Okay a while back I posted question on how to control dust in your work shop.Well I 'm gonna build a "Sanding Box".I will be purchasing a new shop vaccum for the job.I seen a couple picture on the net so I have an idea how to build it.Mine will be about 36" to 48" long x 12" to 20" wide.I want the box big enough for most of my projects.Ya I know I can go outside to sand but not in the middle of winter cold.Has anyone else build one of these? Thanxs for looking.
sP

I have a Shop vac,and one problem I have with it,is if I do about an hour's worth of sanding and clean up the balsa dust, it clogs the filter really fast,with the fine micro dust filters.
From the time I turn it on,the speed gradually increases, until there's no vacuum left,and it has to be cleaned to work again.

I'd be very interested to see your set-up, so I can copy it. lol.

I looks to me like KOMET 44 is still going to have to go outside, but for a much shorter time. I usually take my bench brush to the filter, and it does the trick. It's a good trade off, clean the filter for a few min.in the cold, and sand for an hr inside in the warmth.

I. have taken another vacuum to the vacuum ,now. The spring-loaded filter is a real bear to get out of it's little groove in the primary shop vac.

We modelers get into the worst messes,don't we?

Here is a link to vacum I plan to buy,
http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/14-Gallo...c/EN/index.htm

I read some good reviews on this machine.
sP

I've never seen a shop-vac work well for a down-draft table, it just doesn't provide the CFM needed to collect all the find dust that we generate..

This website provides allot of insight and good reading into the dynamics and necessary fundementals of a good down-draft table.

http://www.billpentz.com/woodworking.../Downdraft.cfm

One possibility would be to use a central vacuum cleaner (or just a blower) that exhausts outside of the shop and not worry about the filter or cfm.

Invertmast, should there have been a link in your post ^?

I built a downdraft table and used a 110v furnace fan. Plenty of CFM to do a great job. A shop vac doesn't have the oomph to pull the dust down from the air immediately above the work surface (unless it is a very small suface contained with side panels... not so good for big pieces of a wing or fuse). Went with a table instead of a box so I could set up my dust producing equipment on it and not have to move things around (scroll saw, belt/disc sander, table saw, Dremel stand). Works great although I'd make the filter changing/cleaning easier on the next one I may build.

Originally Posted by jkettu

One possibility would be to use a central vacuum cleaner (or just a blower) that exhausts outside of the shop and not worry about the filter or cfm.

Invertmast, should there have been a link in your post ^?

apparently i forget to paste it. Its been fixed now.

The issue is, you need ALLOT of CFM to accelerate the air going down into the box to collect all of the fine dust particles. Granted, this is assuming you are using some sort of saw or electric sander. For hand sanding, you could get away with lower CFM, but shop-vac style filters clog very quickly!

I connect my 15gal. shop vac to my benchtop sander (6" disc and a 18" belt) and have to remove the filter and go bang it clear outside after about 10-15 minutes of sanding balsa sticks, or making wing ribs.
Even with the shop vac connected direcly to it, and my air filtration unit running on high (500cfm rating) the shop (2 car garage size) fills up very quickly with all the "fine" dust to the point you have to open the garage door for a 1/2 hour to let it air out.

Does this thread give any ideas -

Cheap DIY water pre-filter for workshop dust

Some more -

Built a super duper shop fan/dust collector.

Dust collection systems

I have that Rigid 6 hp shop vac and it is a beast. Mine has sucked shop rags from a foot away numerous times and small tools should also beware. Should be plenty powerful enough for a moderate size downdraft table.

I am currently using a 20" box fan with a furnace filter duct taped to it. It does a reasonable jog of controlling dust in the air. I will sand a bit and use my shop vac to suck up the majority of the dust from time to time while sanding.

I bought the bags you can put inside the shop vac canister that are intended for very fine dust. The actual filter stays clean and the suction stays pretty consistent. It is not good when you inadvertently suck up a tool though. It's hard to get the tool out of the bag with out destroying the bag

Ken

I have a Craftsman dust collector. Simply sanding in front of the end bell is sufficient for reducing the free dust to almost nothing.

Andy

Originally Posted by KOMET 44

Here is a link to vacum I plan to buy,
http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/14-Gallo...c/EN/index.htm

I read some good reviews on this machine.
sP

Stefan,

As noted by the other guys,shop vacs just don't have the ability to move the volume of air needed. a simple box fan with a furnace filter works far better. If you have the room, the noted furnace blower is a great way to get a big CFM air mover on the cheap. Keep an eye on Craigslist or the town dump for a furnace, or even the local HVAC contractor's junk heap. Most are 110V and a simple switch and plug are all that'll be needed to operate it. You might be even able to utilize a speed control....