Starting construction of my wet / dry vac cyclone separator.

[dbhost]

Okay, I am gathering the goodies for my Thien Cyclone. So far I have...

1 @ 20 gallon THICK walled 20 gallon Galvanized trash can. I don't recall them being this thick! Got it at Ace for $16.00
1 @ 2" PVC Street elbow. (Slip male x slip female). Never have figured out how to trim this. I guess grind away the side that sill touch the can right? Hey Phil, or someone else that has this working, can you post some close up pics of the modified elbow so those of us that are completely confused can get a clue?
1 @ 1/2" white oak plywood disk for the baffle. (I meant it to be the lid, but forgot to account for the actual size of the bit, so it ended up small...
1 @ 24"x24" 3/4" Baltic Birch Ply for lid.

Remains to be purchased...

4 @ 1/4-20x6" all thread. (I couldn't find carriage bolts longer than 3", Can someone tell me where to get 4.5" long 1/4" carriage bolts?)
16 @ 1/4" fender washers
8 @ 1/4-20 nylon insert lock nuts.
16 @ 1/4-20 standard nuts.
2 @ Peachtree 2.5" Dust Collector Ports item #387 if I recall right... (Peachtree is open in my other tab right now...).
Rabbeting router bit. I don't own one, yet... Probably tap MLCS for that...

So far I have busted a Craftsman 1/4" shank 1/4" straight cutting bit making the disks... What a PITA!

Question RE making the lids. Is it possible to use the original metal lid from the trash can for the upper part?

Any advice for me before I continue on and totally screw this up?

[phil (admin)]

Question RE making the lids. Is it possible to use the original metal lid from the trash can for the upper part?

Anything is possible.  What has prevented me is my lack of metalworking tools (and skills).  Also, the metal tops are thin, which would complicate attaching the PVC pieces (although I'm sure that could be overcome).  Finally, they aren't flat (again, I'm sure that problem could be overcome as well).

[dbhost]

Okay, I am definately going with the MDF, just waiting for a rabbeting bit (Didn't have one to start with) and a new straight cutter bit (broke one in the process) to come in before I can continue. Also waiting on my dust collection connectors. Hopefully by next weekend everything will be in, and I can finish this up and post some pics... I definately need to do SOMETHING, my poor little vac fills up too fast!

[dbhost]

Okay, the MDF idea was scrapped in favor of 3/4" white oak ply, mostly out of weight, and fastener retention concerns. The all thread, washers, and nuts are in, the dust ports are in... I have ordered the straight cutting bit, and the rabbeting bit from MLCS today, with the free shipping, which isn't always fast...  I found my clear silicone was set up in the tube (gotta get some new stuff) and I need some appropriate screws to hold the dust ports down. So as soon as MLCS delivers, I set the router up to cut the upper section, cut and rabbet the upper section, and then cut the remaining holes, set up the hardware, cut the notch in the lower section, assemble and test...

This is turning out to be a project with some new methods used, I might actually stain this just to make it at least somewhat attractive.... Maybe make LOML think I'm nuts... I'll post up pics and test results... Probably plane up and spend some time sanding up a bunch of old 2x4 scrap I have laying around to create the test pile...

[dbhost]

You know the old saying, measure once cut twice? Yep you read that right...

But I cut that board three times and it's still too danged short!

Gotta get another chunk 'O plywood tomorrow and get after it again...

[phil (admin)]

You know the old saying, measure once cut twice? Yep you read that right...

But I cut that board three times and it's still too danged short!

Gotta get another chunk 'O plywood tomorrow and get after it again...

I don't think anyone else here has ever done something like that.   ;)

[dbhost]

I'm honestly not sure how I came up short...

I measured across the can 3 times, came up with 17-7/8" each time, rounded up to 18" and divided by 2. 9". Since I am going to cut a 1/2" rabbet in this, I want the radius bumped UP a half inch from half of my 9 there. So...

I then locked the router bit in the collet, plunged it to depth and locked it, and measured from the cutting edge to the centering pin on the circle cutting guide and locked it in at 9.5". On a test piece. I set the centering pin, and scratched a mark with the bit, and measured...

Went back to the can, re-measured JUST to make sure...

Measured my center point in my work piece and marked it. Clamped the work piece to the saw horses, set the router, un plunged the bit, donned by PPE, and started the router up, plunged, cut, and tested out the new circle. It slips just barely in the can. Either my plywood shrunk, or my can grew...

I wish I knew how I screwed this up so I can make sure I don't sacrifice another piece of ply to stupidity...

[dbhost]

Okay, boy smart like brick...

I haven't put up the router yet, mostly because had I put a hand on it a second longer than I did yesterday, I would have thrown it across the street.

So I measured, again...

8.75".

So let me get this straight. 17-7/8"  or 17.875" if my math is right, /2 = 8.9375" radius. Which to match would mean to set the distance between the center of the centering pin, to the closest in cutting edge of my router bit. In order to get a sufficient overlap, and allow my 1/2" rabbet sufficient space I should basically round that up, to 9.25". Which is what I NOW have the router set for. The rabbeting bit will cut the material so that a radius to the inner portion would measure 8.75", thereby insuring sufficient overlap, between bigger and smaller part in relation to the lip of the trash can. (I am still moving forward with the 20 gallon trash can to start with, will build another with a 55 gallon barrel when I have the process down...)

The lower ring, is radius of 8.5", and prior to trimming it for the 1.125" gap, dropped in and fit very nicely 3.5" below the rim. I figure that would provide sufficient drop for the elbow...

So cut it, line up drill, and mount up the elbow, sort of spot welding in place with hot glue. (I couldn't find a reasonably priced 2-3/8" hole saw, so I had to settle for a 2.5"...). Get reference marks for the baffle, remove the elbow, line up the reference marks, with the baffle oriented as close to Phils pics as I can get it, drill my holes for the spacers. Mount up the spacers, permanently hot glue the elbow in place, mount up the vac adapters, drop it on the can, fully clean the vac, hook it all up, and get to cleaning out my shop, including the impressive pile of planer shavings from where I kind of forgot to open the blast gate...

[phil (admin)]

You've got it.  Just go slowly and you'll be fine.

Try to get the inlet elbow close to the side of the can.  The closer to the side of the can, the better the rotation, the better the separation.

[dbhost]

Okay, the baffle, and the lid are complete, and test fittment shows them to be spot on. The hot glue gun is heating up right now, and I am going to glue the elbow on first. It would appear I got the wrong size Sch 40 for the nipple piece in the center. Is that part neccesary?

Once the PVC is in, the spacers go on and it gets dropped in the can, the vac gets cleaned, and we get busy with cleanup and a photo shoot to share with you fine folks...

[dbhost]

It's 8:00 P.M. and it is finally done! I had the baffle lined up kind of backwards when I drilled the holes through both disks so I had to spin the elbow around the other way, which I guess is fine.

I I had a FULL 3 gallon shop vac (my old one) and I used the junk in there to test with. For the 3 gallons ish of stuff, dust, sawdust, Cigar stubs, etc... There was dog hair in there and that got caught on screw ends for the adapters. I may just unscrew the hose fittings and hot glue them on instead so the bottom of the lid is smooth. I had about 1 tbsp of debris in the vac afterwards...

Pics to come probably monday-ish...