# shop made air cleaner???



## preacherman (Nov 29, 2011)

I have been considering building a shop made air cleaner. I was wanting to know how many cfms are necessary to make it function. I have found a motor 215 cfm: http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=16-1405-A&catname=electric would this be sufficent? or do I need bigger? like this one?http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=16-1403&catname=electric. For only a couple of dollars I am thinking the bigger one? Also will this style of blower work as an ambient air cleaner?
I only get to work a couple hours on the weekends so I do not want to go out and buy a large manufactured unit that cost a couple hundred dollars.
Also any tips on building one would be helpful as well.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

i've used fans similar, yes they work fine. i wouldn't use the smaller size. you can calculate the volume of your shop (l x w x h) and divide it by the cfm's to find out how many minutes it will take to exchange the air in the entire shop. ideally, I think they shoot for several times/hour (10-15 minutes).


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## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

I have no idea what the CFM of mine was, it was a recycled 4 speed blower from an industrial furnace (snatched it from work). But if you look at the commercial ambient air cleaners they move somewhere between 500 and 1200 CFM. A smaller room may get by with a smaller blower, after all it's the air changes that count. But I think I would try to cabbage a discarded furnace blower from an HVAC installer...you might get it free. For construction, there have been several plans published, my favorite one was in Wood and had the blower/intake on one end of the shop and the exhaust ducted to the opposite side. That was a little too complicated for me, I built a plywood wood box, put the blower more or less in the middle of it, and a cheap fiberglass filter to cover the exhaust. But for filtering I put 3 furnace filters (20x25") at the inlet. Each was a progressively tighter filtration. Doing that made the most expensive one (Filtrete Ultra-Allergen) to last longer. The first one had to be changed fairly often, the second a little more often,and so on. the second one was a Filtrete "red", and the first one was whatever cheap pleated filter I could find. This unit worked very well. Alas, I left it in my last shop when we moved.


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## preacherman (Nov 29, 2011)

Thanks guys for the replies. I just have a small area to work in. I think from the way I understand the formula the larger fan I linked will clean the air 4 or 5 times an hour.


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## davester84 (Aug 28, 2012)

I'd be interested to see how you build this....as I have been considering building one for my garage. I thought it would be super expensive, but seeing that I could get a motor for $50, it seems doable. 
Please let us know how it works out! Also, me being a newbie at all this...some photos and instructions of your build would be great.

...or do I even need one, since I just work with the garage door open?


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## preacherman (Nov 29, 2011)

Well I thought this would be an expensive project also. But all I would need to buy is a motor and filters, I have plenty of extra sheet material pieces to build a box to enclose it. I also work with the doors open and shop vac on
My larger tools but I still get that fine layer of dust on everything. That stuff cannot be good for the lungs. So I am going to try to build this very soon. I am still researching but I will post pics of the process once I start.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

fwiw my home shop is in the basement, so to save headroom, i built mine to nestle between the floor joists above. just have to design to get the exhaust clear.


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## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

try this. used a $5 CL fan, some 1" drywall j-channel and scrap plywood. if you can't find 1" drywall jchannel, vinyl siding j-channel will work as well. according to wood magazine, in their last test of air cleaners, this box fan configuration was surprisingly effective at removing air born dust. one hour timer controls the outlet the unit is plugged into.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

toolguy1000 said:


> try this. used a $5 CL fan, some 1" drywall j-channel and scrap plywood. if you can't find 1" drywall jchannel, vinyl siding j-channel will work as well. according to wood magazine, in their last test of air cleaners, this box fan configuration was surprisingly effective at removing air born dust. one hour timer controls the outlet the unit is plugged into.


 
That's great! I have just such a fan laying around. I may have to try this.

Also, does your fan say, "VAN BEER" on it?


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## JamesGlenn (Jan 25, 2011)

toolguy1000 said:


> try this. used a $5 CL fan, some 1" drywall j-channel and scrap plywood. if you can't find 1" drywall jchannel, vinyl siding j-channel will work as well. according to wood magazine, in their last test of air cleaners, this box fan configuration was surprisingly effective at removing air born dust. one hour timer controls the outlet the unit is plugged into.


 
I built something similar last week. I also have an old furnace motor built into my downdraft table that filters the air, but it was just too dang loud all the time.

This actually works quite well, is failry quiet, and the filter collects a lot of the fine dust. HD had them on sale cheap, so I grabbed two.


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## Scot H (Jun 2, 2012)

In your original post you said you were willing to pay a couple of hundred dollars more for a blower motor.

For just over $200 you can get a Rikon filtration system from Woodcraft, it's 2'x2'x10" (give or take an inch or two). It hangs from the ceiling, has a remote control, and works great.


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## preacherman (Nov 29, 2011)

Scot H said:


> In your original post you said you were willing to pay a couple of hundred dollars more for a blower motor.
> 
> For just over $200 you can get a Rikon filtration system from Woodcraft, it's 2'x2'x10" (give or take an inch or two). It hangs from the ceiling, has a remote control, and works great.


I think you must have misread my original post. I said I was NOT willing to spend a couple hundred dollars. Thus, the question to see if this method was a reasonable option. The more expensive motor I linked is less than $50.


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## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

Phaedrus said:


> ......Also, does your fan say, "VAN BEER" on it?


i believe it says "VAN BEEK"


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## tvman44 (Dec 8, 2011)

Either one should do fine but I would opt for the one with more CFM. I built 2 using 20" box fans with some "J" channel to hold the filter in place and I just slide out the old filter and slide in a new filter, they work really well.


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## davester84 (Aug 28, 2012)

wondering if you started on this yet? any idea how loud the motor is? I am wondering if it would be a good idea to "double box" it somehow with insulation in the middle so that it woudnt be too loud....still want to hear my music 

also, i just found these instructions to make one online if it helps you....I was going to follow this for mine whenever i can get around to it. 
http://www.woodworkingseminars.com/wp-content/ShopAirFilter.pdf


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## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

great link, davester. i have seen the first of those two in a shopnotes supplemental publication. the second one, with the two exhaust fans, is also a really good idea.


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## preacherman (Nov 29, 2011)

*Not started yet*



davester84 said:


> wondering if you started on this yet? any idea how loud the motor is? I am wondering if it would be a good idea to "double box" it somehow with insulation in the middle so that it woudnt be too loud....still want to hear my music
> 
> also, i just found these instructions to make one online if it helps you....I was going to follow this for mine whenever i can get around to it.
> http://www.woodworkingseminars.com/wp-content/ShopAirFilter.pdf


I am currently working on a kitchen pantry for our house. Immediatly after this pantry, shop projects are up, shop cabinets, a new workbench, lathe stand, and this air cleaner.
Thanks for those links. That first one is what I had in mine but was planing on just making it from scratch but now I'll build it like this plan! That is eactly what I was looking for!


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

I have been using one of those box fans withthe filter attached via Duct Tape! But it works. I have a one car garage so it is not big and the fan is all I have at the moment. I do have a furnace blower my son got from a job just haven't had time to make a filter.


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## davester84 (Aug 28, 2012)

Ok, I went ahead and took the plunge today and ordered the motor. I am going to start on it when it gets in.....not to hijack your thread, but I will try to post some pics as i go.


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## preacherman (Nov 29, 2011)

davester84 said:


> Ok, I went ahead and took the plunge today and ordered the motor. I am going to start on it when it gets in.....not to hijack your thread, but I will try to post some pics as i go.


Did you order a motor from the link I posted? If so let us know your experience with the company. I have never ordered from them I was just curious.
And let us see the pics when you build it I am interested in seeing it come together and how it works. Good luck!


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## davester84 (Aug 28, 2012)

preacherman said:


> Did you order a motor from the link I posted? If so let us know your experience with the company. I have never ordered from them I was just curious.
> And let us see the pics when you build it I am interested in seeing it come together and how it works. Good luck!


Yes, I ordered that second motor(came out to around $60 with shipping) .... Hope it will be powerful enough. I will let you know how it works out. 
In the meantime I purchased a box fan and filter today also and duct taped them together.


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## davester84 (Aug 28, 2012)

Almost done.... The fun part will be going in attic to wire in a wall switch.


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## ChipperOfWood (Oct 18, 2012)

davester84 said:


> Almost done.... The fun part will be going in attic to wire in a wall switch.
> 
> View attachment 55418


Is this box from a plan in one of the magazines? The reason I ask is it is just almost exactly like mine. Only difference is I used a furnace fan salvaged from a furnace that was replaced by an HVAC contractor in my neighborhood. Works like a charm. If this fan works


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## preacherman (Nov 29, 2011)

davester84 said:


> Almost done.... The fun part will be going in attic to wire in a wall switch.


Looks good. How thick of ply did you use for it?


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## davester84 (Aug 28, 2012)

ChipperOfWood said:


> Is this box from a plan in one of the magazines? The reason I ask is it is just almost exactly like mine. Only difference is I used a furnace fan salvaged from a furnace that was replaced by an HVAC contractor in my neighborhood. Works like a charm. If this fan works


Yes, I posted the plan in an earlier post of this thread.


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## davester84 (Aug 28, 2012)

preacherman said:


> Looks good. How thick of ply did you use for it?


3/4". I followed the plans exactly. 

On a different note, I got the timer switch installed in the wall and plan to hang it tonight after I pick up some hardware.


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## davester84 (Aug 28, 2012)

Ok, I am finished. (except I plan to get a rubber door seal of some sort to add so that it gets a good closed seal where the panel slides.)

Here is what it cost me:
motor ~$60
sheet of 3/4" plywood ~$30
power cord ~$8
cheap filter ~$2
medium quality filter ~$10
top of the line filter ~$20
wall switch ~$22
misc hardware ~$10
feeling of completing a project ~priceless

I plugged it into the outlet where my garage door opener was plugged in and ran a wall switch to control that half of the outlet. This wall switch allows me to switch has a timer so I can leave it to continue cleaning the air when I am done and it will shut off after the set time.

It is pretty quiet!! Barely tell it is on...didnt even need to adjust volume on my radio.  I just hope it is good enough to do an adequate job. Only time will tell. (I will still keep an eye out for an old furnace blower just in case).

I decided I didnt want to mount it flush with ceiling so that I could easily disconnect and relocate if needed. Also my studs in ceiling are 24" apart, so since the case is 24" I had to modify it with some angle brackets sticking out one side.

Since I "usually" keep all my tools against the wall, I placed it towards the center of my garage on the side of the garage opener closest to my tools. Hopefully it is a good location. (didnt have a whole lot of options)

Enough talking about it...here are some photos.


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## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

nicely done. good execution of what looks to be a shopnotes design. great attention to detail. even the timer wall plate screws line up! and i really like that timer. up to 4 hours! gotta look into changing my one hour timer for that one. course, that timer costs more than my whole air cleaner.


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## davester84 (Aug 28, 2012)

toolguy1000 said:


> even the timer wall plate screws line up!


Haha... That's actually a signature of mine that I always do... A tick of mine, I guess. It let me know that I was the last one to remove it. 
I have cracked plates before trying to make them line up.


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## ChipperOfWood (Oct 18, 2012)

Very nicely done. Where did you get that wall switch timer? That is the one thing I have not done with mine yet.

Yours looks almost the same as mine which was built with plans from a Shop notes magazine. Here are some photos.


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## davester84 (Aug 28, 2012)

ChipperOfWood said:


> Very nicely done. Where did you get that wall switch timer? That is the one thing I have not done with mine yet.
> 
> Yours looks almost the same as mine which was built with plans from a Shop notes magazine. Here are some photos.


Same plans. I got the switch from home depot.


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## Piper (Oct 8, 2012)

Great thread. I don't have much headroom in my shop and was thinking of making a vertical unit with wheels so I can roll it away when not in use or when it cannot be in the center of the floor. Does anyone have one like that? Would you put the intake at the top (about 4 ft) and blow out the bottom? I have a fan from my old house furnace that I saved.
Thanks


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## ChipperOfWood (Oct 18, 2012)

davester84 said:


> Same plans. I got the switch from home depot.


Thanks. I'll be going there Saturday. Not tomorrow. I hate black Friday.


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## preacherman (Nov 29, 2011)

Very nice! Let us know how well it works for you!


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