Bucket top vacuum cyclones, do they work?

[redtom]

I use random vacuums I have around for pulling dust off my sand blasting cabinet. I was wondering if one of those cyclone type vacs that sit on a pail, either powered or just the circular thing installed ahead of my vacuum, work to catch the big stuff.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I just got a dustopper and set it up yesterday. I tried on the pile of sawdust under the table saw. Picked it up real nice, about 1/3 of the bucket full. Didn't check to see how much got into the vacuum. Next is to try it on my blasting cabinet. There are some youtube videos about them. One from HF got a good review.

 

[Mark-Mi]

The "Dust Deputy" brand cyclone I have used extensively and highly recommend.

 

[Steve in VA]

I use random vacuums I have around for pulling dust off my sand blasting cabinet. I was wondering if one of those cyclone type vacs that sit on a pail, either powered or just the circular thing installed ahead of my vacuum, work to catch the big stuff.

I have 2 on fixed equipment: saws and they work fine. I say "fixed" because the hose exiting the top tends to make them top-heavy and unstable for portable use.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

They work quite well! Use one on my sandblaster nothing gets to the vacuum. The darn harbor freight blast cabinet still leaks like a sieve but it gets enough suction you can suck the thing in if you want to.

 

[cityboy]

I do wood working. I made a cyclone out of 5 gallon buckets, pvc pipes, using this web site.
Works great for my use.
Don't know how well it would work w/a blast cabinet.

HTH...Don.

 

[Janicholson]

The key element is hose size so the chunks don't get sideways and stuck. True attached systems are better than working with wet/dry vacuums. The method for filtering the air before final exhausting is important. If corrugated filters are used, make sure they are cheap and common. exhausting outside the building is a good idea, as is having the motor cooling air separate from the exhausting dust. Jim

 

[redtom]

They work quite well! Use one on my sandblaster nothing gets to the vacuum. The darn harbor freight blast cabinet still leaks like a sieve but it gets enough suction you can suck the thing in if you want to.

What brand do you have? And is it a powered unit or just one of the cyclones that circulate the air

 

[Fixingfarmer]

What brand do you have? And is it a powered unit or just one of the cyclones that circulate the air

It’s just the harbor freight kit that goes on top of 5 gallon pail it works really good for what it is.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

What brand do you have? And is it a powered unit or just one of the cyclones that circulate the air

 

[Dave G9N]

The "Dust Deputy" brand cyclone I have used extensively and highly recommend.

I use random vacuums I have around for pulling dust off my sand blasting cabinet. I was wondering if one of those cyclone type vacs that sit on a pail, either powered or just the circular thing installed ahead of my vacuum, work to catch the big stuff.

I have had very similar results with an old version old the small Dust deputy. It works very well with a shop vac. . There is a slightly larger one now for a 2.5" vacuum hose that might be worth the money https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Static-Retrofit-Cyclone-Separator-Vacuums/dp/B09W68X4HJ
Static dissipative costs extra, and without it, I've been waiting 10 years for the first spark.

I have not seen the Bauer, so I can't say one way or the other how it compares to the dust deputy. I would look for a better Youtube review than this one before buying any unfamiliar brand, not that I can recall a bad one. The guy in the video let the bucket get too full so some debris was getting through. Not a fair test, but knowing that, the results looked very good in spite of overfilling the bucket.

 

[Fawteen]

I do wood working. I made a cyclone out of 5 gallon buckets, pvc pipes, using this web site.
Works great for my use.
Don't know how well it would work w/a blast cabinet.

HTH...Don.

I built a simple one using a PVC 90 in the intake to direct the air around the sides of the bucket with the vac connection on the top. Works fine with my blasting cabinet. In fact, that's the reason I built it.