I've been reading the pdf of the instructions, and the way I read them is like this: you can choose the positions of the inlet and outlet relative to each other at assembly, but once you attach the cyclone to the blower housing, it's fixed; then you can rotate the cyclone/blower housing as a unit relative to the motor before you tighten the 6 clips. Is this right?
Inlet and outlet locations - adjustable, but becomes fixed at assembly?
- Thread starter JJohnston
- Start date
Jim O'Dell
Moderator
That sounds about right. I remember it is indefinitely adjustable. If you got it together and needed to change it, I'm sure you could pull it back apart and start over, but I doubt that you'll need to do that. I know I got mine right on the first time. 
Jim.
Jim.Two More Rings
Two More Rings
The joint between the bottom of the blower housing and the top of the cyclone can be fairly easily made so one can disassemble and / or adjust relative position "after the fact". I did it with two additional rings, here. Please note the verbiage I put in with the photo. But easily done with a router circle jig.
If you only care about a temporary ability to shift the positions, you might be able to skip the "clamps" and make two same sized rings. Or maybe even just one, I forget how much larger the blower housing is relative to the cyclone diameter. If you make a ring about 3" larger in diameter than the cyclone (i.e., 21" or so for the 18" cylinder), they you've got an inch and a half all around through which you can drive screws into the blower housing, all whilst the housing is already installed by itself.
Hope that makes sense. This time of night, not too sure. Holler if I wasn't clear.
Regards,
DWD
Two More Rings
The joint between the bottom of the blower housing and the top of the cyclone can be fairly easily made so one can disassemble and / or adjust relative position "after the fact". I did it with two additional rings, here. Please note the verbiage I put in with the photo. But easily done with a router circle jig.
If you only care about a temporary ability to shift the positions, you might be able to skip the "clamps" and make two same sized rings. Or maybe even just one, I forget how much larger the blower housing is relative to the cyclone diameter. If you make a ring about 3" larger in diameter than the cyclone (i.e., 21" or so for the 18" cylinder), they you've got an inch and a half all around through which you can drive screws into the blower housing, all whilst the housing is already installed by itself.
Hope that makes sense. This time of night, not too sure. Holler if I wasn't clear.
Regards,
DWD
OK, my CV has arrived and I've had a chance to look at it and the pictures together, and now I see what you did. Looks good; I think I'll do something similar.
I disagree, though, that you can forgo the clamps if you only want the ability to rotate the cyclone temporarily, or at least you'd have to hire a gorilla to hold the cyclone up against the blower while you got the orientation just right.
I disagree, though, that you can forgo the clamps if you only want the ability to rotate the cyclone temporarily, or at least you'd have to hire a gorilla to hold the cyclone up against the blower while you got the orientation just right.
To Clamp or Not To Clamp....
To Clamp or Not To Clamp....
Sorry, probably wasn't all that clear. Let me try again.
What I was thinking was that if you don't care about being able to rotate "after the fact", and made rings big enough, you could hold up the cyclone body with some Quick Grip clamps or the like until you were able to secure more permanent fasteners. All you'd need would be clearance between top plate and blower housing and bottom plate and cyclone's cylinder.
The cyclone body doesn't weigh all that much, and even a wimp like me was able to hold it in place while test fitting. Awkward due to its size, but it can be done. But awkward enough so I made a lifting rack that I've also documented in the photos. But after I made the rings, found I didn't have to use the rack much, relying on the clamps I made instead.
There was also a technique someone in the gallery used and documented, might be able to find it if need be, where, when the person found the orientation he wanted, he applied some masking tape to both blower housing and cyclone, then slit it at the seam, thus making it an alignment mark.
As for my rings, I wanted to be able to disassemble and take down various parts of the installation at a later date, the plan being I want to do some experimentation on noise reduction. And I didn't want to have to wrestle with the entire assembly, as removing the blower housing would also mean removing the filters. I wanted to be able to get to the fan without having to undo all that. Still the plan, but with my new household duties, progress even on completion of the cyclone has slowed to a crawl. So who knows when or if I'll get to a position where my best laid plans will be of any use.
Regards,
DWD
To Clamp or Not To Clamp....
Sorry, probably wasn't all that clear. Let me try again.
What I was thinking was that if you don't care about being able to rotate "after the fact", and made rings big enough, you could hold up the cyclone body with some Quick Grip clamps or the like until you were able to secure more permanent fasteners. All you'd need would be clearance between top plate and blower housing and bottom plate and cyclone's cylinder.
The cyclone body doesn't weigh all that much, and even a wimp like me was able to hold it in place while test fitting. Awkward due to its size, but it can be done. But awkward enough so I made a lifting rack that I've also documented in the photos. But after I made the rings, found I didn't have to use the rack much, relying on the clamps I made instead.
There was also a technique someone in the gallery used and documented, might be able to find it if need be, where, when the person found the orientation he wanted, he applied some masking tape to both blower housing and cyclone, then slit it at the seam, thus making it an alignment mark.
As for my rings, I wanted to be able to disassemble and take down various parts of the installation at a later date, the plan being I want to do some experimentation on noise reduction. And I didn't want to have to wrestle with the entire assembly, as removing the blower housing would also mean removing the filters. I wanted to be able to get to the fan without having to undo all that. Still the plan, but with my new household duties, progress even on completion of the cyclone has slowed to a crawl. So who knows when or if I'll get to a position where my best laid plans will be of any use.
Regards,
DWD
Beating a Dead Horse
Beating a Dead Horse
I used one of the boxes the filters came in, Matt, but same idea. I left some clearance, a couple of inches, but did find use of the box helped me maintain a grip.
If the two rings are the same size, JJ, then alignment will be easy. If you use a clamp system like I did, then you know there's an inch and a half difference between rings all around, so can align it that way. With the clamps, given the size of the lip, alignment nearly assured as I made them so there was just a bit of clearance, maybe an eighth or so (I forget the actual), but you get the drift.
Point being, once you decide on how you want to do it, I think your concerns about alignment will resolve themselves.
Apologies for beating this poor horse even more.
Regards,
DWD
Beating a Dead Horse
I used one of the boxes the filters came in, Matt, but same idea. I left some clearance, a couple of inches, but did find use of the box helped me maintain a grip.
If the two rings are the same size, JJ, then alignment will be easy. If you use a clamp system like I did, then you know there's an inch and a half difference between rings all around, so can align it that way. With the clamps, given the size of the lip, alignment nearly assured as I made them so there was just a bit of clearance, maybe an eighth or so (I forget the actual), but you get the drift.
Point being, once you decide on how you want to do it, I think your concerns about alignment will resolve themselves.
Apologies for beating this poor horse even more.
Regards,
DWD