homemade dust collection

[jrscroller]

can anyone please tell me how to make an inexpesive, but effective way for dust collection when sanding small pieces of wood.

[MikeDingas]

Originally Posted by jrscroller

can anyone please tell me how to make an inexpesive, but effective way for dust collection when sanding small pieces of wood.

Assuming your using a hand sander, set up a simple dust port attached to a vacuum. Isee crude pic) You can make the wedge out ouf anything suitable so long as the sides are airtight so it only draws air from the front.

[Dragon]

Interesting Mike. We are finishing the house and the workshop right now and I will be putting in a dust collection system of some kind. I would have attached the hose from the back so it draws the dust from the back while I work in the front. Am I doing this wrong?
Diane

[CanadianScroller]

it is good to have a screen on the front of the dust collector. I was sanding a small piece on my drillpress and I just had a vacuum hose clamped to the table.
The piece slipped out of my hand and into the vacuum.
Even mosquito screen would have saved me

If you don't have a vacuum handy you can use a box fan and a furnace filter. Or an old bathroom vent fan, or a hodd fan from a range.

[Dragon]

I have a big shop vac and will be trying to hook up to that somehow.
Diane

[workin for wood]

It's real common for people to make a box, sorta like a drawer, with a screen on top, or even just pegboard. The vacuum attaches into a hole in the back side of the box, the sanding is done on the screen/pegboard top. you can buy these sorts of set-ups too at perhaps Rockler or Woodcraft. You can make a much larger version of the same thing, like a 4x4 foot table or even larger. Install some wood slats inside the box and line them with filter material. In the bottom of the box, a couple squirrel cage fans that you can find for free or almost free at any old plumbing/heating place where they take out the old furnaces and replace them with new ones, the fans are usually still good. Just a household switch to turn it on and it's much quieter than a vacuum. The top is usually heavy duty diamond shaped steel mesh with a rubber mat on top of that, the kind with holes in it that you would normally put on the floor in front of a saw to make life better on your back. A sheet of 1/4 material is cut the same size as the top and a small light frame attached around it so it can be set onto the sanding table to create a work surface, and it is light and easy to remove for sanding.

An uncle of mine had a dad that used to take the motors out of old vacuums and directly attach them to his dust ports on his tools such as his bandsaw. He just used regular vacuum bags and a rubber band to collect the dust off the little squirrel cage motor fans. He would get the motors for free too, just by asking local vacuum repair shops. The vac may be broke or old, but the fan is usually fine, just like furnace fans way outlive furnaces.

Not too long ago, I saw grizzly has a big vacuum table in their catalogue. Check it out for ideas. I think it is on wheels, with some drawers too perhaps. Looked like a sweet buy, especially at it's price...you can make your own, but sure is nice if you can manage to buy one. It's on my list, but not too close to the top unfortunately.

[thecopperfish]

Diane,
I also have a big shop vac and I have mounted attachments on everything to just connect the hose to them. You can make your own attachments out of 1/4" plywood or buy attachments. This works really well for me because I have a very small shop.
Chris

[GrayBeard Phil]

The problem with most shop vac's is the NOISE !!!! They just scream. Noise level is one of the reasons for going with an expensive DC.

Another option, if you have the background to do it, is to use an old house force air furnace motor, belt, and squirrel cage fan blower. Trust me, this will take a bit of work to make it work, with electric connections, (don't forget the start capicator,) filters, and a box to hold the blower and motor.

However, you do run into old furnaces as homeowners upgrade or replace because of primary heat exchangers burining out. The squirrel cage fan and the motor are seldom what wore out.

Phil

PS: Didn't someone once post about using a windows box fan, a $1.00 replacement furnace filter and some bunji cords for a short term sanding or dust filter?

[earlinjax]

Some time I would like to see a list of things that have been sucked up by their dust collectors. I have lost good cuttings, rags, etc. I keep telling myself to put a screen in front of the inlet, but myself doesn't listen.

Earl

[Rolf]

Mike
Does that wedge really help with the face velocity? It looks like a great idea.
I am going to build a down draft box for my orbital sander but it will be attached to my small Jet Dust collector. ($135 at COSCO)
The Shop vacs are just too noisy for me. Plus my great room is above the shop so I try to minimize the noise.