[crittergitter]

I have this old furnace fan (see pic) and it runs on 110v. By plugging it directly in the outlet it creates a whirlwind. Can anyone point me in the direction of converting it into a DC system? I have a small HF one I currently use but am concerned about using this big house furnace fan with DC. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks,

 

[crittergitter]

Oops!! I forgot to attach the pic.

 

[Stick486]

use it in a down draft table...
box it, filter it and use it as air cleaner...
as for a DC.. wrong kind of fan/blades...

.
10 Downdraft Table Plans and Build Notes for Wood Shops |
Dust Collection Research - Downdraft Table
WoodCentral's Shop Shots

 

[Herb Stoops]

I did make a ceiling fan in a previous shop out of a unit like that.
I cut a hole into the ceiling and fit a box over the hole with the fan in the box and exhausted it into the sttic had another hole for the return sir back into the shop.
In the shop under it I made a filter box with 2 furnace filters + a Grizzly airfilter unit that was cleanable..
Here are the pictures. There are also lots of plans on the web on how different ones are built.
Herb

 

[BrianS]

Greg, these don't move enough air to be of any use as a dust collector. I've got one here you can have... but we're probably too far apart for that to work.

 

[DesertRatTom]

Put a Wynn 1 micron drum filter on your HF unit. It can exhaust in the same room. Wear a mask (HF sells surgical style masks that are very comfortable for about 10cents each. Get a WEN room filtration unit (was 90 bucks at WalMart, delivered locally). Fiddling with DC home made stuff will eat money you could have used to get the Wynn and WEN units.

Also, take some tape (There is a non adhesive, stretchy tape), and tape around the top of the plastic bag on the HF unit. Mine leaks sawdust like mad without the tape. Hint, clean the metal at the top of the bag first.

I wasted hundreds of dollars on home made solutions to DC, and wish I'd just done the HF unit right in the first place. Now, if you go into my shop, the dust level is far less, but I will ask you to put on one of those disposable masks. I'm a throat cancer survivor, and sawdust is a trigger for that disease. Take it seriously is my suggestion.

 

[Everend]

I have this old furnace fan (see pic) and it runs on 110v. By plugging it directly in the outlet it creates a whirlwind. Can anyone point me in the direction of converting it into a DC system? I have a small HF one I currently use but am concerned about using this big house furnace fan with DC. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks,

Check out https://www.youtube.com/user/Matthiaswandel

He's done quite a few dust collector and filters using salvaged materials. I have a vague memory of him discussing these squirrel l cage blowers. He has several videos on the differences between DC and AC motors of various kinds. He's a really bright woodworker (and engineer)

 

[Everend]

I did make a ceiling fan in a previous shop out of a unit like that.
I cut a hole into the ceiling and fit a box over the hole with the fan in the box and exhausted it into the sttic had another hole for the return sir back into the shop.
In the shop under it I made a filter box with 2 furnace filters + a Grizzly airfilter unit that was cleanable..
Here are the pictures. There are also lots of plans on the web on how different ones are built.
Herb

Herb,
I get how this does filter the air, but does the exposed filter work well? I expect it would rain dust down on my head each time the blower is turned off. Are those white bags additional filters? Why three side by side, doesn't that leave gaps between them?

thx

 

[crittergitter]

Everend,
I can't get the video to play keep getting an error. Do you have a name I can search U-Tube?
Thanks.

 

[Herb Stoops]

Herb,
I get how this does filter the air, but does the exposed filter work well? I expect it would rain dust down on my head each time the blower is turned off. Are those white bags additional filters? Why three side by side, doesn't that leave gaps between them?

thx

The air flow is up through the filter on the ceiling ,exhausting into the attic and is returned to the shop through a return air grill.
This is an air cleaner not a DC. just a suggestion on what to do with a furnace fan because it is not suitable for DC chip collection. It is similar to the filter on the heating system in the house.
On the internal bag type filter the 3 bags all hooked together as one unit creates more area of filtration than just a flat filter would perform. The course furnace filter is to catch the larger particles like the lint,hair,cobwebs,etc. so that it does not plug up the bag filter which catches the small micron sized particles.
Sorry if I was not clear.
Herb

 

[Ed3443]

I have been using an Austin HM-400 Allergy Machine. They sell a 200 for smaller spaces. It scrubs the air down to 0.3 microns. It works great in a garage or workshop. You can find them on ebay cheap.

 

[subtleaccents]

I have used the squirrel cage blowers with great success for dust collection.
I get them for $00000 from air conditioning guys when they do retro fits.

Make my own box (plywood) and electrical components (usually 110V AC) along with Protec Media filters rated foe 1200 cfm. MERV 8 classification. These filters are available on Amazon in several sizes (not cheap BUT they WORK). I use my units to remove very fine Corian dust from the air. This dust is much finer than saw dust.

 

[Everend]

Everend,
I can't get the video to play keep getting an error. Do you have a name I can search U-Tube?
Thanks.

I've tried to post the link to his channel but the forum keeps trying to imbed a video instead of leaving it as just a link.

youtube.com/user/Matthiaswandel

Matthiaswandel

 

[Herb Stoops]

Lets see if this works.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Matthiaswandel