shop vac cyclone?

[Bob from Hope]

In my old Craftsman shop vac, the filter clogs up before 2 inches of saw dust settles to the bottom of the tank. What's the point of having a big tank if most of the dust is going to wind up on the filter? Are there any shop vacs with some cyclone effect? Are there any that separate the dust from the air so that the filter remains reasonably clear?

[Allan Johanson - South Su]

I've heard of folks covering the filter with some pantyhose or something like that to help reduce the amount of dust that gets stuck in the pleats.

Or you could have a lot of fun and do this:

http://www.mgsweb.com/woodworking/cyclone/minicyclone.htm

http://www.canadianwoodworking.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

Allan

[KenR in Whitby]

Not sure if this works or not....click below.



http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=30282&category=1,42401&ccurrency=1&S ID= (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=30282&category=1,42401&ccurrency=1&SID=)

[Jim in Burlington]

If you have used it for drywall or other caking dust that was damp it can ruin the filter quick. I have 2 filters and at the end of the day when sanding drywall I put the used filter in a garbage bag wraped around it and my arm and bang all the caked up dust off it.

[Bob from Hope]

All good ideas, but my shop vac needs to be mobile as I drag it around from project to project. Are there any retrofits I could put into the vac?

[Bryan , Woodstock, on]

buy the disposable bags, expensive , but keeps the filter clean.Thats what they are for but most of us are too cheap to buy them.

[Bob, in Lachute, Qc.]

Lol, Alan, I just love that lil' cyclone. Thanks for posting that and putting a smile on my face. Been a while since I saw that one;-)) How'd you make out with your flooring job??

Bob, I wouldn't sweat the dust-cake. Only the fine dust will go to the filter, and actually help your filtering, 'til it gets to the point where it needs cleaning, but then, they ALL need cleaning, at some point.

I just put the filter on my arm(hand inside filter cavity) wrap a garbage-bag around my wrist, then tap the filter against a solid object. That removes the vast majority of the dust. If I want it really clean, then I go outside, and holding the filter down-wind, tap it against something, and the fine dust just blows away.

Cyclonic action inside your shop-vac, won't help a bit. It's only the fine particles, that stay suspended in the air turbulence, that adhere to your filter.

Building that lil' cyclone, would be a blast, and cost peanuts, and might even help a bit; longer periods between filter cleaning. Have fun, Bob.

[PTG/Ottawa]

I usew the panty hose wrap, works great. Saves cleaning the filter by 10x. Also a washable filter I find is easier to clean out.

Paul

[Pete Shermet]

Was at Sears last week and they have a fine dust filter (Cloth, washable, reuseable that goes between the lid/motor housing, and the catch can, $24 I think.

[matt]

I've got this attachment. It works great a keeping the filter clean, _BUT_ it really reduces the capacity of the vac.

Matt

[Lee Brubaker in Edmonton]

I use two filters.One is on standby.When I empty the vac I change the filters then fire up the vac and clean the plugged filter then put it on standby for the next time I empty the vac.

Lee