At Long Last -- My ClearVue Install Gets Underway

[McRabbet]

It has been seven months since I bought my ClearVue Cyclone and I am finally getting started on its installation. The delay, as many already have heard, is because of damage to my right shoulder and subsequent rotator cuff surgery and rehab. i've made the bin full sensor (following Alan in Little Washingtons original concept), but implemented it differently than he did. Here is the schematic for it:



I've also made some 6" ports for my Table Saw and jointer, shown here are 'How to" and "Complete"

I've have also prepped the place I will install the unit (I need to pour a 42" square pad) and will build a frame to support the cyclone and keep it isolated from any of the house structure for sound attenuation. Here are two SketchUp drawings of the unit in its frame and on the pad:





If you are curious about the nice rendition of the ClearVue, I downloaded a complete version from the SketchUp 3D Warehouse and modified it (I removed the transition and filters and rotated the blower housing and intake chute to meet my configuration). In later version, I'll try to include the nearby house foundation walls (the cyclone is being installed in a 9' high crawl space below my shop), the bin full sensor and ducting.

[Travis Porter]

Impressive, but I think I might put some bracing on the frame to prevent racking. JMTCW

[TBone]

Originally Posted by McRabbet

.......a 9' high crawl space below my shop.

HOLY COW! Now that's a crawl space that even I could crawl through.

[cpw]

Have fun with your upgrade!

[Alan in Little Washington]

It is about time!! Be careful, you don't want to re-injure your shoulder!. Call in the cavalry before you mount that sucker. Ya gonna make autogates?

9' crawl space?!?!?!?! I call that a basement- an unheard-of space out here in the east!

[sapwood]

Dang, Rob. The schematic even has shadows
You've waited seven months, so take your time and be wary of the shoulder.

Roger

[gdoebs]

I did the same 6" ports. They work great! I have picts of my install, I just need to find them and post 'em.

Good luck! And by all means get some help lifting the motor. I somehow did it by myself, climbing the ladder and placing the motor over my head and onto the bracket. I had to take it down and put it back up once. The second time I thought "how'd I do this the first time?" Then I got help.

[TracyP]

Rob, looks like you should be teaching the Sketchup class. Be careful with that arm, it would be bad to hurt it again so soon.

[McRabbet]

I made some progress on the installation this week -- got the blower mounted on the cyclone and spend several hours digging out and leveling the sloped dirt floor in my crawl space. Then I put in a 2 x 4 form made of full ground contact PT SYP, got it leveled and mixed seven 80-pound bags of Quikrete and poured the slab today. Not what I call lots of fun for a rotund old fart like me! But the hard part of that is done. I've also made the wall bracket and will use it upside down to gain as much height as possible. Where I am putting the unit, the motor itself will sit in between the 2 x 10 floor joists with the top of the motor bracket about 8'-6" above the slab. I'll get pictures posted later this week.

[Alan in Little Washington]

So who hauled and mixed the "seven 80-pound bags of Quikrete"? Not the man who is recovering from rotator cuff surgery?!?!?!?!!?!?!?

To mount the whole mess, I suggest mount everything to the structure illustrated in your first post in the horizontal position, then tilt everything upright as a complete unit. You could even use a come-along to pull it up. That is much easier than installing the bracket on the wall or a frame, then trying to lift and install the motor/blower,cyclone to the bracket.

FYI, though I haven't been doing much in my shop, the few time when I have been working with my machines, my full autogate system with DC start has worked superbly!! Sometimes I just activate one so I can marvel over it. Also, I will likely have a few extra current sensor switches if you want to set up so some of your machines so they start your DC.

[McRabbet]

Hmmm, I might be interested in those sensor switches -- I wanted to take a look at them at the picnic, but I got so wrapped up in chatting with everybody, I never got around to getting together with you about them. I have another auto gate configuration that I may consider -- it uses solenoids -- that appears in the latest issue of Woodwork.

I am planning to mount my unit on the back frame and raise it with a come-along as you suggest and then add the other frame components once it is in the air (I don't have enough free space between the slab and the overhead joists to raise the full frame as it would need another 10" in height to rotate through a diagonal). The motor will fit between the 2 x 12 floor joints perfectly and still have plenty of cooling space. I checked the pad today and it is ready for the next steps - I hope I'll be cutting framing lumber tomorrow.

And yep, I hauled 8 bags down from my garage by wheelbarrow (a full 2 story drop from my garage level) and back up 6-7 feet from the low entrance (nearly 12 feet below my basement) to the opposide of the crawl space, mixed it with a hoe and troweled it all out in about 3 hours). Shoulder was fine, but my backside was just above my ankles when I had to bring 1-1/2 bags back up the hill when done! A cool frosty one never tasted so good!

[Alan in Little Washington]

Originally Posted by McRabbet

Hmmm, I might be interested in those sensor switches -- I wanted to take a look at them at the picnic, but I got so wrapped up in chatting with everybody, I never got around to getting together with you about them. I have another auto gate configuration that I may consider -- it uses solenoids -- that appears in the latest issue of Woodwork.

The only problem with the current switches I have is that they are designed to switch DC and are only rated for a 120 mA load, so can't handle anything that draws much current. They operate my solenoid air valves which only draw 75 mA.