In the process of various construction and repair work in the premises, it is often necessary to clean up construction debris. It is not recommended to use a conventional vacuum cleaner for this purpose, since there is a high probability of failure of the filter, or even the entire vacuum cleaner. For this purpose, a construction vacuum cleaner is used, which is designed specifically for such work.

Consider what a construction (industrial) vacuum cleaner is and its main differences from a household one.

The power of a construction vacuum cleaner is several times greater than that of a household one and can reach 4 kW. Thanks to this, it is easy to remove construction debris, both small and large. With it, you can easily remove cement dust, plaster fragments, various fragments and sand, etc. The body of an industrial vacuum cleaner is mainly made of metal.

The vacuum cleaner has a reinforced filtration system. The motor of such a vacuum cleaner is able to work for a long time and withstand heavy loads, thanks to a special cooling system. The volume of the dust collector of a construction vacuum cleaner is much larger than a conventional vacuum cleaner. All construction vacuum cleaners have an outlet for connecting power tools.

Such a vacuum cleaner is more expensive than usual, so many craftsmen try to make a construction vacuum cleaner with their own hands, remaking a household vacuum cleaner, and often encounter certain difficulties.

This article contains the most successful technical solutions on how to convert a household vacuum cleaner into a construction one. If you have a medium power vacuum cleaner at home, then if you wish, you can turn it into a construction one. Or you can buy an inexpensive vacuum cleaner and upgrade it to an industrial one. To do this, you do not have to redo the vacuum cleaner itself, but you just need to make an external cyclone filter with your own hands. Below, two main options for manufacturing such a filter with and without a cone will be considered.

The description of homemade cyclone filters is given in this article mainly to acquaint you with the general idea and principle of operation of such devices. This means that you, having familiarized yourself with the design, are not obliged to completely repeat it, but you can make various changes to it, or use the basic idea to make a cyclone filter of a completely new design.

Working principle of cyclone filter

The principle of operation of this filter is based on the passage of polluted air through an external device, in which large particles settle in its housing, then the air is cleaned of fine dust, passing through an oil filter, and enters the vacuum cleaner turbine. Thus, already cleaned air from dust and debris enters the vacuum cleaner itself.

Cyclone filter option 1 (without cone)

To make a cyclone filter with your own hands, you will need the following parts and materials:

• Oil filter. It filters fine dust.
• Bucket with tight-fitting lid 20 l.
• Polypropylene elbows designed for water supply systems, and having an angle of 90 and 45 degrees and a diameter of 40 mm - 1 piece.
• Plumbing pipe, plastic - 1 meter, diameter 40 mm.
• A piece of corrugated pipe 2 meters long and 40 mm in diameter. It will be required to log into the device.

Manufacturing process

1. In the lid of the bucket, in the center, you need to cut a hole into which a 90-degree corner is inserted, a vacuum cleaner will be connected to it.

2. Coat the cracks with sealant.

3. Cut a hole in the side wall of the bucket and insert a 45 degree corner.

4. A piece of pipe is used to connect the corrugation to the elbow.
5. For a longer filter life, you can pull a piece of nylon tights over it.

6. The filter outlet must be connected to the elbow in the bucket lid.

It is possible that the filter cannot be put on the outlet pipe. For this purpose, you need to come up with some kind of adapter. A piece of corrugation for a plumbing siphon, or a rubber hose of a certain diameter, may be suitable. It is advisable to lubricate all joints with sealant. An oil filter can be purchased at an auto parts store.

It must be borne in mind that when closing the inlet, the bucket may crack. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the walls of the bucket, in some way, or provide something like a valve. The main thing is not to rush in this matter, measure all the connections, and then you will succeed.

The above is just one of the options. There are many such structures. Instead of a bucket, plastic barrels are used, there are structures where a fan pipe plays the role of a bucket. Many craftsmen make their own containers from tin or thin iron.

Some inventors design a cyclone filter using a cone. This design often uses a traffic cone.

Option 2 (using a traffic cone)

You will need the following parts and materials:

• Road cone (can be purchased at a car dealer).
• Two meter rods 8 mm.
• Washers, nuts and lock washers 8 mm.
• Corrugated tubes with a diameter of 32 mm and a length of about 2 meters - two pieces.

Manufacturing process

1. At the cone, saw off the stand at the very base. The cone is inserted into the bucket from above upside down. A tube is inserted inside the bucket. The space between the cone and the tube should be filled with construction foam.
2. Cut out a square from 20 mm thick plywood, so that the base of the cone fits into it and there is still some space left. 4 holes with a diameter of 8 mm are drilled at the corners of the square. A hole is cut in the center for the tube, a corrugated hose will be put on it, connecting the device to the vacuum cleaner.
3. The lid for the bucket is sawn from plywood and should fit snugly against the bucket. Glue a rubber gasket around its edges.
4. A hole is cut in the lid with a diameter for the narrow end of the cone.
5. After the cone is inserted into the plywood cover, the junction is covered with foam. The cone must be placed upside down on the bucket, and fastened with four threaded rods, having a length of 50 cm and a diameter of 8 mm, they hold a plywood square with a cone screwed to it.
6. Not far from the base of the cone, in its wide part, a hole is drilled for the tube, for connection with a corrugated hose. Various construction debris will be sucked through it.

The fine filter in this version of the cyclone is not used, so fine dust can enter the vacuum cleaner turbine. When designing such devices, vacuum cleaners with a bag are mainly used. Therefore, fine dust, in case of penetration, settles in the bag.

Options for homemade construction vacuum cleaners with an additional cyclone filter allows craftsmen to experience various options, without fear of spoiling the vacuum cleaner itself, since most of the debris traps the filter.

When making a cyclone filter with your own hands, do not be afraid to experiment, and in the end you will definitely achieve the desired result.

When machining various materials, large amounts of chips can be generated. There are many difficulties with its removal by hand. To significantly simplify the procedure under consideration, special devices called chip blowers began to be used. They can be found in specialized stores, the cost varies in a fairly wide range, which is associated with the functionality, performance and popularity of the brand. If desired, such equipment can be made by hand, for which it is enough to know the varieties and the principle of operation.

Principle of operation

Do-it-yourself cyclone-type chip blower is possible only after determining the basic principles of operation. Features include the following points:

1. A small corrugated hose is connected to the main body, which concentrates and enhances traction. The tip can have a different nozzle, it all depends on the specific task.
2. At the top of the structure is the engine, which is directly connected to the impeller. During rotation, the air is discharged, due to which the required thrust is created.
3. During suction, the chips settle in a special container, and the air is removed through a special pipe, on which a coarse filter is installed.
4. A fine filter is also installed on the outlet pipe, which traps small particles and dust.

In general, we can say that the principle of operation of cyclone type chip blowers is quite simple, due to which the design is characterized by reliability.

Chip blower types

Almost all models of cyclone type chip blowers are similar. At the same time, the main mechanisms, for example, an engine or a cyclone system, may differ slightly, which determine the main classification. All cyclone-type chippers can be conditionally divided into several categories:

1. For domestic use.
2. Universal.
3. For professional use.

When choosing a model for a home workshop, attention should be paid to the first two groups of equipment. This recommendation is due to the fact that their cost should be relatively low, while performance will be sufficient.

With frequent work with the workshop, a large number of chips and professional provision of cleaning services for workshops and other premises should be considered when choosing cyclone-type chip extractors from the professional group. This is due to the fact that it is characterized by higher performance and reliability, can withstand long-term use.

Chip blower cyclone type

Most models resemble a conventional vacuum cleaner, which, due to strong traction, sucks up large and small chips. However, even a powerful and high-quality vacuum cleaner cannot be used to clean the workshop. The main structural elements can be called:

1. A flange-type electric motor is installed, the power of which is only 3.5 kW.
2. To discharge the air, a fan with a durable and mechanically resistant impeller is installed. It must be large enough to generate the required thrust.
3. The cyclone is designed to purify the air that will be thrown out. Its device is designed to filter large elements.
4. A multi-stage filter significantly increases the efficiency of the procedure. This is due to the fact that at the primary stage there is a separation of large elements, after which small ones are separated. Due to multi-stage cleaning, you can significantly extend the life of the filter and increase its efficiency.
5. The lower cyclone is designed for direct chip collection.
6. A collection bag made of durable material is designed to temporarily store chips and other debris that have been separated from the passing air stream.

High-quality models have a sealed case, which is sheathed with sound-absorbing panels. To control the cyclone type chip extractor, an electrical or mechanical unit is placed; there must be a special hole to connect a corrugated hose with a nozzle.

It is not difficult to make a cyclone-type chip blower with your own hands, since it in many ways resembles a conventional vacuum cleaner with a large number of filter elements and high power. The device of the woodworking cyclone is characterized by high reliability, subject to the recommendations for operation, the device will last a long time.

Design features

In most cases, when self-manufacturing cyclone-type chip extractor is equipped with a small and medium-capacity motor, which can be powered by a standard 220V network.

More powerful units are supplied three-phase motors, with the power of which in domestic conditions there are quite a lot of difficulties.

Among design features it should be noted that the impeller is installed to provide a spiral swirl of the air flow. In this case, heavy particles are dumped into a special container, after which the centrifugal force again raises the air to remove it.

Preparatory work

When making a structure with your own hands, you can save a lot, but some mechanisms still cannot be assembled on your own. An example is the most suitable motor and impeller. The following actions can be attributed to the preparatory stage:

1. Formation of an action plan for the assembly of home-made equipment.
2. Finding a suitable electric motor, checking its condition.
3. Selection of other mechanisms that cannot be made by hand.

In the carpentry workshop, much that is required to create cyclone-type chip blowers can be made by hand.

Tools

Depending on the chosen scheme, a variety of tools may be required. The easiest way is to make the outer case out of wood. It is to it that other elements will be connected. The recommended set of tools is as follows:

1. Indicator and multimeter.
2. Chisel and other tools for working with wood.
3. Screwdriver and various screwdrivers, hammer.

The simplicity of the design determines that it can be made with the most common tools.

Materials and fasteners

The created device must be light and airtight, and also withstand the pressure exerted by the swirl of air. For its manufacture you will need:

1. The body can be assembled from plywood, the thickness of which is about 4 mm. Due to this, the design will be durable and lightweight.
2. For the manufacture of other parts, wood blocks of various thicknesses will also be required.
3. Polycarbonate.
4. The filter can be taken from the injection type VAZ. This filter is cheap and will last a long time.
5. The engine can be removed from an old powerful vacuum cleaner, the impeller will be mounted on the output shaft.
6. To connect the main elements, you will need screws, self-tapping screws, bolts with nuts, as well as sealant.

After finding everything you need, you can begin to work.

Making a cyclone filter

As previously noted, it is quite difficult to make a filter; it is best to purchase a cheap ready-made version. However, it will also require a sealed landing site.

The seat is also made of wood. In this case, the main thing is to choose the right outlet diameter, since too small will lead to a decrease in throughput. It is not necessary to attach the filter, it is enough to create a block for it that will ideally fit in size.

Creating a retaining ring and curly insert

To fix the polycarbonate in the manufacture of the case, wooden rings are required. They must have an internal diameter that provides the required volume of the storage tank. Between the two fixing rings there will be vertical strips holding polycarbonate sheets.

You can make such rings in your home workshop if you have the appropriate skills and equipment. At the same time, do not forget that they must have high strength.

Retaining ring installation

You can start assembling the case by placing the fixing wheels and polycarbonate sheets. Among the features this stage the following points can be noted:

1. Sheets are fixed on both sides with slats.
2. The connection is carried out using self-tapping screws.
3. To increase sealing, slots for sheets are created in the lower and upper rings, after installation of which the seams are sealed with sealant.

After assembling the case, you can proceed to install other structural elements.

Installing the side pipe

In order to exclude the possibility of a structure rupture due to clogging of the filter element, a side branch pipe with a safety valve is installed. To do this, a hole is created in the polycarbonate sheet, which is closed on both sides by the body of the safety pipe.

A rubber gasket should be placed between the wooden planks and the wall, the degree of sealing can be increased by using a sealant. Fasten the element to the body with bolts and nuts.

Setting the top entry

Chips and air are sucked in from the top of the structure. To accommodate the top entry, a small housing is created in which the nozzle from the old vacuum cleaner is placed.

When using a special nozzle, a reliable fixation of the suction hose is ensured, which, moreover, can be quickly removed if necessary. That is why you should not make it yourself.

Curly insert installation

A figured insert is also required to connect the inlet pipe. It must be positioned so that air with particles can enter without obstruction.

As a rule, a figured rate is located opposite the fan, due to which the air flow is swirled. Seams are best treated with sealant, which will increase the degree of insulation of the structure.

Assembling the cyclone filter

After creating a housing to accommodate the filter, it must be installed in its place. It should be borne in mind that electronic elements that provide power to the electric motor will also be located inside.

Another branch pipe is diverted from the outer part of the cyclone filter housing. It will be required to divert the air flow.

Chip blower selection principles and main manufacturers

The production of chip blowers of the cyclone type is engaged in a fairly large number of various companies. The principle of operation of the device does not differ, only the power and reliability of the design increase.

Cyclone-type chip blowers of foreign brands are more popular, domestic ones are cheaper, but serve much less.

Very often, during installation work with an electrician, it is impossible to do without a vacuum cleaner. First of all, this is due to the processes of wall chasing.

You can’t use home-made household models for this business, otherwise you will ruin them on the very first day of work. Their dust containers will fill up very quickly, and the vacuum cleaner itself will overheat.

Only professional craftsmen who daily earn this type of activity can afford to buy a building one, which costs quite a lot of money.

But what if you are not a builder and you need such a device only to complete the repair of electricians in your apartment? In this case, there is only one optimal way out - to independently make a construction vacuum cleaner from an ordinary one.

Moreover, in time for such an alteration, it will take you only a few minutes. And the materials that are required for this can be easily found in the pantry, or purchased in addition at the nearest plumbing store.

Let's take a closer look at two very similar methods, which nevertheless have constructive differences between them.

Homemade cyclone from a household vacuum cleaner

The first method has been presented on the Internet and on YouTube for quite some time. You can easily find many videos with similar homemade cyclones.

However, they cause quite legitimate questions and skepticism among professional builders. Therefore, you should immediately make a reservation that they are mostly suitable for cleaning wood chips.

But it is better not to work with cement dust with such devices. Under it, the second option is more “imprisoned”.

The main "trick" that will allow you to calmly suck in kilograms of garbage, wood, metal filings and at the same time not worry about the frequent change of filter bags is a home-made "separator".

It will then need to be constructed from several components. For the entire assembly you will need:

A bucket of Shitrok putty is best here. It is harder to flatten it with a vacuum.

First of all, drill or carefully cut a through hole for the tube in the center of the bucket lid.

Mark the second hole closer to the edges of the cover, where the stiffener is.

If you do not have a special crown, then first pierce the intended circle with an awl and carefully cut it with a clerical knife.

The edges will be uneven, but they can be processed with a round file.

Two sewer outlets are inserted into these holes. So that they hold securely and there is no additional air leakage, it is better to glue them.

To do this, first sand the edges of the tube with sandpaper or a file to create a rough surface.

Do the same operation with the lid.

After that, insert the tube inside the cover and apply a thick layer of glue with a thermal gun.

Don't feel sorry for Clay. This will help create good tightness in these places and tightly close all the cracks.

There is really another option in which you can do without glue and fan pipes at all. To do this, purchase rubber adapters from Leroy Merlin.

They come in different diameters. Choose according to your hose size.

For example, a tube from a 35mm hose is tightly inserted into a 40/32 coupling. But in a 40mm pipe it will hang out. We'll have to wind up something and collective farm.

On the tube that is located on the edge of the cover, put on a sewer outlet at 90 degrees.

On this, the design of the separator can be said to be almost ready. Install the lid with taps on the bucket.

The air intake hose from the vacuum cleaner is inserted into the central hole.

And the piece with which you will collect all the garbage and dust is stuck into the corner joint.

It is desirable that o-rings be present in the tubes according to the size of the corrugated hoses of the vacuum cleaner.

This completes the entire assembly. You can plug the vacuum cleaner into the network and use it.

Here is a visual video from the inside of a bucket of a similar design. It clearly shows how sawdust is sucked into the separator, but cannot escape from it and get into the vacuum cleaner.

The principle of operation here is the following. Coarse dust sucked into the container falls to the bottom of the container. At the same time, it does not fall into the zone where the air is pumped out directly.

Three factors help in this matter:

• gravity

• friction

• centrifugal force

They then make the garbage rotate inside the bucket, clinging to its walls, and then fall to the bottom. And only the fine fraction goes directly into the dust collector of the vacuum cleaner.

Typically, such a cyclone on factory designs has the shape of a cone, but cylindrical specimens also often do a good job with this task.

True, the higher the bucket, the better the installation will work. Much here depends on the correct pairing of the design of the container and the power of the vacuum cleaner. Here is a plate from Chinese cyclones on the correct selection of the diameter of the hoses and the power of the units.

In cylindrical buckets, the tangential air flow enters not through a curved side wall, but through a flat lid. It is much easier to assemble such a device.

Also, if you have several buckets, you can use them one by one. Just take the cover off one and put it on the other. And this is even easier to do than in bulky cyclones.

If you have a powerful vacuum cleaner, instead of a plastic emulsion paint bucket, it is better to use a metal tank of the same shape. Otherwise, the bucket will collapse and flatten it.

The power regulator comes to the rescue in this case. If it is of course present in your model.

Why does the vacuum cleaner still fail?

With this method, all fine dust will enter the vacuum cleaner bag, and more or less large fractions will simply settle and remain in the bucket. As homemade assure, more than 95% of construction waste settles in the separator and only 5% goes directly into the dust collector of a household vacuum cleaner.

However, the thing is that even these 5% can gradually kill the vacuum cleaner. In addition, even for industrial cyclones, the declared efficiency is rarely more than 90%, and what about do-it-yourself products in which aerodynamics are far from perfect.

For 100% collection of fines, an electrostatic precipitator or bubble column is needed.

By the way, from some types of dust, there is a very strong static voltage. Be careful while working.

The longer you work with the unit without disconnecting it from the network, the higher the charge can be. Here, read the instructive commentary of one real user of such a homemade product.

Therefore, on many cyclones, even factory assembled, the flange is grounded.

Five percent of small wood shavings is certainly not terrible for a household vacuum cleaner. And if it will be fine cement dust during gating?

Such particles, when they get inside, tightly clog the filter.

And it happens very quickly. The entire efficiency of the "cyclone" drops by at least 2/3 within a matter of minutes.

The main problem is in the dust bag. It is dense, and the filtration area is small. Therefore, it is not suitable for waste from plaster and concrete walls.

What to do? Is it really impossible to do without a real construction device? With intensive work, only an expensive and professional tool really saves.

What is the difference between a construction vacuum cleaner and a conventional vacuum cleaner

But for occasional work, this design can be slightly modified and improved. Idea belongs Shayter Andrey.

Before we consider the second design option, ask yourself the question: "What is one of the main differences between household and construction vacuum cleaners?"

In domestic models, cooling occurs due to the intake air.

That is, you vacuum the floor, the air sucks in the garbage. Next, it is filtered and the engine itself is cooled. Then the air is expelled outside.

This is where the risk of engine damage comes from. Firstly, when the filter is clogged, the cooling of the engine drops sharply.

Secondly, cement dust is not 100% retained in the dust collector, and part of it flies through the windings, along the way removing varnish insulation like emery. Such dispersed dust kills everything rubbing and spinning.

Adding water to the bottom of the tank doesn't help much. Instead of dust, you will get a lot of dirt, the weight of a bucket, and the filters will still end up clogged.

In professional devices, the engine is cooled separately, through special technological holes. Therefore, they are not so afraid of bags completely clogged with garbage.

Moreover, they also have automatic cleaning or shaking.

In order to smartly remake a household model, you will need a little more spare parts than in the first case.

A working version of a construction vacuum cleaner from a household

Main additional element here is the nonwoven filter bag. Copies from the company Karcher fit very well - article 2.863-006.0

Actually, this filter is disposable. Your task is to make a reusable element out of it.

To do this, cut its lower part and fold it a little, slightly reducing the width (up to 22 cm).

Next, this lower part must be closed with a special lid. You make it from two elements of a plastic cable channel and a piece of polypropylene pipe.

Cut the tube lengthwise, with a slot width of about 5 mm.

Attach them with the back side to the fabric at the bottom.

Then thread the prepared tube through the slot.

As a result, from a disposable you have a reusable filter bag. And much larger than the one installed inside the household model.

Next, you do the previously discussed steps to upgrade the bucket. Drill holes in the lid and insert rubber corrugated adapters into them.

One will be for connecting the filter bag, the other for the hose. Choose the sizes according to the diameters of your devices.

Here you can do without fan pipes and corners. Next, put on the plastic insert from the reusable filter onto the adapter.

It remains to tightly close the lid on the bucket. The structure is ready to go.

Although it is similar, it differs from the first option above. After you turn on the unit and start sucking in the garbage, it is the home-made reusable dust collector that will collect all the muck and dirt in itself.

Dust will not fly around like in the previous case. On the contrary, this bag will inflate inside the bucket from the air flow.

Gradually, it will be filled with both heavy and fine fractions, which could be missed by the cyclone.

However, do not forget about clogging the walls of the reusable filter and reducing the draft of the cooling air flow. In order not to burn the engine of a household vacuum cleaner, one more measure must be taken.

How not to burn a household vacuum cleaner

Most modern models have a built-in safety valve. It indicates when the filters are already clogged and at this moment additional air flow opens.

Indeed, this is considered an emergency. Your task is not to wait until this valve is triggered, but to use a slightly different trick.

Some devices have a draft regulator directly on the handle in the form of a hole that opens or closes. It just the same and should be slightly opened for any type of work.

If you do not have such a factory regulator, you can drill a small additional hole with a diameter of 12mm in the bucket lid itself.

And most importantly, do not forget that any household vacuum cleaner, no matter how you upgrade it, has a certain period of continuous operation. Be sure to record the start time and do not work longer than the prescribed period.

I mean, just take breaks. At least to shake homemade filter. And he just shakes himself with a bucket.

When the dust container is substantially full, open the lid of the bucket and with a slight movement pull the tube out of the guides at the bottom of the bag.

It will open up and the debris with dust can be removed. After that, collect the entire structure back and work on.

The normal functioning of the bag is enough for about three full fillings. After that, cement dust in the fabric itself begins to strongly slow down the air flow.

You will either have to replace the filter with a new one, or not just shake it, but thoroughly clean it of any fine debris and continue working as if nothing had happened.

Quite often, after various types of work, a large amount of fine dust and debris remains, which can only be removed with the help of good vacuum cleaner. A simple home apparatus is not adapted to this. It is necessary to use a high-powered industrial vacuum cleaner. You can make a filter for it yourself.

People who constantly work in the construction industry need to clean up a large amount of various small debris and dust. It can be old plaster, Styrofoam residue, drywall or wood dust. Such garbage is able to settle in a thick layer throughout the room. It is very difficult to sweep this dust with a broom or wipe it with a rag, because due to the large size of the room, such cleaning will take a long time.

The use of a vacuum cleaner in this case is optimal. A conventional product that is used at home is not suitable for these purposes. The ingress of chips or sawdust will clog the vacuum cleaner or completely disable it. And also a large amount of fine dust will quickly clog the dust collector, which will need to be cleaned every 20 minutes.

But construction vacuum cleaners are large, inconvenient to use, maintain and have a very high cost. For this reason, some home craftsmen have learned to enhance the capabilities of their household product by equipping it with a specialized cyclone filter. Such dust collectors can be purchased at a hardware store or made at home with your own hands. On the Internet you can find many drawings of dust collectors for woodworking workshops.

Experts identify the following advantages of cyclone filters:

• no need to constantly buy disposable bags and containers for collecting fine dust;
• small size;
• quiet operation of the device;
• when the filter housing is made of transparent plastic, it is possible to control its contamination;
• high efficiency.

The principle of operation of the cyclone filter

The cyclone consists of several parts:

• pipe branch;
• frame;
• dust collector;
• chamber with membrane filter;
• intake fan.

Dirty air enters the cylindrical body of the product through the nozzle. The branch pipe is located tangentially to the side walls of the body, so the air flow near the walls of the cylinder is twisted in a spiral. Due to centrifugal force, dirt particles are pressed against the body of the device, and then fall into a special dust collector. The remaining air with dust particles enters another chamber, which is equipped with several membrane filters. As a result, all the collected dust enters the intake fan.

The least polluted membrane compartment, which must be cleaned only after cleaning. The collected dust is simply removed from a special drive, and the device is again ready to perform its duties.

Vacuum cleaners with a similar principle of operation are much cheaper than water ones, but more expensive than membrane ones. For this reason, home craftsmen assemble the cyclone on their own, and then connect it to a household vacuum cleaner.

Do-it-yourself cyclone from improvised materials

It is quite easy to assemble a cyclone filter for a vacuum cleaner with your own hands. It is often needed in the processing of wood. Together with a fraser or electric planer, a membrane-type vacuum cleaner clogs very quickly and needs to be cleaned frequently, which greatly distracts from production process. When the master is engaged in carpentry in a small room, then small sawdust create a lot of problems. For this purpose, a cyclone was designed and manufactured from simple parts, which is not inferior to its factory counterparts.

Materials for manufacturing

To make a homemade cyclone, the following materials will be needed:

Assembling a cyclone for a household vacuum cleaner

A special bracket for a small air filter is fixed on the lid of the plastic container, which can be made from a metal strip or corners. The air filter must fit very tightly to the plastic lid of the container. Otherwise, air with dust will enter the outlet pipe. Next, the outlet pipe must be hermetically fixed on top of the cover. Through it, the purified air will enter the household vacuum cleaner. Experts advise leaving the membrane filter of a household product. This will help keep the fan free from dirt and will not reduce the airflow.

Near the air filter, it is worth putting a special dust deflector, which is assembled from a thin metal sheet. This element is able to fight off small particles of dirt that do not fall under the influence of gravity, which allows you to clean the filter much less often. The same work can be done by an old women's stocking, which protects the pores of the filter from large and light parts of dust.

The self-made inlet pipe must be positioned tangentially to the walls of the case and tilted slightly towards the bottom of the device. Dirty air will immediately go in the right direction. In order for the walls of the container not to collapse from the vacuum environment, they must be well reinforced with a strip of metal. Plastic containers are not able to withstand heavy loads, because the material is quite thin. Since the fixture is large, it is worth making a plywood frame, which does not hurt to equip with small swivel wheels.

Next, you need to qualitatively fix the assembled filter and household vacuum cleaner to the frame. The mount must ensure quick dismantling in order to clean the container from the collected debris. At the end of the work, you need to test the device. All debris should remain at the bottom of the plastic container.

How to make a water filter for a vacuum cleaner

When a person does not need a professional construction vacuum cleaner, it is possible to make a water chip filter in another way. For example, it can be made from an ordinary traffic cone. Any plastic container with dense walls and a well-closing lid will serve as a dust collector. It is worth noting that plastic container acts as an air system, and leakage has a bad effect on the power of the device. It is necessary to cut off the reference square from the traffic cone. According to the resulting shape of the hole, you need to cut out the top cover from plywood.

An outlet pipe is fixed to the top cover with a sealant, which should be made from an ordinary sewer pipe. This part must be lowered to the middle of the building cone. When it is raised higher, the dust swirl will be wrong. If the outlet pipe goes too low, dirt will be sucked into it.

The narrow end of the traffic cone is also hermetically sealed into a plywood circle that attaches to the trash bin. It is worth checking the tightness of all seams and connections several times. An inlet pipe is placed near the upper cut of the cone, into which dirty air will enter.

Next, you need to check the correct assembly of the dust collector. The outlet pipe must be connected to the inlet of a household vacuum cleaner using a factory hose. Therefore, the nozzle should be selected in accordance with the diameter of the vacuum cleaner hose. The waste collection hose is connected to the inlet of the product. A test run is required. When the device is assembled correctly, all debris will accumulate at the bottom of the plastic container, and the membrane filter of the household vacuum cleaner should remain clean.

The shape for the cone can be made by hand. For example, to make from metal sheet, having previously calculated the development of the product. And an old bucket made of galvanized metal may also come up.

Article about how I did homemade construction vacuum cleaner with cyclone filter. The performance of this useful homemade for home can be appreciated by watching the video of his work.

To demonstrate the work, I collected a bucket of sand. In general, I am satisfied with the result of the work done (given that this is, so to speak, a working prototype layout).

I will say right away: this article is a presentation of my history of creating my first (and I think not the last) homemade cyclone vacuum cleaner, and I am in no way going to impose anything on anyone, prove and claim that the solutions described here are the only correct and infallible ones. Therefore, I ask you to treat with understanding, so to speak, "understand and forgive." I hope my little experience will be useful to “sick” people like me, to whom “a bad head does not give rest to their hands” (in the good sense of this expression).

I somehow thought about the upcoming repair and the consequences arising from this in the form of dust, construction debris, etc. And since it is necessary to ditch, saw concrete and “perforate”, the experience of the past suggested that it is necessary to look for a solution to these problems. It’s expensive to buy a ready-made construction vacuum cleaner, and most of them still include a filter (in some models even with a special “shaker”) or a paper bag + filter that clogs, worsens traction, needs to be replaced periodically and also costs a lot of money. Yes, and just this topic interested, and appeared, so to speak, "purely sporting interest." In general, it was decided to make a cyclone vacuum cleaner. A lot of information was gleaned here: forum.woodtools.ru I did not make special calculations (for example, according to Bill Pentz), I did it from what came to hand and according to my own instinct. By chance, on the ad site (for 1100 rubles) and very close to my place of residence, I came across such a vacuum cleaner. I looked at the parameters, they seem to be satisfied - it will be a donor!

The body of the cyclone itself was decided to be made of metal, because there were strong doubts about how long they would last, for example, plastic walls under the influence of “sandpaper” from a jet of sand and pieces of concrete. And also about static electricity when rubbish rubs against its walls, and I didn’t want the future homemade vacuum cleaner threw sparks at its users. And personally, I think that the buildup of dust due to static will not have a positive effect on the operation of the cyclone.

The general scheme for constructing a vacuum cleaner is as follows:

Polluted air passes through a cyclone, in which large particles settle into the lower container-garbage collector. The rest goes through the car's air filter, the engine, and through the outlet pipe to the outside. It was decided to make a branch pipe for the outlet, and the dimensions of the inlet and outlet should be the same. This will allow you to use a vacuum cleaner, for example, to blow something. You can also use an additional hose to make the “exhaust” air exit to the street so as not to raise dust in the room (this suggests attaching this unit as a “built-in” stationary vacuum cleaner somewhere in the basement or on the balcony). Using two hoses at the same time, you can clean all kinds of filters without blowing dust around (blow with one hose, retract with the other).

The air filter is chosen “flat” not annular, so that when it is turned off, the debris that gets there falls into the garbage bin. If we take into account that only the dust remaining after the cyclone gets into the filter, then its replacement will not be required soon, as in a conventional construction vacuum cleaner with a filter without a cyclone. Moreover, at the price of such a filter (about 130 rubles), it is much cheaper than the “branded” ones that are used in industrial vacuum cleaners. It is also possible to partially clean such a filter with an ordinary household vacuum cleaner by attaching it to the “cyclone” inlet pipe. In this case, the garbage from the garbage bin will not be sucked in. The filter mount is made collapsible to simplify its cleaning and replacement.

For the body of the cyclone, it was very handy to find a suitable can, and the central pipe is made from a can of polyurethane foam.

The inlet pipe is made with the expectation of a 50 mm plastic sewer pipe into which, with an appropriate rubber coupling, the hose in the vacuum cleaner is inserted quite tightly.

The second end of the pipe goes into a rectangle, so to speak, to "straighten" the flow. Its width was chosen for the smallest hose inlet diameter (32mm) to avoid clogging. Approximate calculation: L \u003d (3.14 * 50 mm - 2 * 32) / 2 \u003d 46.5 mm. Those. branch pipe section 32*46 mm.

I assembled the entire structure on soldering with acid and a 100-watt soldering iron (I worked with tin for almost the first time, except for the soldering of boats in childhood, so I apologize for the beauty of the seams)

Soldered the center pipe. The cone was made according to a pre-fitted cardboard template-scan.

The housing for the autofilter is also made according to galvanized patterns.

The upper part of the central pipe of the air duct was bent in the shape of a square and the lower opening of the body (pyramid) of the autofilter was fitted under it. Gathered everything together. On the sides of the can of the cyclone, I made three guides to increase rigidity and fastening. It turned out here is such a "gravitsapa".

For the garbage collector and the engine compartment, I used 2 barrels of engine oil (60 liters). Too big, of course, but this is what we managed to find. At the bottom of the engine compartment, I made holes for attaching the cyclone, and glued sponge rubber on the surface of the garbage bin to seal around the perimeter. After that, I cut a hole in the sidewall for the inlet pipe, taking into account the thickness of the rubber cuff.

The cyclone-“gravitap” was fastened with M10 studs and nuts with fluoroplastic to prevent loosening from vibration. Hereinafter, all the places where tightness is necessary, articulated with a rubber seal (or rubber washers) and auto-sealant.

To connect the engine compartment and the garbage collector, I used latches from military wooden boxes (special thanks to Igor Sanych!). I had to ferment them a little in a solvent and “correct” them with a hammer. Fastened with rivets (with rubber gaskets from the chamber).

After that, for greater rigidity and noise reduction, I foamed the entire structure. mounting foam. You can, of course, fill everything to the top, but I decided to play it safe, suddenly there will be a need to disassemble it. In addition, everything turned out pretty hard and strong.

For ease of movement and carrying the garbage can attached 2 doorknobs and 4 wheels with brakes. Since the garbage container has a flanging at the bottom, it was necessary to make an additional “bottom” from a 10 mm thick plastic sheet to install the wheels. In addition, this made it possible to strengthen the bottom of the barrel so that it would not “squish” when the vacuum cleaner was running.

The base for attaching the filter funnel and the engine platform was made of chipboard with fastening to the barrel along the perimeter with furniture "Euro screws". To fix the engine platform, I glued 8 M10 bolts onto the epoxy (I think 4 would be enough). Painted. I glued sponge rubber around the perimeter of the filter installation site.

When assembling, I smeared the neck of the autofilter housing around the perimeter with sealant and pulled it to the base with flat-head screws.

The engine platform was made from 21 mm plywood. For a more even distribution of air over the filter area, I chose a recess of 7 mm in the area with a milling cutter.

To collect the outgoing air and mount the engine, the plastic engine compartment available in the vacuum cleaner was used. “Everything superfluous” was cut off from it and the outlet pipe was glued onto the epoxy reinforced with self-tapping screws. Everything is assembled together on a sealant and with the help of a metal profile (thick sponge rubber is inserted into it) is attracted to the engine platform with two long M12 bolts. Their heads are recessed flush into the platform and filled with hot glue for tightness. Nuts with PTFE to prevent loosening due to vibration.

Thus, a removable motor module was obtained. For ease of access to the autofilter, it is attached with eight wing nuts. Enlarged washers are glued (Schaub did not run away).

I made a hole for the outlet pipe.

I painted the entire “pepelats” black from a spray can, after cleaning it with sandpaper and degreasing it.

The engine speed controller used the existing one (see photo), supplementing it homemade scheme to automatically start the vacuum cleaner when you turn on the power tool.

Explanations on the scheme of a homemade vacuum cleaner:

Circuit breakers (2-pole) QF1 and QF2 protect, respectively, the circuits for connecting power tools (socket XS1) and the speed control circuit of the vacuum cleaner motor. When the tool is turned on, its load current flows through the diodes VD2-VD4 and VD5. They are selected from the reference book because of the large voltage drop across them with direct current. On a chain of three diodes, when one (let's call it “positive”) half-wave of current flows, a pulsating voltage drop is created, which charges the capacitor C1 through the fuse FU1, the Schottky diode VD1 and the resistor R2. Fuse FU1 and varistor RU1 (16 volts) protect the control circuit from damage during overvoltage, which can occur, for example, during a break (burnout) in the chain of diodes VD2-VD4. The Schottky diode VD1 is selected with a low voltage drop (to “save” the already small Volts) and prevents the discharge of the capacitor C1 during the “negative” half-wave of current through the diode VD5. Resistor R2 limits the charge current of capacitor C1. The voltage received at C1 opens the DA1 optocoupler, the thyristor of which is included in the control circuit of the engine speed controller. The variable resistor R4 for controlling the motor speed is selected with the same rating as in the controller board of the vacuum cleaner (it is removed) and made remote (in the housing from the dimmer) to be placed on the top cover of the vacuum cleaner. A resistor R removed from the board is soldered in parallel to it. The on / off switch S2 in the open circuit of the resistor R4 serves to manually turn on the vacuum cleaner. Switch S1 "automatic / manual". In manual control mode, S1 is on and the regulator current flows through the chain R4 (R) - S2 is on - S1. In automatic mode, S1 is turned off and the regulator current flows through the chain R4 (R) -pins 6-4 DA1. After turning off the power tool by large capacity capacitor C1 and the inertia of the motor, the vacuum cleaner continues to work for about 3-5 seconds. This time is enough to draw the remaining debris from the hose into the vacuum cleaner.

The automatic start circuit is assembled on a breadboard. Switches S1, S2, dimmer housing (to accommodate variable resistor R4) and the XS1 socket are selected from one not very expensive series, so to speak, for aesthetics. All elements are located on the top cover of the vacuum cleaner, made of 16 mm chipboard and glued with PVC edging. In the future, it will be necessary to make insulated cases for the boards in order to protect live parts from accidental contact.

To power the vacuum cleaner, a three-core flexible cable in rubber insulation KG 3 * 2.5 (5 meters) and a plug with a grounding contact (do not forget about electrical safety and fight static electricity). Given the short-term intermittent operation of the vacuum cleaner together with a power tool, the selected cable section is sufficient so as not to heat up. A thicker cable (for example, KG 3*4) is correspondingly heavier and coarser, which would create inconvenience when using a vacuum cleaner. It was decided to abandon the device for winding the cable, which was in the donor vacuum cleaner, since the contacts existing there would not withstand the total load of the vacuum cleaner and power tools.

The top cover is fixed with a stud and a wing nut.

For easy removal of the top cover, the motor is connected to the control circuit through a connector. The body of the motor and the vacuum cleaner are connected to a protective earth conductor. To cool the regulator circuit, I drilled a small hole in the outlet pipe to create an air flow inside the engine compartment housing.

In order to insert a garbage bag into the garbage bin, I pasted over the upper edge with a rubber door seal cut along.

And so that the garbage bag is not sucked into the cyclone due to air suction through leaks, it is necessary to make a small hole in it.

The completion and testing of the resulting vacuum cleaner took place already at the beginning of the repair, so to speak, in “combat” conditions. The thrust, of course, is many times more powerful than that of a household vacuum cleaner, which would not be enough for a couple of minutes of working with construction debris. Relatively heavy debris from concrete is almost completely deposited in the bin and the additional filter does not need to be cleaned for a long time, while the draft is uniform and does not depend on the degree of filling of the bin. Putty dust (in the form of flour) is very light and, accordingly, is filtered out worse by the cyclone, which makes it necessary to periodically clean the autofilter. The task of making a vacuum cleaner was not set and therefore no test was carried out for this function.

CONCLUSION and CONCLUSIONS:

The resulting apparatus eventually turned out to be functional and has already passed the test during the repair of one room. Now I consider it more like a working layout from the series “will it work or not for the sake of interest”.

The main disadvantages of this design:

- relatively large dimensions are not convenient for transportation in a car, although the vacuum cleaner moves around the room on wheels very easily. You can use barrels of liters of 30 for example. As the operation has shown, such a large garbage bin is inconvenient for cleaning, and a bag with a lot of garbage can break.

- the diameter of the hose can be increased, for example, up to 50 mm and a hose from an industrial vacuum cleaner can be used (but the question arises of a price of 2000 rubles). Although, even with the existing hose, the garbage is collected quite cheerfully, unless of course you try to draw in half of the brick.

- it is necessary to make an easily removable mount for an additional autofilter and engine, for more convenient and efficient maintenance and cleaning.

- a thermal relay can be included in the control circuit (only determine the response temperature) to protect the engine from overheating.

Poor screening of light fine dust, which can be solved by introducing a second stage of smaller cyclones.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all my friends who helped with ideas and materials in the construction of this "pepelats". And special thanks to my beloved wife Yulia for supporting me in my hobbies.

I hope my little experience will be useful to readers.