Dust Deputy... this thing works!

[JOHNMAN]

I was thinking perhaps using some kind of other container. One summer in my youth, I worked in a factory that made fiber drums. Some of those had lids with a band on them that could quickly be removed. The band was a cam-over lever. I believe that they called these lever-packs. The company was Sonoco Fiber Drums......

Some easy to remove lid must exist that I can mount my cyclone on. After I built mine, I found out that it is simply a miniature version of an industrial cyclone. It really does work well. I can't believe that I waited this long to build and use one with my blast cabinet. I had already gone down the road of creating a bunch of baffles into my cabinet that worked somewhat, but nothing as effective as this cyclone.

 

[srmofo]

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=3732

These are close but I cant find the right ones
http://www.protravelgear.com/latitudeoutfitter/products/Gamma-Seal-Lid-Assorted-colors.html

 

[z28toz06]

I believe you can also get an adapter to make the lids screw off. Their called gamma seals

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24282&catid=686&clickid=searchresults

 

[minhster]

those gamma seal are pretty cool. I might have to order some for a different application though (bucket of oil absorbent) because I dont think they will work for a cyclone since it's not flat on top to mount a cyclone.

 

[StevePgh]

I have one of the Dust Deputy's, and it does exactly what it is supposed to do. I haven't needed to clean the filter in the el cheapo Home Depot Black Friday Shop Vac after three completely full DD bucket empties. Considering that cleaning the filter was a daily cleaning step given the sawdust and drywall dust that I tend to generate, this was well worth it. I would buy the cyclone only and get your own lid and buckets for a couple of reasons:
1) The provided hose is a bit short and REALLY cheap and a bit short given how I mounted mine. I picked up a much better hose with 2.5" adapters at Woodcraft.
2) The lid doesn't have a gasket seal to the bucket. I don't think it matters at all, however.

Nice sized buckets with gasketed lids can be gotten for free from friends with saltwater aquariums or perhaps a fish store. Of course, you then need to cut a circular hole for the cyclone, but if you need a dust collector you should be able to do this.

Like the OP, I dislike the fittings on this immensely. The top one SHOULD be 90 degrees. The tapered fitting, presumably to handle all hose sizes, is just way too annoying and fits none of them well. I have hose clamps on the hose connector to keep the hose attached to the DD.

I built a cart for mine - the shop vac sits on a HEAVY castered base made from a sandwiched plywood frame - plywood bottom, 2x2s and concrete pavers in the middle, then plywood on top. This frame is then used as a base for rippped 1x2s that support the top plywood shelf at all four corners. One of the buckets is bolted to this top platform with a scrap 2x4 as a spacer between the mounted bucket and the DD bucket which sits inside it. PVC end caps mounted to the plywood top hold all the vac attachments. The clamped hose and heavy base allow the cart to be pulled by using the vac hose attached to the DD. It takes up very little floorspace and is very convenient.

I also picked up Rockler's Shop Vac hose. The swivel fittings and auto-compressing nature of the hose makes it fantastic to work with. If anyone is interested in the cart concept I can post a picture or two.

 

[Robbo]

If anyone is interested in the cart concept I can post a picture or two.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I dunno, as far as I can see, it still falls into the lame column. The shop vac filter will still fill up eventually as it is designed to catch the minute particles that cyclonic separation can't. So you end up with the fine **** clogging the filter as usual and the big stuff stuck in another bucket...a stroke of genius (for the guy who markets the thing).

(Yes, I realize this is an old thread, but I came across it, so others will too.)

Clearly, you've never used a Thien baffle or Dust deputy type cyclonic system. In two years I've never ONCE had to clean or change my shop vac filter since implementing this setup. So, it doesn't fall into the "lame" category, it falls into the "why the hell don't tool manufacturers integrate these setups into their systems in the first damn place" category.

All of that aside, there is a separate issue for those of us who are using a cyclonic OR Thien OR Semi-Thien clone type setup for dust collection connected to a sandblast cabinet. Pre-media separation, to help reduce the amount of unspent media that gets caught up with the spent media and ends up in the scavenge cannister. Just wondering if anybody has come up with a configuration inside the cabinet that minimizes unspent media loss without creating a pressure loss like an "inside the cabinet" pre-filter configuration does.

I'm thinking I might try running PVC from the exhaust vent hole INSIDE the cabinet, up to the furthest inside topmost point so the actual intake for the exhaust port is as far from speeding media as possible, but I'm unsure this will actually resolve the issue so I'm open to other confirmed ideas.

Also, sorry for necro-mongering this old thread, but it was about the most relevant thread I could find to the subject matter and I figured most of you are still around anyhow so what the hell. Thanks.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135236&page=2

 

[rburke65]

All this reminds me I haven't cleaned my filter on dust collector on the blast cabinet. Thanks.

 

[Thumpin305]

I have one as well but attached to a fiberboard barrel. After months of use all I have in my shop vac is a packing peanut.

 

[eastbaysubaru]

If anyone is interested in the cart concept I can post a picture or two.

-Brian

 

[58Yeoman]

My 6hp shop vac was used to pull corn into my basement at my last house, where I was burning corn in two stoves. I sold the stoves when I moved here, but I still use the vacuum bags inside my shop vacs; I have 3. It really saves the filters. I built one of the thien gadgets (didn't know it was called that then) for the dust collector on my sand blast cabinet. That bag would get a lot of sand and stuff in it before...now it's all collected in the 5 gallon bucket. It's a good idea.

 

[mtnwalton]

I bought the Dust Deputy mainly for my miter saw and it works awesome. Easier to clean out the bucket than the vac and the filter stays clean. Until i get a real dust collection system i intend to add more to other machines.

 

[Buck41]

I use a homemade version when I use my blast cabinet. Keeps the dust out of the shop.

 

[BearsFan315]

yeah, love mine as well, use it on the blast cabinet
Eastwood Benchtop Blast Cabinet

I even use it to clean out the blast cabinet before i put it away, all the media gets sucked into the 5 gal, and then lid on sealed till next use.

 

[Musicinabottle]

And the reason you would want a 5 gallon bucket full of **** VS a shop vac canister full of **** is?

More **** to scoot around. Vacuum is bad enough. I can blow out the filter. No sale here. Is it American made?

 

[bushmechanic]

Above it was mentioned that a cyclone benefits air quality, that's not true. The air quality is totally dependent on whether you are exhausting outside (100% expulsion of dust from your space) or through a really good filter (like .5 microns or so... those 30 micron filters are basically dust pumps). All the cyclone(or cheaper and identical purpose thien baffle) does is keep the filter clean longer.

All the cyclone does is keep the filter clean longer.

Nope.

If the cyclone catches fine particles that would otherwise reach and pass through the filter media, the cyclone is reducing the density of said particles in the exhausted gas; and therefore allowing less into the atmospheric system.

It is an improvement in air "quality" over a device that is not fitted with a cyclone; not something that you drop in to increase air quality over baseline...

That said, the technology can indeed be used in such a manner.

 

[bushmechanic]

More **** to scoot around. Vacuum is bad enough. I can blow out the filter. No sale here. Is it American made?

It was noted earlier that the device was American made.

I don't need one, but I can see how some people might find them incredibly useful.

 

[Marctrees]

Steel ?

What the hell, do you often go nuts in your shop w a Louisville Slugger?

A decent plastic, probably Polyethylene, is the PERFECT matl for this, other than possible static issues.


Anyway..... Bottom line, I still don't clearly understand how well it works to drop out fine dust, like sheetrock, before it cakes onto the filter.

If it does help a decent amount, I will buy one.


Someone PLEASE clearly address the fine dust drop out effectiveness for all of us.


I fully realize it does drop out the rocks and squirrells.


And yes, the Gamma lids (In store @ Home Depot, Lowes,online@ Amazon) would work great.

And can always place a loosely hand tightened PVC plumbers union above bucket if wanted. Marc

 

[Hornman]

I have owned and used the little plastic Dust Deputy for three or four years now. It works as well as claimed. When I bought the DD, I bought a new HEPA filter for my Shop Vac. I have never cleaned the new filter. A couple of times a year I pop the vac open to check, but there is never anything there. I use the DD mostly to catch the dust from my 5" Porter Cable variable speed sander. It makes a ton of microfine sawdust. I have used it to sand joint compound with no carryover to the Shop Vac. When I cut Hardiboard I rig up a way to capture the cement dust. The joint compound and cement dust will set up hard in the five gallon bucket if you forget to empty it. If you **** up a marble, or a small nut, or a small washer, it will spin around the top of the DD until you turn the vac off the stop the air flow. Very annoying and surprisingly loud.

I found a use they do not advertise. After buying the current house I learned that the PO lied on his disclosure documents about the property drainage. We had a two A.M. Texas cloudburst with its four inches an hour rain and my wife and I woke up to water running into our bedroom from two directions. I ran out into the shop and drug in the Shop Vac with Dust Deputy. It separates water very well. Plus, with the DD being made from translucent plastic, you can see the water level starting to build up in the DD before it overflows into the vac housing. Emptying the DD five gallon catch bucket is easier than emptying the Shop Vac sixteen gallon container. I sucked twenty three gallons of water off my bedroom floor between 0200 and 0330. The next day I started a drainage project, but that is another story.

 

[Marctrees]

About my fine dust question...
I didn't read close enough

Looks like it works.

Marc

 

[Musicinabottle]

It was noted earlier that the device was American made.

I don't need one, but I can see how some people might find them incredibly useful.

I knew it was, I was just kidding. I'm huge on American made products and there's a few guys on here that it pisses off. It's a great idea but my vacuum is a nuisance to move as it is.

 

[Rickster55]

And it's made about 5 miles from me!

 

[ScottsGT]

I bought one several weeks back. Just bought the top half and then got a metal 5 gallon bucket with a latching metal lid. Assembling it is next on my list of to-do's in my shop.

 

[Radix2]

About my fine dust question...
I didn't read close enough

Looks like it works.

Marc

Yes it definitely works. I have used it for concrete polishing which produces the finest talc powder dust, and most of it collects in the DD.

The complete unit with the bottom bucket is kind of a bad deal. The cyclone only is $50, the complete is $90... the nice thing is that you get the bottom buckets with a nice snap lid, the bad is that the caster set up is really really bad- they want you to drill and assemble three casters into a bottom bucket- these are far too close together and the whole thing is very tippy unless fastened to a shop vac. I was expecting it to come with a proper bucket dolly for that money. One of the mini harbor freight dollys works perfectly to hold the DD if you want it as a stand alone unit.