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This is a downdraft table I built using an old furnace motor/blower. Eventually, the side of the box where the motor is located is airtight from the other half. I drilled 640 1/4" holes on the downdraft side of the top surface. The sides of the box are made from 1/2" MDF, the top is particle board with melamine. Drilling 640 holes tested the ability of my DeWalt to recharge… It took a while to figure out how to drill the holes without chipping around the edges. The air is sucked through 2 filters, a cheap $1 pre-filter and then a more expensive HEPA filter. (both 20×25 and accessible behind the vertical strip on the front of cabinet) The temporary netting was installed to keep my dog from beheading herself on the blower blades. The downdraft doesn't seem to be as strong as I thought it would be, but when I sand small projects it does remove the dust. So far, so good. The table top is 4'x5.5'. Wind blowing out the bottom isn't a problem, probably because I keep my floor clean. If it was full of dust it would be another problem.

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Hey cool, perhaps on the bottom you could mount some sort of leaf blower bag or something inside to collect the dust! I like this idea… Is always cool when a guy can reuse old parts off something else to build something usefull again.

Thanks for posting!
 

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I love the name you put on it…............LOL

Great looking sucker. But why did you not use a pegboard on it instead of drilling all those holes?????
 

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I built a simmilar table a few years ago & was also disapointed with the airflow. I ended up hoging out the holes to 1/2". I also use a open waffle design non slip pad on top. I found the workpiece just started to rotate with the ROS--not to great a way to get the sanding done as easily as possible!
 

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Joe, that is a nice addition to your shop. I have been considering building one of these since sanding dust is one of the problems I have to deal with in my shop. This post has certainly given me some ideas.

Thanks for the post.
 

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I have the same thing but mine hangs from the ceiling and sucks air from 2 sides and blows out the front. I also use 2 filters on both sides, just cheapy though. change them weekly. Works excellent.
 

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Nice work! I hope it really sucks.
 

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Nice project. I bought the table from Delta that does the same thing but with a dust collector or large shop vac. I don't use it much because I have to take it out and set it up. Your project looks like it can be used for assembly and other tasks so it stays out all the time. Neat.
 

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I use a similar design for cleaning the air in the shop and also circulating the heat from my wood stove at the same time. Mine blows out the high side towards the wood stove. (Yes for those who will warn me, I'm aware of the very slim chance of a fire hazard with a wood stove in the shop.) Your idea stimulates the old brain. I wonder if I could have it dual purpose and just close off the air filter on the side with a plastic sheet when I'm sanding something on the top. I will have to work on that. As it is now I use the top to hold my bench grinder and Work Sharp sharpener.
 

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A real "sucker-upper"! I'm thinking I might be able to do something like that but on a smaller scale. I've got an old bathroom fan hanging around. Should work for smaller projects when I'm not making so much sawdust! Gotta love these guys who think "outside the box!" or in this case….inside.
 

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Not sure why the heck I didn't use peg board for the holes. I guess I was thinking I wanted something more stout. Typical, always over-building things. I could have used peg board and reinforced it from underneath. Besides having the downdraft table, I was really interested in having a large multi-purpose workbench.
 

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That table SUCKS!!!
Good job…..LOL
 

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LOVE IT
I've been thinking of a downdraft table for some time-as an alternative to having shopvac hose hanging off my sanders-BUT-I have a small shop and dreaded having to make room to store it when not in use.
Building a new workbench is on my list for the spring. Had THOUGHT about incorpoating downdraft into it.
Thanks for letting me know I am not TOO FAR off base.
 
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