I was given a basic shop vacuum for my Birthday last year and wanted to upgrade it with a simple cyclone dust separator. It was a very cheap upgrade that was fun to make and will extend the life of the vacuum bags dramatically.

I also wanted it to be portable so I could wheel it around and use it wherever I needed.

Supplies

Vacuum
Metal can with removable lid.
Plywood
Cyclon Dust Separator
Screws
Old Vacum hoses
Silicon
Cast Wheels
Tin snips or nibbler
Hole Saw
Paint

Step 1: Cut Out the Wood

Using the attached plans, cut out the pieces of plywood, and sand the edges. It's really just a pretty simple box, I made this out of some really thick plywood (25mm) that was given to me. You don't need to use anything that thick though.

Step 2: Assembly

Assemble the box and drill some large holes in the back for the hoses and power supply. I used large screws to hold everything together.

Step 3: Add the Wheels

Flip the box upside down and screw on the wheels, the straight running wheels on the back and the steerable wheels on the front.

Step 4: Extend the Hose

I got two old vacuum pipes from a local recycling centre, cut an end of each one and make sure they fit together. I was lucky enough that one would screw inside the other, so after test fitting, I cleaned them both down with methylated spirits . Lastly I coated the smaller hose with silicon sealant and then screwed them together,

Step 5: The Bucket

Take the lid off the bucket and apply the paper template, then using tin snips or a nibbler cut out the hold in the lid.

Use a drill to make the mounting holes, now bolt on the cyclone unit,

Step 6: Test Assembly

Now try assembling everything to make sure it all fits and works. The small block in front of the vacuum is there to stop the vacuum from rolling out.

I used three Bunji cords to hold the bucket in place.

Step 7: Painting

Everything was looking a bit messy since the plywood was recycled and on the dirty side so I gave the outside of everything a quick coat of white paint.

Step 8: Testing

I was recently asked to make a video of how much got separated by the cyclone unit. Here's my quick effort, I don't think I'd make a very good youtube!