Smoke Eater (Air cleaner) for the bench

Since setting up my inside shop the need for a way to collect fumes from CA (super glue) and oil smoke from the cutting process was evident.
I was going to use house type air filters and cut them to fit my fans but then the light went on and I thought why not use a ready made Fram air filter for my car?

So we have an inexpensive desk/bench top air filter. Able to suck in tall stacks of smoke from soldering or turning with oil on the lathe.
CA fumes will be pulled into the filter and away from me.

I found the 24 vdc 235cfm fans at Allelectronics for $18.00 each. The power supply is 4-24vdc from eBay and the fram filter from my car.
Wood and masonite as found in the shop.

Fans run quite and move enough air to suck in and trap a lot of smoke or fumes.

Cheers, JR

Just added the carbon mesh filter to the front instead of the back. I think it will work better there where it can grab some small chips and I can always use the shop vac to clean it up a bit.

Could you provide a better description or part number for that Fram air filter "for your car"? I would like to see the specs on it. What does it take out of the air and what does it just pass through.

I am planning a system for my 3D printer and I figured that only an outside exhaust would remove all the objectionable substances from the air from the enclosure. I can see the value in your system in that it directs objectionable substances away from your face. I have often wanted a system like that while soldering as the flux makes a smoke that contains heaven only knows what. But for the 3D printer I would want complete removal of both particulates and any vapors generated. If you have a filter that will do that, then I would like to use one: that would save making a vent hole in my office wall.

Hi Paul, the filter is a CA10242 air cleaner for a passenger car. The specs may be out there but I have no idea where.
I also have some carbon activated mesh that I will add to the exhaust for a little more filtration.
This is not meant to replace a OSHA certified air filter for noxious gasses. Just my little device to help control fumes and dust particles in the shop.
I would never rely on it to remove poisonous gasses!...

Cheers, JR

Thanks for the information. I will try to look it up. I am curious as to what it does do.

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Thanks jjr2001! We've added your Benchtop Air Cleaner to our Cleaning category,
as well as to your builder page: jjr2001's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-benchtop-air-cleaner"> <img src="/uploads/213806/homemade-benchtop-air-cleaner.jpeg"/> </a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-benchtop-air-cleaner">Benchtop Air Cleaner</a> <span> by <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/builder/jjr2001">jjr2001</a></span> </div> <div class="tags">tags: <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/fan'>fan</a>, <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/filter'>filter</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>
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JR,

I like your shop set in a spare room of your house. It looks like a clean setup for an instrument/modelmaker shop or clock making shop. One of these days you will have to gives us a tour.

Regards,
Paul

Thanks Paul, One of these days I will make some videos for the Sherline tools.
I did post this: http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/n...556#post110896
The last picture even includes some swarf as requested by Captain Lee...
(No chips on the floor and no salsa)!!!

Cheers, JR

JR, I'm with Paul on your shop setup and the chips and salsa :p from your other post...Really Nice! I love that far side parting post!

Nice build on the filter. It has plenty of CFM available based on the curves for the fans, but like most box fans they only have a Max .77InH20 @ 0 CFM per for a static rating. That being said and you being right about getting specs on that filter...ISO/NFPA = NA there is no way to know where you will be on the Static/CFM curve in the end, so it can only be empirically (nose/dust) tested or with some kind of flow measuring device. Curious how far out from the inlet can it pull smoke and fumes? I also applaud you for adding the carbon mesh filter downstream as it should help considerably with solder and oil fumes.

Sounds like it's working fine so far and the nice thing about your design is that if you find the pleated filter is too restrictive or not working as well as you want it, it can easily be changed to another type of the home made variety with cloth and stuffing. I've often thought of making a small snorkel system using a good sized fan like you chose...up close and personal to the work...just never got my Roundtoit out of my pocket. ;)

Thanks JR!

PJ

Thanks PJ, I just added one picture to the first post. It shows that I put the carbon mesh filter on the front of the unit. Hides that orange filter color.
That is not why I put it on the front. I thought it would be easier to vacuum up small chips there than from the pleated filter.

Ran two smoke tests with the filter on and off. Both tests pulled all the smoke from a match into the filter. The match was located at the lathe tool bit and it was obvious that all the smoke went to the filter inlet. I think it will work good while turning.

Now back to my afternoon snack!

Cheers, JR

Sounds good! Surprising it will draw chips but smoke from a foot or so will definitely work.

Snack...Let me guess...chips and salsa...:p

PJ

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PJs

Sounds good! Surprising it will draw chips but smoke from a foot or so will definitely work.

Snack...Let me guess...chips and salsa...:p

PJ

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Yep, Chips it is with Salsa!

Paul, I think you are on to something. A little googling shows there are HEPA filters as well as activated charcoal filters of the same general style.

http://a.co/d/aBVUEOu

JR great idea and execution!

Bob

mine is a little bigger... it's a 2 speed squirrel cage fan from a ac system sucking from a 2' wide by about 28" tall box with multiple filters in it(5 I think) and it's in a box under my "porting bench" for porting cylinder heads. witch has a grate on top and filter under it too befor it go's down to the other box to pull through those filters. ti filter out all the porting dust and keep me breathing clean air as well as keeping me cool!!! I als turn it on when I run my blasting cabnet witch has a shop vac connected to it but as we know,no blasting cabinet seals very well...so it is sucking hard and blowing and getting the air nice and clean. I wish I had it 30 years ago when I was doing that kind of work for a living every day. I just use good home ac unit filters in it.( not the blue straw useless kind, the paper fabric kind that gets allergens,dust&whatever, not cheep but not expensive either. my assembly room is 30 feet away and the main ac unit is in the engine build/ assy room so I dont want it sucking any dust from where ever. it works awesome.I use regular formed Formica counter tops in my shop eazy to clean, built in back splash and cheep when you get a broken/ damaged one's. the blower came from my brother he does ac refrigeration for a living. the filter box is just plywood with windows for mounting the filters that slide in to channels made form wood moldings. simple cheep and extremely effective. my 34x24 shop is built like a house wuth bathroom, kitchen aera, build room, shop area room with race car and the porting room with the blast cabnet,all porting tooling, valve grinding equipment etc and cabnets for stuff...

Good use for a fram filter. Just don't use them in your car.

Ive seen nothing rong with the fram that dosent happen to other filters. most is internet blabber or somebody blaming something on a part that is not at fault but the person more than likely is." it wasent the guns fault you shot off your big toe, as the sites were dead on" Ive had 1 fram mishap in a racing condition @210 mph, the filter housing seperated from the base....... good thing it was at the end of the run. but with the few hundrad fram filters Ive used&instaled only 1 issue...aint bad. and Ive cut many appart for inspection...no problem inside either. but Im not saying they are superrior to any others either. everybody knows wix filters. from gastonia North Carolina,a american company made in the usa!!! well I bought a case of wix filters 2 years ago..... MADE IN RUSSIA. HARD TO SEE IT BUT THATS WHAT IT SAYS!!! so I contacted wix..... yup they have outsorced to Russia!!..aint that sweet!!! it gave me a warm and fuzzy fealing knowing the good $$$ I spent for those wix filters went to good use...in russia. but they assured me they were made to wix std's.... ASSured me.... and STD....ASS& STD. thats about right. atleast the frams have where they are made in readable print. MEXICO!!!ole!! and no STD"S!!!(I HOPE)

as for the home filters I use I use a few different brands. but you need to always look at the filter where it meets the cardboard frame. many are not sealed/glued worth a poop. and some are only glued at 2 ends!!!! those are poop!!! sofar the arm&hammer brand has been good as well as another I cant remember.there are many diferent ratings ( personaly i think most are a scam) . for my home I have 3 differnt sizes for the 1 unit I like good filteration and no restriction thus 3 filters/2inlet ducts/grates.prefiltering and 1 final filter. I use the expensive highest rated filtration ones and they work well but still do not get everything... or my house would have no dust.........in florida....ya right. the cheep pleated filters usualy are only glued on 2 ends leaving the sides...open to suck through.not good.Ive never seen a fram like that.

Well, things may have changed but I doubt it. Most of what I speak of is from my own ex periance. Mechanic and shop owner for 36 years.

Ive been building and machining and racing for well over 45 years, and Ive seen many dead filters.but...not the filters fault. there are many things that can kill a filter.

For sure. I'm talking about normal service. Anyway, I suggest folks use what they want in their vehicles.

most dont have a clue what is on thier vehicle and dont care....it's the coffee filter that matters.