Good shop air filter setup?

I am looking for others experience with shop air filtration systems. The dust is getting everywhere and I have decided it is time to collect it A. at the source with a vac hooked to the applicable offending tool, and B. looking into something to cycle the air. I would typically have a fan blowing the dirty air out an open garage door but I have A/C running and need to clean the air I have captive inside.

A. Anyone have a good collection setup for tools?

B. Anyone have a good air filtration system that turns the air in the shop over?

Wen

I installed a shop air filter made by Wen. It seems to do the job. The filters get pretty dang dirty when I’m deburring and sanding, especially with the abrasive wheels.

Here's a resource.

I found this site as a result of a discussion had with a person that may have been involved in the lawsuits Mr. Pentz references.

That reference may be revisionist history, but the technological explanation is reasonably valid.

I am informed if you "do the math" the system here is not best practices.

I will verify that point before I construct my system.

Regards,

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.php

thiggins said:

I installed a shop air filter made by Wen. It seems to do the job. The filters get pretty dang dirty when I’m deburring and sanding, especially with the abrasive wheels.

Click to expand...

Thanks. What size do you have? Also is the one you have the right size or would you opt for bigger or smaller?

400 CFM:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-3-Speed-Remote-Controlled-Air-Filtration-System-300-350-400-CFM-3410/205465910?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-307410376-_-205465910-_-N&

Or a bigger one 1044 CFM?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-3-Speed-Remote-Controlled-Industrial-Strength-Air-Filtration-System-556-702-1044-CFM-3417/307410376

Marc Bourget said:

Here's a resource.

I found this site as a result of a discussion had with a person that may have been involved in the lawsuits Mr. Pentz references.

That reference may be revisionist history, but the technological explanation is reasonably valid.

I am informed if you "do the math" the system here is not best practices.

I will verify that point before I construct my system.

Regards,

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.php

Click to expand...

Thanks Marc. I will take a look at the info. What type of system are you thinking about building?

When I built the shop, I went with short, oversize ducts, and installed a double size intake plenum box under the heat pump's indoor unit...which allows a big filter. The result is a lot of air volume moving through a large capture area.

I think the idea could be extended with even more filter area. It's not a true dust collector, certainly not like the woodworking shops use, but it helps. Really dirty jobs get done in front of a big exit fan

Mini-split A/C

DanH said:

When I built the shop, I went with short, oversize ducts, and installed a double size intake plenum box under the heat pump's indoor unit...which allows a big filter. The result is a lot of air volume moving through a large capture area.

I think the idea could be extended with even more filter area. It's not a true dust collector, certainly not like the woodworking shops use, but it helps. Really dirty jobs get done in front of a big exit fan

Click to expand...

While one day I dream of a proper shop, right now its the 2-car garage that I installed a mini-split in. For $1300 and a self install I now work in air conditioned comfort....except now the dust is captured in the closed space! The mini split has a cheezy plastic, washable filter on it and would not endure a real plenum setup.

The real offender is deburring and grinding. Those fine aluminum particles seem to float forever. Most of my work hours are after sundown so grinding/deburring outside is not really an option as the noise would be a problem.

Maybe a good compromise is to keep wearing my dual canister hepa mask and add a Wen ceiling mounted 1044 CFM unit whirring overhead?

Open to any and all suggestions?

AV8ER said:

Thanks. What size do you have? Also is the one you have the right size or would you opt for bigger or smaller?

400 CFM:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-3-Speed-Remote-Controlled-Air-Filtration-System-300-350-400-CFM-3410/205465910?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-307410376-_-205465910-_-N&

Or a bigger one 1044 CFM?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-3-Speed-Remote-Controlled-Industrial-Strength-Air-Filtration-System-556-702-1044-CFM-3417/307410376

Click to expand...

I have a couple of the WEN 400 CFM units in my 24x36 2 story shop. One upstairs and one down.
They do a decent job of clearing dust, and you can periodically turn them on, walk around the shop with an air hose and blast dust off of stuff to be collected by the filters. Beats wiping stuff down.

AV8ER said:

While one day I dream of a proper shop, right now its the 2-car garage that I installed a mini-split in. For $1300 and a self install I now work in air conditioned comfort....except now the dust is captured in the closed space! The mini split has a cheezy plastic, washable filter on it and would not endure a real plenum setup.

The real offender is deburring and grinding. Those fine aluminum particles seem to float forever. Most of my work hours are after sundown so grinding/deburring outside is not really an option as the noise would be a problem.

Maybe a good compromise is to keep wearing my dual canister hepa mask and add a Wen ceiling mounted 1044 CFM unit whirring overhead?

Open to any and all suggestions?

Click to expand...

I also installed DIY mini splits …. Agree that their filters are terrible at best.

Here is an idea for a filter plenum:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_Li3Z7F8tE

AV8ER said:

Thanks. What size do you have? Also is the one you have the right size or would you opt for bigger or smaller?

400 CFM:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-3-Speed-Remote-Controlled-Air-Filtration-System-300-350-400-CFM-3410/205465910?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-307410376-_-205465910-_-N&

Or a bigger one 1044 CFM?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-3-Speed-Remote-Controlled-Industrial-Strength-Air-Filtration-System-556-702-1044-CFM-3417/307410376

Click to expand...

I guess it depends on your shop size. Go bigger if you can, then run it slower/quieter… Mine has 3 speeds and gets a bit louder at higher settings. Works.

Put a dust collector on your grinder. I made one with a fan from a convection oven. The guy at the used appliance place gave me the idea. They have them on the shelf for sale, for repairs.

The shroud has a round intake/exhaust ports so duct pipe can be adapted. I used a vacuum cleaner bag from a shop vac to catch the dust.

This is on a grinder my wife uses for degating our plastic molded parts and it runs for hours at a time. The deburring wheels make that linty type stuff and gets in computers and machine electronics cabinets if not controlled.

These fans need to be converted to 110V but it is simple. I wired my dust collector to the grinder switch so it just comes on with the grinder every time it’s turned on.

The nice thing about this setup is that it is silent! Also, there is no dust around the working area at all. My shroud is just below the deburring wheel with a wide opening.

My wood shop is 42' x 44' with a 14 foot high ceiling. No, I do not build wood airplanes. I have an RV-6A and an RV-6.
I built an air/dust collection system out of 4" PVC piping
Reason I mention it is air moving through pipes makes static electricity.
If you build a system out of steel pipe, no problem as it goes through the pipes back to the blower.
PVC on the other hand will require a preferably bare copper wire run along the pipe to collect the juice.
I did and it works great.
BUT, you can see dust collected on the painted sheet rock lid and walls, Because of the static in the pipes.
Just thoughts to safety concerns.
Art