Review/modification of Axminster's New cyclone top.

[SkinnyB]

I have been looking to add a cyclone unit to my extraction system for some time. Axminster's new cyclone range came up so I decided to go ahead with one of those.

Unboxing:
IMG_5943 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

Height
IMG_5944 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

View from the bottom - top (not mesh at the bottom just my table.)
IMG_5945 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

I also got the bag attachment waste bin part.
IMG_5946 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

IMG_5947 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

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IMG_5956 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

I am wanting to use a dust bin I have to collect the shaving so I am modifying the unit to accept this bin.
First it to move one of the columns that hold the cyclone up so I can get the bin in. Using the lid as a template.

IMG_5950 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

IMG_5957 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

IMG_5958 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

Marking and drilling new place for the column to allow for a bin to slide in.
IMG_5959 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

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Wider front opening.
IMG_5961 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

First issue.. Cyclone to base attachment. I was disappointed that this does not come with a gasket of sorts to seal the two parts.

IMG_5962 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

old neoprene pencil case
IMG_5980 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

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Fixed!
IMG_5988 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

Second issue... These should come with 125mm+ ports as standard as it is a lot easier to reduce than to enlarge them.
IMG_5967 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

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Cutting my blower intake. Action Shot!
IMG_5970 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

Now fits
IMG_5977 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

My issue.. Bin is too tall..
IMG_5964 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

3D printing spacers
IMG_5978 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

IMG_5983 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

IMG_5984 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

Third issue... Some of the fabricated metal joins have gaps in them. Easy fix

IMG_5990 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

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Fixed
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Looking good so far
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My blower issue. Bad seal around port. Fixed with new rubber and silicone.
IMG_6003 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

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Metal fabrication on my blower could do with some sealant.
IMG_6006 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

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Ready to mount the blower.
IMG_6008 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

The exhaust port is facing the wrong way so I am moving it 90 degrees to face the right way
IMG_6009 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

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Placing two blocks to hold the blower the correct distance while I bolt to the wall.
IMG_6012 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

Attached.
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Turns out I didn't need to remove the grid in the end...

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Bin is currently wedged from bottom. Looking to add clips later on the top to hold the bin to the unit so it seal better.
IMG_6017 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

Adding seals. Ideally I need some wider seals but this is all I had on hand.
IMG_6022 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

baby cyclone next to it.
IMG_6024 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

My bin kept collapsing so I used some of the left over parts to brace the inside of the bin. These usually hold the bag open if using the bag that comes with the lower section.
IMG_6025 by jamie skinner, on Flickr

Still a little more to do but overall pleased with the unit.
Improvements to the unit for me would be:
Larger dust posts on it. 125/150mm with plastic reducers offered.
Better seals. I found gaps in the cyclone using a torch around the base where I previously mentioned. Later I also found gaps around the "dust in" port which again used silicone to fix.
Gasket supplied for attaching bottom of cyclone.

I would buy again, and if these improvements were made, mainly the larger ports this will be great unit out of the box.

I am venting exhaust outside. I am planning on adding a filter unit to it for work in the winter.
Exhaust air looks very clean with minimal dust coming out when using my drum sander.
I believe my blower is 3hp. Ideally need 150mm posts on the cyclone for this size.
Currently I am just using a 100mm flex pipe to each machine as I use it. I will eventually replace with with 150mm spiral ducting which should offer better air flow than the long flex pipe.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Eric The Viking]

Thanks for taking the trouble to go through this - really useful stuff!

 

[woodbloke66]

Good stuff and it's about time that somebody filled this obvious gap in the market...I use a plastic Super Dust Deputy from the USA which is prohibitively expensive :shock: and the tin plate fittings that come with it are appalling.
That Ax neglected to include instructions and a gasket with this kit seems to me to be woefully inadequate; a strongly penned missive to d'management might be in order and as you've no doubt found out, everything below the cyclone needs to be air tight. I'm surprised also that no mention is made of a PRV (Pressure Release Valve) which is almost mandatory on a cyclone system as without one, inadvertently leaving all your blast gates shut (and it does happen, I know :lol: ) will instantly collapse the bin - Rob

 

[Adam9453]

Thanks for the review, I’ve been considering getting one of these for my dad and useful to know the pitfalls before purchasing. I switched to metal oil drums for my cyclone extractor to avoid the issues with imploding drums

 

[MikeK]

Thank you for the excellent review and description of your installation!

I am curious to learn if there will be any impact to performance because your blower assembly rotates opposite the direction of airflow in the cyclone. Everything I have read about cyclones rated at 2HP or larger, indicates the impeller should (must?) rotate in the same direction as the air stream in the cyclone. Bill Pentz also states this:

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclon ... m#rotation

I noticed the blower on the 2HP AC118CE, which is mounted directly to the top of the cyclone, is also opposite the direction of flow in the cyclone. Perhaps the difference is slight and not worth pursuing, but if you do notice the performance is not what you expected, you might try installing straightening vanes in the connection between the blower assembly and the cyclone to attempt to eliminate the effects of the blower rotation.

 

[user 19915]

Skinny have you phoned Axminster to tell them about the seals ? I had the same trouble and i phoned them about it and they give me a gift card £10
Better seals. I found gaps in the cyclone using a torch around the base where I previously mentioned. Later I also found gaps around the "dust in" port which again used silicone to fix.

 

[SkinnyB]

Thanks all!
I had looked at getting an oil drum originally but ended up with this plastic one. As you say plastic ones can collapse as I found out. However putting those rings in the bin I can block the pipe and nothing happens now.

Interesting about the direction of airflow. It had completely passed me.

I do not really have the experience of how air flows, however looking at it logically the air is being pulled into the cyclone though tube at the top via the blower. The tube that goes into the cyclone from the top which the blower is mounted on. This tube is actually quite long going 300-400mm into the cyclone. So rotation of the air inside the cyclone has to travel quite far up this small diameter tube and I imagine loses all/most rotational momentum as it goes up. The air is then being pulled into the centre of the fan and pushed out to the edges of the blower in all directions and the shape of the blower directs it out one way. I doubt that there is any massive difference. Perhaps if the cyclone and blower were one unit with the fan exposed to the full open top of a cyclone it would be better to have it all spin the same way. Hope that sort of makes sense. Bill Pentz is probably the one to believe though!

Mock - I have not yet know. I might link them to this. Product feedback from users can't help!

 

[graduate_owner]

Interesting post, thanks for taking the time to upload all those images.
Do you think the Axminster version is a great improvement over the plastic ones on ebay for about £13? There is certainly a great step up in cost.

K

 

[Hornbeam]

Really useful good write up
Thanks Ian

 

[SkinnyB]

Interesting post, thanks for taking the time to upload all those images.
Do you think the Axminster version is a great improvement over the plastic ones on ebay for about £13? There is certainly a great step up in cost.

K

Well being that those plastic £13 are only designed for 40mm vacuums and this one is for 100mm+ dust collectors. Plus Aximisters one is about 4 times the size. It is also the cheapest unit I have seen them and being made from metal and not plastic.

I really like my little plastic one for my vacuum but it wouldn't be any good for a large dust collector.

 

[graduate_owner]

Ah, I see.
Thanks.

K

 

[graduate_owner]

Another question - does the Axminster cyclone need a more powerful extractor? I have 1 hp chip collectors. Would they be man enough to work?

K

 

[SkinnyB]

From Axminster:
'We recommend using a High Volume Low Pressure chip extractor with at least a 1.5hp motor'
I recon 1hp would be ok though.

I have a temporary filter setup which has really reduced air flow on my system. Was venting outside but got a noise complaint so... But it still worked even though suction was reduced to about 1/3. I have a 3hp.

Just about to install a Large axminster 1 micron filter to get my suction back up.