dust collector plans?

Folks,

The heater repairman is here and tells me that my heaters in the garage are full of sawdust. Perhaps I need a DC and air cleaner? :-)

Also, though, he gave me a lead on a place that he said should certainly have a pile of scrap heaters I could steal parts (free!) from. So I should be able to get a couple nicer blower + squirrel cages.

Do any of you have a good pointer to plans for air cleaner and dust collector to make from that? I've seen air cleaner plans, and the thing is dead simple anyways, but only one dc plan so far ($11, the wood magazine cycle one).

Thanks!

--randy

Reply to
Randy Chapman
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I haven't ever seen it, but I hear Fine Woodworking once had an article on how to build a dust collector from a eater blower and squirrel cage. Nothing showed up when I searched their online archive though.

Reply to
C.Poole

Here's one that uses pool filters.

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-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Jerde

I blew out my furnace the other day. Whoa! Big puff of dust came out of that thing. I'll have to start doing it more often...

Reply to
Larry Bud

There are two ways to approach dust collection. One is the shop-vac or HVAC blower approach, and the other is to collect the dust and get it completely out of the air, period. There isn't an HVAC (furnace or air-conditioner) blower that can move the kind of air necessary to effectively eliminate the dust in your shop.

If you want clean air in the shop (good for your health) and no dust in your HVAC ducting, you need a good cyclone system that traps all of the dust being created at the tool being used, carries it away, separates the dust from the air, then filters the air before returning it into the room. This is the approach that will keep dust from collecting all over everything in the shop, and it will keep you from becoming very ill sometime in the future if you don't do something about it.

Bill Pentz nearly died from wood dust, and has done very extensive research on the subject. He has an entire web site dedicated to the subject of collecting and eliminating wood dust from the shop air. And no, you don't need a respirator with a good system that is doing its job.

Bill's site can be accessed from his main page at:

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has also designed a very effective cyclone system that is well documented on his site. I have been working with Bill to create the same system in component/kit form so that the average shop owner who wants clean air can get it without having to sift through the baloney that comes from so many companies that market "cyclones" that often cannot produce the results you really need. I am currently producing a cyclone kit and blower housing made from all-welded steel plate and powder coated (instead of paint) for durability. Details are at

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addition, you will need a motor, material-handling impeller, and filters. Links to suppliers of these items that are selected specifically for this system are listed on the page

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will need some other items such as ducting and blast gates, and proper wiring and motor starter/controller/switches as explained on the page discussing electric motor and fire safety on the same site (accessible from the main page).

Even if you don't end up buying the product, at least spend some time on the site and get well-informed before you go out looking for dust collection.

Bottom line is that the blowers designed for furnaces and A/C systems cannot move enough air, especially when static pressures rise as they must, to get any reasonable dust collection from them. The systems we produce deliver well over 1000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air volume with static pressures in the 7-10" water-column range, and the cyclones have an impressive ability to separate even very fine dust from the air *before* it goes to the final filters where you can filter down to

0.2 or 0.3 microns if you buy good filters. Then you won't be breathing fine dust and spreading it all over the house through the heating ducts.

Clean up the air for your health's and your family's health's sake.

Clarke

Randy Chapman wrote:

Reply to
Clarke Echols

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