Cyclone Dust Collection System

I've wanted to build a dust collector for my tablesaw that is quiet and doesn't clog. Commercially available dust systems cost a fortune.

The best systems use cyclonic separation. This usually is difficult to fabricate for the DIYer. But I built a cyclone separator and relocated the shop vacuum to the attic of my workshop. It uses common parts that are cheap.

First I had to make an adapter for my tablesaw. It had a 4" port. I made a wooden plate to attach the 2" PVC pipe. This pipe is solvent welded.

The vortex seperator is mounted on the wall and constructed from a 5-gallon plastic pail attached to a metal cone made form HVAC ducting. The input and output pipes are jb-welded into place. A bungee cord holds the bucket it place. When the system is on, there is a tight seal created with the bucket and lid.

 Here is the pipe that connects the separator to the shop ceiling. I used a hole saw to drill this and put a coupler in place in case I wanted to remove the pipe. My ceiling is insulated so I had to drill a hole in the top as well.

To keep things quieter the shop vac (which is extremely loud) is located in my attic. The shop vac is plugged into a switched outlet for simple wall control, and connects to the pipe. This is a 5HP unit (yeah right). So far no dust actually has made it to the shop vac, which is the whole point of the separator.

I spent about $20 on my vortex separator. The PVC parts and hoses cost an additional $50, but I have a fancier setup that is needed since I wanted it to be quiet, too.