I've been making wooden climbing holds in my garage and dealing with a lot of fine dust. To tackle this, I've set up a dedicated workshop space. Currently, I'm using an old wet/dry vac that requires constant emptying due to clogged filters. I recently got a 1HP Clarke dust extractor and a cyclone separator, and I want to connect them to improve my setup. I'm confused about the pipe diameters I've seen in various YouTube videos. The collector has an outer diameter (OD) of 100mm, while the cyclone's outlet is 55.4mm OD and 50mm inner diameter (ID). The sander's OD is 62mm and ID is 58.5mm, and the band saw's is 40mm OD and 35mm ID. My plan is to step down the diameter to the cyclone, run 55mm rigid plastic pipe from there, and use flexible hoses for the tools. The distances aren't long, but I'm worried that the reduced pipe diameter will affect the airflow. Should I stick with the extractor, consider upgrading to a shop vac, or look for a bigger cyclone? I might want to invest in larger tools in the future, so I'm open to any suggestions!
1 Answer
It sounds like your cyclone might be too small for your setup! When it comes to dust collection, you want high volume, low pressure—which means keeping the airflow open. If the cyclone restricts airflow too much with those small diameters, it might not be effective. Also, for your sanders, shop vacs generally work better since smaller tools like those aren’t ideal for dust collectors. You might want to consider looking for a better-suited cyclone or rethink your setup to fit something bigger. That might really help with your dust problems!
Finding a decent cyclone can be challenging. I agree with you; a larger unit with 100mm ports would definitely help increase efficiency. Keep an eye out for deals, or consider building your own if you're handy!