Dust collectors vs cyclone

[René in Aylmer]

Except for the bags, what is the basic difference between a dust collector system and a cyclone system.

Always wondering (... and learning the odd time)

René

[Gerry Wittenberg, Agassiz]

Hi Rene -- I have not used a DC with a bag setup but I do have a DC with a shop built cyclone. I don't get any dust in the shop from emptying the bags, dust and chips go into a big Rubbermaid garbage can. The exhaust air is filtered through a .5 micron truck air filter. Another bonus is that the dust and chips don't go through the impeller, they drop out in the cyclone before they get to it.

Gerry

[Roman]

not a thing, fancy words for a centrificlur force. Strong suction wins.

[Roman]

oh please have you ever studied a vacumn have you ever bought a large tool they all work on a system that includes the subjbject you comment on

[Chester Van Ness]

Wel the difference is that the cyclone removes more of the dust before it reaches the filters and thus making the unit more efficient for a longer period of time..

[Steve in Kemptville, On.]

I belie if you had a bag collector and cyclone with the same blower/motor the cyclone would have a bit less suction at the inlet. THe single advantage they have over bags is that enptying the bags is a PITA!

I often wondered if the decrease in performance would be enough to make a difference??

[Lee Brubaker, Edmonton,AB]

despite your claimed experience. We like to have fun on this forum but a consistant SA gets irksome and one day someone is not going to be very polite to you because of a deserved lack of repect for you.

Lee

[Roman]

Sorry mate, it would appear that I have still much to learn. In fact the older I get the more I realize that I know very little.

[Gerry Wittenberg, Agassiz]

I don't claim to be an expert on any subject, I recount my own experiences on any subject I feel that I can contribute to. That said, I built the Wood Cyclone and have a 1hp King 110v blower on top and it works great for me. It collects all of the chips and dust that my machines can produce and it's quiet.

Gerry

[Steve in Kemptville, ON]

Gerry, I am assuming your king blower came from a standard King bag type DC. If so, how would you compare the suction between the original and the wood magazine setup?

[Gerry Wittenberg, Agassiz]

Hi Steve -- Yup, you're right. It did come attached to a small bag and had 4 casters on it (they are now under the scroll saw). I fired it up once in the original configuration to see how it worked and promptly plugged up the screen just on the dust side of the impeller. I took the screen out and sucked up a 1" cube of maple and knocked 2 blades off the nylon impeller. Arrgghh! I waited 2 weeks for King to ship a new impeller from Montreal ($65) and by that time I had the cyclone built and plumbed. To make a long story short, I can't really compare. I've never measured the air flow but it works just fine for me. Biggest secret I discovered is to make sure ALL the leaks are sealed. email me for more details of my system.

Gerry

[Chester Van Ness]

Not only are seals important but also the proper size of piping in and out of the cyclone. Don't choke or starve the fan. Also follow the basic principles of piping for dust removal and you should be fine. as I said before the cyclone should help the fan breath easier as most of the dust is removed before it gets to the filter,be it a bag or a cartridge.