Adding a Dust Deputy Cyclone to my workshop has been one of the easiest and most impactful projects I’ve done.
A cyclonic dust separator has two main advantages. The first is that it keeps 99% of sawdust and debris from reaching your vacuum, which means your filters stay cleaner for longer, and you don’t have to change bags as often. Secondly, it ensures a more uniform suction capacity, regardless of how full the bin is.
My new Dust Deputy cyclone has definitely improved my ability to control dust collection and cleanup in my workshop. It’s a highly recommended addition, and can be built for as little as ~$100. (Accessorizing a cyclonic separator with casters or other add-ons will add to the overall cost.)
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There are many different ready-to-use and DIY products out there. I went with the Oneida molded DIY dust deputy cyclone. They also make a kit featuring the same cyclone.
Picking a Bin
When going the DIY route, the key decision you need to make is in choosing a collection bin to you mount your cyclone to. You can find plenty of different approaches, from a Home Depot 5-gallon bucket, to 50-gallon drums.
It is really important to ensure the bin, drum, or other collection device is strong enough to handle the suction of your shop vacuum or dust extractor. If you search around, you’ll find photos of bins and buckets that have collapsed or became structurally compromised after succumbing to vacuum pressure.
I wanted something reasonably large that I didn’t have to empty too often, and I settled on an Eagle 20-gallon salvage drum on Amazon. I clearly wasn’t the only one with this idea because most of the reviews are by people doing similar builds.
Stuart’s Note: They make different shapes of bins – here’s a tall and narrow 14 gallon drum.
Creating a Top
As I did my research, I noticed that most people put a hard top on their collection bins. This helps add rigidity to the bin and gives you a strong mounting point for the cyclone. Bolting the cyclone directly on to a plastic lid usually will not result in a particularly strong installation.
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I cut a top from a piece of MDF using my M.Power CRB7 Router Jig. This was the first time I’ve cut a circle, and it was way easier than I expected, not to mention very satisfying!
I then used a hole saw to cut a 3″ hole in the middle. For good measure I finished the top with some laminate.
Finally I grabbed some rubber gasket material and cut it into a circle so I could improve the seal between the Dusty Deputy and my top. I also put a piece between my MDF top and the top of the bin, though I don’t think this was really necessary.
Bolting it All Together
With the top made, you just need to drill the appropriate holes and bolt everything together. This is a bit fiddly because the plastic top isn’t completely flat, making it was hard to get everything lined up.
The Dust Deputy does come with bolts but I had to source my own 1-1/4″ bolts to get through the top and the lid.
Connecting the Hoses
The cyclone has two connection points. At the top, that’s where you connect a hose to your shop vacuum. I currently use a Dewalt DWV012, which uses their proprietary Universal Quick Connector. To get around this, I purchased one of their adapters and then glued it onto the top port of the Dust Deputy.
For the side port you need the female connection to a hose that plugs into your tools. I purchased a Dewalt DWV9000 Universal Connector and jerry-rigged a connection to the Dust Deputy using a plumbing part I found at Home Depot.
Adding Some Feet
My first attempt to add wheels was a bit of a disaster. I added casters to the bottom of the bin, but no matter how carefully I tried to move it, it would tip over. So I switched to side mounted casters, which solved the problem by created a wider base. I used Easytech workbench casters from Amazon.
The Finished Setup
That’s it, a fairly straightforward build for something I now use every single time I am in my workshop!
jason gloekler
What was your overall cost in a project like this? Would this also work for drywall dust you think?
Tom
I was wondering the same – that’s the dust that is a real pain (though dealing with an extra canister isn’t feasible in a lot of field situations
Joel
I own a larger cyclone and find that drywall dust has like a 90-95%% filtration rate from that one (it’s an Oneida 4 inch). It’s better than going bare but it doesn’t filter as well as normal wood dust from what I can tell, and I have 0 idea why that would be. Possibly because the drywall dust is more visible so it seems worse.
ktash
I was looking at the Oneida website and they have some things about drywall dust on there and some specialized things. I didn’t look close but you might want to see what they say.
James C
I had a drywall project to do so I installed a filter bag in my vac (in addition to using the cyclone). The drywall dust that does get through the cyclone would probably take a very long time to fill the bag as well.
Brian M
I do this in general with a separator. It keeps the filter clean and it takes FOREVER to fill up…drywall dust might fill it quicker but I bet it would still take a looong time, probably several dumps of the separator.
Stuart
Short answer – yes, you can probably use something like this on drywall dust, but it won’t be as effective.
Cyclonic separators usually work by separating out the larger and heavier chips and dust. They can filter out some fine dust too, but fine dust can be light enough to follow the airflow to the vacuum source’s filter or fine-filter collection bag.
With drywall, it’s nearly all finely powdered dust. As such, separation efficiency is a lot lower compared to when used on woodworking applications.
There are different ways of tackling drywall dust, such as water traps. I haven’t looked into too many DIY options though. I’m sure they’re out there, but the projects and reviews aren’t as visible as woodworking separators.
Patrick H
I have a friend who is a drywall contractor, he made a mega dust deputy contraption for this very reason, what he did was use two dust deputies in sequence which worked out better than I would have thought, plus it also made the whole thing a lot more stable because he has them hooked together in a tripod arrangement with his vacuum serving as one corner, he had a machinist friend make him a couple metal brackets so he can just lift the buckets away when he is done but they stay locked together when rolling around. It is pretty slick albeit a bit cumbersome.
dave
I know that cold wood ash seems to bypass the cyclone but other than that it works great. I have it mounted on a tall metal grease drum.
Farid
Jason,
Drywall dust is made of much smaller and lighter particles than wood dust, so this particular cyclone design does not work as well. Like others said, it will help keep your filter clean much longer but the fine stuff will still get sucked into your filter.
If you can find a smaller cyclone that runs at higher velocity, that might help. The cheap ones I have seen, like the Oneida or other Chinese makes, are all similar in design and size (or larger). If you can fine one that is a bit fatter on top and taller overall than the one pictured here, it would work better for your needs.
To make the above work better you need a smaller diameter input port, to increase the particle velocity entering the cyclone as much as possible . You also want the outlet port (connected to the vac) to be as large as possible (the whole port, not just the hose) to slow down the air velocity and prevent pickup of the fine particles while still in the cyclone. Modifying the outlet port would involve a lot of cutting and re-gluing and probably not worth it, but you can easily make the input port diameter smaller by placing a tube or PVC pipe inside it, being careful not extend it too far into the cyclone, unless you cut a taper into it . Use a smaller hose as well. If you have a 3D printer, you can possibly print an adapter.
I bought my cyclone for around $14 from a Chinese import website, so it’s not an expensive endeavor to try it out.
jason gloekler
Nevermind on the cost part, I must have skimmed over that.
Frank D
Sorry, but this does not get a pass.
For projects, there should be a small cost breakdown A-Z table towards the end of the article, link the item and cost at time of purchase / article.
Then we’d know at a glance:
Bin + $37.5
Oneida + $50
Wheels +$40
Hose adapters & fittings + $??
Scrap lumber
= $200
And not $100 as stated:
” Adding a Dust Deputy Cyclone to my workshop has been one of the easiest and most impactful projects I’ve done. … For about $100 it’s a highly recommended addition. “
Whiskey and Wood
You don’t have to use his specific parts,
Bin costs $37 delivered from amazon
Dust Deputy: $50
Scrap lumber: Free
if you don’t have scrap, a 2x4x8′ costs $3.50
you can get a regular set of inexpensive casters from your big box store for $10 all day long, if you want something more industrial, that’s on you, total cost:
$100.50
your shop vac hose (2″ or 2 1/4″) fits the dust deputy, so no additional fittings or adapters needed.
Koko The Talking Ape
Yep. In fact, the regular casters under an X made of 2x4s might even be more durable. We don’t see how those side-mount casters are attached to the bin, but sheet metal screws into plastic tends not to be super durable. I’d expect that to crack at some point. Also, three casters means they have to spread pretty wide for stability, wider than four casters would need. That might make it more troublesome to store under a bench, for instance.
Dt
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GZLCHM/?tag=toolguyd-20
That’s about as close to $100 as you can get.
Ben V
Yeah I could have done a better job there, it wasn’t my intention to under estimate the cost. Perhaps starting at $100 would have been better.
I like the idea of a breakdown at the end of these types of posts, I’ll do that moving forward.
Frank D
Thanks for understanding, and editing the post 🙂
Jon
I built a portable / rolling version of this myself about a year ago, using a shop vac, with a dust deputy sitting on top of a pair of nested plastic buckets. The combo of the dust deputy cyclonic separator and the two buckets (with hardware to attach the dust deputy) is a kit that Oneida sells. I built a simple wooden cart that I bolted the vac and bottom bucket to. Simple and incredibly effective. The cyclonic separator works amazingly well, with virtually all of the dust (and liquid) winding up in the bucket. It’s easy to dispose of the waste, and the shop vac and its filter stay clean. Highly recommended!
Whiskey and Wood
If anyone in/near Athens GA wants this setup without wheels, I have one, I’ve moved to a big Clearvue Cyclone for the shop, so let me know if you want it!
-Matt
JamesR
Hey Matt,
I’m in the Athens area (go Dawgs) and am interested. Any contact info to talk further?
—James
Whiskey and Wood
Hey James, [email protected]
Jay k.
Not being very familiar with the cyclone… Does it separate primarily due to weight and the spinning of air motion?
Ben V
Yes, it’s kind of fun to watch. The incoming waste spins around the inside of the cyclone and slowly falls down into the bucket.
Jay k.
Tnx
Koko The Talking Ape
It works because dust is denser than air. The cyclone forces the air+dust to move in a tight circle, where centripital force slings the dust toward the cyclone walls, where the air slows and the dust falls onto the walls and slides into the bin. Or at least that’s how it was explained to me!
John804
Nice article. I’ve thought about doing a stand-alone shop vac and cyclone setup using plans from Jay’s Custom Creations.
I’m curious about the CRB7 router jig. How well does that work? I haven’t seen that before, and it seems like a nice all-in-one kit. That might be much more convenient that having several different shop-built bases to switch around as needed.
Ben V
I have only used it for the circle for this project so far, and I was really impressed.
ktash
I have that circle cutting jig and it’s great! Easy to micro-adjust the size as well. It cuts very small to large circles. For making the dust deputy tops or stabilizer pieces, I had to screw the ply to a sacrificial top in various places, cutting the center hole last after the larger top with groove. Screw it down because I don’t want it to break free as I finish the cut. I also used it to cut the cart top that I made with the large circular opening that holds my 5 gallon bucket (described below).
Joe framer
Home Depot “dust stopper” is cheaper and comes with a hose and 90 degree elbow… Dust deputy is a little quieter and more efficient… Homemade? Why bother..
Stuart
There are a bunch of 5-gallon bucket separators, including Home Depot’s. But with that, you’re limited to a 5 gallon (or slightly less) bin size. Why bother making your own using a kit or separate components? Because different people have different needs, and a 5-gallon separator might not be fitting for everyone.
John
Trick is to cut the rim from a 5 gallon bucket and epoxy it to the top of a much larger bucket/drum to provide whatever size collection you want and still use a Dustopper.
JT
I’d post a pic, but that’s not an option that I see. Just as well as my setup looks like some serious hillbilly engineering but it’s function over form. I mounted my cyclone to the five gallon bucket and put the hole thing on top of my shop vac so no extra floor space and easier to move around. I have the top connected to the shop vac with pvc pipe and elbows. I also ran a 1/4″ section of tubing connecting the bucket to the shop vac inlet and lined the bucket with cut to size furnace filter material. This equalizes the pressure and allows me to use 5 gallon wastebasket liners for easy dust removal when it’s full. The bags don’t get sucked up and I don’t have to put anything in the bag to keep it in place. Before this setup I used to use a section of fence material inside the bag but it built up a serious, serious static electrical charge. I got sick of getting zapped when it was time to empty.
ktash
Love these. I have two and am about to make a third one. A five-gallon bucket from your local deli is often free and is thicker than the big box store buckets. 90 mil or higher. Never had mine collapse.
My favorite design uses folding base adapted from this pattern with a top and bottom shelf added. Easy to make from a 2×4 and scrap plywood. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/editors-blog/aw-extra-4512-folding-table-base/
1. Bottom shelf for shop vac
2. Top has a large diameter circle cut out that holds the bucket so most of the bucket hangs down into the table space over the shop vac.
This makes it very easy to empty and solves the tipping problem.
I also added this improvement, a stabilizer for the top, though not necessary, it helps protect the cyclone, especially if you use a plastic lid with plywood reinforcement. This design also has a circle cutout with the bucket in it, but my version has more of the bucket hanging under the top, nearly to the rim.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42zUNTOD-Kg
I used carriage bolts with knobs to hold the top to the base, and the bottom shelf is not attached, so I can disassemble and move the whole thing very easily.
The biggest cost for the cart which was all scrap wood was the various hinges. I found the cheapest ones on the Home Depot website (not the in-store hinges). They work fine. Also any casters from a cheap dolly will work fine, no need for ones with brakes or heavy duty.
Home Depot strap hinges here https://www.homedepot.com/p/National-Hardware-5-in-Zinc-Plate-Heavy-Strap-Hinge-282BC-5-HVY-STRP-HNG-ZN/204289981
ktash
Thought I’d add a cost breakdown. Both the cart and the dust deputy together cost around $100. This is assuming you have some 2×4 offcuts and random ply scraps, also various bolts and screws. None of these cost much if you don’t.
Dust deputy from Menards or on Amazon for $50.
Free 90 mil pickle bucket with lid and rubber gasket from local deli
Lid from bucket reinforced with small ply scrap
Harbor Freight dolly casters with coupon $9
Hose came with Shop vac, use heated PVC for fittings if needed.
Four strap hinges from Home Depot $8
Eight zinc plated butt hinges $16
Five hooks and eyes $5
Nathan
was the top of the bin just not rigid enough? I’m trying to figure out why the MDF on the top. Did you sandwich it with 2 pieces? I might have missed a piece.
interesting idea – I see a number of these builds and plan to do something similar. My goal is to mount mine to my shop vac as it has a nice base already and is a SS body. I could see the dewalt universal hoses being an expensive issue.
Would your casters have worked better had you put your bin on say a plywood base plate?
Stuart
Generally, the lids of bins like this one are made of thin plastic that’s fine as a cover, but not sturdy enough to support weight or vacuum pressure.
A plywood base would have been an alternate way to mount casters, but it would have to be wider. There are a couple of other ways, with the goal of keeping the center of gravity within the width of the base, even when tilted. You can do this with a wider base, or an offset base where the casters are mounted higher than the bottom of the barrel, which lowers the center of mass. Or you can add weight to the base or bottom of the collection bin.
fred
If I were to redo my home shop – the dust collection system would certainly include a cyclone unit. Back almost 50 years ago – looking a central systems that could handle 2 machines at once – the cyclone or cyclone-bag combinations were very pricey and/or required a 3-phase electric feed. I went with a 2 bag 220V – 3hp motor system – that was something under $200 back then. Replacement bags and a fan change out (costing more than the original unit) have kept it going. It is not the quietest of machines – but it resides outside my shop in a shed enclosure. Doing it over today – I might be looking at something like a Baileigh DC-2100C or Oneida XXVM003000 .
RJ Smith
I also have the Dewalt dwv012 and what I did was mount my 2 buckets and dust deputy to the top so it didn’t take up valuable shop space. Cost was $50 because I already had the buckets. My hoses are just pushed into the ports which works fine, but I’d like to clean that up by getting the connectors like you did. https://www.instagram.com/p/BsY5dp3HRL9/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1h40jw103iagk
ktash
RJ Smith, that’s the most simple and easiest setup I’ve seen. Not sure if this would work with the Ridgid, but if so, I may give it a try. I’ll probably still stabilize the top cyclone with the little brackets I posted about earlier. The ease of emptying is an important element and yours looks really easy.
Jonathan
This is what I pulled together — using the $99 Onieda set (Dust Deputy, pair of buckets, fittings), a cheap / discounted shop vac, a few dollars worth of casters and pine, and a couple of vacuum hoses. I need to clean up the routing / mounting of the hoses — but I got impatient and have been using it before even deciding how to finalize the hose. I also got an automated vacuum switch / outlet box to bolt onto this, so demand from a tool (saw, sander, etc – whatever is plugged in) will turn on the vac. Here’s what it looked like right after I get the basic assembly together: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VgyFd1SodavKDwXd8
Ron
If you want to hold down costs, make a Thein baffle. I probably have <$20 in mine using a 5 gal. bucket. I don't use it much because the darn HD bucket vac I hooked up to it is simply too bloody loud and I've wanted to spend my time on other things rather than fool with it. But 2 5 gal. buckets is a pretty small footprint, the original plan was to put them under the wing of my 10" TS that is 3X as large as sold thanks to CL parts. For a small weekend project shop it works fine. After the last discussion on shop vacs I'm going to get myself down to HD and see if the newer bucket vac is any quieter. If anyone has first hand information I'd love to hear it.
Dennis
I’ve seen the cyclone portion on aliexpress for around $18. Haven’t bought one yet, so I can’t tell you how fast you get delivery. But for a fairly simple piece of plastic, it’s a much better price.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cyclone-Sixth-generation-turbocharged-Cyclone-1-piece-Industrial-and-Household-Bagless-Cyclone-Dust-Collector/32918086980.html
Dennis
And you can also find them on eBay.
Drew M
I own a dust deputy kit with the buckets. I love Oneida Air Systems…. but… I called them a while back asking them to make the “pro” all steel cyclone with a removable top they told me it couldn’t be done with either the steel or plastic versions.
Then I found the Adoolla Sixth Generation Strong Cyclone on Aliexpress for ~$25 which appears to be better engineered than the DD. I’m going to get one and give it a chance.
One problem common to all the small DD cyclones is the flat top which allows items to spin around the top endlessly. If the Adolla works well, I may fabricate my own from steel.
Finally, a common misconception is that the cyclone spins the dirt out of the air. In reality, it is actually the momentary drop in velocity to nearly zero at the bottom of the cyclone and sudden direction change that ejects the objects entrained in the airflow.
Kent
The cyclone looks so flimsy, because of the narrow base and tall height – plus the hose attached to the top.
Any thoughts on how durable it is? Do you think it will just snap the base of the cyclone off when you drag it across the shop by the hose?
Jon
The Dust Deputy cyclone part itself is solid and probably won’t break easily. The weak part is typically the bucket lid where you attach the Dust Deputy. With the cyclone part being tall and narrow, it acts as a pretty effective lever arm, and will really put some stress on the buck lid it’s fastened to. That’s why you’ll see many people reporting that they reinforce the lid with something like a thin plywood (or plain pine) disk — but then it makes the whole assembly more top heavy if you’re not careful. In short: the Dust Deputy itself is sturdy and shouldn’t break — but the bucket lid it’s fastened to will be flexed and stressed.
Drew M
If you buy the kit from Oneida, the lid that comes with the buckets doesn’t grip the bucket very tightly at all. So, if you yank on the hose, either the whole thing goes over, or in the case my mine where I have a dumb bell in the bottom of of the outer bucket, the lid pops off.
I’m not sure what exact plastic they’re made from but it feels like a LDPE so it is a little bit flexable and not brittle.
ktash
Here’s a video that shows an easy to make reinforcing bracket for the DD, that solves the lid problems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42zUNTOD-Kg
If you go to 4:39 you can see it in action.
I’ve made this and it’s very easy and cheap (small scraps of ply). For stability, I hung mine in a tall frame with a hole in the top so it suspends near the rim. No tipping. The vac is underneath, so smaller footprint than side-by-side.
David Zeller
Just FYI. Oneida system with 2-five gallon buckets (?) for $99 at Woodcraft. Three wheels (tippy).
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/oneida-air-systems-deluxe-dust-deputy-with-5-gallon-drum-kit
David
Chip
1 of the longstanding home vacuuming Co’s (Kirby?) and and , used water at the bottom to trap dust.
I wonder if a little water in the bottom, and a diverter wouldn’t help the drywall dust?