Looking for ideas for a 'low' installation

R

Rob

New member
Just placed my order for a ClearVue cyclone. The install is going to be in a place with a 91" ceiling, meaning I'm 5" short of the minimum in Ed's drawings. The filters are no problem, those can be mounted in parallel and hooked up to a common plenum box. The pinch is at the bottom where the collection bin is, and I'm wondering if anyone has a source or idea for a metal or fibre bin that would fit (and that is available in Canada). Worst case I can build a (square) box, but a round bin that can be lined with a plastic bag would be so much nicer.

In general, any ideas for a low install would be very welcome! Possibly there are other ways to skin this cat that make more sense. Hopefully others have already solved this. Let's hear it!

Thanks!

-Rob-
 
Rob, what's above where your cyclone will go? If in a basement and not under a bad spot, or if in a garage with no living quarters above, can you open up the ceiling to gain some height with the motor? You would need to have a large enough area for the motor to circulate some air for cooling. I opened a spot up in my shop and have about 2 feet or more of the cyclone system up in the "attic". I use quotation marks around the word attic because it doesn't qualify for a crawl space even. No way a human could move around up there. But it gained me enough space to be able to get a plastic 55 gallon drum under the cyclone for chip collection with several inches to spare. Hope this helps!! If nothing else, maybe it will spark some creativity in your own mind. Jim.
 
Hi Jim,

Alas, there's 10 inches of reinforced concrete as a ceiling, and all of this is underground. Officially the place I want to put the cyclone is my "cold room", a common thing here in Canada where they make a small (uninsulated) concrete room just off of the (insulated) basement. It's for storing food, as the temperature there stays pretty much the same year round. We never use it for that, and the basement/shop isn't very large, so I want to use it to save space in the shop. It'll also let me keep the cyclone noise out of the shop somewhat: I'll have to cut a large hole in its door to let the air pass, but can line the walls with sound dampening material.

I'm sure I can make this work with the height as is, but was hoping to hear from others about creative solutions that I wouldn't think off. Yours certainly is, just that in my particular case it's not an option.

-Rob-
 
Originally posted by Rob@Jan 14 2006, 01:50 PM
Hi Jim,

Alas, there's 10 inches of reinforced concrete as a ceiling, and all of this is underground. snip
Click to expand...
Rob, that would definately pose a problem! If it comes down to it, I have seen pictures of people mounging the blower off to the side with piping going from the top of the cyclone to the blower. The blower is mounted 90 degrees from normal, and to the side of the cyclone. Not real sure that it gains a whole lot of overhead space as the hose curving takes up almost as much room as the motor and blower height.
How much room do you have from the bottom of the cyclone to the floor? Maybe yu could use 2 smaller trash cans, put a wye out of the bottom of the cyclone and pipe into each of them. I don't think the pipe had to be in the middle of the trash can lid, could be to the side. If you could keep the angle going it would blow toward the center of the can anyway. If smaller trash cans can't be found, possibly get a 55 gallon plastic drum and cut it in two and use both halves. Or build a wooden box, maybe with the same wye going into it to spread the chips out some. Let us know what you decide to do! Jim.
 
Originally posted by Rob@Jan 14 2006, 01:50 PM
Hi Jim,

Alas, there's 10 inches of reinforced concrete as a ceiling, and all of this is underground. snip
Click to expand...
Rob, that would definately pose a problem! If it comes down to it, I have seen pictures of people mounging the blower off to the side with piping going from the top of the cyclone to the blower. The blower is mounted 90 degrees from normal, and to the side of the cyclone. Not real sure that it gains a whole lot of overhead space as the hose curving takes up almost as much room as the motor and blower height.
How much room do you have from the bottom of the cyclone to the floor? Maybe yu could use 2 smaller trash cans, put a wye out of the bottom of the cyclone and pipe into each of them. I don't think the pipe had to be in the middle of the trash can lid, could be to the side. If you could keep the angle going it would blow toward the center of the can anyway. If smaller trash cans can't be found, possibly get a 55 gallon plastic drum and cut it in two and use both halves. Or build a wooden box, maybe with the same wye going into it to spread the chips out some. Let us know what you decide to do! Jim.
 
Hi Jim,

A smaller/lower drum is certainly an option. That would be the easiest solution, though it would be nice to be able to use a regular metal trash can (How high are those things? I don't have one here and can't find dimensions online anywhere). Ed tells me that plastic drums are generally not strong enough to avoid collapse due to the pressure difference, so I'm thinking of getting a drum from one of the 'brand name' cyclones. Many sell various sizes of fibre drums. Worst case, as you say, I can make a simple box. My main issue with a smaller chip drum is that it will fill up so much faster.

I've thought of mouning the blower to the side, or even below the filters (and enclose the filters in a box). I'll have to see what the sizes are of the various parts when the cyclone arrives, my thoughts were similar to yours, the added piping at the top would likely take up about as much space as the motor and blower.

With 91" to work with I'm short by 5" from Ed's drawings. There's a 1" gap at the top of the motor in those drawings, and unless the motor needs that for cooling I can reclaim it. Bringing me down to 4" short. That's not much. So, as things stand now there's just over 25" below the cyclone for a drum (and a hose to connect it).

-Rob-
 
Rob, I think the plastic Ed is talking about are the plastic trash cans. The plastic 55 gallon drums are much more rigid. I think if you cut one down you'd have no problem, except how to top it off and seal it. The metal trash can I have is 23 1/2" tall without the lid. Being smaller diameter than a 55 gallon drum, it might not catch much more than 1/2 a drum, certainly less than a 55 gallon drum cut off at that height. And looking at Ed's diagram, it looks like with 1" clearance at the top measured down to the chip bin outlet is 66.717". subtract that from your 91" would leave 24.83" for the chip drum. Wouldn't leave much room for the transition to a regular metal trash can, but if you built the lid right where the can would slide out from underneath the lid, I think this will work, tight but workable. If you want, I'll go measure mine and report back to you. Easily done. Jim.
 
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