Poor Mans Air Circulation System

Hey, anything is better than nothing and I have seen this work out. Fans are cheap enough to replace too.

-- Cathy Krumrei

hey, did the same here but using a bathroom fan. Little smaller but it circulates the air and traps those fine particles that are floating around…and it works because I can already see some dust collecting on the filter…I added a variable speed switch so I can put it on high if I’m making “a lot of sawdust!”

-- George..." I love the smell of a workshop in the morning!"

Yes it is better than nothing.
Great “budget” project to keep your shop air clean and finally your lung dust-free.

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

Saw Alton Brown (Food Channel) do something like this to dry herbs. Instead of the duct tape, he used those inexpensive bungy cords wrapped around the filter/fan to hold things in place. He probably never watched Red Green.

Prez, not a bad idea with the bath fan. I have a box fan that I made some sheet metal channel for a washable furnace filter to slide into the intake side of the fan. It doesn’t work too bad, but it does drag down the rpm of the fan quite a bit it seems. I do like it though because it’s very portable, and I can set it next to whatever it is I’m sanding. I also have a Delta 50-875 air filtration machine hanging from the cieling, and currently I’m working on building a furnace blower air filtration machine.

Still WAY better than nothing. As long as you don’t take the one from the discharge side and put on the intake side to save on the cleaning . . .

I don’t believe that there needs to be an exhaust filter, it doesn’t really acomplish much other than drag the rpm of the motor down even lower and putting more strain on it. Also I think I would change the wood cieling brackets so the fan slid into it like a drawer.

I was considering doing this myself. I have already been using one on the floor, but I like the idea of having it hanging and pointing upwards.

~DB

-- He said wood...http://hickbyassociation.blogspot.com/

I did the exact same thing, but I didn’t put a filter on both sides, just the intake side. I might put one on the other side for even more filtering. Mine seems to get a pretty good amount of dust, but I like your idea of how you mounted it, I might do that myself. It actually looks like we both used the exact same fan, the handle and knob are the same as the fan I used. For now I’m using a really cheap 30 day filter. When it gets filled up, I just take the vacuum to it and suck all the dust out of it, then I can keep using it.

-- Tyler, Illinois

I also used this kind of setup until I got a JDS unit used off Craigslist, and it helped keep the fine dust down a lot. I agree on the outfeed filter; it’s not improving your dust capture much if at all, and is probably reducing your air flow a lot, which is more important for overall dust collection. Nice mounting setup!

Hey if it works don’t knock it. Anything is better than NOTHING.

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

I don’t think anyones knocking it, just adding more ideas to think about.

I’ll bite on any “poor man’s” project these days.

-- Matt, Minneapolis, www.treverkdesign.com

Thanks for all the comments and advice. I like the idea of having one so I can place it beside whatever I am cutting. I hadn’t thunked about the output filter reucing airflow, Imean I understand it but just didn’t cross my mind. I’ll remove it so that will save me the cost of an airfilter.

Hmmmm, bungee cords… I like that as well and I can get some at the Dollar Store.

Luv’n it!!!

-- Pie

The poor man’s projects like these are the kinds of things keep that hard-earned money in our pockets. Keep posting them!

While this is working for you now, you can still keep an eye out and check with your local HVAC shops and you can often get a squirrel cage blower for cheap or free. Nothing better than upgrading from one poor man’s project to a better, more powerful poor man’s project. :)

-- Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur

I did the same thing, and noticed that it doesnt suck much air in, the exhaust filter was blocking the fan from moving the air in->out. once I removed the exhaust fan, and only kept the intake fan in there was a huge difference in performance. not close to a pro-air-cleaner, but better than nothing for the time being.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

I will keep my eyes open for a squirrel cage blower and wll remove the top filter. Thanks guys and gals, luv this site.

-- Pie

I read in one of the woodworking Mags that the low tech fan with a filter out preformed all the air filter systems for picking up dust and exchanging air in a shop. I have used it for many years when I sand just for picking up sanding dust and it always worked great. a couple of years ago I hung two from the ceiling of my old shop to move the air in a circular pattern, man was I surprised how much dust they picked up, I finally change to filters I could clean with a prefilter and cleaned them every week. when I get my next shop it is the same system I plan on using instead of spending all that money on a factory made unit.

-- Joey~~Sabina, Ohio http://sleepydogwoodworking.blogspot.com/

I find it rather hard to believe that the low tech fan with a filter out preformed all the air filter systems for picking up dust and exchanging air in a shop. The factory made units have 3 filters, one is a bag type. and I think they move more air than a box fan does.

I went back and read the article again, and I was wrong the Box Fan was the top valued tool, The information is in Wood Magazine Oct, 2006 Page 70, While not at the top of the list it preforms with in standards, and at $20 instead of $300 I’ll use a couple and deal with any short falls the system has. I have been using mine for a while and they work fine for me. Sorry for any misinformation.

Joey

-- Joey~~Sabina, Ohio http://sleepydogwoodworking.blogspot.com/

I also used this type of dust collecting system before I got a more expensive type. I still use it occasionally and it works quite well. As I learned early on, be sure you have the fan turned in the proper direction so you get a collection and not a dispersion.

-- Mark

nice. what type of filter works best in this setup?

one of your many fans

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Ha-ha one of my fans….anyways the type of filter really depends on how much $$$ you want to spend, also since you are trapping small particles (the dust) you need one that is rated to do just that. I am not a filter expert, but those 2 factors I use mostly.

I removed the top filter because it was restricting the amount of air being pulled though the filter. This is another very important factor, the ability of your fan/filter to pull lots of air through it.

-- Pie

Thank you for this idea Pie. I love how this site. Gives me good simple ideas for my shop. Your idea is a Atta Boy AAAAA+++++. Save us lots of money. Basic idea of this works I bet real well. i have a Delta 1200 CFM dust collector when when using my routers. Shop air fills with dust. So tonight I will be building one of these after a trip to Home Depot or Lowes hehehe. thanks for the great simple idea.

Mark

-- Mark, Katy, Texas, Did they give Noah a hardtime about the wood boat in his driveway

Glad you find it useful. I have mine wired up so when I turn on my lshop light switch, my fan comes on as well. I found a moth stuck to the filter so I guess it is working well. Let me know how it works for you.

-- Pie

Excellent!!

Just a few quick points.

This setup does work, and it’s probably even a little better than “better than nothing.”

The current fan we see is mostly based (there may be others) on the Lasko retailing 14.99 at the nationals. Heaven knows how many have made and sold even within the last year.

The box fan has long been used for cooling and customizing like this. The square design and very low cost invites inspiration.

One or more LumberJocks have posted beautiful custom filter/dust projects with this fan and double-window fans. Check them out.
(Yes, it can be a problem here on LJ that once a beautiful project makes its visible appearance for a day, a week, it falls off the map if you did not happen to visit LJ during that time period. You have look daily and mark stuff you like in your favorites.)

The cheap 30-day filters are not cheap cheapos, they are good filters that simply have to changed every 30 days.