>I have an old box fan, central air conditioning filters, and some MDF lying
>around. I can make my own air filter!
>
>Is this a bad idea for some reason? It seems like $150-500 is a lot to spend
>for one since I'm only a weekend warrior. I know its my health, but...!
It's a good idea. A better one is use the fan elsewhere, go down to your local
HVAC store and ask them if you can scrounge a squrril cage fan out of an old
furnance they are throwing away. Build a box around that with your MDF with
the filters on the intake end (get some pleated furnance filters) and you will
havea far better unit than a box fan with AC filters.
Dave Hall
On 06 Jan 2004 03:58:24 GMT, [email protected] (David Hall) wrote:
>>I have an old box fan, central air conditioning filters, and some MDF lying
>>around. I can make my own air filter!
>>
>>Is this a bad idea for some reason? It seems like $150-500 is a lot to spend
>>for one since I'm only a weekend warrior. I know its my health, but...!
>
>It's a good idea. A better one is use the fan elsewhere, go down to your local
>HVAC store and ask them if you can scrounge a squrril cage fan out of an old
>furnance they are throwing away. Build a box around that with your MDF with
>the filters on the intake end (get some pleated furnance filters) and you will
>havea far better unit than a box fan with AC filters.
>
>Dave Hall
I agree, Dave.
Here's site with info including fan size info..
http://www.ronan.net/~woodwork/airfilter.htm
Do any of you know of a website that illustrates making one of these?
I'm having a hard time visualizing them just from your descriptions.
GrayFox <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > "Subw00er" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > I have an old box fan, central air conditioning filters, and some MDF
> lying
> > > around. I can make my own air filter!
> > >
> > > Is this a bad idea for some reason? It seems like $150-500 is a lot to
> spend
> > > for one since I'm only a weekend warrior. I know its my health, but...!
> >
> > Good idea. For maximum dust extraction use fine filters. Check out the
> > specs on the commercial units and buy the same type.
> > Ed
> >
> >
>
> Several years ago one of the magazines had the plans for a squirrel cage
> filter and an outfeed table combo. I built it and it has worked really
> well for me. The top of the box you build for the blower and filter,
> etc, acts as an outfeed table for my tablesaw. The base is on casters.
The box fan does not have enough oomph! Go with a decent squirrel cage fan.
You can buy rolled filter paper from McMaster Carr that will work well for
the filter media.
--
Rumpty
Radial Arm Saw Forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/woodbutcher/start
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Subw00er" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have an old box fan, central air conditioning filters, and some MDF
lying
> around. I can make my own air filter!
>
> Is this a bad idea for some reason? It seems like $150-500 is a lot to
spend
> for one since I'm only a weekend warrior. I know its my health, but...!
"Subw00er" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have an old box fan, central air conditioning filters, and some MDF
lying
> around. I can make my own air filter!
>
> Is this a bad idea for some reason? It seems like $150-500 is a lot to
spend
> for one since I'm only a weekend warrior. I know its my health, but...!
>
>
Lots of folks do it. I plan on being one of the when I get around to it.
Go for it, what's the worst that could happen?
Frank
I have an old squirrel cage fan and have been planning on making exactly
what you describe. A couple of furnace filters on the intake should do the
trick.
"David Hall" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >I have an old box fan, central air conditioning filters, and some MDF
lying
> >around. I can make my own air filter!
> >
> >Is this a bad idea for some reason? It seems like $150-500 is a lot to
spend
> >for one since I'm only a weekend warrior. I know its my health, but...!
>
> It's a good idea. A better one is use the fan elsewhere, go down to your
local
> HVAC store and ask them if you can scrounge a squrril cage fan out of an
old
> furnance they are throwing away. Build a box around that with your MDF
with
> the filters on the intake end (get some pleated furnance filters) and you
will
> havea far better unit than a box fan with AC filters.
>
> Dave Hall
Woodsmith magazine had a shop filter project in an issue from the mid '90s.
Basically it is a plywood box containing a squirrel cage fan with two
furnace filers at the front and a single furnace filter at the other end.
It's made to hang from the ceiling. It works quite well.
"Subw00er" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have an old box fan, central air conditioning filters, and some MDF
lying
> around. I can make my own air filter!
>
> Is this a bad idea for some reason? It seems like $150-500 is a lot to
spend
> for one since I'm only a weekend warrior. I know its my health, but...!
>
>
[email protected] (Jay Chan) wrote in
<[email protected]>:
>I built an air cleaner before. My comments from that experience are:
>
>- If you need to buy a new squrril cage fan to construct an air
>cleaner, you probably better off buying an air cleaner instead of
>building it because the new squrril cage fan will eat up all the money
>saving from building an air cleaner. Therefore, this is important to
>get a free or very low cost squrril cage fan instead of buying it.
>Otherwise, this project won't make any economic sense.
>
>- If you want to cut down the noise coming from the air cleaner, you
>may want to use heavy and bulky material to construct the air cleaner,
>such as MDF. This will make the air cleaner very heavy. And you may
>not want to hang that heavy object over your head. This means you may
>need to put it on bench top or on the floor.
>
>- If you are going to put it on bench top or on the floor, you may
>find that it will take up your valuable shop space. This is especially
>a problem if the workshop is small. In this case, you may want to
>convert it into a multiple-functions unit instead of just doing air
>cleaning in order to get the most use of the same space. You may make
>it into a sanding table, or a stand for other tool, or an outfeed
>table as suggested by another newsgroup member. I didn't make mine to
>be multiple-functions, and now I regret :(
>
>Hope your project a success.
>
>Jay Chan
>
Thanks, I have several blowers including the 220 one off by old furnace. It
will suck the clothes off you! Making it an outfeed/sanding table kills two
birds ...I think I'll go that route.
Jerry
Basspro* wrote:
> Do any of you know of a website that illustrates making one of these?
> I'm having a hard time visualizing them just from your descriptions.
Combination air filter / downdraft table that gets finer dust than furnace
filters alone.
http://www.wood-workers.com/users/charlieb/CBAirCleaner.html
-- Mark
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
> I have an old squirrel cage fan and have been planning on making exactly
> what you describe. A couple of furnace filters on the intake should do the
> trick.
>
I've done it. Make the first filter a normal furnace filter and back it
up with one of the "allergy" filters. Back when I was a smoker, that
combination would even remove the smoke and the smell from my 12'x14'
shop in 5 or 10 minutes.
--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?
"Jim Giblin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Woodsmith magazine had a shop filter project in an issue from the mid
'90s.
> Basically it is a plywood box containing a squirrel cage fan with two
> furnace filers at the front and a single furnace filter at the other end.
> It's made to hang from the ceiling. It works quite well.
Here's one: http://woodworking.bigelowsite.com/index.htm
When you get there choose Site Search & enter Homemade Shop Air Filter
Nhamie
I built an air cleaner before. My comments from that experience are:
- If you need to buy a new squrril cage fan to construct an air
cleaner, you probably better off buying an air cleaner instead of
building it because the new squrril cage fan will eat up all the money
saving from building an air cleaner. Therefore, this is important to
get a free or very low cost squrril cage fan instead of buying it.
Otherwise, this project won't make any economic sense.
- If you want to cut down the noise coming from the air cleaner, you
may want to use heavy and bulky material to construct the air cleaner,
such as MDF. This will make the air cleaner very heavy. And you may
not want to hang that heavy object over your head. This means you may
need to put it on bench top or on the floor.
- If you are going to put it on bench top or on the floor, you may
find that it will take up your valuable shop space. This is especially
a problem if the workshop is small. In this case, you may want to
convert it into a multiple-functions unit instead of just doing air
cleaning in order to get the most use of the same space. You may make
it into a sanding table, or a stand for other tool, or an outfeed
table as suggested by another newsgroup member. I didn't make mine to
be multiple-functions, and now I regret :(
Hope your project a success.
Jay Chan
> Thanks, I have several blowers including the 220 one off by old furnace. It
> will suck the clothes off you! Making it an outfeed/sanding table kills two
> birds ...I think I'll go that route.
That will be killing THREE birds, not just two!
- Air cleaner \
- Sanding table |--- All in one unit
- Outfeed table /
This sounds great!
Jay Chan
"Subw00er" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have an old box fan, central air conditioning filters, and some MDF
lying
> around. I can make my own air filter!
>
> Is this a bad idea for some reason? It seems like $150-500 is a lot to
spend
> for one since I'm only a weekend warrior. I know its my health, but...!
Good idea. For maximum dust extraction use fine filters. Check out the
specs on the commercial units and buy the same type.
Ed
On Mon, 5 Jan 2004 23:04:03 -0500, "Steve Boone" <[email protected]>
wrote:
|I have an old squirrel cage fan and have been planning on making exactly
|what you describe. A couple of furnace filters on the intake should do the
|trick.
Exactly what I did. I use a pair of stacked filters, a cheapie as a
"prefilter" that I change often, and a better pleated one getting rid
of the smaller stuff. It's not HEPA but better than nothing and a lot
less expensive than the $50 ones for the commercial boxes.
In article <[email protected]>,
"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Subw00er" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I have an old box fan, central air conditioning filters, and some MDF
> lying
> > around. I can make my own air filter!
> >
> > Is this a bad idea for some reason? It seems like $150-500 is a lot to
> spend
> > for one since I'm only a weekend warrior. I know its my health, but...!
>
> Good idea. For maximum dust extraction use fine filters. Check out the
> specs on the commercial units and buy the same type.
> Ed
>
>
Several years ago one of the magazines had the plans for a squirrel cage
filter and an outfeed table combo. I built it and it has worked really
well for me. The top of the box you build for the blower and filter,
etc, acts as an outfeed table for my tablesaw. The base is on casters.
On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 02:43:54 GMT, "Subw00er" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I have an old box fan, central air conditioning filters, and some MDF lying
>around. I can make my own air filter!
>
>Is this a bad idea for some reason? It seems like $150-500 is a lot to spend
>for one since I'm only a weekend warrior. I know its my health, but...!
>
No wood needed. Just bungee cord the filter to the box fan. Change
the filter frequently.
On 7 Jan 2004 05:58:05 -0800, [email protected] (Basspro*) wrote:
>Do any of you know of a website that illustrates making one of these?
>I'm having a hard time visualizing them just from your descriptions.
Here's site with info including fan size info..
http://www.ronan.net/~woodwork/airfilter.htm