Vortex Dust Separator

wildcard · Post by **wildcard** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:37 pm

I made this http://www.woodcraft.com/Articles/Artic ... 408&page=1 works very well, and everything can be picked up cheap at local stores

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:41 pm

osx-addict wrote:Jpg..

If your shopvac isn't too old, you can email them via their website and tell them that the motor is shot or similar and they're pretty good about free replacements. I told them our not too old ShopVac had a faulty power switch that would not keep the power on and they sent me a brand-new replacement motor/switch since it's a single unit. Go figure.. Didn't cost me any $$..

Interesting suggestion, but it is quite old!

After turning a top to fit where the motor used to be and including a 2 ++ inch hole in the top, I have tried it as a debris catcher ahead of the DC 3300.

Conclusions:
works better as a catcher ahead of a shop-vac. *
works ok with a DC3300
The apparent tilting down and sideways of the intake does not produce a cyclone action. Swirling random air movement is more descriptive(turbulent). That would explain the need for a filter originally when a shopvac.

* I did not get a good seal of the original snap catch lid to the barrel so the both the DC and shop vac were experiencing a lot of leakage. I will try again after applying some foam weatherstripping.

Not sure modifying intake to try creating a cyclone is worthwhile. It does catch the big stuff and thus will reduce the frequency of DC bag changing. The old shopvac is much easier to empty!!!

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:44 pm

JPG40504 wrote:That is different from the few that I have seen. I am sure different models(sizes) vary. I currently can look at both a 16 gal and a 5 gal version and they both point sideways and slightly down. Not a real good elbow in either, but the intent is apparent.

I got drawn back to this thread and this post and decided to followup on my question.

I may have the elbow in differently than others (pointed straight down) but the only other choice I have is straight up because of the way the elbow mechanism is constructed.

I suspect this might be because I have a wet/dry vacuum.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:54 pm

dusty wrote:I got drawn back to this thread and this post and decided to followup on my question.

I may have the elbow in differently than others (pointed straight down) but the only other choice I have is straight up because of the way the elbow mechanism is constructed.

I suspect this might be because I have a wet/dry vacuum.

The shopvacs that I am familar with were all wet/dry. None of them have a (re)movable elbow at the intake(they are all molded and mysteriously attached to the side). All are of the 'inexpensive' genre!

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:17 pm

JPG40504 wrote:The shopvacs that I am familar with were all wet/dry. None of them have a (re)movable elbow at the intake(they are all molded and mysteriously attached to the side). All are of the 'inexpensive' genre!

All I had to do was pay attention - the answer is right there.

[ATTACH]12399[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]12400[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]12401[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]12402[/ATTACH]

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:00 pm

I'm guessing that is a Craftsman wet/dry vac. That wet/dry defector looks just like Craftsman 8 Gal. Which recently died a violent smoking death. I may try to use it as a debris catcher for the replacement vac.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:12 pm

terrydowning wrote:I'm guessing that is a Craftsman wet/dry vac. That wet/dry defector looks just like Craftsman 8 Gal. Which recently died a violent smoking death. I may try to use it as a debris catcher for the replacement vac.

These pictures are of a ShopVac, Model 87L400, Quiet Delux Series, 10gal, 4.0 hp.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 7:10 pm

dusty wrote:These pictures are of a ShopVac, Model 87L400, Quiet Delux Series, 10gal, 4.0 hp.

Dry input deflected down, wet input deflected sideways?????

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:03 pm

JPG40504 wrote:Dry input deflected down, wet input deflected sideways?????

I don't know what goes up or what goes down. It is not clear to me when I read what I have.

However, nothing goes sideways. The plate with the elbow doesn't go in that way. That plate to which the elbow attaches is rectangular - not square.

PS: I found the instructions in the online manual (general instructions) for all ShopVacs. The deflector goes "down" for dry operations and "up" for wet operations.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:06 pm

dusty wrote:I don't know what goes up or what goes down. It is not clear to me when I read what I have.

However, nothing goes sideways. The plate with the elbow doesn't go in that way. That plate to which the elbow attaches is rectangular - not square.

PS: I found the instructions in the online manual (general instructions) for all ShopVacs. The deflector goes "down" for dry operations and "up" for wet operations.

It looked to me from your pix, that the deflection of solids striking the 'bevel' would be down(gravity assisted), but when reversed(open side down) the deflector might cause liquids to bounce off sideways(both ways) since the inverted deflector would be tending to hold the liquid 'up'. ???