Dirt on a construction site or in a home workshop does not just clog the airways and eyes. Some types of dust are dangerous to the lives of people indoors. It can explode or poison the body with heavy substances. For example, the dust of epoxy glue used in the manufacture of furniture is extremely harmful.
The only way out of a dangerous situation is to install expensive air purification equipment in the room. If it is not possible to purchase a factory version of such a cleaner, you can easily make it yourself. Such a device is called a cyclone vacuum cleaner.
What dirt leads to at work and at home
Almost everyone knows that dust at work and at home is life threatening. But it can be the cause of other unpleasant situations. So, getting into the moving parts of mechanisms and devices - bearings, trunnions, and so on, the dirt causes them to wear out and causes the unit to break.
Once on the lubricant inside the mechanism, the dust turns it into an abrasive substance. As a result, it not only does not work, but, on the contrary, grinds gears and bearings. Any mechanism needs cooling, but if the holes intended for this are clogged with dust, the motor overheats and burns out.
Device advantages
A vacuum cleaner with a cyclone not only cleans the air from dust, it has a number of undoubted advantages compared to conventional ventilation or using a commercial filter:
- First of all, this is the absence of a dust bag or filter in the device that requires cleaning or replacement. Dirt and small debris can simply be shaken out of the dust collector after cleaning.
- This type of device is very compact in contrast to an industrial installation.
- Since there are no moving parts inside the cyclone, it works absolutely silently.
- If the filter is made of transparent material, then it will be possible to visually monitor the degree of clogging in order to clean it in time.
- With the comparative cheapness of the device, its efficiency and utility for human lungs is very high. Cleaning the air with a cyclone is much more effective than using respirators or just gauze dressings.
All this makes it necessary to make a cyclone for a vacuum cleaner with your own hands, because it is cheap and necessary. The low cost of this device is extremely important, since this device is only needed during repair or reconstruction, then it is simply thrown out. That is, it should be simple and not expensive.
Device diagram
What is a cyclone filter for a vacuum cleaner? This is a cone, in the wide part of which there is a hole for air intake, and the bottom it is attached to the vacuum cleaner. The principle of operation of such a filter is based on centrifugal force. Taking dust through the hole, the air accelerates it and presses it against the walls of the cone. Under the influence of gravity, the accumulated sediment accumulates at the neck, through which it enters the vacuum cleaner collector.
You need to understand that for the high-quality operation of such a filter, a very powerful vacuum cleaner is needed. An ordinary household appliance can not cope with such a job. Moreover, modern vacuum cleaners are equipped with a time relay, that is, they turn off after 15-20 minutes of operation in order to save energy and device life. That is why, if a person is going to make a cyclone for a vacuum cleaner with his own hands, he must use an industrial unit with a powerful motor or just a powerful electric motor.
Accessories for the device
Making a cyclone for a construction vacuum cleaner with your own hands is quite simple, but for this you need to have a number of component parts. To do this, it is enough to disassemble an old device that has not been used for its intended purpose for a long time. From it you need to get the power regulator and power cord. If the vacuum cleaner was large enough and "strong", its motor will come in handy. Next you will need:
- plastic or tin cone;
- pipe with a cross section of 5 cm;
- corrugated hose;
- bolts with nuts;
- plywood and zinc sheet;
- You should also prepare supplies such as sealant, skins, fillers for the glue gun.
You will need a regular tool - a drill, a glue gun, a set of keys and screwdrivers, side cutters and a hacksaw, preferably a jigsaw. Next, we consider the procedure for manufacturing a cyclone vacuum cleaner.
Work Stages
This method allows you to make a cyclone from an old vacuum cleaner. To do this, take a plastic container, for example, a bucket - you need to make a filter out of it. To do this, a lid is made of tin for the upper part of the tank. There you need to cut a hole for plastic pipes. They are inserted into the grooves at an angle. The direction of the tubes should be the same - either both clockwise, or both against it. Tightness is created by gluing the place where the tubes enter the container.
On the bottom of the bucket, with the help of bolts, a tin circle is fastened with a threaded rod sticking out in the middle. A regular filter from a minibus is put on it. This is necessary for air purification. When the top lid of the container is closed, there should be a hole in the center for this pin, which will ensure tight closure of the bucket with a nut.
A motor from a vacuum cleaner with a pump and a switch is installed on the lid of the tank. One of the holes is connected to the pump via a corrugated hose.
The motor must be rigidly bolted to the cover so that it does not tip over during operation. All grooves for mounting on the bottom and on the lid of the tank are treated with silicone or glue gun to ensure sealing.
Cyclone manufacturing procedure
If there is a powerful unit, then you can simply assemble a home-made cyclone for a vacuum cleaner from sewer pipes.
To do this, take a road cone and a plastic bucket with a lid. Plywood comes in handy here. The cone is covered with a lid from another bucket or carved from wood material. Holes for ordinary sewer pipes with a diameter of 50 mm are cut through it. From below they are put on l-shaped bends directed in one direction. Outside, a hose from a vacuum cleaner is further fixed to one of the pipes. The lower part of the cone is sawn off so that another pipe can be inserted into the hole. It is then inserted into the lid of the bucket, on which the cone rests with its narrow part.
Do-it-yourself cyclone for a vacuum cleaner is already made. It is only necessary to process all the cracks and joints with sealant, and it is better to glue glue gluely with a gun.
Air will enter the cone through an open hole. Dust and small fractions of dirt under the influence of a stream of air swirling by centripetal force will settle on the walls and crumble into a bucket at the bottom of the cone.
This design is so simple that it can be done on any scale. For example, to make a home-made cyclone for a vacuum cleaner from a plastic bottle, only in this case it will suck in a little dust. But for work in the room when repairing an apartment, it should be enough.
Safety precautions
When working on the manufacture and assembly of a cyclone for a vacuum cleaner with your own hands, you must follow the safety rules.
Firstly, the entire power tool must be in good condition, with the whole case and the cord intact.
Secondly, you need to work in protective gloves so as not to cut yourself on the edges of the tin parts.
Thirdly, the windows in the workshop should be open, and a respirator should be worn on the face. It will protect the respiratory system from dust and chips, as well as from the vapor of the sealant, which is known to be extremely toxic. That is why you need to open windows when working with it.
Fourth, the workshop room should be light.
And the last one. When starting a prototype, you need to stand a few steps away from it, since poorly fixed parts can scatter around the workshop premises and get into a person.
Possible errors in the manufacture of the cyclone
Having understood the essence of the design and the principle of its operation, it is not difficult to make a cyclone, but there are a number of errors that will not allow the finished device to work as planned:
- Firstly, the mismatch of the size of the cyclone filter and vacuum cleaner. That is, the power of the unit may not be enough for the normal operation of a filter made of a road cone. Or vice versa. The motor power is so high that a plastic or tin bucket under the cone, acting as a dust collector, simply “collapses” under the action of a vacuum, that is, it deforms.
- The second mistake is poor sealing. All seams around pipes and bolt holes and screws must be glued and sealed. Complete impermeability is the key to the quality operation of the device, even with an ordinary household vacuum cleaner.
- Do not leave the appliance in an unattended state, for example, during a lunch break or at night. Any electrical appliance can break, catch fire and thereby destroy the workshop premises and the entire building.
After all, this is a home-made device. It is not equipped with additional protection against short circuit and other accidents. And no matter how well it was performed, but it will remain so - home-made.
Conclusion
How to make a cyclone for a vacuum cleaner? Having an elementary skill in working with a tool and a share of imagination is quite simple. The main thing at the same time is to observe safety precautions and the recommendations of professionals. Everything should work out. It is important what goals you pursue when making the device. A homemade cyclone will not be able to clean a large amount of air.