Chip extractor

[woodstalker]

Got a new planer thicknesser two weeks ago and it is way too big for my little shop vac. A while back I planned ahead and bought a big chip extractor second hand which has enough flow to not let the OT clog.

So I got all the parts I had accumulated over the last couple of years and bashed them all together into a workable extractor:



Mounted the motor up high...



So I could fit in the big cyclone...



All finished; I have to say it works amazing well.

 

[AndyP]

How is the bin attached? How do you remove for emptying?

 

[woodstalker]

How is the bin attached? How do you remove for emptying?

There’s a wooden ring inside the internal lip of the bin to form a tight seal. The design I copied had a pair of large wedges under the bin to hold it in place. But because the bin was a bit misshapen the internal diameter was a bit vague so I cut the ring to try and sneak up on the measurement. In the end it is such a tight fit it doesn’t appear to need the wedges underneath between the bin and the floor. Friction (and when running the vacuum) holds it on.

To empty I just grab the bin handles and give it a little twist and it drops off. If in the future it gets a bit looser I’ll put the wedges underneath.

 

[Doug]

A few questions if I may as I’ve been considering this type of set up for years, is your cyclone 125mm inlet, where did you get it & how much if you don’t mind me asking.

Also how did you decide on the size of the filter, my present extractor has a huge filter twice the size of the one pictured, I’m guessing this has a lot to do with the impeller & size of motor you’re using.

 

[woodstalker]

A few questions if I may as I’ve been considering this type of set up for years, is your cyclone 125mm inlet, where did you get it & how much if you don’t mind me asking.

Also how did you decide on the size of the filter, my present extractor has a huge filter twice the size of the one pictured, I’m guessing this has a lot to do with the impeller & size of motor you’re using.

It’s an Oneida Super Dust Deputy I got from ebay for $180. The inlet on the side of the cyclone is 4” the exit to the fan unit is 6”. I used a reducer on the intake to take it down to 100mm and on the top to 125mm to match the intake in the fan unit.

The filter is purely based on what I could actually get now but appears to be doing the job, I have applied no science but it doesn’t seem to be restricting the airflow.

 

[Doug]

A few questions if I may as I’ve been considering this type of set up for years, is your cyclone 125mm inlet, where did you get it & how much if you don’t mind me asking.

Also how did you decide on the size of the filter, my present extractor has a huge filter twice the size of the one pictured, I’m guessing this has a lot to do with the impeller & size of motor you’re using.

It’s an Oneida Super Dust Deputy I got from ebay for $180. The inlet on the side of the cyclone is 4” the exit to the fan unit is 6”. I used a reducer on the intake to take it down to 100mm and on the top to 125mm to match the intake in the fan unit.

The filter is purely based on what I could actually get now but appears to be doing the job, I have applied no science but it doesn’t seem to be restricting the airflow.

Thanks for the quick response.

Judging by your photo it looks like the motor & impeller have a fixing foot & you’ve mounted the unit 90 degrees to how it was originally intended to be used. This is what I’m looking to do reusing my present impeller & motor but have wondered if it would be of any detriment to either part, have you encountered any problems.

 

[AndyP]

How is the bin attached? How do you remove for emptying?

There’s a wooden ring inside the internal lip of the bin to form a tight seal. The design I copied had a pair of large wedges under the bin to hold it in place. But because the bin was a bit misshapen the internal diameter was a bit vague so I cut the ring to try and sneak up on the measurement. In the end it is such a tight fit it doesn’t appear to need the wedges underneath between the bin and the floor. Friction (and when running the vacuum) holds it on.

To empty I just grab the bin handles and give it a little twist and it drops off. If in the future it gets a bit looser I’ll put the wedges underneath.

I see. So the bin is actually off the ground.

if it works, it works. Well done.

 

[woodstalker]

I see. So the bin is actually off the ground.

if it works, it works. Well done.

Yes it gives me room for a bigger bin if I need to. The current one drops off when I grab the handles and twist.

 

[woodstalker]

Thanks for the quick response.

Judging by your photo it looks like the motor & impeller have a fixing foot & you’ve mounted the unit 90 degrees to how it was originally intended to be used. This is what I’m looking to do reusing my present impeller & motor but have wondered if it would be of any detriment to either part, have you encountered any problems.

The unit is a SIP extractor:

https://www.sipuk.co.uk/sip-01954-dust-collector.html

It works fine and is 90° to the wall so the pipe goes in the right direction to go to the filter. The unit is currently just resting on the bracket held by the cyclone but I will fix it in place eventually at this angle because it works fine.

This is what I copied:

https://youtu.be/8v5079FPCsY

 

[Doug]

Thanks for the quick response.

Judging by your photo it looks like the motor & impeller have a fixing foot & you’ve mounted the unit 90 degrees to how it was originally intended to be used. This is what I’m looking to do reusing my present impeller & motor but have wondered if it would be of any detriment to either part, have you encountered any problems.

The unit is a SIP extractor:

https://www.sipuk.co.uk/sip-01954-dust-collector.html

It works fine and is 90° to the wall so the pipe goes in the right direction to go to the filter. The unit is currently just resting on the bracket held by the cyclone but I will fix it in place eventually at this angle because it works fine.

This is what I copied:

https://youtu.be/8v5079FPCsY

Thanks again, just need to get a 6” cyclone

 

[sunnybob]

My big red machine is the same layout. Tried to buy a 4 or 6" cyclone but the price to Cyprus was ridiculous. Found this cyclone on a scrap heap from a chemical mixing factory. Had to get the inlet and outlet welded into place. The bin is the bottom of a SIP extractor with a plastic window over the old inlet hole.
The bin is held with a circular metal clip that allows the bin to drop an inch to the floor.
All in 4".

 

[woodstalker]

Thanks again, just need to get a 6” cyclone

The Axminster one has 100mm inlet/outlet and if it had been available when I was first looking I would have got that. Much cheaper and no need for the adaptors I had to buy!

 

[woodstalker]

My big red machine is the same layout. Tried to buy a 4 or 6" cyclone but the price to Cyprus was ridiculous. Found this cyclone on a scrap heap from a chemical mixing factory. Had to get the inlet and outlet welded into place. The bin is the bottom of a SIP extractor with a plastic window over the old inlet hole.
The bin is held with a circular metal clip that allows the bin to drop an inch to the floor.
All in 4".

Like it!

 

[sunnybob]

As a ten quid bodge, I wasnt too sure how it would perform. I have been very pleasantly surprised.
The window lets me know when to empty it. It looks like one of those different coloured sand filled glass toys when the dust level gets to the window.
I've emptied the 50 litre drum 5 or 6 times now and the air bag still has zero chips.

 

[AndyP]

I do like the window. It is the one mod I have yet to do to my system.

 

[RogerS]

I do like the window. It is the one mod I have yet to do to my system.

Don't make it too big ! When I was messing about with cyclones, I mounted mine on a box with a perspex front thinking it would be a good idea to see when it got full. Too quickly was the answer. That is before I saw the entire thing implode.

 

[AndyP]

Mine is unlikely to implode because it has a safety valve

 

[9fingers]

Another problem with a window is that you have to remember to check it. I’ve a transparent pipe on the outlet of my cyclone and when deep in a batch of timber prep have been caught out by a full bin and a cyclone full of shavings.
Now I have an electronic proximity sensor fitted in the base of the cyclone that sounds an alarm when it’s time to empty the bin. Three simple items from eBay or ali express needed.
Bob

 

[woodstalker]

Another problem with a window is that you have to remember to check it. I’ve a transparent pipe on the outlet of my cyclone and when deep in a batch of timber prep have been caught out by a full bin and a cyclone full of shavings.
Now I have an electronic proximity sensor fitted in the base of the cyclone that sounds an alarm when it’s time to empty the bin. Three simple items from eBay or ali express needed.
Bob

Bob I’d be interested in seeing the bits you used and how you set them up to use on mine please.

 

[Woodbloke]

It’s an Oneida Super Dust Deputy I got from ebay for $180. The inlet on the side of the cyclone is 4” the exit to the fan unit is 6”. I used a reducer on the intake to take it down to 100mm and on the top to 125mm to match the intake in the fan unit.

I use the same one which is hooked up to a twin motor Camvac to supply the suckage and the debris is dropped into a 200l garden water butt. I also have a 'gulper' plumbed into my system which is similar to this one which is fine for most debris on the 'shop floor, but a bundle of long, thick stringy shavings (from a wooden jack) will choke the cyclone - Rob

 

[9fingers]

THe sensor is a LJ18A3-5-Z/BX 18mm diameter, normally open, NPN capacitative sensor.
About £1.50 from ali express or 4 times that on ebay both come from china in a few weeks

The sounder is a typical alarm sound bomb 12v from £6 ish on ebay UK stock

Power supply can be any old 12v DC wall wart that you might even have lying around. Does not need much current capability.

I'll post a photo when I go down to the workshop later today.

Bob

 

[Doug71]

Thanks again, just need to get a 6” cyclone

You might have already seen them and not cheap but I came across these the other day, ready made for you.

https://www.indooroutdoors.co.uk/produc ... -collector

 

[RogerS]

Can someone explain to me why they think cyclones are so popular ?

You still have a bin to empty and in my case, there's no 'emptying' involved per se. I just undo the full plastic bag from the extractor and take it to the tip next time I go.

 

[Doug]

Can someone explain to me why they think cyclones are so popular ?

You still have a bin to empty and in my case, there's no 'emptying' involved per se. I just undo the full plastic bag from the extractor and take it to the tip next time I go.

Simply it’s the time saving Roger, I have to clean my filter every couple of months as the fine dust clogs it up, compared to my shop vacs which get far more use but have cyclones in line & I clean those filters yearly.
I’d also add cleaning a pleated filter roughly 800mm high x 450 diameter is fairly boring as well as time consuming.

 

[Doug]

Thanks again, just need to get a 6” cyclone

You might have already seen them and not cheap but I came across these the other day, ready made for you.

https://www.indooroutdoors.co.uk/produc ... -collector

Thanks Doug, I’d not seen it but it is rather more than I’d hoped to pay.

 

[woodstalker]

Can someone explain to me why they think cyclones are so popular ?

You still have a bin to empty and in my case, there's no 'emptying' involved per se. I just undo the full plastic bag from the extractor and take it to the tip next time I go.

Hi Roger, since the filters don’t get slowly clogged with fine dust you don’t lose the suction and flow rate over time I understand.

It’s not a huge difference to what you do I expect, but efficient and effective dust extraction was top of my list to get sorted, especially as my workshop opens into the house. I’ve got one of those air cleaners too which runs for an hour or so after I’ve finished in there.

Plus I love making things and since my woodworking skill is pretty low I can at least cobble together a Heath Robinson device like this to satisfy my urge.

 

[9fingers]

Photos as promised,
My cyclone is based on the IKEA flower pot originally galvanised steel like mine. Fashionally available in early 2000s, now made from unobtainium before anyone asks.

External overall. Wallwart top left and sound bomb below. Bundled wire leading to the proximity sensor.



Looking up under the cyclone to the bottom of the sensor. This has an LED that illuminated when triggered and a small sensitivity adjustment screw. I set to the point when it just goes off from its surroundings (no sawdust present) and then back it off until it stops and job done.



This is the sensor head up insider the cyclone. Moving dust/shavings will not set it off but accumulated static shaving will trigger it.



Hope this helps

Bob