Cyclone Central 100mm Cyclone Review

[Stone Message]

Hello Everyone

This is my first non Festool review...

I was asked to take a look at the UK Cyclone Central 100mm cyclone. I was not sure what to expect but after building it and testing it I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone. Here is the link...

Cyclone Central 100mm Cyclone Build and Review

I am quite happy to handle any queries.

+++ edited in by me on 28 January 2012 +++

I have just produced a short video explaining the need for pressure relief valves...

Cyclone Pressure Relief Valve

Peter

 

[woodguy7]

Very nice review Peter, just what I was looking for.  One question. I have 3 blast gates, 1 that switches from saw to planer, 1 for the spindle moulder & 1 for the radial arm saw.  On a couple of occasions I have switched the extractor on (record dx5000 twin motor) without having any blast gates open.  This creates a lot of presure at the hose & bag at the extractor until I can get a gate open.  Do you think this would crush the cyclone ?

Thanks, Alan.

 

[Alan m]

i would think it would crush it.
you could put a pressure release in there. if you put a y (y part for release) between the colector and the cyclone . fill the end with a ply disk and drill a hole in it . cover the hole with something that will fail before the cyclone does.

 

[woodguy7]

I have an auto start system to fit which means all blast gates are shut. When 1 is opened it turns on the extractor & shuts it down when you close it. This will solve the problem so I may just hang fire until I get it fitted.

Cheers.

 

[Stone Message]

Hi Guys

I am not sure if it would collapse the cyclone - I am not about to test it. I am going to fit a pressure relief mechanism into my system (probably built into the top that fits on my dustbin that the cyclone is attached to) but I am in no hurry. I understand that Cyclone Central have looked at this and may be making something available for those of us who have high powered vacuum systems.

I came back in from the workshop 20 minutes ago after planing up dozens of lumps of wood. I still cannot believe how good this thing is - at this rate I will not need to check my extractor filter for another year or so. To think that a year ago I was thinking of making a cyclone from a traffic cone!

Peter

 

[woodguy7]

Light bulb  [scratch chin]. Haa haa

Any loss of suction with the cyclone Peter ?

 

[ajones]

Peter were you paid to review the cyclone?

 

[Stone Message]

Woodguy7:  There is no noticeable loss of suction. In fact it is a lot better than my original arrangement with the dustbin lid separator. I am using a Numatic NVD 750 extractor which is a brilliant gadget but it has such a tiny tank for the waste. All of my extraction requirements are satisfied. I am very pleased.

Festoolfootstool:  No, I did not get paid for doing this review although they do not want the cyclone back - I said this in the review. My daily rates for paid work are such that I would have required thousands for the amount of time and effort that went into the build, testing and filming. I am keen to support anyone who is using their initiative and trying to get on in this world. I do not need to work 7 days a week any more and so I like to give a bit back to help those that I feel deserve a boost.

Peter

 

[Stone Message]

Hello Everyone

I have now made up my relief valve. I set up a test rig and tried a couple of ideas and then came up with this, my final solution.

I cut a 40mm hole in the top that fits on my drop box. Into this I inserted what my plumber calls a rodding access (I think) - it is a short plastic waste water component that would be used to allow access for the unblocking of a drain. It was a tight fit. It has a screw cap which I would only use if I were to abandon my pressure relief valve idea and want to close off the hole.

I then made up a magnet catch which would just sit on the outside of the hole (see the picture). The bar stops the thing from falling through the hole and keeps the attached magnet at exactly the right height. Underneath is the lid of an old tin (see second picture) that will form the seal and be held in place by the magnet. There is a spring (it could be a piece of string) that stops the tin lid from disappearing when it loses contact with the magnet.

I suspect that I was VERY lucky with the strength of the magnet but I am sure that the cyclone is fairly tough and so there is quite a margin for error. I have tried using the setup as normal and it works as it should. I can stress the thing enough to note that the drop box lid moves down a bit and my dustbin gets a little smaller. But if I completely close off the inlet the relief valve opens.

Getting the magnet at exactly the right height is important but it would be just as good to have a spring attached to the cross bar and the other end attached to the magnet. Then the relief force will be the lesser of the strengths of either the magnet or spring.

I hope that this makes sense.

Peter

 

[spikfot]

Interesting, I like all the shop fixes involved w/ cyclones. I also look forward to competition which lowers the price of these simple devices.
I'm still interested in using a road cone as a pre-mold for a fiberglass/epoxy cyclone.

Humans still have much to learn from the spiral.

 

[Stone Message]

Dear William

In the UK we have been waiting a long time for someone to come up with a cyclone kit - and Oneida just can't get their act together and find a European distributer. So where is the competition?

I wish you the best of luck having a go at making one yourself - do you think that you can get one up and running sometime in the next 6 months? We would all be very interested in your solution.

Peter

 

[Chems]

Thanks to Peter for doing this for us, and all the time he's spent to review it and compile the footage.

You can defo do it with a road cone, here's on someone made on another forum:

http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/mesler585/Close-upofcyclone.jpg

 

[Stone Message]

Hello everyone

I have just added a video to my first post that describes the pressure relief valve.

Peter