# Another homemade filtration unit... maybe



## bofa (Jul 17, 2010)

Before I start - yes I'm aware there are many filtration systems out there, many of which will filter better than this contraption ever will and they start at only $200. This idea is more of a brainstorm just to see how it would work and if I think it's worth the investment. Some things I like about it are the variability, being able to customize the size that I want/need. And quite simply.. I like making things. :yes:

So.. here goes. After seeing Handyman's Cooler Air Conditioner setup (something else I'm building), I was really impressed with the in-line blowers made by Attwood. I've done quite a bit of research on them in the past week and think they could potentially make this project compact enough for my needs. 

This would be built using three of the Attwood 4" Turbo Blowers on separate switches, running up to 690 cfm. Since they are wired for DC, they would be wired to a cpu power supply with it's own power switch and AC plug. 

I priced materials and can get it built for around $150. 

Dimensions: 16"L x 30"W x 12"H

Take a look and feel free to share opinions and ideas, good and bad. 









The first two pictures are the intake side. 
The third is the output side
The last picture apparently had graphics not compatible with png. Oops... that would be the filter side (intake).


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## bofa (Jul 17, 2010)

Eh, was ordering from Amazon and to get my free shipping I went ahead and ordered some of the parts. This mission is a go. :thumbsup:

I'm working on finalizing measurements now that I know which materials and wood products I'm going to use. And, I've decided to make this even smaller... going for 16 x 24 x 12.


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## woody woodturner (Jul 9, 2010)

good one mate:thumbsup:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Mission is go*

Quote:
Eh, was ordering from Amazon and to get my free shipping I went ahead and ordered some of the parts. This mission is a go. :thumbsup:

Personally I think there is an easier way using a furnace blower and filters like others here have done, but I admire your creativity and am anxious to see the results. I use a Jet AFS 1000B room air filter and it works well, cost $299.00. The filters get cleaned about 4 times per year and they get pretty dirty. There's a pre filter then the final on the intake end. You might consider a similar approach. Good Luck, :thumbsup: bill


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## bofa (Jul 17, 2010)

Yeah I was originally going to use a heat pump blower. I called around town and none of the local shops had them. Nothing on craigslist. Looked online too and they were running about $150 shipped. My AC went out last week so in the back of my mind I was thinking.. oooh yay parts! But no, the blower motor is shot. Also, the cfm from most of the models I was able to find online was much less than most dust collectors including the potential of this one. 

After viewing some schematics of the retail dust collectors, I did consider a 2 stage filter and still may go that route. I'm a bit worried about air restriction though and was trying to find some figures online. Given the tiny size it may be hard to include now, but I'll see what I can find... maybe a K&N type filter. 

I also considered using some modified large funnels to create the vortex style suction used in products like the Dyson vacuums.


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## bofa (Jul 17, 2010)

I'll answer too since I've placed 4 orders with them in the last month. They are very reliable, but look for items that they sell directly. If they are just selling for another retailer then you can add a couple of extra days to your order in most cases. If you order from them you can select 2 day shipping (or super saver, and overnight) and all of my packages have been as expected and on time. They also have a "Prime" program where you can pay an annual membership fee and get all your orders shipped 2 day for around $3. Might be worth it if you plan to order frequently.


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## ecenur (Nov 7, 2010)

woodnthings said:


> Quote:
> Eh, was ordering from Amazon and to get my free shipping I went ahead and ordered some of the parts. This mission is a go. :thumbsup:
> 
> Personally I think there is an easier way using a furnace blower and filters like others here have done, but I admire your creativity and am anxious to see the results. I use a Jet AFS 1000B room air filter and it works well, cost $299.00. The filters get cleaned about 4 times per year and they get pretty dirty. There's a pre filter then the final on the intake end. You might consider a similar approach. Good Luck, :thumbsup: bill


Would I be able to construct something like this from a simple furnace filter, I don't want to pay that much for an air filter when I can make the same thing from a furnace filters, if I doesn't work well I will have to look into purchasing a room air filter, where can i purchase on for a reasonable price?


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Sm squirrel cage here(they come in diff sizes),belt drive (you can get motor out of airstream for use as part of spray booth) and hung from ceiling w/dog chain.Remote switch to a duplex outlet;unit plugs in.Converted round cage to sq on inlet side w/Birch ply,then cvrd with sheet metal to house high $$ 3M filters.They get loaded from bttm of unit.BW


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Cheapest but not the best*











If you really want to get by cheap, use a box fan like this and furnace filter taped to the incoming air side. It's better than nothing and the way I started. All filters are not created equal and if you research air filtration unit you'll see variations from *1 micron to 5 micron* particle size, fancy term for what size dust chunks get caught in the filter. A furnace filter is not fine enough, if just made of polyester 1" thick, maybe 30 micron? I donno. A pleated filter 3" thick would be better.


*How Big is a Micron*


----- *1 micron* = *1* 000 000th of a metre [its proper French spelling] or, approximately, 0.00003937 inches; hence 13 *microns* = 13 times that, approximately 0.0005118 inches.
www.[B]newton.dep.anl.gov[/B]/askasci/gen01/gen01262.htm - Cached



As was suggested you don't want the motor in the airstream due to dust build up, heat, explosion risks from sparks, etc. but
it may be the only solution for a tight budget. 

Another solution or an additional one is to evacuate the air in the room with an exhaust fan in one window and an open window across the room, that's the way I started also.

Your best bet is to search online "homemade air filtration" and learn what you can.  bill
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/12823 like this article including photos


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Bill is really on to sumthing...........which way the wind blows.Think about a professional spray booth,where would you stand?Do you stand between product and the vents or do you work from the clean air side?Seems as simple as dirt.......and it is.Look at the shop as a whole unit instead of just right where you're working.I too started and still use box fans on site.......don't fight the natural flow of air....assist it.Theres inlet and exhaust.

In the past theres been tons of folks wanting help designing shop layout.They'll get a bunch of cad stuff,or scale drwings,ect,ect.Moving equip around like moving a sofa and chair set.My advice has always been which way does the air naturally want to flow?It is one of the foundations of proper shop design thats been lost as we've become more affected(effected)by forced shop climates.BW


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