working well. Hey, I was checking these Brute cans and they are USDA approved for foodstuff. I was rewiring a kitchen at a local diner and one of the workers was filling one of those with lettuce, chopped and diced, ready for you to order! Yikes, I think it had a plastic liner. I hope so.

Try a metal one Bill and put an inner plywood support or build a whole top with a groove and gasket? I did have to have a second go at sealing the metal trash can, because it just wasn't a tight enough seal without adding a foam window seal.

You know you can get a 55 gallon or 35 gallon metal can with a nice air tight lid attachment for ~$20 on ebay. Even with shipping it is only $50 or so. It is nice and heavy too so it won't be likely to tip.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Any Ace store has these metal cans for 15 to 20 bucks, you do need to support the lid as mentioned. Good luck with the mods!

Well thank you Bill. You have saved me at the very least a head banging. I tossed the receipt, so I'll keep the can for garbage and go looking for a metal can for the dust collector.

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Aoibeann

i know this is an oooooold post, but, what is a mini cyclone used for?

my guess would be as a vacuum for veneering things to stuff and junk.

am i close? i may want to build one.

Yes, inquiring minds would like to know!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

It's a miniature model of a cyclone dust collector used to improve the dust-collecting performance of shop-vacs and other small dust collector systems. The cyclone separates the larger chips from the flow where they drop into the can; this allows you to run the collector longer before you have to clean it out and it also lengthens the life of your filter media (bags, canisters, or whatever).

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I have one and it works well for me.
Most of the dust goes into the trash can just the real fine dust gets to the vac its self.
The filter on my shop vac stays clean just a small spot where the inlet is.
I don't generate a lot of dust in my shop If I did I might get some larger.

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

Where do you get these mini cyclones?

Thank you,

Jonas

Proof positive that Newton was wrong.
Gravity is a myth.....

Shop vacs suck!


Ok...I hear the groans from here!

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Hank Mauel

Jeb
Google Oneida dust deputy. Works good.

Does clearvue still offer the mini cyclone? I couldn't find it anywhere on there website.

thanks
Ron

Just saw in Wood magazine that Rockler carries a version of these.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=30068

But it's sold out right now.

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Rob

Hi Rob,
Thanks for the link to the Vortex, looks interesting.

-Ron