Video: Dust Collector Closet
Video link: No cyclone dust collector, no problem!
My dust collector is terrible at fine filtration. It is a cheapish 3 HP Grizzly dust collector. Something similar to this base 3 HP G1030Z2P that is currently available on Grizzly for $695, but I bought mine ages ago. The main problem with these dust collectors is that the bag only filters down to 2.5 microns. Anything smaller escapes from the bag and into the air.
Coincidentally, things in the range of 1.0 to 2.5 microns are the worst size of dust particles to breath, and can cause lung problems, such as cancer.
A lot of modern dust collectors incorporate a cyclone design. The cyclone allows most the dust to fall down before reaching the filter. This allows a more fine HEPA filter to be used, and can filter out 99.9% of the dust down to 0.3 microns. 3 HP cyclone dust collectors easily cost $3000 to $5000, and I might get one some day.
But for now, I wanted to improve my lung safety. In Santa Cruz, I simply vented the dust collector to the outside, which was no problem due to the temperate climate. In Truckee, the winters are a bit colder, and I don’t want to kick all my heat out. So, I built a cabinet to contain the dust collector, along with a typical HVAC filter that can filter 95% of particles down to 0.5 microns or so. I also added some insulation to the inside to make it quieter. Follow along in the video to see me make it!
