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Hi, I have a very important question, how do you clean yourself up, like your cap, clothes, face, hair and shoes after a regular day at work? I mean you wore a mask, but the dust will be all over you after so you can still ingest that once you take off the mask. Please answer. Super important for me to know.
@@slickcatricky7694 Rick, seriously, most use an air nozzle from compressor air line. However Worksafe in Canada, similar to OSHA in the US don’t like that because they feel you could blow an air bubble thru a cut in the skin and get into bloodline. Bad Carma. Considering options, I’d still use compressed air but use a regulator to reduce volume and a nozzle that sprays a wider pattern than a tight stream. Ask if you have more questions. I do FA in construction.
Pro tip… Just use some masking tape to tape the filters to both sides of the normal box fan, and just be sure that the airflow arrows are pointing in the right direction. That’s the easier version of this!🤓
Great idea and nice looking. Suggestion from the HVAC standpoint. Better to stack the filters both on the uptake side of the air flow with the cheap filter on top of the hepa. This does two things, of equal importance. One , having both filters on the inlet side keeps the fan motor and blades nice and clean. Two, a fan motor is happier pulling against negative pressure. Somewhat counterintuitively perhaps but it has to work harder when pushing against an obstruction, in this case the filter. I built mine with a salvaged squirrel cage fan (2000 cu ft/min). Paired this with a 2" pleated on top of a 4" 90% filter. Covered the fan on the outlet side with wire screen (1/4" squares). Noisy but moves a huge amount of air and will pull the dust out of your hand.
I just stack a Vortex extraction fan on an activated charcoal can filter wrapped in a fabric pre-filter. Gets rid of odors too. Bish bash bosh, Robert is your mother's brother.
Good points. Also, if using a cheap box fan like this, you would want to put a shroud on it. Without the shroud to minimize recirculation, the fan will be inefficient.
The filter distance to fan will effect more vs pull or push IMO due to stall area. You can look up stall curve on fan graphs if they have them. These cheap box fans barely have any flow and do not perform very well as a compressor type fan. All I do is bungee cord a 20x20 hepa to the back. I have like five like that. I pulled mold and meldew smell out of grandmas house with these. For the shop hepa doesn’t make sense it’s just a waste of money cause so many other contaminants in the air. But if you’re painting or burning plastic or something really smelly then maybe but a 20x20 hepa is like $15-30 range alone. I also use this setup a lot for paint booth exhaust. Keep in mind they are not explosion proof fans so maybe another reason to filter from the intake.
looks like a fun build. I did the short cut version, i bought the $15 lasko box fan, and a 20" home depot fpr10 (~merv 12) filter. popped the back off, slapped the filter on, replaced the back plastic over the filter & sunk 1 1/2" sheetmetal screws back into the original holes. works amazing around the house for clearing smoke after burning dinner, sucking up the particulate, dust and allergens on high pollen days or when dusting, folding towels or bedding
Couple of things. First, good concept build and I don't want that lost in criticism. Second, you should install the fiberglass filters as a prefilter to the MERV rated filter. (It is not a HEPA Filter but will save your lungs none the less.) By using those cheaper filters first means that they remove the larger particles before it hits the higher rated MERV filter. This will allow for longer life of the higher rated MERV filter. The fan should be the last thing in the series as it will extend the life of the fan being at the back of the filtration. The Ring you made for the fan should be as close the the fan blades as you can afford or it will loose pressure to push air through, creating turbulent air instead of pull force. Turbulent air is great for cooling, but not forcing air through a filter. I hope this helps you or anyone else wanting to make these awesome filter boxes!
😯 Oh goodness... You are so goood at explaining the concept that I am able to visualize the mechanics of the most effective way to build this. 👏 You must be a great teacher. Now, all I need is a wood shop and tools to start this project. 🙄🤭😕
I made one of these by tying the filter to the fan with some mechanics wire. Worked well enough when I was cutting some fine dusty fiberboard. Room cleared in a couple of minutes.
Did the same thing but with tape. Works perfectly, this just seems like a waste of materials and time because the fan comes in its very own pre-made box.
@@leemontgomery72 I was thinking the same thing. Did lumber suddenly get real cheap ? If you’re going to waste money on lumber then waste some more and hire a carpenter ...
I love the simplicity of this design and for a guy who shop-vacs all the dust between every cut I think I need to make some dust management solution and this is a perfect start.
@@SpencleyDesignCo exactly. For someone like me who has picked up woodworking as a hobby (thank you covid lockdown and delivery!) I don't need something super industrial. This is a psrfect economical solution. 👍
I’m glad you understand what this project was aimed towards haha. It’s no where near being a large scale solution. But if you have scrap wood laying around, you can build this for super cheap
Great DIY option! Regarding fan placement: Some rooms/environments have prevailing air current movements either due to thermal exchange patterns or poor construction(air leakage)/exterior air movement, etc. If you fill the room with smoke(think smudge stick, or a put a smoking friend inside) the movement of the smoke will indicate the native air movement(if there is any). Then you can place your fan to take advantage of prevailing currents(as opposed to working against them). If you have a convection or baseboard heater on one wall, the hot air will rise up that wall and across the ceiling before dropping down the opposing wall as it cools, taking fine particulate with it. If you place your filter fan in this path you may be able to increase it's air scrubbing capacity by taking advantage of the thermal/particualte flow. Follow the smoke pattern...
Keep a eye out for a used oil furnace. Rip out the parts you don't need. It moves a lot of air. Use washable air filters. With multiple layers. Works great for shop
I did something very similar to this. A couple of lessons learned. First, the board with the circular opening. It is there to prevent leakage around the fan blade. The air will take the path of least resistance, which means the air is happy to circulate inside the box and never leave. Also, the blade needs to be inside the circular opening, for maximum effect. Second, don't both with MERV 7 or greater filters. The harder it is to push air through the filter, the less likely the air will move. The fan blades are pretty thin and weak. They are not designed to move air through a restrictive surface. If you add too much restriction, the blades will literally flatten out a bit, which reduces the airflow. That being said, this can work as long as you don't expect too much from it. I started by using masking tape to attach a 20x20 filter to the back of a box fan. Nothing fancy, but in a matter of two months, the filter was disgustingly dirty. Success! If you're looking for a quick and inelegant solution, just tape the filter to the back of the fan. Not only does this filter the air, it keeps the fan blades clean.
I agree, I would also be interested to know if the increased load on the fan could cause a significant increase in power consumption and potential cause the fan or wiring to short out. Probably not with enough airflow through it, but I would want to keep an eye on it especially if the environment heats up significantly in the summer.
@@middleoftheinternetthe fan restriction if any only causes the fan to pick up less air. These fans only live what air is available. So anything blocking the air flow will merely cause less air to be moved. As long as it gets enough air to keep the motor cool any variance will have some reduced effect. How much depends on the restriction.
Something I’ve done for years except I just get a good pack of filters and tape one to back of the fan and change filters every 30-45 days. Lots less hassle and expense. However with your skills you did a good job
Thanks for the filter box idea, square fans fit great in a window blowing out for a negative pressure when it’s not too cold outside. We crack open a window on the other side of the room just like in the kitchen when the fan is on over the stove and pull in some fresh. MDF has a lot of glue and fine dust when cutting = mask,,,mixing a bag of cement = mask,,, blowing off brakes or engine related= mask and glasses and gloves. Cement dust is a slow killer so in 20 to 30 years by the time you are in your 50s it effects your heart and lungs. The silicates are so small they never come out. Cutting tile or cement blocks or countertops. Shop vac if you can and up wind if outside with water. With the box, if the exhaust side is blowing up the dust from the floor the air quality might not be as clean as you hope for so putting it on a shelf in front of a window to exhaust outside might do the trick. I’ve done this for dry wall sanding and it makes the job easier for sure. My friends dad had a triple bypass from cement in his fifties and another friend has a bad heart from cement and construction dust doing Renovation. I hope you don’t mind my comments for your channel and thanks for the video
Nicely done. The circle piece added acts like a funnel to pull air through. It is the same application as the fan shroud on your vehicle. Without a shroud the fan pulls a column of air the size of the blade surface area.
Suggest s clarification - the shroud on exit side of fan keeps backflow from happening arond the perimeter. Chemical smoke/air current tester showed the perimeter backflow into my 20" Lasco fan Stopped when shroud covered about 1" of the blade tips. And air flow increased per my fanflow measuring kit (duct blaster)
Those cheap filters allow a lot of small particles through, so change that hepa filter regularly. Maybe get a merv3, then 7, then 10 finally merv13. If you know what you want to filter you've got your answer for best setup. Nice box for customizing!
Thanks, Robert! Soon after making this video, I did change out to better filters. Those $0.99 blue ones didn’t catch much and the HEPA filter in the front clogged super fast
I've been thinking about doing a project like this but with an electric automotive radiator fan from a junkyard. One from a larger vehicle will move significantly more volume which will make the exchange of air more efficient. This design is a great idea though. You could really use any type of fan you can find and adapt the dimensions accordingly. Thanks for the video.
Lee, that sounds like a super sweet idea! Yeah a blower that moves more volume would make a significant difference. If you try it, report back and let me know how it works! Thanks for the support! 😀
@6:40: The round around the fan is basically a duct. This ducted design reduces propeller blade tip losses which improve efficiency (more thrust/CFM, power efficiency per CFM, etc).
I like to use 3D printed brackets with titanium inlays reenforced across the stress points. Also stainless steel grating coating in antislip bedliner needs to be added. Build new wiring harnesses and install a digital thermostat and secondary relay switches. The housing needs to be ceramic coated and high density insulated also. I have been working on my version of this for about 17 months now. Waiting for a few more pieces to get back from the extrude-honing machine shop.
Very smart idea would love to have seen a few filters pulled out as a result of product progress , to show even the more what it can do and the difference it made , never the less great Job!!
In my house I have two box fans with 2500 micron filters attached to them. I just tape the corners to the intake side of the fan and set them running. When the filters are dirty, I change them out. We have 3 dogs and 4 cats so there is a good bit of dander and stray fluffs of fur filtered out, not to mention pollen and such during the spring and summer.
It seems like it would have been a lot easier to remove the plastic guards, for increased airflow, and then mount some perpendicular extensions to the metal frame on the corners with screws or bolts to hold the filters, and you're done. If you really wanted to ad the circle cut-out that could be a piece of cardboard.
I've got a strong 30" shop fan I did this with just a couple of nights ago. I spray painted a shelf and since it's really cold here in Illinois right now, I had no good way of venting the garage without losing my heat. I put 1 filter on the front and one on the back, then turned the fan on high. Sat it a couple feet from my shelf. Worked way better than I when hoped it would. I could visually see it immediately pulling the overspray away from the shelf to the fan. There was virtually zero spray paint dust on my garage floor. Not bad for 2 filters from home depot for less than 5 bucks.
If you want to do this for your bedroom use cheese cloth on the back of your box fan to catch a lot of the dust in your room OR even cheaper used some used bounce sheets
I made a coupe of simple filters out of two different box fans a couple of years ago by just attaching a filter to them, but in both fans, a thermal overload protection in the fans caused them to shut down after running a while. The restricted airflow caused the fan motors to work harder and overheat. I had to add wood blocks as spacers between the fan and filter, so the fan could pull in some air around the filter and not have to work as hard and overheat and shut down. They worked okay after that, but weren't as efficient filtering the air.
If you do that you are mostly just having air go around the filter - the air will mostly take the path of least resistance. Completely defeats the purpose. Maybe try another fan, I have done the with a couple of cheap fans over the years no problem.
20" square filters will attach directly to the fan box with bent aluminum tabs. Online filters all the way to MERV 13 in various thicknesses are available.
i do 3D printing and while PLA isnt toxic i did use a 20 inch box can and taped a 20 x 20 ac filter wirh a rating down to vir. i try to set up the fan to pull air across the three printers by placing a room divider in fromt of them as rhey reside against the wall. this makes any dist snd off gassing go through the filtrt first. your design may be my next project as i know thats so much better. thanks for the inspiration!
Great tutorial. Liked and subbed. Your dry humor mixed with the music had me smiling and laughing all the while learning why I need this kind of magic in my woodshop.
Haha thanks, Sam! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. My newer videos are substantially better than this. It still pains me to look back at these old ones 🤣
Wow!!!!!! That is awesome!!!!! I’m definitely going to do something like this!!! I always just set up a fan and try to blow everything out of the garage while I’m working
I like watching you work. I would personally simplify the idea to allow the fan to be exchanged as easily as the filters. That would save time and particulates during your build.
I've heard that JoAnn Fabrics , etc had material that is used to make patterns for tailoring . It is suppose to be the same as commercial filters for various fans at much cheaper cost . I expect to put one layer behind the fan where air is sucked in to block dust , etc . To attach to box fan with blue painters tape or similar . And when it gets clogged to throw it away and cut a new . I use a 20 inch box fan on medium speed on my nightstand to block out street noises , etc. And also to use a wet/dry vacuum to vacuum the motor or compressor to blow any dust out .
When I first started I taped a filter to a box fan similar to the one you dismantled . I put a quality filter on the out going air and a cheep one on the intake. I still use it when I spray paint from a spray can to catch the overspray. Mine is much less work to "build" and probably works the same as yours. I have more expensive permanent units , as well now , but I still use my box fan for particular jobs.
I did the same thing recently as well. 20x20 pleated filter will stick to the back of that box fan by suction pressure (same one i use) while it is running.
Eric, I'm impressed, from 130 subs two years ago to almost 55K today. I guess I'll throw my hat into the ring too. I won't be able to use much of what you build as I will be living in a motorhome soon but I do like what you do and I pick up some good tips in almost every video. Keep the good stuff coming.
I have way more experience in building computers than wood working so here's a computer geek's take. The reason you need the round frame is for static pressure to force air more efficiently through the filter otherwise you will have air turbulence and less efficient filtration. Same principle when using liquid cooling in a PC; you want higher static pressure to blow through the radiator(s) to cool the liquid coolant. Of course, you see round frames for fans on ACs, car radiators, etc. I would recommend using a fan with a circular frame around it, use the circular frame inside the box, and fill in any gaps in the corners. You should also have at least one filter panel as close to the front of the fan as possible. The force of the air will keep it out of the fan blade. A panel too close to the back could suck in the filter and heat from the motor on the backside could be a fire hazard. Fan blade angle is also important. The greater the angle, the more air pressure. Really, a shop fan with a flat round metal frame would be perfect but they can cost more. Window/box fans are designed for breeze.
What if you made the box just slightly larger so you could have slid in the entire fan between slots without disassembling? Also, I’d buy a second fan and keep it so when the first one fails, you know all the parts from the second one are exactly the same.
Great question! I really just did it to minimize the weight as you would need extra material to make a slightly larger box. Definitely no harm done in leaving the fan intact
Spencley Design Co. ok thanks for the answer. I desperately need one so I will probably be modifying your plans a little. Thanks again. Now to check out the rest of your videos 😁
Good design. Though I would place the hepa filter inside between the last sacrificial cheap prefilter and the fan. This would help keep the fan motor and blades clean from dust debri.
Really hadn't thought much about how to get rid of all the dust, so this looks like a good way to help! FYI - I'm retired and just now getting my shop ready (aka 1/2 of the garage). I'm doing the "start off small and work my way up" mindset. You have to take baby steps before you can walk.
I’m glad someone got my poor attempt at a joke! Thanks so much for stopping by and supporting my tiny channel and helping it grow! I really appreciate it!
Woodworking is about square. Boatbuilding is about angles and curves, Jigs are essential. It's not about repetition or production. It's about accuracy and the value of the product. A single foredeck hatch frame made of teak on a custom yacht that is arced to the deck is worth many jigs and temples. And a full scale test build in poplar.
Young man I just subscribed...the project was brilliant, but best of all you created something obtainable, that benefits most of the population that lives on a budget. We appreciate your way of thinking, because bottom line it works💪
I made one. The box fan doesn't have enough static pressure to pass air thru a super cheap filter let alone a fancy hepa. Just hold a filter against it and you will understand.
Another great video Eric! Thanks for a great idea. Even with 2 small cyclone/shop vac combos to keep saw dust down, too much still comes off into the air in my small shop. I am definitely going to build this. Keep up the great work! We’ll be watching!
Thanks for checking out the video, Elias! Geologists are highly skilled! I thought about finishing the MDF, but I’ve had it up in the shop for over a year and it still looks brand new. Maybe I got some super special MDF??? 🤷♂️🤷♂️
Well if you got the geologist grade mdf you should be just fine! : ) Keep up the good work I think you have the skills to meet your goals of living off your channel!
The round baffle around the fan is to increase the air velocity because when your either pulling/pushing air through a filter you'll have a pressure drop. Too much static pressure and you'll prematurely burn that motor up.
@@07slowbalt The guy said he didn't know why he needed the shroud because he wasn't a geologist, which is a person who studies rocks. Care to guess what an engineer does?
One thing everyone, the build is even cheaper if you can pick up the box fan at a thrift store, yard sale, or even better, rescue one from being carted away to the dump (95% of all electronic products I encounter headed for the landfill work just fine and just need a quick wipe down with a good cleaning product, maybe a detailing with a good vacuum) in an effort to keep costs and landfill pileup down. Good build idea, thanks for the video and thanks to all the filter suggestion comments, definitely worth the time and effort!
Agree. I haven't purchased a box fan in years. People don't take care of them and if they stop or even just get dirty they'll just throw them out. If they've stopped it is easy enough to oil them
The fan should be placed in the baffle (on the same plane when looking from the side) for it to be effective. With the baffle 2" - 3" behind the fan blades as you have it the airflow will simply flow from the high pressure side of the fan to the low pressure side. Also to protect the fan unit from dust particles, it is better to place both filters on the low pressure side of the fan.
Wow, thank you for taking the time to explain everything, so often the people making these projects forget most of us are total novices ...this looked something I'd try for my Caravan...subscribed and can't wait for yr next project
❤ I really enjoy your videos you focus on common sense not spending a whole lot of money that’s a nice change I thank you for sharing this knowledge good job thanks again God bless you and yours
I did something similar with the same box fan. I used large rubberbands and weather striping for a tight seal with filters front and back. Not a shop filter but it keeps dust & pollen down.
I did that many years ago using elastic. Worked well. When the elastic got too old I just switched to wide blue painter's tape. Easy to remove, seals completely and easily.
Something to consider for placement of your filter. Placing it above your head draws the dust upward past your face. Keeping it lower pulls it down away from your face.
You’re absolutely right! Every small trick helps! If you enjoyed this one, you’ll probably enjoy my more recent videos. Much better production than this old one 😀
Man that is a lot of work. The blade shroud is a nice touch, but otherwise stack the filters on the inlet side, hold in place with blue painters tape, done!
I have 3 in my shop, just as you describe. I locate them next to my scroll saws and my sanding station. They are easily portable and take up little bench space. Simply remove the tape to replace filters.
In a busy wood shop that hepa filter would plug up in a few minutes and even the original plastic grate that you reinstalled to the box will also clog up... you need to 'exhaust' the dust.
If you could hang them...would you point them up so the dust travels toward the ceiling or place a couple around the shop walls to create a "cyclone" effect to keep air moving?
That’s certainly a good idea! I didn’t even think about that! In theory, it seems plausible. However, I’m far from a fluid dynamics expert so I’d have to defer to someone with more expertise in that field
A cool idea in theory but in reality, looks like the *fan would need to be set on HIGH* to work as expected since the *airflow is restricted* and the fan blades aren’t *designed* for such such a housing if you need efficiency especially at it’s *LOWest setting* . Like some people pointed out, the fan is supposed to be inside of the circular frame to help direct air not behind/before the fan. Sure the filters will trap some dirt but also increase the electricity bill due to the higher resistance. You had a good idea but they also build air conditioners/filtration fans for your specific purpose which are more efficient.
I'm sure someone has said it since this is 2 years later, building the box as a prefilter thing and not doing anything to the fan except putting it at the end of the build might work better. The fan is already built and housed to work well as is and fans work better pulling than pushing. Pulling all the air through all the filters is better and the fan is already set to go.
I know I am "late to the party", however, I sincerely hope you have upgraded that brad nailer! It would drive me crazy having it fail to properly drive so many times! My cheap Harbor Freight brad nailer hasn't failed me yet! Once I set the air pressure for the material, it works every time!
One word of caution. If you do any spray finishes in the same shop space, don't use this rig as a way to vent fumes. The fan motor isn't rated for use with flammable materials. If it causes a fire, your insurance will not cover the damage. That was one of the first questions our insurance agent asked when we decided to go with a new policy for the shop. If you spray with water based finishes then you don't have a problem.
or… 4- 2”x 24” filters duct taped together into a partial box, close the back of the box with scrap paneling (plywood, thick cardboard, whatever is free) lay the box fan on the side opposite the paneling with the wind blowing away from the box, duct tape it to the filters. I’ve been using mine for over a year. I leave it on the floor, plywood side down, fan blowing up and some distance away from the source of my dust. I will occasionally shop vac my filters with a right angle brush attachment to pull off the worst of the dust and debris. Handy to move around my little shop, cheap and easy to store. Coarse dust/chips falls to the floor for sweeping, fine dust recirculates until the air current brings it around to the 4 filters and pulls it into the media. I’ll let it run for about an hour after a dusty project so it can scrub the air a little more.
Nice effort. Those little screws into the edge of MDF won't stay; that will require redesign very soon. Also consideration of wall thickness on a project like this offers some choices between overdone (= more costly and inconveniently heavy) and too thin (= more noisy).
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Hi, I have a very important question, how do you clean yourself up, like your cap, clothes, face, hair and shoes after a regular day at work? I mean you wore a mask, but the dust will be all over you after so you can still ingest that once you take off the mask. Please answer. Super important for me to know.
I take a shower
Comedy gold. :D
I’m sure you can find lots of folks with better jokes than me 🤣
@@slickcatricky7694 Rick, seriously, most use an air nozzle from compressor air line.
However Worksafe in Canada, similar to OSHA in the US don’t like that because they feel you could blow an air bubble thru a cut in the skin and get into bloodline. Bad Carma. Considering options, I’d still use compressed air but use a regulator to reduce volume and a nozzle that sprays a wider pattern than a tight stream.
Ask if you have more questions.
I do FA in construction.
Pro tip… Just use some masking tape to tape the filters to both sides of the normal box fan, and just be sure that the airflow arrows are pointing in the right direction. That’s the easier version of this!🤓
"We need door stops, but a brick would work, too."
Made one like you describe 20 years ago. Worked fine!
Since the motor isn't meant to be a filter fan they burn out after a while a lot quicker than if it was just pushing air.
That seems like a lot of trouble with a weak fan motor. Taping filters to both sides will be rough on the little fan and it won’t last long but…..
When the need to make a TH-cam video is greater than common sense.
Great idea and nice looking. Suggestion from the HVAC standpoint. Better to stack the filters both on the uptake side of the air flow with the cheap filter on top of the hepa. This does two things, of equal importance. One , having both filters on the inlet side keeps the fan motor and blades nice and clean. Two, a fan motor is happier pulling against negative pressure. Somewhat counterintuitively perhaps but it has to work harder when pushing against an obstruction, in this case the filter. I built mine with a salvaged squirrel cage fan (2000 cu ft/min). Paired this with a 2" pleated on top of a 4" 90% filter. Covered the fan on the outlet side with wire screen (1/4" squares). Noisy but moves a huge amount of air and will pull the dust out of your hand.
I just stack a Vortex extraction fan on an activated charcoal can filter wrapped in a fabric pre-filter. Gets rid of odors too. Bish bash bosh, Robert is your mother's brother.
could you please show this on youtube and pin it here so we can see what you’re talking about….
thanks
Good points. Also, if using a cheap box fan like this, you would want to put a shroud on it. Without the shroud to minimize recirculation, the fan will be inefficient.
The filter distance to fan will effect more vs pull or push IMO due to stall area. You can look up stall curve on fan graphs if they have them. These cheap box fans barely have any flow and do not perform very well as a compressor type fan.
All I do is bungee cord a 20x20 hepa to the back. I have like five like that. I pulled mold and meldew smell out of grandmas house with these. For the shop hepa doesn’t make sense it’s just a waste of money cause so many other contaminants in the air. But if you’re painting or burning plastic or something really smelly then maybe but a 20x20 hepa is like $15-30 range alone. I also use this setup a lot for paint booth exhaust. Keep in mind they are not explosion proof fans so maybe another reason to filter from the intake.
I did the same yrs ago
looks like a fun build. I did the short cut version, i bought the $15 lasko box fan, and a 20" home depot fpr10 (~merv 12) filter. popped the back off, slapped the filter on, replaced the back plastic over the filter & sunk 1 1/2" sheetmetal screws back into the original holes. works amazing around the house for clearing smoke after burning dinner, sucking up the particulate, dust and allergens on high pollen days or when dusting, folding towels or bedding
This is the correct way haha
Yet you didn't triple the size/ weight, nor did you reduce air flow 90% as this clown just did ! You got the same effect BRILLIANTLY.
Couple of things. First, good concept build and I don't want that lost in criticism. Second, you should install the fiberglass filters as a prefilter to the MERV rated filter. (It is not a HEPA Filter but will save your lungs none the less.) By using those cheaper filters first means that they remove the larger particles before it hits the higher rated MERV filter. This will allow for longer life of the higher rated MERV filter. The fan should be the last thing in the series as it will extend the life of the fan being at the back of the filtration. The Ring you made for the fan should be as close the the fan blades as you can afford or it will loose pressure to push air through, creating turbulent air instead of pull force. Turbulent air is great for cooling, but not forcing air through a filter. I hope this helps you or anyone else wanting to make these awesome filter boxes!
😯 Oh goodness... You are so goood at explaining the concept that I am able to visualize the mechanics of the most effective way to build this. 👏 You must be a great teacher. Now, all I need is a wood shop and tools to start this project. 🙄🤭😕
This is what I was about to say. Ontop of that. More filter does not equal more better. You lose a load of suction by stacking filters.
All of what you said is correct
Asbestos from fiberglass stay away from it
And yet no talk about the over taxing of the fan motor cheap but not cost effective for the longer term
I made one of these by tying the filter to the fan with some mechanics wire. Worked well enough when I was cutting some fine dusty fiberboard. Room cleared in a couple of minutes.
Glad to hear it worked well for you!
Just wire tie a filter to the fan. Been doing this for years.
Yup, that’s certainly another option 😀
Did the same thing but with tape. Works perfectly, this just seems like a waste of materials and time because the fan comes in its very own pre-made box.
@@leemontgomery72 I was thinking the same thing. Did lumber suddenly get real cheap ? If you’re going to waste money on lumber then waste some more and hire a carpenter ...
I love the simplicity of this design and for a guy who shop-vacs all the dust between every cut I think I need to make some dust management solution and this is a perfect start.
Thanks Andrew! This is far from being perfect, but like you said, it’s a good start 😀
@@SpencleyDesignCo exactly. For someone like me who has picked up woodworking as a hobby (thank you covid lockdown and delivery!) I don't need something super industrial. This is a psrfect economical solution. 👍
I’m glad you understand what this project was aimed towards haha. It’s no where near being a large scale solution. But if you have scrap wood laying around, you can build this for super cheap
Great DIY option! Regarding fan placement: Some rooms/environments have prevailing air current movements either due to thermal exchange patterns or poor construction(air leakage)/exterior air movement, etc. If you fill the room with smoke(think smudge stick, or a put a smoking friend inside) the movement of the smoke will indicate the native air movement(if there is any). Then you can place your fan to take advantage of prevailing currents(as opposed to working against them). If you have a convection or baseboard heater on one wall, the hot air will rise up that wall and across the ceiling before dropping down the opposing wall as it cools, taking fine particulate with it. If you place your filter fan in this path you may be able to increase it's air scrubbing capacity by taking advantage of the thermal/particualte flow. Follow the smoke pattern...
Thats a good tip! If I had a smoke machine, I’d definitely give that a shot
Great tip. Thanks. Im going to try inscents .
Just don’t try insects 🐜
Keep a eye out for a used oil furnace. Rip out the parts you don't need. It moves a lot of air. Use washable air filters. With multiple layers. Works great for shop
Great tip! I never thought about something like that
I did something very similar to this. A couple of lessons learned. First, the board with the circular opening. It is there to prevent leakage around the fan blade. The air will take the path of least resistance, which means the air is happy to circulate inside the box and never leave. Also, the blade needs to be inside the circular opening, for maximum effect. Second, don't both with MERV 7 or greater filters. The harder it is to push air through the filter, the less likely the air will move. The fan blades are pretty thin and weak. They are not designed to move air through a restrictive surface. If you add too much restriction, the blades will literally flatten out a bit, which reduces the airflow. That being said, this can work as long as you don't expect too much from it. I started by using masking tape to attach a 20x20 filter to the back of a box fan. Nothing fancy, but in a matter of two months, the filter was disgustingly dirty. Success! If you're looking for a quick and inelegant solution, just tape the filter to the back of the fan. Not only does this filter the air, it keeps the fan blades clean.
I agree, I would also be interested to know if the increased load on the fan could cause a significant increase in power consumption and potential cause the fan or wiring to short out. Probably not with enough airflow through it, but I would want to keep an eye on it especially if the environment heats up significantly in the summer.
@@middleoftheinternetthe fan restriction if any only causes the fan to pick up less air. These fans only live what air is available. So anything blocking the air flow will merely cause less air to be moved. As long as it gets enough air to keep the motor cool any variance will have some reduced effect. How much depends on the restriction.
Something I’ve done for years except I just get a good pack of filters and tape one to back of the fan and change filters every 30-45 days. Lots less hassle and expense. However with your skills you did a good job
Thanks for the filter box idea, square fans fit great in a window blowing out for a negative pressure when it’s not too cold outside. We crack open a window on the other side of the room just like in the kitchen when the fan is on over the stove and pull in some fresh. MDF has a lot of glue and fine dust when cutting = mask,,,mixing a bag of cement = mask,,, blowing off brakes or engine related= mask and glasses and gloves. Cement dust is a slow killer so in 20 to 30 years by the time you are in your 50s it effects your heart and lungs. The silicates are so small they never come out. Cutting tile or cement blocks or countertops. Shop vac if you can and up wind if outside with water. With the box, if the exhaust side is blowing up the dust from the floor the air quality might not be as clean as you hope for so putting it on a shelf in front of a window to exhaust outside might do the trick. I’ve done this for dry wall sanding and it makes the job easier for sure. My friends dad had a triple bypass from cement in his fifties and another friend has a bad heart from cement and construction dust doing Renovation. I hope you don’t mind my comments for your channel and thanks for the video
LOOKS GOOD. KEEP YOUR EXPECTATIONS REASONABLE AND YOUR SERENITY LEVEL WILL GO UP!🇺🇸👍🏻
Nicely done. The circle piece added acts like a funnel to pull air through. It is the same application as the fan shroud on your vehicle. Without a shroud the fan pulls a column of air the size of the blade surface area.
Thanks for the clarification!
Suggest s clarification - the shroud on exit side of fan keeps backflow from happening arond the perimeter. Chemical smoke/air current tester showed the perimeter backflow into my 20" Lasco fan Stopped when shroud covered about 1" of the blade tips. And air flow increased per my fanflow measuring kit (duct blaster)
Great for people who have chronic sinusitis! Be kind to one another. Stay safe. Love to all
Those cheap filters allow a lot of small particles through, so change that hepa filter regularly. Maybe get a merv3, then 7, then 10 finally merv13. If you know what you want to filter you've got your answer for best setup. Nice box for customizing!
Thanks, Robert! Soon after making this video, I did change out to better filters. Those $0.99 blue ones didn’t catch much and the HEPA filter in the front clogged super fast
I've been thinking about doing a project like this but with an electric automotive radiator fan from a junkyard. One from a larger vehicle will move significantly more volume which will make the exchange of air more efficient.
This design is a great idea though. You could really use any type of fan you can find and adapt the dimensions accordingly. Thanks for the video.
Lee, that sounds like a super sweet idea! Yeah a blower that moves more volume would make a significant difference. If you try it, report back and let me know how it works! Thanks for the support! 😀
I have to do the same thing since my shop has to be off grid .
i use packing tape and tape a 1 inch house filter on the back. I use 1 piece of tape for each side. When dirty I replace.
@6:40: The round around the fan is basically a duct. This ducted design reduces propeller blade tip losses which improve efficiency (more thrust/CFM, power efficiency per CFM, etc).
Interesting! I appreciate the scientific reasoning!! Also, thanks for checking out the video and the helpful comment
Geologist
Geologist know fluid dynamics quite well!
@@SpencleyDesignCo That's what I heard too
They’re also great at changing flat tires on rocky roads
I like to use 3D printed brackets with titanium inlays reenforced across the stress points. Also stainless steel grating coating in antislip bedliner needs to be added. Build new wiring harnesses and install a digital thermostat and secondary relay switches. The housing needs to be ceramic coated and high density insulated also. I have been working on my version of this for about 17 months now. Waiting for a few more pieces to get back from the extrude-honing machine shop.
Excellent build! I just made the 2 bucket diy dust extraction system from Chris Notap, but now I need something like this for my tiny garage shop.
Thank you! I’ll have to check out that build too!
I've taken apart a similar cheap fan to clean and found the chassis has sharp edges that may cut the skin.
just curious, how much did the box weigh when you were done with it?
A lot...
Really nice, but when your broke or dont have tools, just tape a filter to the fan works great - helps tons as great dane dog owners
Very smart idea would love to have seen a few filters pulled out as a result of product progress , to show even the more what it can do and the difference it made , never the less great Job!!
Thanks for the support!
In my house I have two box fans with 2500 micron filters attached to them. I just tape the corners to the intake side of the fan and set them running. When the filters are dirty, I change them out. We have 3 dogs and 4 cats so there is a good bit of dander and stray fluffs of fur filtered out, not to mention pollen and such during the spring and summer.
I always had this as an idea, but you guys amped it up a whole lot from what I was thinking. Most cool indeed
Thanks, Mark! Glad we could make it a reality for you 😀
my understanding is that the fan motor is probably not made to handle the resistance that the filters will cause. will it not wear out sooner?
It seems like it would have been a lot easier to remove the plastic guards, for increased airflow, and then mount some perpendicular extensions to the metal frame on the corners with screws or bolts to hold the filters, and you're done. If you really wanted to ad the circle cut-out that could be a piece of cardboard.
That’s definitely an option 😀
I've got a strong 30" shop fan I did this with just a couple of nights ago. I spray painted a shelf and since it's really cold here in Illinois right now, I had no good way of venting the garage without losing my heat. I put 1 filter on the front and one on the back, then turned the fan on high. Sat it a couple feet from my shelf. Worked way better than I when hoped it would. I could visually see it immediately pulling the overspray away from the shelf to the fan. There was virtually zero spray paint dust on my garage floor. Not bad for 2 filters from home depot for less than 5 bucks.
The humor got me. I am rocking my jigsaw from the early 90s, too.
Subscribed, you geologist.
Haha thank you, Dennis! I think you’ll find my newer videos a little better made. This was an old one!
As long as filters getting dirty, it's working. Nice job, looks great.
If you want to do this for your bedroom use cheese cloth on the back of your box fan to catch a lot of the dust in your room OR even cheaper used some used bounce sheets
I made a coupe of simple filters out of two different box fans a couple of years ago by just attaching a filter to them, but in both fans, a thermal overload protection in the fans caused them to shut down after running a while. The restricted airflow caused the fan motors to work harder and overheat. I had to add wood blocks as spacers between the fan and filter, so the fan could pull in some air around the filter and not have to work as hard and overheat and shut down. They worked okay after that, but weren't as efficient filtering the air.
I’ve had mine up and running for well over a year without any issues
If you do that you are mostly just having air go around the filter - the air will mostly take the path of least resistance. Completely defeats the purpose. Maybe try another fan, I have done the with a couple of cheap fans over the years no problem.
20" square filters will attach directly to the fan box with bent aluminum tabs. Online filters all the way to MERV 13 in various thicknesses are available.
All I did was duct tape a 20x20 filter to the fan. It worked great!
Front or back of fan?
@@rhondaeverett8284 The back of the fan with it blowing away from the tool and me.
@@rhondaeverett8284 I use a cheap filter on the back of the fan and a HEPA filter on the front. It works better like that.
Thank you
i do 3D printing and while PLA isnt toxic i did use a 20 inch box can and taped a 20 x 20 ac filter wirh a rating down to vir. i try to set up the fan to pull air across the three printers by placing a room divider in fromt of them as rhey reside against the wall.
this makes any dist snd off gassing go through the filtrt first.
your design may be my next project as i know thats so much better.
thanks for the inspiration!
Great tutorial. Liked and subbed. Your dry humor mixed with the music had me smiling and laughing all the while learning why I need this kind of magic in my woodshop.
Haha thanks, Sam! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. My newer videos are substantially better than this. It still pains me to look back at these old ones 🤣
I use duck tape and a filter to the back of the box fan and have used my method for 2 decades with no issues
Yup, that’s definitely a great option! I was just looking to make something a little more polished.
Well you did an awesome job at it for sure!
I appreciate that, Jay! And thank you very much for checking out my channel and showing your support. I means a lot!
Wow!!!!!! That is awesome!!!!! I’m definitely going to do something like this!!! I always just set up a fan and try to blow everything out of the garage while I’m working
That’s just an added bonus! Grab another fan to make this project and then keep that other fan working too!
I like watching you work. I would personally simplify the idea to allow the fan to be exchanged as easily as the filters. That would save time and particulates during your build.
Dude, you're a hit! That's a great filter idea, thanks for posting.
I’m happy to hear you liked the idea! Thank you very much for the support! I truly means a lot
I've heard that JoAnn Fabrics , etc had material that is used to make patterns for tailoring . It is suppose to be the same as commercial filters for various fans at much cheaper cost . I expect to put one layer behind the fan where air is sucked in to block dust , etc . To attach to box fan with blue painters tape or similar . And when it gets clogged to throw it away and cut a new . I use a 20 inch box fan on medium speed on my nightstand to block out street noises , etc. And also to use a wet/dry vacuum to vacuum the motor or compressor to blow any dust out .
Hey man I just stumbled onto this video and noticed that we went to High School together at UA. Nice build man! I am subscribed now.
Hey, what’s up! Thanks so much for subscribing! My more recent videos are much better than this one 😀
When I first started I taped a filter to a box fan similar to the one you dismantled . I put a quality filter on the out going air and a cheep one on the intake. I still use it when I spray paint from a spray can to catch the overspray. Mine is much less work to "build" and probably works the same as yours. I have more expensive permanent units , as well now , but I still use my box fan for particular jobs.
I did the same thing recently as well. 20x20 pleated filter will stick to the back of that box fan by suction pressure (same one i use) while it is running.
Eric, I'm impressed, from 130 subs two years ago to almost 55K today. I guess I'll throw my hat into the ring too. I won't be able to use much of what you build as I will be living in a motorhome soon but I do like what you do and I pick up some good tips in almost every video. Keep the good stuff coming.
I have way more experience in building computers than wood working so here's a computer geek's take. The reason you need the round frame is for static pressure to force air more efficiently through the filter otherwise you will have air turbulence and less efficient filtration. Same principle when using liquid cooling in a PC; you want higher static pressure to blow through the radiator(s) to cool the liquid coolant. Of course, you see round frames for fans on ACs, car radiators, etc. I would recommend using a fan with a circular frame around it, use the circular frame inside the box, and fill in any gaps in the corners. You should also have at least one filter panel as close to the front of the fan as possible. The force of the air will keep it out of the fan blade. A panel too close to the back could suck in the filter and heat from the motor on the backside could be a fire hazard. Fan blade angle is also important. The greater the angle, the more air pressure. Really, a shop fan with a flat round metal frame would be perfect but they can cost more. Window/box fans are designed for breeze.
What if you made the box just slightly larger so you could have slid in the entire fan between slots without disassembling? Also, I’d buy a second fan and keep it so when the first one fails, you know all the parts from the second one are exactly the same.
Put it up in your ceiling..my friend did the same thing..its works great!
Looks awesome. Gonna be making one soon. Any reason why you took the fan apart and not just out the fan inside the box?
Great question! I really just did it to minimize the weight as you would need extra material to make a slightly larger box. Definitely no harm done in leaving the fan intact
Spencley Design Co. ok thanks for the answer. I desperately need one so I will probably be modifying your plans a little. Thanks again. Now to check out the rest of your videos 😁
I appreciate the support!!!!
Spencley Design Co. no problem
Good design. Though I would place the hepa filter inside between the last sacrificial cheap prefilter and the fan. This would help keep the fan motor and blades clean from dust debri.
The 90s jigsaw came through just fine! Wonder how long the fan will last.
Still working great today! 😀
So helpful thanks! My dad is a silversmith and needs a fan like this in his shop.
Great video Eric! I will be building this for my shop. Thanks again for a great how to!!
Awesome! Glad we could inspire you to build it! We’d love to see how it turns out when you’re done 👍
Really hadn't thought much about how to get rid of all the dust, so this looks like a good way to help! FYI - I'm retired and just now getting my shop ready (aka 1/2 of the garage). I'm doing the "start off small and work my way up" mindset. You have to take baby steps before you can walk.
Cool idea. "Not a geologist"??? 😅😂🤣
I’m glad someone got my poor attempt at a joke! Thanks so much for stopping by and supporting my tiny channel and helping it grow! I really appreciate it!
@@SpencleyDesignCo Comedy gold. ;)
Rocket scientist?
I think a rocket surgeon would be more helpful 😜
That was funny.
Woodworking is about square.
Boatbuilding is about angles and curves,
Jigs are essential. It's not about repetition or production. It's about accuracy and the value of the product. A single foredeck hatch frame made of teak on a custom yacht that is arced to the deck is worth many jigs and temples. And a full scale test build in poplar.
Young man I just subscribed...the project was brilliant, but best of all you created something obtainable, that benefits most of the population that lives on a budget. We appreciate your way of thinking, because bottom line it works💪
I appreciate the support, Sandra! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the project 😀
I made one. The box fan doesn't have enough static pressure to pass air thru a super cheap filter let alone a fancy hepa. Just hold a filter against it and you will understand.
Another great video Eric! Thanks for a great idea. Even with 2 small cyclone/shop vac combos to keep saw dust down, too much still comes off into the air in my small shop. I am definitely going to build this.
Keep up the great work! We’ll be watching!
Thanks, Phil! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the video! Every tiny thing you do to control the dust helps 😀
Geologist are the best when it comes to aerodynamics!
Cool project, simple and effective.
I suggest painting the mdf, otherwise it degrades quickly.
Thanks for checking out the video, Elias! Geologists are highly skilled! I thought about finishing the MDF, but I’ve had it up in the shop for over a year and it still looks brand new. Maybe I got some super special MDF??? 🤷♂️🤷♂️
Well if you got the geologist grade mdf you should be just fine! : )
Keep up the good work I think you have the skills to meet your goals of living off your channel!
I really appreciate you saying that! It’s a slow and steady grind. I’ve got almost 60 other videos you can check out too 😀
Simple and effective!
Thanks for checking it out Daniel!
The round baffle around the fan is to increase the air velocity because when your either pulling/pushing air through a filter you'll have a pressure drop. Too much static pressure and you'll prematurely burn that motor up.
OH, so you're a geologist.
Now if I could just find an engineer to help me with my rocks.
@@dhuze66 what kind of nonsense are you talking about. Im in HVAC so yea i know what im talking about.
@@07slowbalt The guy said he didn't know why he needed the shroud because he wasn't a geologist, which is a person who studies rocks. Care to guess what an engineer does?
@@dhuze66i gotcha didnt recall that part of the video, its been 11 days. You replied to my comment so that threw it way off.
Great build my man that’s gonna help a lot of people get a good affordable filter 🤙
Thanks for your support! We are shocked with how well it works
One thing everyone, the build is even cheaper if you can pick up the box fan at a thrift store, yard sale, or even better, rescue one from being carted away to the dump (95% of all electronic products I encounter headed for the landfill work just fine and just need a quick wipe down with a good cleaning product, maybe a detailing with a good vacuum) in an effort to keep costs and landfill pileup down. Good build idea, thanks for the video and thanks to all the filter suggestion comments, definitely worth the time and effort!
Agree. I haven't purchased a box fan in years. People don't take care of them and if they stop or even just get dirty they'll just throw them out. If they've stopped it is easy enough to oil them
The fan should be placed in the baffle (on the same plane when looking from the side) for it to be effective. With the baffle 2" - 3" behind the fan blades as you have it the airflow will simply flow from the high pressure side of the fan to the low pressure side.
Also to protect the fan unit from dust particles, it is better to place both filters on the low pressure side of the fan.
Looks great, love the design love the multiple filter slots!
Thanks Chad! It’s the perfect way to keep that $20 HEPA filter on the front lasting longer!
Wow, thank you for taking the time to explain everything, so often the people making these projects forget most of us are total novices ...this looked something I'd try for my Caravan...subscribed and can't wait for yr next project
❤ I really enjoy your videos you focus on common sense not spending a whole lot of money that’s a nice change I thank you for sharing this knowledge good job thanks again God bless you and yours
I use one of these in my shop and it works really good, but I just added the filter right to the fan itself
Yup, that’s definitely an option 😀
@@SpencleyDesignCo although yours is much nicer and well done on the video. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Thank you, Marcus! I think you’ll enjoy my recent videos even more. The production is significantly better! 🤣
Just finished building this. Works great.
Use a hinge or self centering bit on hinge - it makes it easer to center screws
Dale
I just bungee filters to whatever fan I have laying around and they work great at knocking the dust down when I do demo
Thank you for this video. We all need a dust filter. I should have been using this years ago.
You’re welcome, Frank! It’s a simple solution, but it works pretty well for the price 😀
I did something similar with the same box fan. I used large rubberbands and weather striping for a tight seal with filters front and back. Not a shop filter but it keeps dust & pollen down.
I did that many years ago using elastic. Worked well. When the elastic got too old I just switched to wide blue painter's tape. Easy to remove, seals completely and easily.
Something to consider for placement of your filter. Placing it above your head draws the dust upward past your face. Keeping it lower pulls it down away from your face.
Oh good thought! I appreciate the feedback!
@@SpencleyDesignCo no problem. One thing I'm finding is every small thing helps when it comes to dust collection. Keep up the great work!
You’re absolutely right! Every small trick helps! If you enjoyed this one, you’ll probably enjoy my more recent videos. Much better production than this old one 😀
Man that is a lot of work. The blade shroud is a nice touch, but otherwise stack the filters on the inlet side, hold in place with blue painters tape, done!
Good idea I have did this with my box fan simply by putting the filter on the back side of the fan with a couple pieces of duct tape
Yeah that would definitely work! I just wanted to make something that was a little more finished 😀
I have 3 in my shop, just as you describe. I locate them next to my scroll saws and my sanding station. They are easily portable and take up little bench space. Simply remove the tape to replace filters.
I just taped a filter to the inlet of the fan 🤷🏼♂️. It worked well, cheap and easy.
In a busy wood shop that hepa filter would plug up in a few minutes and even the original plastic grate that you reinstalled to the box will also clog up... you need to 'exhaust' the dust.
I just used two way tape an taped the filter to the back of my box fan the high density filter does work well this way
The baffle prevents air from “recirculating around the blades” and pushes the air like a pump
Very nice job. Just for the record, geologists don't calculate fluid dynamics (includes air flow calculations).
I know, John, it was my poor attempt at a joke 🤣
@@SpencleyDesignCo oh sorry. I get naive when I'm being serious sometimes.
It’s all good 😜😀
Takes “ box fan” to a new literal level. I like this design.
The first filter will load up within a month?? Might better just tape one to the $20 fan intake side and be done with it??
The cheap, lightweight, compact, 5 minute version is the filters taped directly to the box fan.
Nice! Personally i just duct tape a hepa filter to the rear of a box fan for a fast project to reduce dust.
If you could hang them...would you point them up so the dust travels toward the ceiling or place a couple around the shop walls to create a "cyclone" effect to keep air moving?
That’s certainly a good idea! I didn’t even think about that! In theory, it seems plausible. However, I’m far from a fluid dynamics expert so I’d have to defer to someone with more expertise in that field
@@SpencleyDesignCo Maybe you could find a geologist from a nearby university to ask.?.? 😜 👍
Now you’re talking! I’ll head down to the local university art department and see if there are any that could help me figure it out 😀
A cool idea in theory but in reality, looks like the *fan would need to be set on HIGH* to work as expected since the *airflow is restricted* and the fan blades aren’t *designed* for such such a housing if you need efficiency especially at it’s *LOWest setting* . Like some people pointed out, the fan is supposed to be inside of the circular frame to help direct air not behind/before the fan. Sure the filters will trap some dirt but also increase the electricity bill due to the higher resistance. You had a good idea but they also build air conditioners/filtration fans for your specific purpose which are more efficient.
Nice! If I build this , the only change i might make is combining the mdf shroud and frame and making it slide in like the filters.
That sounds like a really neat idea!
Nice project! Would work for home filtering too. Well done.
I'm sure someone has said it since this is 2 years later, building the box as a prefilter thing and not doing anything to the fan except putting it at the end of the build might work better. The fan is already built and housed to work well as is and fans work better pulling than pushing. Pulling all the air through all the filters is better and the fan is already set to go.
Yep tape works wonders to hold filters on the metal no need to waist wood
I know I am "late to the party", however, I sincerely hope you have upgraded that brad nailer! It would drive me crazy having it fail to properly drive so many times! My cheap Harbor Freight brad nailer hasn't failed me yet! Once I set the air pressure for the material, it works every time!
The fan shroud needs to be as close to the edge of the fan blades as possible to maximize air flow. Maybe 1/8 of an inch clearance will do the trick.
One word of caution. If you do any spray finishes in the same shop space, don't use this rig as a way to vent fumes. The fan motor isn't rated for use with flammable materials. If it causes a fire, your insurance will not cover the damage. That was one of the first questions our insurance agent asked when we decided to go with a new policy for the shop. If you spray with water based finishes then you don't have a problem.
or… 4- 2”x 24” filters duct taped together into a partial box, close the back of the box with scrap paneling (plywood, thick cardboard, whatever is free) lay the box fan on the side opposite the paneling with the wind blowing away from the box, duct tape it to the filters. I’ve been using mine for over a year. I leave it on the floor, plywood side down, fan blowing up and some distance away from the source of my dust. I will occasionally shop vac my filters with a right angle brush attachment to pull off the worst of the dust and debris. Handy to move around my little shop, cheap and easy to store. Coarse dust/chips falls to the floor for sweeping, fine dust recirculates until the air current brings it around to the 4 filters and pulls it into the media. I’ll let it run for about an hour after a dusty project so it can scrub the air a little more.
Nice effort. Those little screws into the edge of MDF won't stay; that will require redesign very soon. Also consideration of wall thickness on a project like this offers some choices between overdone (= more costly and inconveniently heavy) and too thin (= more noisy).
That's a nice Box that you made it filters out everything I enjoyed watching that film I'll be watching more thank you and have a good day🎉
Very nice idea and build. I think you said it best, something is better than nothing. Thanks for sharing