# How about a home made air cleaner.



## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

While on vacation this past summer in Frankfort, MI. (Salmon fishing) , I stopped to rummage through an old rummage store thats been there for years, I've found everything there from chuncks of ebony to old venting runs, and blower motors for furnaces. I had seen a plan for an air circulator in a magazine that I can't give credit to.(forgotten) Needless to say it's not my idea. Anyway, on one end of my shop, I built a box that held two air filters on the bottom out of the tin I'd gotten up north and ran the vent to the other end of the shop making it as air tight as I could. At the other end I built an air tight box out of wood for the furnace blower motor, and put a vent so the clean air could be blown out, I had a hanging heater/light that hangs just above the exhaust vent. I have to change the filters weekly so I know its working pretty good. Not only am I getting clean a circulated it is blown by a heater. Total investment maybe 50.00-100.00 dollars and I think thats on the high end. Mike or jockmike2


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## Obi (Oct 19, 2006)

I saw this link online the other day for a home made dust collection

So post some pictures


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

Thats the problem Mike, it's been so long ago, like last summer, and I got the plan out of a magazine. I'll see if I can find something on google. mike


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

I started with a scrubber made from a plywood box with 2 furnace filters in the bottom. My son helped do most of it. Made it as airtight as possible. Then ran ducwork from there to the other end of the shop where we had built a box for the furnace blower, with a vent shooting the air downward. Again we made this box as air tight as possible. Ran a cord to an electrical box and cranked it up. It works great, I know because I have to change the filters weekly. It was super easy to make I bought all the stuff used and cheap, I think I paid 5 dolllars for the furnace blower motor at a yard sale. Like I said I got the ducwork at that old store up north and just made it fit together using aluminum flashing, silicone and ductape. It probably cost me 50-70 dollars or less. Mike


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## bbrooks (Jan 3, 2007)

I have seen a very simple dust collector in a few magazines lately. They take a regular box fan and tape a furnace filter on the back. Then turn of the fan, it circulates the are and cleans it at the same time. Not as effective as yours sounds, but it does work.


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

Anything Bill to lesson the dust we breath. I had about 20 years in a foundry before it cosed in 86. So I don't need to breath any more crap. MIke


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

The first image is the filter box I made on one end of the shop. Then I ran the ductwork to the other end of the shop where I put up the blower motor.



This second shot is a pic of the blower.



Mike.


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## bbrooks (Jan 3, 2007)

I agree, anything to keep out the dust. I have asthma, so I wear a dust mask whenever I am in the shop. It helps, especially on those sanding days.

Now I just need to set up the dust collector and maybe make a downdraft table.


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## oscorner (Aug 7, 2006)

Looks good! I've used the box fan with that A/C filter on it and if placed close enough it will collect a lot of dust. I wear a dust mask with charcoal filter when finishing and sanding and my dust collector when using my bandsaw, tablesaw, jointer and planer. Thanks for sharing your story and pics of your dust filter.


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## Obi (Oct 19, 2006)

I liek Tater's Home Made Air Cleaner here


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## bbrooks (Jan 3, 2007)

Both look like they will work in the shop.


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## HickoryHill (Jan 18, 2007)

Thanks for the link there Obi. Only thing I would change is the height on mine, to accommodate 12×24 filters and what not that PennInd, Etc carry.


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## bbrooks (Jan 3, 2007)

A good point. Building the air cleaner to use standard filters would be a good idea.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

I just seen this air cleaner plans from American Woodworker


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## bbrooks (Jan 3, 2007)

Thanks for the article Dick.

I think that a home made air cleaner is a good alternative to the manufactured air cleaners. The home made cleaner can be easy to clean, use easily replaceable filters, and made to fit your needs. Not to mention, it gives you more practice on your woodworking skills (for the boxes and such.


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## oscorner (Aug 7, 2006)

That's a pretty good article, thanks, Dick. I need to build one.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

I already have a Jet, But I could have built one with nice plans like this.


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## bbrooks (Jan 3, 2007)

Probably nothing wrong with building another. Then you would have cleaner air.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

I have an electrostatic filter on my furnace that picks up a lot of dust. Then I'd have three!


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

You know Dick, I saw that scrubber in American Woodworker. Except for the electrostatic filter and that 3 part bag inside the blower box, that is basiclly what I built. I jut ran duct work to the other end of the shop under my lathe. Say did'nt you make some kind of shield for your lathe to keep the wood chips from falling on the floor? Would you give me a gander or tell me where it is . Bye the bye those were some slick pics you posted, I love that country. Looks pretty much like northern Mich., but with more lakes. mike


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## Obi (Oct 19, 2006)

The greatest thing about building your own filter, is you go and check out the filters that are most redily available to you from HD and then build the unit around that. That way you dont have to get specialized hard-to-find filters from the manufacturer.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

Hi Mike
Where abouts are you located ? My Dad was from Ishpeming. You can see my contraption here.
it doesn't pick up all the chips, but it eliminates all of the fine dust, especially when sanding, & that's the main thing. I use my shop vac for cleanup.


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## OldMike (Mar 4, 2007)

Hi, new guy here.

I built This downdraft/air cleaner a few years ago.

%

It'll completely clean my 500SF shop in about ten minutes regardless how much dust is in the air.


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## bbrooks (Jan 3, 2007)

I like that table Mike. How about more specs on the blower, filter, etc. I have been wanting to make a downdraft table to keep my sanding dust down. If it doubles as an air cleaner, then great!


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

Nice setup Mike


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

Yea, I'd enjoy seeing how you made it too, mike. Jockmike


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

We're getting an awful lot of *"Mikes"* around here ! LOL


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

If I were going to change my name I'd have changed my last name when I was a kid. It would have kept me out of a lot of fights. By the way Dick, if you read my profile it'll tell you exactly where I live and my bio. Just updated it. mike. have you looked at www. woodworkersworkshop.com/twc/ for a secretary desk..


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## Cooler (Feb 3, 2016)

I made an air cleaner (not a dust collector) by using two bungee cords to mount a 20" x 20" furnace filter to a 20" x 20" box fan. It works very well. Took about 5 minutes to assemble. I already had the box fan; I only needed a furnace filter. They run from $2.00 each to $20.00 depending upon the micron levels they filter.


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