Workshop air filter

[Make It All]

Hi hope you are having a good day!
I am trying to make an air filter for my workshop and was wondering whether I could use a cartridge filter (http://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+woodworkin ... nds+dk7015) and a desk fan as I can't seem to find any furnace filters here in the UK.

Thank you so much
Jack

 

[user22161]

Doubt if a desk fan will have the power to force air through that filter in suitable volume to be any good.

 

[Doug B]

Hi Jack, I’d suggest a squirrel cage fan that’s what I used & it shifts a lot of air, whatever fan you end up using ensure it is rated for long periods of use.

As for filters I opted for 2 stage filtration with fleece that you get for kitchen extractors as an initial filter & behind that a cheap hepa vacuum cleaner bag, all fitted in a wooden rectangular box

 

[Make It All]

Thankyou so much for a reply.
I will look into this

 

[cornishjoinery]

im all up for people saving cash here and there, but you can buy a record extractor for £130. is it worth messing about with things like dust that is so important in the workshop.

 

[Lonsdale73]

im all up for people saving cash here and there, but you can buy a record extractor for £130. is it worth messing about with things like dust that is so important in the workshop.

+1 for the Record Power. Inspired by youtube videos - all American - I thought about making one but couldn't source the components for anything like the RP price.

 

[Rorschach]

Americans have easy access to suitable furnace filters to make theirs, unfortunately we don't in the UK.

 

[petermillard]

The trouble with air scrubbers like the Record is that they’re a bit over-specced (“for workspaces up to 113 cubic Metres”) for a small shop - mine’s 1/3 that size. Never seen one for £130 either, unless you mean ex-vat Cornish??

You can get panel filters pretty easily btw e.g. http://www.ductstore.co.uk/acatalog/Panel-Filters.html - don’t know what they filter down to though.

FWIW I’ve made a couple with 6” extractor fans (rated at 230 cubic metres/hour) and foam filters and they don’t do much at all!

Cheers, P

 

[Roland]

When it comes to dust extraction I’m happy to have it overspec’d

 

[Rorschach]

The panel filters you buy here are hideously expensive compared to what the yanks pay and are usually (like those in your link) just designed to stop large particulate matter getting into equipment such as air conditioners. For the type that you want to connect to an air cleaner you will pay many times more again. Americans will pay just a few $'s for a sub micron filter designed to clean the air they breath coming out of their heating and cooling systems.

 

[Dokkodo]

I did quite a lot of research on this, there's a bit of consideration needed to match the fan with panel filters because of the various resistances of the filters and the amount of air moved by a decent sized fan and the pressures built up. Then by the time youve built a box with a couple of filters, and done anything clever like adding remote control, you may as well get something ready made. I hadnt seen that record thing and I think im instantly sold.

 

[user22161]

Mattia Wandel has a video or two about shop made filters, one here - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... ust+filter

 

[cammy9r]

I made one from an ikea cooker hood extractor fan mounted in a custom sized box and used an air filter for a 2014 ford transit.

 

[hammer n nails]

I have the record one not worth the bother making one and filters a not too expensive

 

[transatlantic]

This might help in what doesn't work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG9aJPDdL4E

 

[OscarG]

There's a guy I follow on YouTube, Rag'n'Bone Brown, he recently put a video up of him trying to make an air filter > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG9aJPDdL4E&t=1s

After borrowing an air quality tester it became apparent that his home-made filter was useless, but he's a good lad and still showed the video.

I've seen reasonable comments suggesting his fan was too small, filters too thick, trying to push air through filters instead of sucking them through.

After watching it, I'm convinced it's difficult to make an effective filter and a false economy and you're better off just buying one. Think Rutlands do one for about £130.

 

[OscarG]

This might help in what doesn't work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG9aJPDdL4E

Ha... I should have clicked your link, I posted exact same vid.

 

[Roughcut]

Just took a quick look at that YouTube vid and it seems that the extractor fan he used which I believe is the same as this one has a power rating of 8 watts:
https://www.sparksdirect.co.uk/silent-1 ... lzykkx2ubg

That would be seriously underpowered for the task.

I made a DIY one a few years ago using a 14" industrial extractor fan and rated at 140 watts, which was probably over specced for the task, but certainly got the air moving.

 

[gmgmgm]

I'm building one soon from bits lying around- and have found (finally!) a source of reasonable value filters on ebay over a foot square: "Camfil", if anyone is trying to make their own. Time will tell if it works, or whether I go for the RP/Rutlands.

 

[will1983]

any chance of posting a WIP gmgmgm? I'd be interested to see how it performs.