Basement and garage carpentry shops create mountains of fine sawdust. No only does it get on everything, it causes lung damage as hours of woodwork are filtered by your body. Commercial sawdust collectors or vacuums are expensive and often overkill for the job. The solution is an easy to build collector made from an inexpensive house fan.
Things You'll Need:
- Box fan
- L bracket
- 2-inch wood screws
- 2 foot long, 4-inch wide lumber
- 1 Filter
Instructions
Step 1
Find a location on the ceiling close to the tools that create sawdust. Use more than one fan if the shop is large or the fan is unable to collect from specific areas. The fan requires electricity to run so a nearby power outlet is also helpful.
Step 2
Attach a simple metal "L" bracket to the joists with wood screws. Slide the box fan between the brackets and run a screw through the bracket, directly into the side of the box fan. Ensure the screws are short enough not to interfere with the fan blades. Mount the box fan so that 1 to 2 inches of space is left under the intake side. This leaves enough room to change the filter without dismantling the assembly.
Step 3
Mount a 4-inch wide wood strip to the bottom of each joist using wood screws. This will hold the filter in place when the fan is not running.
Step 4
Plug the box fan in and ensure the filter covers the entire fan area. Adjust the fan speed and angle to maximize sawdust collection across the shop.
Tips & Warnings
Vacuum, clean or replace filters often in order for the system to continue working properly
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