Bucket Cyclone Vacuum Dust Colection

thingiverse

I needed a better way to keep dust out of my dust collector bag. I was using a Thien Baffle in a garbage can, which was a big improvement over nothing, but I wanted to use some kind of cyclone. The baffle made the garbage can a pain to dump, it cut down on the suction, and it would clog with any stringy cuts of oak I ran. The Cyclones for 4"+ hose lines are $500+CN, so I thought I may as well make my own. I made a bucket clamp system to keep the bucket attached firmly but with easy removal in case of clogs. This way, I could quickly get to the collector bag without having to worry about the bucket coming loose. While I was at it, I flipped my dust collector motor 90 degrees with an adapter I have included. This made it easier to access the motor and allowed me to make adjustments as needed. I also used a bucket hose attachment from https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2848852 made by https://www.thingiverse.com/Costa_D, which was perfect for the situation. It fit perfectly onto my dust collector hose and allowed me to connect it to the cyclone. Since I have a tall printer, I made the cone as big as I could make it. However, I also created a SHORTER version for shorter printers while I still remembered the steps I used, but I haven't printed it myself yet. To assemble all the parts, I drilled out the holes in the models with a 3/16 bit and riveted from the inside with 3/16" X 1/2" long rivets to keep down with drag. You could also just use adhesive caulking if you prefer. I used sealant on the joints to keep everything airtight, which not only helped with efficiency but also added strength to the entire system. For the internal collector chute, I used a 4" PVC Pipe, but I have included a printable version as well. I eventually trimmed it to be about 4" shorter than the bucket. I printed everything out of ABS at .3mm layer height with 4-5 walls for strength, which took almost a week to print and at least two rolls of plastic. To prevent warping, I connected the 4 top cone pedals to the bottom funnel, then attached the top of the pedals to the bucket before attaching the sides of the pedals together. Not only did this improve efficiency in the system, but it also got the machine off the ground and made the can easier to empty now. The heavier items stick to the walls as the vortex spins, leaving only the finest dust to end up in the collector bag. Maybe my next project should be blowing all the fine stuff outside!