200 – Installing a Clear Vue CV1800 Cyclone

Video - May 2, 2013

One of the most important safety upgrades you can make for your shop is good quality dust collection. If you run a bunch of power tools, it’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of a ducted cyclone system. When I first moved into the new shop, the folks from Clear Vue came down to help me install a new CV1800 cyclone. This 5HP powerhouse features a Leeson motor and a dual stack of Wynn filters.

Because Clear Vue cyclones require some assembly, I thought it would be interesting to show you exactly what’s involved when after the unit arrives at your doorstep.

The cyclone can be installed by one person if required. I know, because I have done it three times. But if you can get help, I highly recommend it. While the cyclone body and blower housing are very light, the motor is incredibly heavy. Lifting the motor overhead onto the wall-mount brackets will test your strength. So I recommend getting some help. Everything else is a simple matter of tightening some bolts, drilling a few screws, and caulking the seams.

For full disclosure, Clear Vue is a sponsor of the show. But if you’ve been following The Wood Whisperer for a while, you know that I’ve been running a Clear Vue cyclone since before The Wood Whisperer ever existed and it’s a product I truly believe in.

And just so you know, Clear Vue is one of the companies that typically offers a discount to subscribing Guild members. On a big ticket item like this, that can make a huge difference! So if you’re interested, Join the Guild today or contact us to inquire about the current discount offer.

Products Used

Clear Vue CV1800

Discussion

Alan Bienlein May 2, 2013 11:05 am

I’ve been waiting for this for a while. I’m glad it dispels all the rumors about it being a kit and that it takes along time to assemble. The big advantage of the Clearview as far as assembly goes is that you don’t need a crane to lift it into place. Can’t wait to see thew duct work video.

Reply
John Pinto May 2, 2013 12:09 pm

Marc, in general, how often do the filters need to be replaced?

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo May 2, 2013 1:03 pm
  
  I’ll let you know when it happens. In the old shop, I vented outside and I may very well do that again in the new shop. So I never used them long enough to have any practical data on that. But at this quality level, I imagine they will last a very long time.
  
  Reply
Neil May 2, 2013 12:50 pm

One thing I’ve been curious of ever since first seeing your installation is why the use of Nordfab ductwork over PVC. Clearvue’s duct design (http://www.clearvuecyclones.co.....uct-design) page makes it clear that they exclusively recommend PVC over other ducting materials. Maybe you’ll cover this in the next video?

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo May 2, 2013 1:02 pm
  
  Yes I will. When you see how easy it is to install, you’ll know why. :)
  
  Reply
MattR May 2, 2013 1:00 pm

I have the clearvue 1800 max it has been in operation for quote a few years and it has allways worked great. The Clearvue site has a section with owners install pics I have mine there under shed install.

Reply
Adam Muhle May 2, 2013 1:44 pm

Healthier lungs AND you get to watch the dust swirl around! It’s a win-win. :-)

Reply
Levi Rathje May 2, 2013 2:38 pm

Congrats on video 200! Thanks for sharing the knowledge and your experiances.

Reply
MarkMDbuildUK May 3, 2013 2:32 am

Hi Marc

Firstly thanks for all the great info, advice and general all round entertainment you have provided us since we started watching about a year ago, your website and business has been a great inspiration, especially as we run a small husband & wife joinery company here in the UK (www.mdbuild.co.uk). Congratulations on your 200th video too :)

We are currently in the stage of opening a workshop, and the dust removal methods you have set up are first class, cutting dust at the source is defiantly the way forward :)

On a separate note, id be really interested for your thoughts on router tables. For a shop that would be using a router table on a daily basis, what router table would you recommend, either a purchased one or a ‘make your own’ one? I notice you use the Festool one quite a bit in your videos, but do you use the same one on larger projects, i also like the one David Marks made which had the torsion box top.

Any views you have would be greatly appreciated :)

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo May 3, 2013 7:47 am
  
  Sounds like you are interested in a larger work surface? If that’s the case, your only choice is to go custom, or possibly use a shaper instead. But there’s nothing wrong with a custom solution. But I would recommend getting yourself a good quality router lift to go in there. I’m a big fan of Jessem’s products, but Woodpecker, Kreg, and Incra all make great router accessories.
  
  Reply
  - MarkMDbuildUK May 3, 2013 1:19 pm
    
    Hi Marc , thanks for the response, looks like a spindle moulder/ shaper may be more suitable.
    
    I posted this question on your forum, and what a response i got. Ive never joined a woodworking forum before, and it’s good to see us woodworkers are such a friendly bunch, always willing to give advice and share experiences on products and techniques.
    
    It’s funny though, I needed to join a forum ran in America to talk to fellow woodworkers in the UK :)
    
    Reply
- CalgaryGeoff May 3, 2013 12:46 pm
  
  Hi for a stand alone router table for daily use I’d suggest a Jessem phenolic surface, custom build metal stand to support the top and router lift with 1 1/2″ square tubbing, as custom built and welded stand will be much supirior to any bolt together product. Equip the router lift with a large 3.5 hp porter cable router. Its product number is 7518. Then of course use 1/2″ diameter bits as much as possible. Setup two separate dust ports on the table, one on top of the table and one on the underside. Your clearvue cyclone will manage that setup easily. :-) hey I just described my system. Anyway it works very well, it’s a bit pricey but it is worth every dollar. I’d never go with anything less than that for a daily use router in a light to medium duty commercial operation. If you like a picture let me know.
  
  Cheers
  
  Reply
Michael Corwin May 3, 2013 10:36 am

Hey guys – I’m actually in the process of installing a Clear Vue CV 1800 and Nordfab ducting and had a general question in regards to the operation. Right now I have a 1.5 hp dust collector hooked up to my tablesaw and everytime I turn the saw on, I turn the dust collector on. Sometimes I’m turning the saw and dust collector on 10 times or so in a 10-20 minute period. I read (or heard) that frequent start/stopping of a bigger unit’s motor (like the Clear Vue) is not good on the life of the motor and wanted to know if this is just snake oil or if I should actually limit the amount I’m turning on the dust collector. What do you guys who have a Clear Vue unit do in typical operation? Much thanks!

Reply
- Paul Gelburd October 10, 2021 5:40 pm
  
  Yes, the ClearVue 5 hp motor will burn out with frequent starts and stops. I’m just a novice garage woodworker. I didn’t know about the start-stop issue ( no warnings in the manual that came with my unit). Just burned out my 4 year old motor. ClearVue will sell me a refurbished motor for $300 (incl. shipping). Their Tech Staff is saying leave the unit running for at least 15 minutes after each start. I’ve loved my unit up until the blown motor.
  
  Reply
CalgaryGeoff May 3, 2013 11:15 am

Hi Marc,

I’m commenting on the clearvue CV1800 cyclone dust collector. I was fortunate in two ways when I purchased my CV1800. First I was able to afford one and secondly it was my first dust collector, lucky, I don’t need to upgrade, just finish the piping installation.

I was able to install and build mine with my 12 year old son. It was a good bonding time and learning. I am certainly impressed with my cyclone and would recommend suggest this dust collector to anyone without one. This unit does what it says and more. I use it on a 8″, 3 hp jointer, 5″ double barrel drum sander, 15″, 3 hp planer, etc, etc. The cyclone is more than able to handle all these machines singly and sometimes two at a time. WOW! If you don’t have one get one.

The single most important thing I found was the minimum suggested ceiling/roof height is 96″ (96 inches). If you don’t have the height it will require modifications to fit. Just my discovery after I bought it, I found that little piece of info. I had 96 3/4″ just fit. Built a closet to enclose the entire system and insulated it so sound is not a issue at all, ambient noise is louder than the cyclone running.

Cheers,

Reply
CalgaryGeoff May 3, 2013 11:31 am

The clearvue cv1800 5 hp lesson motor is a continuous duty motor. I’ve been using mine for two year now and have run it for 6 hours or more at a time as well as off and on operation. As of yet no problems with heat or overloading, never tripped a circuit breaker either. I’d say the motor is rock solid.

Filter replacement I’ve never done one yet. I have over filled my dust bin 5 or 6 times and the filters too due to that and ran it filled and buggered up for a few days during heavy use. Oh, the joys of hired help. So filters are still good. I just knocked the exterior and used compressed air and a brush to clean the interior. I learned a lot from over filling the bin and plugging the filters. Anyway they still work great and I no longer over fill the bin.

I have a light switch on the wall to turn my cyclone on and off. For me that works great.

Cheers

Reply
Dave Stanton May 4, 2013 3:05 am

If you can, venting outside the shop is definitely the way to go. I have just vented my shop vac high pressure system outside and the difference to air quality is astounding. I do spin the dust through a cyclone first. I am about to vent me 2 horse dust extractor outside as well after I run it through a mechanical separation of some sort.

Reply
roger May 4, 2013 8:26 am

Fantastic. I sure wish Santa would bring me one o these for Christmas, or, just because I have been so good.

Reply
Jay May 4, 2013 12:17 pm

Pls consider doing a little more on dust collection. Perhaps to include more on how to lay it out.

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo May 4, 2013 4:35 pm
  
  Stay tuned for the next video.
  
  Reply
Chet May 9, 2013 8:34 am

Marc,

This is one of the best free videos you’ve done, in my opinion. Which is to say they are all awesome and this one is particularly awesome. I put up my clearvue alone and really had no trouble at all. It took me less than 2 hours.

Plumbing, on the other hand, well that was another story. That took me a full weekend of work. Even with what I thought was a very well thought out plan I still tweaked my plumbing a bunch as I went along.

Anyway, the video’s awesome, you’re awesome, the clearvue is awesome,… I guess, life is awesome. Thanks for the video.

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo May 9, 2013 9:00 am
  
  AWESOME!!! :) Thanks for the kind words my friend.
  
  Reply
Mike Barrow April 5, 2014 9:37 am

Marc,

It has been a while since your CV1800 and Nordfab ducting install. Anything you would do differently? Are you still happy with the CV Cyclone and ducting? An update would be great. Thanks!

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo April 7, 2014 10:57 am
  
  Hey Mike. Only thing I’d do different today is to vent the unit outside through the wall. But that wasn’t a move I was ready to make at the time of installation and one that I can do now if I want to. As for everything else, I’m very happy with the materials, setup, and performance.
  
  Reply
  - Peter Boyes July 23, 2015 7:22 am
    
    Marc- with venting outside, are you concerned with losing conditioned air with it? Seems like an awful lot of air being pumped out, especially in your Arizona summer!
    
    Reply
    - Marc Spagnuolo July 23, 2015 8:23 am
      
      Oddly enough, it’s never been a huge problem for me. I’m sure the AC has to work a little hard to keep up on longer run times but I never really noticed a drop in temperature. The other thing to keep in mind is I don’t keep the shop as cool as my house. I keep it cool enough so that I’m not sweating all over the place. So when I’m working, getting dusty and just being in the moment of woodworking, I probably wouldn’t notice a couple degree difference as some of the cool air is lost.
Mike Gilbert October 23, 2015 10:03 am

Marc,
i was wondering where you got your collector bin from? the clearvue website does not seem to sell them.(maybe i just missed it) Also on their website it looks like the system is designed to have a 28″ tall collector bin resulting in the filter cleanout box sitting on the floor. in your video your filter box is a few feet off the floor which would make your collector bin like 4 feet tall. What am i missing?

Reply
Jeremy Gtz January 22, 2016 8:33 pm

Marc,
I am currently shopping for a dust collector and am curious as to how loud this particular unit is. If you could point me to a video that displays this or just give me some kind of idea..
Thanks Alot! PS love the videos!

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo January 23, 2016 8:56 am
  
  I don’t have anything to reference but I can tell you it’s VERY loud. Most cyclones are. I wouldn’t recommend using them without ear protection.
  
  Reply
Scott Thomas May 31, 2016 8:55 am

I’m curious about the custom transition from the cyclone to the Nordfab duct connection. Did Nordfab make this piece, or Clear Vue, or a local metal fabricator?

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo May 31, 2016 11:36 am
  
  ClearVue had it made for me but I think the Nordfab people created it.
  
  Reply
Ken C. July 7, 2016 10:47 am

As an Engineer, I would never recommend PVC or any non-conductive static producing material for ducts. Metal duct work is a must. No ifs, and or buts. Safety is first.

Reply
- David DeWitt January 16, 2022 6:42 pm
  
  You might take the time to read this article by Rob Cole, PhD, MIT Lincoln Lab researcher who throughly explores the myth about the dangers of using PVC for duct work. https://www.woodcentral.com/ar....._221.shtml
  
  Reply
Ehsan Barekati November 30, 2020 9:58 pm

Hi Marc, Thank you so much for the perfect contect that you produce! I got a question. Now that you have used both Clear Vue (not HEPA filter), and Oneida (HEPA filter), have you noticed any difference in the air quality in your shop? How would you compare the filters?

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo December 1, 2020 8:58 am
  
  Both systems worked really well. It’s impossible for me to really test and quantify how well each unit works with the only difference being one filter is rated to .5 microns and the other .3 microns. In the end, I always operate under the assumption that my cyclone isn’t an air cleaner. I use a respirator to protect myself and air cleaners to clean the air for the times the respirator is off.
  
  Reply

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

200 – Installing a Clear Vue CV1800 Cyclone

Products Used

Advertisers