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Do you need a small, effective workshop dust extractor with parts you probably already have lying around?
I did.
This one works great at sucking up and separating fine particles from cutting & sanding materials like wood and foam . It can separate chalk dust from the air. A device like this one will save both to save your lungs and vacuum cleaner bags.
After reading a few other dust extractor related Instructables posts, i got the basic idea of how to make a cyclonic dust extractor
But instead of messing around fabricating all the parts out of flat sheet stock i tried making one out of recycled PET soda bottles that had the same basic cone shape already. They also had another advantage, which was the built-in thread that could act as an easily removable attachment point for the dust catchment container.
This, coupled with some PVC fittings and some flexible hose, resulted in a project that was simple, cheap, compact and highly modifiable. Suction is provided by an old vacuum cleaner.
Obligatory disclaimer: I don't take responsibility if you hurt yourself or destroy anything making this. This design probably won't compete with any commercial grade dust extractor and wont provide the equivalent performance. It is not a substitute for a good mask or respirator either. Always observe safe practices when in a workshop environment.
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The main working part of cyclonic dust separators is the cone shaped chamber that creates a vortex as air is sucked into it. The air increases in velocity as it approaches the bottom of the cone. As Velocity increases, centrifugal force increases and separates the heavier dust from the air. The dust falls to the bottom of the chamber as it runs down the sides of the cone into a collection container.
Check out the image of a cyclonic separator for a better idea. (courtesy of http://www.thefullwiki.org/Cyclonic_separation)
There are already good designs on Instructables (http://www.instructables.com/id/Dust-Sniper-quiet-extractor-system/ ) showing how to build a dust separator to use in a workshop, and i was about to follow their excellent instructions.
But...
I noticed a PET soda bottle that had the right proportions of the cone needed to generate a vortex. Likewise i could use another PET bottle for the dust collection chamber. So, I figured i would save some time not cutting out 2D patterns out of plastic AND recycle at the same time!
There was also the added benefit of the thread at the top of the bottle that could work as a sturdy attachment point to easily unscrew and empty the collection container.
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I use the wood dust from the collection bag of the sander, is it very useful to fill flaws, mixed with glue and water. Also you can mix it with only white glue to make a very hard (when dried) putty.
But this contraption seems much more useful, I should make one.
yeah its great that a device like this will not only keep the place clean and a bit healthier, but also give you a recycled material to use as a filler. Bonus!
I think i will try adding the sawdust with body filler to make it go further. i'm keen to see the kind of finish it creates tho.
I discovered that adding a bit of water is important to have a not so hard fill.
I kept the putty in a polyethylene container, but it took several months without using it. When I took it off from the bottom, it was a very hard piece of plastic, I was surprised by its toughness.
Well done indeed.
its funny you mention good engineering, cos i mostly improvised and just made it to look like pictures i'd seen! the only measurements were on the fits of the routed parts.
i know a lot of maths & geometry goes into making dust extractors efficient, but its amazing how well this one works for how quickly i made it.
My dust extractor at school wouldn't fit in my workshop! but it did feed a circular saw, band saw, planer and some portable equipment
I hope you do make one of your own too, good luck. You just need to find a cone shaped bottle. I don't know if a dome shape works, or like a coke bottle shape. Might be worth experimenting with different bottles...
its definitely a small footprint in the workshop, mainly because the collection container is quite small, but is suits my applications.
Thanks For Sharing
but..
Im not skilled enough to build a cnc machine unfortunately :( im not good at electronics.
I bought that one (i know this is blasphemous to admit that I didn't build my own CNC machine instructables.com. gasp! )
i acquired it recently for work. im an industrial designer. i use it to make models/prototypes.
if you are interested, it is a K2 KT2514. and it is an excellent machine for personal use. powerful and very accurate.& not too expensive.
Stay tuned though! im planning to make a vacuum hold table for it. hopefully running off the same vacuum system as the extractor.
In the end we returned to the simple engineering idea of bolts/screws holding down wooden fingers to hold the material - This way if the router hits a finger it isn't damaged.