# Clearing the air



## woodchux (Jul 6, 2014)

Planning to set up an economical dust collector system using a Ridgid 14 gal, 6HP, 170 CFM wet/dry vacuum, & a Rockler 10 gal dust separator, with shop vac expandable hoses. Is this enough to clear the air in a 10' x15' "woodwork" garage, or should I consider something else/better? Your comments are appreciated. Be safe.


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## tvman44 (Dec 8, 2011)

Anything is better than nothing. Enough???? Who knows. :thumbsup:


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

If cleaning the air is what you want to do in the cheap, a 20" box fan with a furnace filter taped over it is your best bet. 

What your proposing will help more with the sawdust on the floor.


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## hokeyplyr48 (Nov 12, 2013)

Or find your local HVAC/furnace repair and get a squirrel cage blower from them. They usually give them away or sell them for really cheap. I got two for $30. Put one in a plywood box and put two stage filters ahead of it and it does a great job.


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## ORBlackFZ1 (Dec 25, 2013)

woodchux said:


> Planning to set up an economical dust collector system using a Ridgid 14 gal, 6HP, 170 CFM wet/dry vacuum, & a Rockler 10 gal dust separator, with shop vac expandable hoses. Is this enough to clear the air in a 10' x15' "woodwork" garage, or should I consider something else/better? Your comments are appreciated. Be safe.


If you are trying to "clear the air" in your workshop, a shop vac is NOT the device to use. If you are trying to collect dust created at your Miter Saw, Band Saw, Table Saw, Drill Press, Track Saw, Radial Arm Saw, Bench Top sander, etc, then you have the correct device for an entry level dust collector.

Dust collection at the source is always the primary dust collector! Dust collection should always (did I write always, yes I wrote ALWAYS) start at the source of the saw dust. 

Air filtration units are a backup dust collection system. They should only be used to collect saw dust that did not get collected by the primary dust collector.

If you really have the primary covered, and you still have dust collecting in the air, then air filtration should be your next step. 

My router used to saturate my shop with saw dust. I mounted it in a fully enclosed table and attached a dust collector. Now, I can use the router all day, without it adding to the shop particle count.

My band saw used to also add dust particles to the shop air. I used to run a 4" diameter 10' long flex hose to the two (2) 4" diameter ports on the band saw. I switched to a 6" diameter 10' long flex hose from my dust collector to the two (2) 4" band saw ports and now my band saw does NOT raise the particle count in the shop air. I spent three (3) hours re-sawing an 8' long ash log in to 4/4 lumber the other day and the particle count never increased in the shop. ( I use a Dylos particle counter to track the particulates in the shop air).

*My point is that you should focus on collecting the saw dust at the source. Air filtration should be a back up system for capturing air borne particles that your primary dust collector missed. * 

I can't capture all the saw dust from all the machines, so I use two (2) Jet AFS-1000B units to catch what my primary dust collector misses. 

Try the advanced search function on this site using the text "air filtration" in the Dust Collection forum and you will get all kinds of good posts on Air filtration.


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