All the design efforts, testing, documenting as well as producing free DIY instructions for the woodworking community and beyond, is tremendous. Well done.
I started out buying expensive home purifiers and seeing the benefit to my chronic allergies, and now I've progressed to binge-watching your DIY air filtration videos. Sign me up for the giveaway!
yeah...I applaud your work as an engineer for 2 1/2 decades now. 👏 This is valuable testing info. I'll take into account for my filtration on my DIY HRV system.
This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for! a woodshop in the basement seemed like an impossibility, but this is the trick. Thank you for all your hard work!
I unpacked and assembled my Model B (with the Caterpillar fan) today, and assembly took maybe an hour. All of the parts just screamed quality to me. Great work!
As a fellow engineer I am extremely impressed with the quality and level of detail provided. In my 15+ years, this has been one of, if not the most extensive fact based assessment to date. Excellent work, I plan on purchasing one of your AC Infinity kits for my garage workshop.
Thanks for your continued testing and development of these filters. It's encouraging that you recognized when the prior design was unreasonable to manufacture and sensibly switched to a new design with different materials.
I thought your original version was great. But each generation improves by leaps and bounds. Your videos are great. The amount of time you put into them must be enormous and it shows. Keep up the good work. Thanks
The openess and the detail with which you present your designs is an inspiration. It is very easy under our current model of monetization to guard these kinds of projects jealously. Especially when they take as much work as youve clearly put in here. Thank you for sharing, we are all better for it.
These are fantastic. Definitely would help our medically vulnerable group of kids get together more safely with indoor gatherings who are still relying on some poorly built CR boxes from earlier in the pandemic.
Honestly, I cannot tell you how happy this video makes me! As a self proclaimed filter nerd, it makes me feel so validated that someone cares as much as I do. Your work here is invaluable! The 3M 2800 filters have been my go to for years, and I love the idea of using them in a HEPA filter configuration. As someone who bought a IQAir last year, I have been disappointed in it. It filters great, but the bearings in the fan have started to go. I am dreading having to send it back. I would love to be entered in the contest so I could try out one of your marvelous filter boxes instead. Thank you for all of your hard work. This information is the best I have ever seen put together in one place!
Filter nerds unite! Sorry to hear about the your issues with the IQAir. Hopefully they can get it fixed up for you in short order. You will be in the drawing once we hit the comment goal. Breath easy my friend!
I was pleasantly surprised when you gave my channel a shoutout at 4:44! Anyway, your video is hugely informative and your designs look amazing. I’ve been a fan of yours for a while and have quoted your test results in multiple videos of mine. Keep it up! 3M filtrete forever ✌️
"3M filtrete forever" may just be my first tattoo. Haha I came across your channel a while back when looking into DIY HRVs to ventilate my 3M print room. Great video! A few comments on my videos let me know that you had mentioned me in your video on the AC infinity fan. I had no idea how awesome that fan was until I got to play around with it. You keep up the good work as well!
@@The3DHandymanHahah nice (about the tattoo). I appreciate that! Yup, that AC infinity fan is oddly quiet and powerful. I hope you sell a lot of those awesome air purifiers. Right before you released this video, I released my own video about how HEPA air purifiers tend to be a marketing scam. In my video, I presented a huge amount of scientific evidence and recommended some alternatives. If I'd seen your video before releasing mine, I would have included your air purifiers in the ones I recommend buying. Anyway, next time I make a video about air purifiers, I'm definitely recommending your designs! P.S. I'm looking forward to seeing the CADR for your AC infinity air purifier. P.P.S. I'm curious to see what you think about the PC fan designs in my latest video (Most Hepa Air Purifiers Are A Marketing Scam).
@@HealthyHomeGuide I appreciate the thought! I'll have to check out your HEPA filter video when I get a chance. Will drop you a comment. It's not much of a surprise that the marketing grossly exaggerates a device's capabilities. They always do! 2.5k views in the first 10 days on your video is pretty good. That video will go far 👍
Built your design A about a year ago for my workshop. It works wonderful! Very happy with how it moves air and collects dust. Change the filters about 4-5 months. Very happy with it!
Tangentially related, but have you considered looking into DIY approaches on the dust separation side of things? One of the projects I have on the backburner is reverse engineering the Harvey G700 cyclonic dust separator - using a dust collector fan, short lengths of 8 inch PVC pipe from Amazon, and 3D printed adapters, fittings, and fins to replicate the functionality of a $2500 machine. I'd love to see your take on it.
I very much like that idea and I have something in mind. Just need time to test it out. Maybe later this summer if all goes well. Thanks for the comment!
Your hard work definitely shows, and I know it'll help many people in all sorts of crafts and trades work happier and healthier. I've gone from woodworking in a 4x4 grow tent to now using a zipwall system. Setting up one of these will help keep my place and my lungs cleaner. Well done and thank you!
Thank you Albert! The zip wall is a great idea. Especially if you are working in your living space. Now that I've figured out the air filtration thing, I need to figure out how to not track dust through the house on my feet. There's always something. Haha
@@The3DHandyman I use separate “house” and “woodworking” slippers/jeans to tamp down the tracking issue as best I can. I’m sure you’ll come up with a clever de-dusting method tho haha! You may have convinced me to switch plans from CAT fan to the ducting system. It’s smaller, less turbulent, and I could use it with my 3d printers. I’ll take a look at your kits tonight. 👍🏾
@@The3DHandyman Yeah, not a problem. And I do have a few q's. I'm curious about the footprint and throughput of the Model E and that smaller inline Model B-ish version with the 30x14 filters. I've got a under utilized 20x20x40 corner that perfect for such a beast. I'm guessing that info is incoming in a future video. Also, have you tested filtering any harsh 3D printing filaments through the carbon filters with good results?
The footprint of the Model-B is about 3 inches wider than the filter, so the 14" filter model would be about a 17" square. I'll need to add dimensions to the listings. Forgot about doing that again, haha. The smallest Model-E is an 18" wide, but because it is circular you can turn it to vacuum it and it wont get any wider than 18". The 14" B will be 24" diagonally, so if you want to put a prefilter on it and vacuum it, it takes up a lot more space if you need to turn it. I will be doing some resin printing tests when I get a chance. So far, all I have tested the carbon filter with is FDM printing. I suspect it will work well but I don't know about the longevity of the carbon when I hit it with that resin stink. Hopefully that video will be out in about 2 months or so 🤞 Thanks for all the comments, Albert!
Thank you for all your work and testing. Having all this data to view on your website is very helpful. It's a lot more complicated than just sticking a fan on a filter!
Love your videos beyond just being a joy to nerd out on I think the focus on filtering will do so much good. I have seen my Grandpa build over the years without filtering and I know lowering the barrier to filtering will add years to lives. Keep it up!
Thanks for that. I worked for many years in a metal shop that paid no attention to filtration. Dust doesn't effect everyone the same but when you see someone who it does effect, it's clear why it can't be an afterthought.
Relevant Comment 😄: Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world. I would love a free kit. Shop dust and welding fumes are hard to manage in my 1 car garage. I love that you focus your design on utility, effectiveness for applicability and the data around that. DIY allows me to feel that i'm taking my health into my control and not just relying on the most expensive model without knowing how if it truly works. Looking forward to your woodworking cartridge filters videos. The asthmatics of the world appreciate your dedication to this health topic. THanks
Happy to help! One thing you could try is running a pollution meter in the garage to get a better idea got how bad it really is. Though, the results can be scary! haha I hope to have the cartridge filter videos out in about 2 or 3 weeks. Thanks for watching and the comment!
Recently, I realized that I need to provide some sort of air filtration for my home pottery studio. I perused some diy videos and thought I’d just get a box fan and some filters… Now I know better. I still haven’t decided which solution to my problem I’m going to pull the trigger on, but you’ve done essentially all the leg work. Thank you.
I've followed your filter vids for a while now & look forward for updates. This is a very boring & nerdy subject but you keep the information very relevant & helpful. As a fellow woodworker I am very pleased to see more dyi options with sufficient data to make my own decision based on my situation. Thank you so much for such a brilliant delivery!
WOW!! Been following this for some time now and have been fascinated about how quickly and thoughtfully the product itself has evolved, not to mention your detailed and timely info provided to us DIY folk. Kudos and thanks. Instant motivation for me, just waiting to see your video on the woodworking/dust filter options.......CAT fan in the cart soon.
Thanks for noticing! I was so busy last year that I never even got to make an official video on the 2nd generation of the Model-B... had the 3rd gen done by the time I could sit down to cut some videos together. The CAT is going to do some good work for you. Thanks for the comment and using the amazon links!
You truly are a man of the people. Kudos to you for sharing the science of air filtration from knowing the filtration rate, the static pressure, and understanding CADR, and not only explaining and demonstrating has got me wanting to know more. I notice I'm not the first 300 comments on this video but I figured I would comment anyway as I believe you doing a giveaway is so wholesome. I look forward to buying one when I can save up the money. My son is allergic to almost everything and suffers daily from ezcema and allergies. I feel this is the most affordable answer especially the one with the charcoal to filter out the house. Thanks Sir for sharing.
Brilliant work! I was particularly surprised by the benefits of orienting the fans in the “push” direction. I’m looking forward to the follow-up on ceiling mounted solutions. I’ve been searching for some proven solutions for my small garage shop that don’t break the bank and might afford me the opportunity to make use of the open rafter space. I could absolutely envision mounting a model B type system on a pair of rafters with the fan intake protruding down into the workspace. Excited to see more of your research!
Thank you much. I was thinking I'd have that video done by this weekend but this week proved to be more busy than expected. So, it's looking more like a next week thing. Stay tuned!
I see a lot of stupid people advocating for pull direction in most youtube videos with Diy box fans. suction power is so limited. even strongest vacuum cleaner available needs it close enough to suck a dust. imagine a box fan not intended for static pressure or suction.
With our first born on the way I really need to stop slacking and get more serious about my shops dust collection, will definitely be building or ordering one soon. Thanks for all your work and putting these designs into the community.
I really appreciate your attention to, and explanation of, the details about each of these fans and filters. This is exactly what I'm looking for as I research ideas on how to improve the dust reduction in my shop. Thanks!
Wow you definitely have one of the most thorough DIY fan filter videos on all of TH-cam awesome job I'm definitely going to be looking into buying some of your products.
Great job planning, implementing, and delivering this much data in a way that helps others use it to make an informed decision. Really appreciate your work!
This is really thorough!! Exactly the type of information and testing that puts this video in a class of its own with regards to technical details. Awesome.
Thinking of how much you have improved this product its great to see. I think you beating out the preassembled unit numbers and breaking down the knowledge is key. So thank you very much!!
@@kevinflanagan5851 Hi Kevin! Glad you like the design. I will be updating my website with a new shop in a few months, but until then you can buy them on my Esty page www.etsy.com/shop/The3DHandyman If you have any questions, let me know!
I appreciate all the testing and the graphs! I'm just upset I found your channel after building a CR box with 4 3m 20x25 filters, a lasko box fan, and packing tape plugged into a smart switch. Thanks to your channel, I have recommended these filters for family and friends currently battling seasonal allergies. My plan is to build a quad filter setup into a more cost effective and better performing side table similar to Ikea's starkvind table with replaceable 3m filters and maybe a UV-C light inside.
Sounds like a great use for that Ikea table. People also make 3D printer enclosures out of that table, I believe. I have head a lot of comments about the UVC lights. Be careful to completely shield the light, UV-C is some nasty stuff! Thanks for the comment!
I picked up the Cat thinking one of these day's I'll actually set up my shop and use it for this purpose and build the box for it. It's such a great fan for literally everything it's gonna be hard to put it in a filter box. But if you're selling awesome hardware to throw it in that I don't have to build.... I'm probably just gonna jump on that. I appreciate all your hard work. I'll bring the beer if you wanna show off your shop.
I agree with everyone else in saying your videos have been instrumental in going about this DIY! I’m working on a modified ceiling mounted version using the Cat fan. Can’t thank you enough! Also bought the 3d printed parts and they’re perfect.
This video was recommended to me after watching a video from the Healthy Home Guide. Thank you for putting this video together, tons of great info here... done in a clean, professional way. With the anticipation of fire season again this year - living in BC, this is very helpful
Outstanding!! Information that brings health home economically!! Life happens and I've not had a chance to build one. Things are slowing down and love the idea of purchase. Thank you so much for your videos and ingenuity.
Thanks for watching and considering a purchase! Happy to hear things are slowing down a bit, life can happen a bit too hard at times. I appreciate the comment!
I've been following your channel for a while and seen various iterations of your projects, and i gotta say that i really appreciate your designs and willingness to make this information and your designs available to your viewers. I picked up some filters this last weekend and I'm looking forward to making your Caterpillar drum fan model soon. Could always use more filters for my shop, so I'm looking forward to your giveaway as well. You've earned my subscription.
I can really appreciate the fact that you include so much of this information for free. Starting a woodshop is expensive! I am weighing the benefits of building my Model B on wheels or hanging it up. PS, if you still have the free kit's available, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks so much, have a great day.
My comments don't apply in the 300 comment count, so you will be in the drawing. Hanging or on wheels, either way they work great. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I've been taping a 20x20 filter to my box fan for years, but after watching the videos I'm going to upgrade to a quad filter configuration. The 12" AC Infinity and 4 16x25 filters seems to be what I'm looking for. Can't wait to put one together.
Awesome work man! Looking at the B with the CAT fan, and the Wall fan version for the house. Really interested in the wood working fans for my new shop.
am beyond impressed by this video. so much engineering, backed by data, etc. Super stoked to buy a kit, but i'd really love to have one of the give-away units.
I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into testing and perfecting your design(s). You’re doin’ God’s work by helpin’ us all create the most affordable & effective air purification systems. I’m so grateful for this work. 🙏
So glad to see the upgrade and changes to the kit. I’ll definitely get in touch when I get back to StL in the next month or so! Save some of that AK shipping.
The updated version looks good! I just bought a Model C to replace my duct tape and cardboard version that I built last year. Pollen allergy season is just around the corner!
Awesome design work, and love the level of detail you've put into the testing. I've been holding off on building one of these due to space constraints in my garage shop, but that will be changing soon, so I am super excited to see that you've continued improving these designs. My current setup (shop-vac with cyclone for most tools, dust extractor for sanding, and ceiling mounted air filter) does an okay job...but there's still TONS of fine dust everywhere the next day when it all settles out of the air. Definitely think the Cat drum fan kit is going to be on my shop upgrade list here really soon, unless of course the testing on the canister filters pushes things in that direction.
Thank you! I will get into the same level of detail with the canister filters designs. Spoiler alert... I like canisters for ducted filtration much better than Axial fans. Axial fans and large disposable filters are a much better combination. If you cant go with a ducted design, the Cat fan and some 20x30in filters are the most efficient option by far.
Great job on the video a few years ago I had to paint a small 25 x 25 9 foot ceiling classroom with red paint and I did my best to mask off but I decided to take a 20 inch box fan and I had a 20 x 20 filter and I taped it on the back and was quite amazed at how much Particulate that picked up just by itself I loved your design work
Excellent Engineering! I am on the verge of making one for my garage woodshop when I came across you video, many of the ideas I had reguarding the build will now have to be reconsidered based on your work, will take a look at your etsy shop and see if its a better idea just to purchace a premade one or get some of your plans and proceed from there. Thanks again for your willingness to share all your hard work.
Have you tried centrifugal blower fans? They are the most common type of fan found in HVAC systems and they can move significantly more air at higher static pressures vs an axial fan. This is important because the filters are restrictive and require static pressure. Centrifugal fans are the kind of fan your furnace uses to blow air through the HVAC filters you are using. A lot of these filters are rated for 0.5 in WC and a lot of axial fans aren't even capable of producing static pressures that high.
Man, I can't wait to see the results of the cartridge filter test. I purchased one of the Cat fans for the powder coating spray booth I'm building based on your recommendation and it'll be pulling through some similar cartridge filters. I _should_ be using an industrial tube axial fan but the Cat is a far cry from the $1500 alternative. Even running three Cat's will be significantly cheaper. Hope it'll do the job.
Spray booths are a challenging build! They have a lot of needs. I did have success with the cartridge filters and the CAT fan in the upwards "pull config" more so than the downwards "push config". That said, I had even more success with the 12" inline fan that handles static pressure better. Also, ducted filtration rocks. It's a bit like a budget downdraft paint booth. I'll cover all the details on the cartridge filters in the upcoming video and I already have a video out on ducted filtration if you haven't seen that one yet. Thanks for the comment!
I just found your channel. Thank you for compiling all of the data. I also 3D print in my home and want to reduce the Voc’s even from PLA. I’ll start by building the caterpillar fan and then make a small one for the 3D printer room.
Awesome. Happy to send a little inspiration your way. I hope to have my video on VOCs out this summer. PLA does have a bit of a sweet smell that isn't foul, but probably isn't too good for us.
There are so many TH-cam videos on this topic that facts become almost impossible to discern. Your approach is helpful in this regard. Even so, I find that the curtness of your statements leans into the staccato realm. Being a person who likes to mentally walk through important decisions, more information in a readily attainable format would be greatly appreciated. Do not take my comments as negative...they are just how I process things. Your testing and recommendations are extremely helpful and build confidence in the solutions you promote. I hope you keep up the good work that you are doing and continue to inform about your results. It is great that you are also offering free plans as well as kits and parts for sale. Thanks.
Fair enough. I think I went through 3 different scripts for this video before I ended up with this one and I still ended up cutting in a few random things that felt were left out. Those cuts can fee a bit abrupt at times. It's also a challenge deciding what to say without saying too much or too little. It's my nature to want to say every last thing about the topic but if it's a comparison video at the same time it could end up being an hour long and the average viewer attention span is about 6 minutes. I'll be covering some concepts in single topic videos where I hope to be a bit more through. Thanks for watching and commenting!
My dad made some of these back in the 80s and I built one in the late 90s for a friend. These look really good. Love the ceiling mounted one! The one my dad made had slots to slide the filters in and out. These newer fans are so nice as well.
Dang! I decided to get the utiltech fan (used but almost new on craigslist) for 40 bucks instead of the caterpillar ($150.00) this morning. Then I see this video and your review on the utiltech and it made me sad. Still, I love your videos! Keep 'em coming!
$40 is a good deal. No need to be sad! There are some details that didn't make it into the video. The Utilitech is really loud in small spaces (100sq.ft) but not as bad in large open areas (400sq.ft +). In some cases it appears at least match the CAT fan in some smoke tests and it's definitely better than any box fan. It's not my preference but it's still a great fan. Thanks for the comment!
Thank you for looking at the push configuration! Its how comercialized heppa filters work and ive been looking at fans that would work well. My main reason for wanting push is the dust stays inside and doesnt get knocked off all over the floor when moving the unit.
What an exciting drop in my subscription feed! Looking forward to the future videos. Might be time to graduate from my air king and 4inch Nordic pure filter
Hope all is well! Looking forward to your next testing/vid drop. I had to take time off from my workshop projects for a bit but I’m back at them now. Def looking to figure out my filtering situation with your videos.
Great video. The battle with dust is a constant struggle in my shop. I have a couple different DIY filters in the shop now; always looking to improve the efficiency and ease of maintenance. I’m looking forward to seeing your plans for woodworkers to use. I appreciate the information on the impact of air turbulence in the shop. It is a good time (weather and shop temperature) to turn off my fan to test whether it has been hindering or helping the dust control effort.
Your method of conceptualizing this, educating people and creating a business is so remarkable. I love how you worked to optimize this concept. Thank you for sharing information as you do. Very unique and impressive approach-- clear, generous, practical + awesome industrial design.
Great information, thank you very much. I'm building one unit for the home and one for my photography studio, helping keep the gear clean and free from dust on the CCDs which is really important. Thanks and looking forward to the next video
I've been struggling with sinus problems for years, mouth breathing and snoring at night, not being able to get good rest. I feel like HEPA filters help me out, but these designs seem even better! I'll make sure to try something like you've shown out, thanks a ton for sharing all that knowledge in such high quality mate! Keep up the good work, well done!
Just checked out your Etsy shop. If only the shipping to Norway wasn’t so expensive. After shipping and then Norwegian vat the kits are twice the price :( big thanks fir the info here though!! You gave a lot of important information here yet managed to be very concise. Great video!! I’ll start saving!
Just working on my air filtration needs and had a product design thought for you...a flanged, bell-shaped inlet extension, for your favorite AC fan. Keep the fan blowing into the box, and mount the extension on/over the grill. Like a mini-CAT.
All the design efforts, testing, documenting as well as producing free DIY instructions for the woodworking community and beyond, is tremendous. Well done.
Thanks for watching and the comment!
Hear, hear!
I started out buying expensive home purifiers and seeing the benefit to my chronic allergies, and now I've progressed to binge-watching your DIY air filtration videos. Sign me up for the giveaway!
You got it. Thanks for binge-watching!
Same here... Just watched all videos. Messaged him on etsy about buying a system already.
yeah...I applaud your work as an engineer for 2 1/2 decades now. 👏 This is valuable testing info. I'll take into account for my filtration on my DIY HRV system.
Yeah this is much cheaper 😂😂😂
This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for! a woodshop in the basement seemed like an impossibility, but this is the trick. Thank you for all your hard work!
I unpacked and assembled my Model B (with the Caterpillar fan) today, and assembly took maybe an hour. All of the parts just screamed quality to me. Great work!
Happy to hear the process went well. Thanks for the feedback!
You are a nerd, and the world needs you.
As a fellow engineer I am extremely impressed with the quality and level of detail provided. In my 15+ years, this has been one of, if not the most extensive fact based assessment to date. Excellent work, I plan on purchasing one of your AC Infinity kits for my garage workshop.
That is some great feedback. Thank you! I'll have all the new versions of kit listed soon. Let me know if you have any questions at all.
Thanks for your continued testing and development of these filters. It's encouraging that you recognized when the prior design was unreasonable to manufacture and sensibly switched to a new design with different materials.
Thanks for recognizing that I recognized 😎
I thought your original version was great. But each generation improves by leaps and bounds. Your videos are great. The amount of time you put into them must be enormous and it shows. Keep up the good work. Thanks
The openess and the detail with which you present your designs is an inspiration. It is very easy under our current model of monetization to guard these kinds of projects jealously. Especially when they take as much work as youve clearly put in here. Thank you for sharing, we are all better for it.
I appreciate you seeing and saying that. Thanks for watching!
These are fantastic. Definitely would help our medically vulnerable group of kids get together more safely with indoor gatherings who are still relying on some poorly built CR boxes from earlier in the pandemic.
Honestly, I cannot tell you how happy this video makes me! As a self proclaimed filter nerd, it makes me feel so validated that someone cares as much as I do. Your work here is invaluable! The 3M 2800 filters have been my go to for years, and I love the idea of using them in a HEPA filter configuration. As someone who bought a IQAir last year, I have been disappointed in it. It filters great, but the bearings in the fan have started to go. I am dreading having to send it back. I would love to be entered in the contest so I could try out one of your marvelous filter boxes instead. Thank you for all of your hard work. This information is the best I have ever seen put together in one place!
Filter nerds unite! Sorry to hear about the your issues with the IQAir. Hopefully they can get it fixed up for you in short order. You will be in the drawing once we hit the comment goal. Breath easy my friend!
I was pleasantly surprised when you gave my channel a shoutout at 4:44! Anyway, your video is hugely informative and your designs look amazing. I’ve been a fan of yours for a while and have quoted your test results in multiple videos of mine. Keep it up! 3M filtrete forever ✌️
"3M filtrete forever" may just be my first tattoo. Haha
I came across your channel a while back when looking into DIY HRVs to ventilate my 3M print room. Great video! A few comments on my videos let me know that you had mentioned me in your video on the AC infinity fan. I had no idea how awesome that fan was until I got to play around with it. You keep up the good work as well!
@@The3DHandymanHahah nice (about the tattoo). I appreciate that! Yup, that AC infinity fan is oddly quiet and powerful.
I hope you sell a lot of those awesome air purifiers. Right before you released this video, I released my own video about how HEPA air purifiers tend to be a marketing scam. In my video, I presented a huge amount of scientific evidence and recommended some alternatives. If I'd seen your video before releasing mine, I would have included your air purifiers in the ones I recommend buying. Anyway, next time I make a video about air purifiers, I'm definitely recommending your designs!
P.S. I'm looking forward to seeing the CADR for your AC infinity air purifier.
P.P.S. I'm curious to see what you think about the PC fan designs in my latest video (Most Hepa Air Purifiers Are A Marketing Scam).
@@HealthyHomeGuide I appreciate the thought! I'll have to check out your HEPA filter video when I get a chance. Will drop you a comment. It's not much of a surprise that the marketing grossly exaggerates a device's capabilities. They always do!
2.5k views in the first 10 days on your video is pretty good. That video will go far 👍
Built your design A about a year ago for my workshop. It works wonderful! Very happy with how it moves air and collects dust. Change the filters about 4-5 months. Very happy with it!
Thanks for the feedback! Happy to hear it's working well for you
I love how thorough you are with your videos! Thank you for your hard work and diligence! Can't wait to see more!
Amazing work! I've just been watching your older videos and perfect timing to see new updates. Thanks for all of your work!
That is perfect timing! It took quite a while to get some new content together but it was ready just in time 👍
Tangentially related, but have you considered looking into DIY approaches on the dust separation side of things?
One of the projects I have on the backburner is reverse engineering the Harvey G700 cyclonic dust separator - using a dust collector fan, short lengths of 8 inch PVC pipe from Amazon, and 3D printed adapters, fittings, and fins to replicate the functionality of a $2500 machine.
I'd love to see your take on it.
I very much like that idea and I have something in mind. Just need time to test it out. Maybe later this summer if all goes well. Thanks for the comment!
The ultimate video on this subject.
You're making all us DIYers look good dude! Keep on keeping on 🤘
Your hard work definitely shows, and I know it'll help many people in all sorts of crafts and trades work happier and healthier. I've gone from woodworking in a 4x4 grow tent to now using a zipwall system. Setting up one of these will help keep my place and my lungs cleaner. Well done and thank you!
Thank you Albert! The zip wall is a great idea. Especially if you are working in your living space. Now that I've figured out the air filtration thing, I need to figure out how to not track dust through the house on my feet. There's always something. Haha
@@The3DHandyman I use separate “house” and “woodworking” slippers/jeans to tamp down the tracking issue as best I can. I’m sure you’ll come up with a clever de-dusting method tho haha! You may have convinced me to switch plans from CAT fan to the ducting system. It’s smaller, less turbulent, and I could use it with my 3d printers. I’ll take a look at your kits tonight. 👍🏾
Awesome. Let me know if you have any questions at all. Much appreciated on the bad link to the AC infinity fan! Got to get them Bezobucks lol
@@The3DHandyman Yeah, not a problem. And I do have a few q's.
I'm curious about the footprint and throughput of the Model E and that smaller inline Model B-ish version with the 30x14 filters. I've got a under utilized 20x20x40 corner that perfect for such a beast. I'm guessing that info is incoming in a future video.
Also, have you tested filtering any harsh 3D printing filaments through the carbon filters with good results?
The footprint of the Model-B is about 3 inches wider than the filter, so the 14" filter model would be about a 17" square. I'll need to add dimensions to the listings. Forgot about doing that again, haha.
The smallest Model-E is an 18" wide, but because it is circular you can turn it to vacuum it and it wont get any wider than 18". The 14" B will be 24" diagonally, so if you want to put a prefilter on it and vacuum it, it takes up a lot more space if you need to turn it.
I will be doing some resin printing tests when I get a chance. So far, all I have tested the carbon filter with is FDM printing. I suspect it will work well but I don't know about the longevity of the carbon when I hit it with that resin stink. Hopefully that video will be out in about 2 months or so 🤞
Thanks for all the comments, Albert!
Thank you for all your work and testing. Having all this data to view on your website is very helpful. It's a lot more complicated than just sticking a fan on a filter!
I'll have even more data up there later this week and even more some day after that. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Love your videos beyond just being a joy to nerd out on I think the focus on filtering will do so much good. I have seen my Grandpa build over the years without filtering and I know lowering the barrier to filtering will add years to lives. Keep it up!
Thanks for that. I worked for many years in a metal shop that paid no attention to filtration. Dust doesn't effect everyone the same but when you see someone who it does effect, it's clear why it can't be an afterthought.
Relevant Comment 😄: Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world. I would love a free kit. Shop dust and welding fumes are hard to manage in my 1 car garage. I love that you focus your design on utility, effectiveness for applicability and the data around that. DIY allows me to feel that i'm taking my health into my control and not just relying on the most expensive model without knowing how if it truly works. Looking forward to your woodworking cartridge filters videos. The asthmatics of the world appreciate your dedication to this health topic. THanks
Happy to help! One thing you could try is running a pollution meter in the garage to get a better idea got how bad it really is. Though, the results can be scary! haha
I hope to have the cartridge filter videos out in about 2 or 3 weeks.
Thanks for watching and the comment!
Recently, I realized that I need to provide some sort of air filtration for my home pottery studio.
I perused some diy videos and thought I’d just get a box fan and some filters…
Now I know better.
I still haven’t decided which solution to my problem I’m going to pull the trigger on, but you’ve done essentially all the leg work.
Thank you.
I am happy to see the new materials and data to match designs to specific fans!
Even more on the way!
I've followed your filter vids for a while now & look forward for updates. This is a very boring & nerdy subject but you keep the information very relevant & helpful. As a fellow woodworker I am very pleased to see more dyi options with sufficient data to make my own decision based on my situation. Thank you so much for such a brilliant delivery!
Thanks for the comment! It's ones like this that keep me motivated 👍
WOW!! Been following this for some time now and have been fascinated about how quickly and thoughtfully the product itself has evolved, not to mention your detailed and timely info provided to us DIY folk. Kudos and thanks. Instant motivation for me, just waiting to see your video on the woodworking/dust filter options.......CAT fan in the cart soon.
Thanks for noticing! I was so busy last year that I never even got to make an official video on the 2nd generation of the Model-B... had the 3rd gen done by the time I could sit down to cut some videos together. The CAT is going to do some good work for you. Thanks for the comment and using the amazon links!
You truly are a man of the people. Kudos to you for sharing the science of air filtration from knowing the filtration rate, the static pressure, and understanding CADR, and not only explaining and demonstrating has got me wanting to know more. I notice I'm not the first 300 comments on this video but I figured I would comment anyway as I believe you doing a giveaway is so wholesome. I look forward to buying one when I can save up the money. My son is allergic to almost everything and suffers daily from ezcema and allergies. I feel this is the most affordable answer especially the one with the charcoal to filter out the house. Thanks Sir for sharing.
Your video could not have been more timely. I was just about to design and build my own air cleaner. I’ll be going to your website now…
Just got a set of plans up there. I'll be shooting a build video some time soon. Let me know if the plans need improvements!
Thank you for all of your work with this and for sharing it so willingly with the rest of the community!
Any time, my friend!
Brilliant work! I was particularly surprised by the benefits of orienting the fans in the “push” direction. I’m looking forward to the follow-up on ceiling mounted solutions. I’ve been searching for some proven solutions for my small garage shop that don’t break the bank and might afford me the opportunity to make use of the open rafter space. I could absolutely envision mounting a model B type system on a pair of rafters with the fan intake protruding down into the workspace. Excited to see more of your research!
Thank you much. I was thinking I'd have that video done by this weekend but this week proved to be more busy than expected. So, it's looking more like a next week thing. Stay tuned!
I see a lot of stupid people advocating for pull direction in most youtube videos with Diy box fans. suction power is so limited. even strongest vacuum cleaner available needs it close enough to suck a dust.
imagine a box fan not intended for static pressure or suction.
With our first born on the way I really need to stop slacking and get more serious about my shops dust collection, will definitely be building or ordering one soon. Thanks for all your work and putting these designs into the community.
Got to look out for the little ones, but I'm sure your lungs will appreciate it as well. Happy to help. More content on the way soon 👍
I really appreciate your attention to, and explanation of, the details about each of these fans and filters. This is exactly what I'm looking for as I research ideas on how to improve the dust reduction in my shop. Thanks!
Happy to help. Thanks for the comment!
Wow you definitely have one of the most thorough DIY fan filter videos on all of TH-cam awesome job I'm definitely going to be looking into buying some of your products.
Stunning quality and quantity of research here. Massive thanks
I almost clicked off of this cause I thought it was just another AI video. Your voice must be what they trained the models on hahaha
Lot of engineers are monotone like AI.
It's the opposite actually
If Ai is gonna replace us - it better start on speaking parts
Holy moly. I thought it was a garbage AI video too until I saw him show up and speak
I clicked on the video to give this comment a thumbs up.
Thank you for putting together the build video.
I do exactly the same when I hear any ai voice
This is fantastic work. Thank you for the time, effort, and generosity you put into this project.
Once again some of the most professional and detailed air filter content available, thanks for continuing to work on this, it's a lot of work
So much work. It's funny to think that I was telling people this series would be out 6 months ago. I had no idea. lol. Thanks for the comment!
Great information. I have a box fan filter in just about every room of my home.
Hanging from the ceiling is a great idea.
The box fan filter is the DIY standard. Excellent choice
Thank you for all your hard work. This is the best dust filtration info I’ve found on yt! Stay awesome!
Looking forward to the woodworking filter discussion. I will probably build an inline fan version with venting.
Nice. I hope to have that out in 2-3 weeks
Great job planning, implementing, and delivering this much data in a way that helps others use it to make an informed decision. Really appreciate your work!
It's so nice I watched it twice
Best comment yet!
This is great info, thanks for sharing!!
Thanks!
No, thank you!
This is really thorough!! Exactly the type of information and testing that puts this video in a class of its own with regards to technical details. Awesome.
great series. appreciate all the work you have done.
Great video, your original design was great, this is even better.
Much appreciated! Thank you for the comment.
So excited to find this information as well as build info...maybe even a purchase. Thank you so much.
I made the cat fan filter for my garage wood shop and it works wonders. Don’t even need the when air filters on the ceiling.
Amazing video! Questions that appeared while watching were all answered
This is great! Thanks for putting in all the hard work!
Thinking of how much you have improved this product its great to see. I think you beating out the preassembled unit numbers and breaking down the knowledge is key. So thank you very much!!
where on your website and I look at the items for purchase?
@@kevinflanagan5851 Hi Kevin! Glad you like the design. I will be updating my website with a new shop in a few months, but until then you can buy them on my Esty page www.etsy.com/shop/The3DHandyman
If you have any questions, let me know!
You are extremely thorough and for that I appreciate your videos and what you do. You are a godsend lol
Happy to help. Thanks for the comment!
Changed my perspective on how to mitigate damages living next to a busy highway. Thank you for your efforts.
Just built one out using tape and some card board with a box fan. Works surprisingly well.
I’m sure the bigger fan would work even better
I appreciate all the testing and the graphs! I'm just upset I found your channel after building a CR box with 4 3m 20x25 filters, a lasko box fan, and packing tape plugged into a smart switch. Thanks to your channel, I have recommended these filters for family and friends currently battling seasonal allergies. My plan is to build a quad filter setup into a more cost effective and better performing side table similar to Ikea's starkvind table with replaceable 3m filters and maybe a UV-C light inside.
Sounds like a great use for that Ikea table. People also make 3D printer enclosures out of that table, I believe. I have head a lot of comments about the UVC lights. Be careful to completely shield the light, UV-C is some nasty stuff! Thanks for the comment!
I picked up the Cat thinking one of these day's I'll actually set up my shop and use it for this purpose and build the box for it. It's such a great fan for literally everything it's gonna be hard to put it in a filter box. But if you're selling awesome hardware to throw it in that I don't have to build.... I'm probably just gonna jump on that. I appreciate all your hard work. I'll bring the beer if you wanna show off your shop.
I agree with everyone else in saying your videos have been instrumental in going about this DIY! I’m working on a modified ceiling mounted version using the Cat fan. Can’t thank you enough! Also bought the 3d printed parts and they’re perfect.
Happy to hear the parts worked just right! Thanks for the comment, Tyler.
This video was recommended to me after watching a video from the Healthy Home Guide. Thank you for putting this video together, tons of great info here... done in a clean, professional way. With the anticipation of fire season again this year - living in BC, this is very helpful
I think the final script for this was version 5 or something like that. Happy to hear that it got the job done. Thanks for the comment!
Outstanding!! Information that brings health home economically!! Life happens and I've not had a chance to build one. Things are slowing down and love the idea of purchase. Thank you so much for your videos and ingenuity.
Thanks for watching and considering a purchase! Happy to hear things are slowing down a bit, life can happen a bit too hard at times. I appreciate the comment!
I've been following your channel for a while and seen various iterations of your projects, and i gotta say that i really appreciate your designs and willingness to make this information and your designs available to your viewers. I picked up some filters this last weekend and I'm looking forward to making your Caterpillar drum fan model soon. Could always use more filters for my shop, so I'm looking forward to your giveaway as well. You've earned my subscription.
Awesome. Thanks for subscribing! I should have the plans available on the website later this week
Will you be doing a Model B utilizing 120mm computer case fans?
Great job on this even more in depth analysis! Would love to see some future designs and sourcing for even higher MERV numbers.
I can really appreciate the fact that you include so much of this information for free. Starting a woodshop is expensive! I am weighing the benefits of building my Model B on wheels or hanging it up. PS, if you still have the free kit's available, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks so much, have a great day.
My comments don't apply in the 300 comment count, so you will be in the drawing.
Hanging or on wheels, either way they work great. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Excellent video! Shows all the choices. Explains each well. Thank you!
I've been taping a 20x20 filter to my box fan for years, but after watching the videos I'm going to upgrade to a quad filter configuration. The 12" AC Infinity and 4 16x25 filters seems to be what I'm looking for. Can't wait to put one together.
Awesome work man! Looking at the B with the CAT fan, and the Wall fan version for the house. Really interested in the wood working fans for my new shop.
Awesome! Happy to hear you like the new designs. Let me know if you have any questions at all
Fantastic vid, pro tip for the next drywall job- a shop vac on the sander pipe is virtually dustless
am beyond impressed by this video. so much engineering, backed by data, etc. Super stoked to buy a kit, but i'd really love to have one of the give-away units.
You will be in the drawing when the comments reach the threshold. My comments don't count and there are a lot of them...
Thanks for watching!
I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into testing and perfecting your design(s).
You’re doin’ God’s work by helpin’ us all create the most affordable & effective air purification systems. I’m so grateful for this work. 🙏
So glad to see the upgrade and changes to the kit. I’ll definitely get in touch when I get back to StL in the next month or so! Save some of that AK shipping.
Thank you! Fine idea. Good to hear from you again
Thanks for your videos. Very useful charts for me.
Happy to help. Thanks for the comment!
all I want to say is thank you for you work and effort. Keep up the high quality stuff.
The updated version looks good! I just bought a Model C to replace my duct tape and cardboard version that I built last year. Pollen allergy season is just around the corner!
Awesome. Thanks for buying a kit! It helps keep all this going
Awesome design work, and love the level of detail you've put into the testing. I've been holding off on building one of these due to space constraints in my garage shop, but that will be changing soon, so I am super excited to see that you've continued improving these designs. My current setup (shop-vac with cyclone for most tools, dust extractor for sanding, and ceiling mounted air filter) does an okay job...but there's still TONS of fine dust everywhere the next day when it all settles out of the air. Definitely think the Cat drum fan kit is going to be on my shop upgrade list here really soon, unless of course the testing on the canister filters pushes things in that direction.
Thank you! I will get into the same level of detail with the canister filters designs. Spoiler alert... I like canisters for ducted filtration much better than Axial fans. Axial fans and large disposable filters are a much better combination. If you cant go with a ducted design, the Cat fan and some 20x30in filters are the most efficient option by far.
Impressive video. I’ve been ocd on dust collection / DIY air cleaners the last 5 yrs. You clarified a lot for me. Thanks
Great job on the video a few years ago I had to paint a small 25 x 25 9 foot ceiling classroom with red paint and I did my best to mask off but I decided to take a 20 inch box fan and I had a 20 x 20 filter and I taped it on the back and was quite amazed at how much Particulate that picked up just by itself I loved your design work
Excellent Engineering! I am on the verge of making one for my garage woodshop when I came across you video, many of the ideas I had reguarding the build will now have to be reconsidered based on your work, will take a look at your etsy shop and see if its a better idea just to purchace a premade one or get some of your plans and proceed from there. Thanks again for your willingness to share all your hard work.
Thanks for watching and considering a purchase! I should have the plans up on my website later this week if you decide to go that direction
Have you tried centrifugal blower fans? They are the most common type of fan found in HVAC systems and they can move significantly more air at higher static pressures vs an axial fan. This is important because the filters are restrictive and require static pressure. Centrifugal fans are the kind of fan your furnace uses to blow air through the HVAC filters you are using. A lot of these filters are rated for 0.5 in WC and a lot of axial fans aren't even capable of producing static pressures that high.
Man, I can't wait to see the results of the cartridge filter test. I purchased one of the Cat fans for the powder coating spray booth I'm building based on your recommendation and it'll be pulling through some similar cartridge filters. I _should_ be using an industrial tube axial fan but the Cat is a far cry from the $1500 alternative. Even running three Cat's will be significantly cheaper. Hope it'll do the job.
Spray booths are a challenging build! They have a lot of needs. I did have success with the cartridge filters and the CAT fan in the upwards "pull config" more so than the downwards "push config". That said, I had even more success with the 12" inline fan that handles static pressure better. Also, ducted filtration rocks. It's a bit like a budget downdraft paint booth. I'll cover all the details on the cartridge filters in the upcoming video and I already have a video out on ducted filtration if you haven't seen that one yet. Thanks for the comment!
I just found your channel. Thank you for compiling all of the data. I also 3D print in my home and want to reduce the Voc’s even from PLA. I’ll start by building the caterpillar fan and then make a small one for the 3D printer room.
Awesome. Happy to send a little inspiration your way. I hope to have my video on VOCs out this summer. PLA does have a bit of a sweet smell that isn't foul, but probably isn't too good for us.
There are so many TH-cam videos on this topic that facts become almost impossible to discern. Your approach is helpful in this regard. Even so, I find that the curtness of your statements leans into the staccato realm. Being a person who likes to mentally walk through important decisions, more information in a readily attainable format would be greatly appreciated. Do not take my comments as negative...they are just how I process things. Your testing and recommendations are extremely helpful and build confidence in the solutions you promote. I hope you keep up the good work that you are doing and continue to inform about your results. It is great that you are also offering free plans as well as kits and parts for sale. Thanks.
Fair enough. I think I went through 3 different scripts for this video before I ended up with this one and I still ended up cutting in a few random things that felt were left out. Those cuts can fee a bit abrupt at times. It's also a challenge deciding what to say without saying too much or too little. It's my nature to want to say every last thing about the topic but if it's a comparison video at the same time it could end up being an hour long and the average viewer attention span is about 6 minutes. I'll be covering some concepts in single topic videos where I hope to be a bit more through. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Love these videos, keep them coming I’ll be needing one very soon and you have my mind racing with ideas 👍🏼
Happy to have others join the mind race! Haha. Even more designs will be out soon!
My dad made some of these back in the 80s and I built one in the late 90s for a friend. These look really good. Love the ceiling mounted one!
The one my dad made had slots to slide the filters in and out. These newer fans are so nice as well.
Dang! I decided to get the utiltech fan (used but almost new on craigslist) for 40 bucks instead of the caterpillar ($150.00) this morning. Then I see this video and your review on the utiltech and it made me sad. Still, I love your videos! Keep 'em coming!
$40 is a good deal. No need to be sad! There are some details that didn't make it into the video. The Utilitech is really loud in small spaces (100sq.ft) but not as bad in large open areas (400sq.ft +). In some cases it appears at least match the CAT fan in some smoke tests and it's definitely better than any box fan. It's not my preference but it's still a great fan. Thanks for the comment!
I wasn’t thinking of, or even need a dust filter, but I watched the whole video, bravo!
Thank you for looking at the push configuration! Its how comercialized heppa filters work and ive been looking at fans that would work well.
My main reason for wanting push is the dust stays inside and doesnt get knocked off all over the floor when moving the unit.
What an exciting drop in my subscription feed! Looking forward to the future videos. Might be time to graduate from my air king and 4inch Nordic pure filter
The air king and a 4" filter is a fine choice, but the quad filters are the next level. Thanks for watching and the comment!
That was a lot of good info. Good luck on the sales.
Hope all is well! Looking forward to your next testing/vid drop. I had to take time off from my workshop projects for a bit but I’m back at them now. Def looking to figure out my filtering situation with your videos.
Great video. The battle with dust is a constant struggle in my shop. I have a couple different DIY filters in the shop now; always looking to improve the efficiency and ease of maintenance. I’m looking forward to seeing your plans for woodworkers to use. I appreciate the information on the impact of air turbulence in the shop. It is a good time (weather and shop temperature) to turn off my fan to test whether it has been hindering or helping the dust control effort.
Thanks! I hope to have the plans available on my website by this weekend.
*LOVE* these videos! And great designs! Looking forward to the ceiling might model :)
Wow, all-around awesome job on the data the designs the video, all of it. Thank you!
Dude, your editing ideas or excellent. Love the Radio Shack calculator too.
Your method of conceptualizing this, educating people and creating a business is so remarkable. I love how you worked to optimize this concept. Thank you for sharing information as you do. Very unique and impressive approach-- clear, generous, practical + awesome industrial design.
I appreciate your dedication to this project.
Great information, thank you very much. I'm building one unit for the home and one for my photography studio, helping keep the gear clean and free from dust on the CCDs which is really important. Thanks and looking forward to the next video
That's a great use for these. I bought my Sony that I shot this video with used and the sensor was filthy. Got to keep them things clean!
I've been struggling with sinus problems for years, mouth breathing and snoring at night, not being able to get good rest. I feel like HEPA filters help me out, but these designs seem even better! I'll make sure to try something like you've shown out, thanks a ton for sharing all that knowledge in such high quality mate! Keep up the good work, well done!
Just checked out your Etsy shop. If only the shipping to Norway wasn’t so expensive. After shipping and then Norwegian vat the kits are twice the price :( big thanks fir the info here though!! You gave a lot of important information here yet managed to be very concise. Great video!!
I’ll start saving!
Just working on my air filtration needs and had a product design thought for you...a flanged, bell-shaped inlet extension, for your favorite AC fan. Keep the fan blowing into the box, and mount the extension on/over the grill. Like a mini-CAT.