Cyclone High Dust Alarm IT WORKS!!!!! *w/new pics*

[Alan in Little Washington]

My shop is above a garage and my dust collector and cyclone are on the garage level so I can't see it. My push-through cyclone uses a bag instead of a drum for the dust and chips and after over-filling my cyclone dust bag, having it back up into the cyclone, and having to clean out my cartridge filters one too many times, I finally had enough!!!

I started building a high dust alarm. Actually, with hearing protection I might not hear an audio alarm and also I figured I might not see a flashing light (though so far I haven't missed seeing my shop door bell and phone strobes) so I decided to configure it so it cuts off the DC.

For the sensor I am using a standard replacement dusk-dawn electric eye I got for less than $10 at Lowes. It uses 110V power and turns on (provides 110V output) when the sensor is no longer sufficiently illuminated.

Here is a close-up of the sensor.

The sensor's three wires were only 8" long so I added a longer cord. I drilled a hole and mounted a wood block which holds the sensor just above the chip outlet near the bottom of the cyclone cone.

Close-up of mounted sensor:

I drilled a hole on the opposite side of the cone, covered the hole with plexiglass, and sealed it with silicone. I mounted a low wattage light on outside. This provides enough light to keep the sensor activated (dawn).

Another view of the light source:

The way the system will hopefully work- as long as the light illuminates the sensor no voltage comes out of the sensor. As soon as dust has filled the bag and starts to back up into the cone it will block light to the sensor (dusk) and sensor will send current to and energize a relay. If I had just wanted an alarm light that would take the place of the relay. The latching circuit of my low voltage DC control will be wired through the "normally closed" contacts of the relay. When the relay is energized it will break the latching circuit and turn off the DC. That way if the light source bulb burns out the DC will turn off rather than allow the DC to keep running and possibly overflow. Tomorrow I need to get a relay at Radio Shack and test everything out.

I got all the relay and a few other parts today at tested the high dust alarm- It works like a champ!!!!!!!

When viewing these pics, remember, my cyclone is configured in a push-through mode so I use a bag not a drum to collect the dust. This pic was taken after the first test. I planed a wide oak board to generate the dust. I put a twist tie around the top of the bag so I wouldn't need to create tons of dust to for the test. The dust backed up into the bottom part of the cone and the DC shut off- just as it was supposed to. :eusa_danc:eusa_danc:eusa_danc:eusa_danc I removed the twist tie and let the dust fall into the lower bag. Without banging on the cyclone or wiping the inside of the sensor or light window I hit start and the cyclone started up. I repeated the test three times with the same results. :eusa_danc:eusa_danc:eusa_danc

Here is another view of the test setup. Also visible is the start/stop buttons mounted to a box that also contains the relay. If the system starts acting up all I need to do is unplug the power cord and the DC works like it used without the auto shut off.

Here is a pic of the DC running without the twist tie on the bag. In addition to pulling a big bunch of dust from the planer hose I also generated more dust with no false shut downs!!!!!

The only negative is that it is not immediately evident when the cyclone has shut down, especially when wearing hearing protection. I may also add a strobe alarm. Anyway, I'm a happy camper. Now I just need to clean the filters, hopefully for the last time :-D:-D:-D:-D

 

[DaveO]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm

Brilliant idea :eusa_clap :eusa_clap ...that's one to send into the magazines as a Top Tip :icon_thum


Dave

 

[NCPete]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm

great idea!

 

[cpowell]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

That's a good idea Alan. :icon_thum

We use photoeyes at work but I asure you they are nowhere near the 10 dollar range. That's a sensible solution. Let us know how well it works.

Chuck

 

[erasmussen]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

homemade photoeye system good deal:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[Travis Porter]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

I look forward to seeing how it works. Even with the cyclone in my shop, I recently overfilled it, and it was a ROYAL PITA to clean out the cartridge.

 

[Steve D]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

Please post details, I'm curious to see if the swirling dust will be enough to block the light and cause problems. If this works out, I'd love to do the same thing with my cyclone.

Great idea!

 

[sapwood]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

Looks like another winner Alan!
Keep sending this stuff into the magazines. I'm beginning to think the reason you don't receive their notice is because your tinkering is over their heads :lol:

Roger

 

[Bernhard]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

Alan,
That's a slick idea!! Very elegant solution!!
I think I am going to plagiarize this idea when I move my collector outside (I hope you don't mind?).
Cheers,
Bernhard

 

[toolferone]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

Wonderful idea Alan. The first thought that comes to mind is that by the time the eye shuts off the collector you will have a mess empting it as the drum will be overflowing to the level of the sensor. What if you installed it at the top of the drum? Make a quick connect mount so you can use different drums. My .02 cents worth. I look forward to the testing stage and your follow up report.

 

[Steve D]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

Wonderful idea Alan. The first thought that comes to mind is that by the time the eye shuts off the collector you will have a mess empting it as the drum will be overflowing to the level of the sensor. What if you installed it at the top of the drum? Make a quick connect mount so you can use different drums. My .02 cents worth. I look forward to the testing stage and your follow up report.

That's a nice tweak, it would also cut down on the abrasion from dust across the window in front of the light.

 

[jeff...]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

Brilliant :icon_thum

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

Wonderful idea Alan. The first thought that comes to mind is that by the time the eye shuts off the collector you will have a mess empting it as the drum will be overflowing to the level of the sensor. What if you installed it at the top of the drum? Make a quick connect mount so you can use different drums. My .02 cents worth. I look forward to the testing stage and your follow up report.

My cyclone is rigged in a push-though mode so I use bags, no drums. Anyway it worked like a champ!!!!! See my updates to the original post

 

[dino drosas]

I like that setup. Great idea. I just let mine overfill and it is a real PITA. Have you ever had a problem with the bag bursting or leaking being exposed the way it is?

Thanks, Dino

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

I like that setup. Great idea. I just let mine overfill and it is a real PITA. Have you ever had a problem with the bag bursting or leaking being exposed the way it is?

Thanks, Dino

Actually, the plastic bag I used in the tests had a small hole from mishandling that I had taped closed. I usually have the bag sitting in a trash barrel- protects the bag and makes it easier to remove it from the cyclone. The pressure on the bag is normally not bad when the filters are clean- I haven't cleaned the filters since the last overflow. :-D:-D

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

Wonderful idea Alan. The first thought that comes to mind is that by the time the eye shuts off the collector you will have a mess empting it as the drum will be overflowing to the level of the sensor. What if you installed it at the top of the drum? Make a quick connect mount so you can use different drums. My .02 cents worth. I look forward to the testing stage and your follow up report.

Tom- I figured out a way to use my overflow alarm system with standard pull-through cyclones that have dust barrels. I'll post details and sketches tomorrow. But I think all that would be needed, if one isn't there already, is first a short section of metal duct attached to the barrel top to provide a place to mount the electric eye and the light- flex would connect this section of duct to your cyclone. So the barrel won't overflow when you go to empty it, add a section of duct to the underside of the barrel lid also. That section would extend down a few inches. In operation, when the level of dust reaches the bottom of the duct that is inside the barrel, most of the dust would start filling up the pipe (up to the sensor) instead of continuing to fill the barrel. That would leave a few inches of open space at the top of the barrel that could hold the dust collecting in the duct after it falls out when you remove the top of the barrel to empty it. My brain was on a roll today! :-D:-D:-D:-D

 

[cpowell]

Re: Cyclone High Dust Alarm *w/pics*

Tom- I figured out a way to use my overflow alarm system with standard pull-through cyclones that have dust barrels. I'll post details and sketches tomorrow. But I think all that would be needed, if one isn't there already, is first a short section of metal duct attached to the barrel top to provide a place to mount the electric eye and the light- flex would connect this section of duct to your cyclone. So the barrel won't overflow when you go to empty it, add a section of duct to the underside of the barrel lid also. That section would extend down a few inches. In operation, when the level of dust reaches the bottom of the duct that is inside the barrel, most of the dust would start filling up the pipe (up to the sensor) instead of continuing to fill the barrel. That would leave a few inches of open space at the top of the barrel that could hold the dust collecting in the duct after it falls out when you remove the top of the barrel to empty it. My brain was on a roll today! :-D:-D:-D:-D

I believe a loud "BINGO" is in order. Don't you love it when the "AHA" light comes on?

Chuck

 

[Gofor]

or "Eureka!!" , which, by the way, is a town in NC (I know, 'cause its where I go to vote!)

Go

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

I started working on my shop office door and filled two more bags of dust/chips- the high dust alarm is still working like a champ!!!!!!

 

[Bill Pentz]

Thought I would drop by and add a little praise to Alan in Little Washington.

Way back when I learned that letting the dust bin on my cyclone get full packed my filters full of chips which were hard to get out. I went looking for a dust bin full sensor and found none, so came up with my own using a LED and photo sensor inside the dust bin. It worked great until the sensor got coated with a fine layer of dust from the static buildup. I tried moving it around and was still unhappy.

My Japanese friend Sugi, an electronics engineer, came to the rescue with a better working unit. He then flew over from Japan and spent a day visiting with me. His gift to me was his new Doppler sensor that he someday hopes to market when he retires. Meanwhile, I put his sensor design up on my web pages about a year ago. It works well, but does require a little bit of electrical skill. My friend who used his propane torch to solder with never did get his working.

Anyhow, I have since learned that Oneida Air Systems (OAS) and PSI now both sell bin full sensors. When I shared this on my web pages, I soon got a pretty unhappy email from a fellow who found he could buy an identical sensor from the maker, Dwyer Instruments for a third the cost. Still, putting out more than $100 for something you can make easily for under $20 in parts does not make good sense to me.

Attaboy Alan!