Introduction: DIY Dust Collector

I made this dust collector with parts I had on hand. I've been using a shop vac, which saves my lungs while killing my ears.

I've been too cheap to buy a commercial collector, so I thought I'd give this concept a whirl.

Obviously the I used the Dust Deputy, because it really is magical.

Step 1: Parts

So here's the short list.

I had this blower for my kids jump house. the house died, the blower lives on.

This floor drain from Menards looked a perfect fit.... and it was! 6" drain to a 2" outlet.

3 self tapping screws.

Step 2: Fan

I removed all the screws from the blower to sperate the housing.

Using the grate I took out of the floor drain, I lined it up to the intake side of the blower and marked the 3 mounting holes.

I ran the self tapping screws in to ream the holes.

I lined the floor drain up, and it was like it was suppose to be there! the outside flange on the blower fit perfect in the drain.

I tighten the three screws and done!

Step 3: Putting It All Together

I reassembled the fan, connected the hoses, and turned it on.

Hell ya it works!!!!!

Step 4: Issues

I chose to try this fan because I want to mount it outside of my garage, and these are outdoor rated. I'm not concerned about a bag to collect the 1-2% missed by the cyclone since it will be mounted outside. Additionally, it is a hell of a lot quieter than any shop vac.

The downside is that this particular blower is not very strong, it was for the littlest jump house you could buy.

The upside is that the parts I tried worked well. My goal was to use 2" PVC from the outside blower into the Dust Deputy inside. Then continue the 2" PVC to 3 drops. I have a 1 car garage, 4" just isn't worth the time, money, or space.

I used it to vacuum up loose dust from my table saw pretty effectively. It's definitely not strong enough to attach to a table saw. It did work perfect on my scroll saw and orbital sander.

Lastly, I am aware of the dust collection and PVC concerns.....I just don't have them.

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I updated the picture to reflect the proper attachment of the hoses.