Hello again,
Just finished my homemade shop air filter. I had to change my original plans, which were to hang it from the ceiling. That’s because I also wanted a washable filter, to keep down on the ongoing costs. So here was the final criteria: I needed a blower that would draw and push at least 800 CFm, a primary filter that would catch up to 5 microns, and a secondary filter that would catch 1 micron particles, and not be cost prohibitive. Plus – it had to be quiet.
So – I’m lucky – I’m in the real estate business, and have to regularly deal with HVAC people, plumbers, electricians, etc.
I put the word out to the HVAC people that I was looking for a take out blower and cage – in good working condition – hopefully with several speed selections. Lo an behold – one showed up not 8 days later – from a home that was being remodeled using in-floor radiant heat. Yipee – step one…
The 1 micron washable filter I found at Grizzly (http://www.grizzly.com/products/1-Micron-Washable-Secondary-Filter-G9956-/H2451 if you’re interested). I live at almost 9,000 feet – the air is already thin – so I really wanted good filtration. But this filter changed the configuration – it needed 18 inches to work. I wasn’t going to hang a coffin sized box from the ceiling, so I decided to build a roll around filter. Make it 1/4th less tall than my tablesaw, so it could double as an infeed table, and make it sturdy enough to put my future surface planer on. Kill 3 birds….
So I had to horizontally mount the blower. This would require some support for the side opposite the mounting holes.
So dowels with rubber tips seemed like a good candidate.
And I think I found a simple solution to dampen the motor vibration – I mounted it over some rubber hose:
So here is the blower configuration:
Now I needed intake holes:
and here’s a pic of the bottom – it should stay where I put it:
I didn’t want the exhaust too close to the intake, so I side mounted some floor registers. I’m also not glueing the back or top so I have future access to the guts if maintenance is needed.
So here is the semi-final assembly:
and from the back:
And after a coat or 2 of paint (Grizzly colored of course – lol), here it is finished:
It’s very very quiet, and rolls around easy (I put a big handle in back…). I just finished using it as an infeed table for my TS (I’m ripping out the parts to finish Norm’s workshop Hutch…). The primary filter is already showing signs of dust, after only about 15 minutes of operation.
I think my lungs are gonna thank me! And thanks to you for reading!
-- James - I don't like jogging - the ice pops out of my glass...
11 comments so far
Will Stokes
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254 posts in 1521 days
#1 posted 754 days ago
Nicely done! I could use one of these.
dbhost
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4748 posts in 1398 days
#2 posted 754 days ago
Very interesting design. Most of them I have seen are straight through pull arrangments, first time I have seen the box stacked like this.
-- Manufacturer of fine quality sawdust since 1984. Comments and advice on my shop welcome. Check it out at http://lumberjocks.com/dbhost/workshop. Gladly accepting shop build donations!
JWags
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45 posts in 828 days
#3 posted 754 days ago
Thanks Will -
dbhost – This desgin was an attempt to make the best use of space in my very small shop. If I can make something that has dual or triple use or purpose – all the better. Thanks!
-- James - I don't like jogging - the ice pops out of my glass...
Grandpa
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2380 posts in 842 days
#4 posted 754 days ago
Great job. This looks really good! IS the blower working okay positioned like this? I thought someone was having a problem with noise the other day day and another writer said to turn the blower where the shaft was horizontal. This looks good and if it works that is even better. Thanks for posting. Does it draw in the smell of those pine needles?????
JWags
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45 posts in 828 days
#5 posted 754 days ago
Grampa – LOL
It WILL suck in pine smell – as soon as it’s warm enough to open the window!
The blower seems to work fine in this position. NO vibration or any nosie (rubbing etc.). I do think mounting on rubber helped a lot.
Thanks for the kind words…
-- James - I don't like jogging - the ice pops out of my glass...
Grandpa
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2380 posts in 842 days
#6 posted 753 days ago
Thanks for the post and thanks for the information. I was curious about the mounting and the noise if there was any. This is great. We have been in the lower 90’s a few times this year already (SW Oklahoma). I smell pine needles everytime I ready your blog and look out your shop window.
DIYaholic
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7277 posts in 841 days
#7 posted 753 days ago
My shop air cleaner is currently being designed in SketchUp (I need the practice). I’m planning a dual purpose design. 1) Run of the mill air cleaner. 2) Fresh air blower for Paint/Finishing room. I will be building a plastic tent/room within a room. I will have an attachment for the clean air exhaust that will provide positive pressure into the “plastic tent”. The benefits will be two fold; 1)isolating the motor from combustible fumes and 2) prevent dust from contaminating the finish.
After seeing your dual purpose cleaner, I may make mine a tri-purpose machine by making it either an infeed/outfeed table or a stand for planer/bench tools.
Thanks for posting your air cleaner, it has given me food for thought regarding the design of mine.
-- Randy-- I may not be good...but I am slow!
gfadvm
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6611 posts in 856 days
#8 posted 753 days ago
What a great build! It looks like it was purchased from Grizzly! I love the multipurpose idea. Im probably going to steal this idea.Thanks for posting it.
-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm
bigike
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4023 posts in 1455 days
#9 posted 753 days ago
great job.
-- Ike, Big Daddies Woodshop, http://www.icombadaniels@yahoo.com
JWags
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45 posts in 828 days
#10 posted 753 days ago
Thanks again eeryone for the comments!
Randy – I’d love to see your Sketchup about this. I really hafta learn that system.
gfadm – Steal away – I’d like it if you posted yours – especially if you improved it.
-- James - I don't like jogging - the ice pops out of my glass...
patron
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12050 posts in 1507 days
#11 posted 753 days ago
great work there james
i too wanted to build my own
but couldn’t find a fan for it
so i bought a HF unit and winged it
http://lumberjocks.com/patron/blog/22831
here are custom (and standard) filters i did find
here is electrostatic air filters
hose wash
last a lifetime
1 to 3 micron filtering
buy once
last forever
http://www.air-filter-exchange.org/Maximum-Allergy-Relief-1-Electrostatic-Filters-Std-Sizes-Afe-1.aspx
-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle
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