Woodshop Air cleaners

[Robert foster]

Do air cleaner/filters really make any difference in the amount of dust in the shop. I'm considering a 1000 CFM unit either by Jet or Steel City. Or I could just put the $300.00 toward another shop tool.
Any advice??

Bob

[Aaron Wingert]

When I moved my shop from my garage to my basement I invested in one. A JDS unit that hangs from the ceiling. I have to say it is the best $300 (got it $50 off on sale) that I have ever spent in the shop. It catches an amazing amount of airborne dust. I've used it when routing MDF and it cleared the air in no time in my basement shop which is roughly 25'x25'. I use it whenever I'm using the lathe, and it keeps the sanding dust to a minimum.

I highly recommend the JDS because it has a washable pre-filter, which is really really really handy.

I wouldn't consider this a replacement for a dust collector, but the purpose of a dust collector isn't to reduce or eliminate airborne dust anyhow. I don't have one....I use a broom for now. Each type of collector serves a very specific purpose. The timer feature is very handy so it can run for an hour or longer after you leave the shop. My unit also has three speeds, which is nice. The only downside it that it drowns out the shop radio...But it isn't loud...More like white noise that you don't realize is there after you initially turn it on. My wife does not hear it upstairs.

Here's a pic of mine before the shop was completed. It hangs to the right of my lathe, which is where I spend most of my time.

[ed vitanovec]

I have a good dust collection system and my Delta air cleaner still gets the fine dust that is floating in the air. I would recommend a multi speed unit with timer.

Regards!
Ed

[Larry Rasmussen]

The August Fine Woodworking magazine came in the mail last week and has a review of 5 units; Delta 50-875 ($415), General International Pro Turbo 10-550 ($430), JDS Air-Tech ($340), Jet AFS-1000B ($300), and Powermatic PM1200 ($350). The prices described as "street prices".

One of the more useful Tool Tests I've seen. It was short but provided an overview of the tool in general, its usefulness in the small shop and outlined the freatures of each of the five selected models. They liked them all and had a winner but performances were close enough so the other four were all valid choices depending on which features were most important to the reader.

[Keith Albertson]

I'm very happy with my Jet. I got it for $150 on sale at Amazon, delivered. Keep your eye out, and you might be able to find a similar sale.

It is noisier than I expected, but it is "white noise" as previously mentioned. It has a timer, so I can run it after I leave the shop and it will stop on its own. It collects the fine dust out of the air, like MDF and sanding dust, that otherwise ends up in my lungs on on top of my finishes.

the Jet does not have a washable pre-filter. Instead it is like a disposable furnace filter. Jet sells them for $15, but you can get a similar furnace filter for about 2 bucks. I vacuum mine off from time to time to extend its lifetime.

All in all it has been a great purchase, and the fact that there is less dust to track out of my basement shop has made TLOML much happier.

[Brian W Evans]

I have the JDS and I would agree that it is one of the best investments I've made. You can see the results in the pre-filter. Every time I do, I'm glad that stuff is not in my lungs. With the JDS, I like the remote, the timer, the variable speeds, and the washable filter. The noise, especially on the low setting, is about like having a loud window fan or an air conditioner.

I work with a guy who has been a shop teacher for decades. Sitting next to him at meetings, his breathing is almost louder than the air filter. You don't want to end up like that. Get the filter.

[Gary Muto]

I bought a Jet AFS100B and really didn't want to spend teh money at the time. I'm amazed at how quickly it collects the airborne visible dust. Here's to your health.

[mike holden]

My shop is in my basement, along with our pantry. Getting the aircleaner meant that I no longer had to wipe down the food before bringing it upstairs (grin). Wife calls it the best tool in my shop.
Mike

[Howard Acheson]

Here are some general rules based on Nagyszalanczy's "Workshop Dust Control" and some of my own experiences and thoughts.

The two most important criteria for an air cleaner are the CFM and the filters. You want a CFM factor that will clean the size of your shop and a filter that removes the particle size that you are concerned about.

To determine the size or required air flow, use this formula: Volume of your shop (Length x width x Height) times Number of air changes per hour (typically 6 - 8) divided by 60. This will give you an answer in Cubic Feet per Minute which is how air cleaners are measured. MOST AIR CLEANER MANUFACTURERS RATE THE CFM OF THE FAN ONLY, but there are losses due to the filters. If you are building your own or if the air cleaner you are purchasing rates only the fan, figure you will lose about 25 - 40% for filtering losses.

As important as the air cleaner size is how and where you mount it. Try to mount at about 8-10 feet above the floor (no lower than 6'or 2/3 of the floor to ceiling distance if less than 8' ceiling). Mount along the longest wall so the intake is approximately 1/3 the distance from the shorter wall. Mount no further than 4-6 inches from the wall.

The exhaust is the largest determiner of the circulation pattern. You are trying to encourage circulation parallel to the floor/ceiling so ceiling mounting is not recommended. Use a smoke stick (or a cigar) to observe and maximize circulation. Use a secondary fan to direct air to the intake if necessary. Also, consider that a standard 24" floor fan moves a lot of air and, in some shops, just positioning it in a doorway with a window or other door open can accomplish as much or more than an air cleaner. It's all in the circulation patterns.

The exhaust is the clean air so that is where you want to position yourself. Do not place the air cleaner over the a dust producer. That will guarantee that the operator will be in direct line between the dust producer and the air cleaner. The operator wants to be in the clean air stream. If the dust has to pass your nose to get to the air cleaner, you get no benefits. If you have an odd shaped shop, two smaller units may be better than one large one.

DO NOT RELY ON A AIR CLEANER TO ACT AS A DUST COLLECTOR. The purpose of and air cleaner is to keep airborne dust in suspension and reduce airborne dust as quickly as possible AFTER THE DUST PRODUCER HAS BEEN TURNED OFF.

Finally, if you are looking for health benefits, you will not find any air cleaner manufacturer that makes health claims because there are few health benefits. CATCHING DUST AT IT'S SOURCE IS THE BEST LONG TERM GOAL. Rick Peters', author of "Controlling Dust in the Workshop", makes the point that spending your money getting the dust at its source is a better investment than trying to capture it after it is already airborne. If the dust is in the air, it's going to be in your nose and lungs too. Robert Witter of Oneida Air Systems has noted that "overhead cleaners can only lower ambient dust levels AFTER THE SOURCE OF EMISSIONS IS SHUT DOWN, and they take several hours to do this. This is why they are not used in industry." The absolute best answer, if health is the primary concern, is to use a NIOSH approved respirator. The dust cleaner will help keep your shop cleaner but have minimal or no health benefits. OSHA takes this position too. They measure the number of particles per a volume and most air cleaners will not satisfy their specs.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

My JDS does a great job in my 24 x24 shop. As others have said, it is not a replacement for a good dust collector.

[Joe Leigh]

Finally, if you are looking for health benefits, you will not find any air cleaner manufacturer that makes health claims because there are few health benefits....... The dust cleaner will help keep your shop cleaner but have minimal or no health benefits.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with this statement. The less time the dust particles spend airborne the less chance of me breathing them in. There has to be a benefit to that.

[Aaron Wingert]

The less time the dust particles spend airborne the less chance of me breathing them in. There has to be a benefit to that.

Absolutely. Before I had an air cleaner I was picking cocobolo dust out of my nose, eyes and ears. With the air cleaner on my right when working at the lathe and a portable fan on my left (which I used before I had the air cleaner), I no longer have that problem. I no longer suffer the effects of inhaling all that dust and especially the irritation that cocobolo causes the nose.

Why? Because the air cleaner breathes it all in. Proof is on the pre-filter!

Perhaps the manufacturers would be crazy to claim health benefits and perhaps that's why they don't claim any. But I fully agree that there is a major health benefit in not inhaling as much airborne dust.

[Brian W Evans]

I agree with the previous poster who said it is best to control dust at the source. However, I will also agree with the other posters who have anecdotal evidence of the benefits of air filters. There has to be some benefit from getting that amount of dust out of the air, even if it is not immediate.

I'll add another benefit as well: I have a one-room shop. Running the air filter allows me to apply finishes much sooner after running machines than I could otherwise.

Truly effective dust collection is often prohibitively expensive or impossible given hobby-level machines. I would suggest that an air filter is, at least, a reasonable (and reasonably priced) solution to airborne dust, even if it's not ideal.

[glenn bradley]

Speaking from experience; yes they make a difference and yes, get the JDS.

[Bill White]

I went the cheap route by modifying an air cleaner formerly used in a smoking room from my offices (we finally went completely non-smoking).
Jerked out most of the innards and replaced them with multiple filter media. Has two speeds and sure catches a bunch of the fines.
Total cost? Nada..........
Bill