Replies

1. 
   KnotNow | Jan 28, 2006 06:07pm | #1

   I have the JDS Air Tech 2000 and think it's great. The shop is about 12 X 30. I was cutting up and routing some MDF last night and was amazed how quickly the dust cleared. I wouldn't be without it now. I also used it when I was sanding hardwood floors and drywall in a bedroom. I put it in the doorway while I went at it. It *really* works! My wife has asthma and notices when she comes in the shop notices how clean the air is.

    

2. 
   John_D | Jan 31, 2006 07:51am | #2

   I have and like the Delta three-speed.  When I was doing some drywall cutting, it cleared my shop air quickly, and that's some nasty stuff.

   My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
3. 
   dchyatt | Jan 31, 2006 08:07am | #3

   I worked in a shop that had a ceiling mounted (actually hanging) air filter from General International. Worked quite well.

4. 
   forestgirl | Jan 31, 2006 10:13am | #4

   Based on its consistent "top honors" in all the various tests I read over a period of a couple of years, I chose the JDS.  There will be those who say any test performed by a magazine isn't worth the paper the label is made of, but there was one in particular that nailed it for me.  JDS by a half-length over the others.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   Do unto others as you tell them they should do unto you....

5. 
   tinkerer2 | Feb 01, 2006 06:19am | #5

        How about a blower from a discarded furnace.  Fix it up with a filter and you have an air cleaner.  If you live anywhere near Morgantown WV, I'll give you one.

1. 
   JayM | Feb 01, 2006 03:32pm | #6

   Thanks for the offer Tinkerer...but I live just north of New York City.

   Jay 

6. 
   HowardAcheson | Feb 01, 2006 07:02pm | #7

   Here is some info that may be helpful.

   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.

   Howie.........
1. 
   Fred | Feb 08, 2006 07:42am | #8

   Your post caught my attention, since i'm currently setting up my own air filter using an old furnace blower.

   My shop is about 20' X 20' X 6'10'' . Based on a 10 times/minutes air changes, I would need 400-500 cfm. The 10 1/4'' blower with 1/3 hp motor and current pulley setup give 1400 cfm according to manifacturer's charts (at the blower, this is. Not taking into account the static pressure of the finished system). Would you change pulleys so the fan runs at a lower rpm?

   Imagine a Tic-Tac-Toe grid on the floor. The bench (where I use sanding devices) and table saw are on the center square.  If I understood you well, I should put the intake not at the center, nor at any corner, but in any remaining square, right at the wall/ceiling jonction.  Where should the exhaust go?

   I thought about a moving cart on casters, intake 6' high, exhaust parallel to floor. What do you think? Anyone done that?

   About filters... I was about to buy replacement filters for commercial air cleaners (pleated filter + six pocket bag type filter) and fit them in my custom cleaner. Are a series of progressively finer furnace filters (ending with a 85-90% 1 micron) going to do the job as good? They would cost 4 times less.

   Sorry for the endless request. Thanks in advance for your time.

   Fred

    

1. 
   HowardAcheson | Feb 08, 2006 07:27pm | #9

   From a practical point of view, your filter system will produce between 800-1000 CFM.  Whether this is too much will depend on the filters you used.  If it blows out the filters, then it is too much.  Many industrial filters will also has a spec on the maximum CFM they will stand.  A second factor is whether you can stand the amount of breeze in your shop.

   As to placement, I can't add much to that which was already posted.  The objective is to create a circular air flow and keep yourself in the cleanest path of the air flow.  A friend has his cleaner along a wall with another floor fan blowing clean air at his back from the airstream.

   Keep in mind, an air cleaner should not be looked at as a health maintaining device.  It is primarily intended to remove dust from the air as quickly as possible when the dust producing operation is stopped.  I find an air cleaner best for cleaning the shop to get ready for finishing.

   I think a cheap pre-filter is a good idea. 

    Howie.........

7. 
   frenchy | Feb 09, 2006 10:44pm | #10

   JayM

     I bought a Grizzley aircleaner but if I had the time I would have made my own from a furnace motor, and a plywood box with 3M furnace filters..

    

8. 
   BilljustBill | Feb 10, 2006 06:00am | #11

        Jay,

        If you look at the Delta model with the airflow indicator, be aware that many vendors STILL list it with a timer up to 7hrs of run time....  Go to Delta's website and lookup the correct specs....it's been redesigned over a year ago to run only 3 hours.

         I can tell you that buying the Delta air cleaners by mailorder will net you a 75% probability it's going to arrive damaged.   The motor/blower is blocked up inside with foam packing blocks and clear packing tape.  The glue on the packing tape isn't strong enough to say "stuck" to the foam and they come lose, thus the motor bounces around.

      Most mailorder vendors ship them in the original container that comes from China.  It is a thin cardboard, almost like a shoebox cardboard, and where the air volume indicator is mounted, you would think it would have some extra packing....It does, but the packing is AROUND the plastic lens rather than in front of it (????). 

       Also, with the clear lens taking bumps and hits through the single thin layer of cardboard, the four screws that hold it in place are overly tightened.  Most of the lens have stress cracks around 2 or more screw heads.

       Getting the Delta aircleaner locally is a better action, if the price is right.  You can have the store open the carton and inspect it BEFORE you take it home.... 

       Bill