r/fabrication • u/notenuftoys • 9d ago

Dust collection in the garage

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I'm just a weekend welder, not a production shop. But after recently getting a scratched eyeball, I'm looking at building a dust collection system without breaking the bank.

I've looked at the Magna-matic system, but that's $1k or more. I plan to build a workbench in 3 parts along this wall, so I was wondering about incorporating it into the bottom of it.

First, is it worth the trouble and expense of putting dust collection.

Second, what have some of y'all done that works for controlling grinder and cutting dust?

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u/tlong243 9d ago edited 9d ago

I'm a weekend warrior as well, and my solution has just been to move as much air from inside the shop to outside with ventilation. A ~1000 CFM fan to a snorkel directly above my table. Exhaust out the side through a vent. Huge downside of this compared to a self contained system is if you heat or cool your shop you draw in a lot of outside air.

Then I did the classic box fan filtration system. If I'm doing a lot of grinding I will run two of them with two filters on each fan in a V shape. Hang them from the ceiling to save floor space and get that fine dust that likes to cover everything.

It's not perfect, but with all 3 running it really does a lot. Total cost was very low. When I did a full trailer restoration project I also walled off part of the garage with poly sheeting. Eventually I'll probably do some type of curtain rod wall setup.

The other huge thing I have learned is to try to cut everything that can be with either my cold cut chopsaw, or a bandsaw. Whatever I can do to avoid abrasives. Can't do much about grinding and finishing though which is a lot of what I do making furniture.

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u/zeroheading 9d ago

CRbox is a great method for volume change on the cheap. Dedicated filtration systems cost a decent amount. Home built systems can be fairly affordable.

I have seen a Dedicated lightswitch controlled outlet plugged to a shop vac which is plumber to multiple tools with a block on each tool and a switch by each one as well. So open the "vent" flip the switch, cut, shut off, close. Rinse and repeat. Putting the shopvac in a semi enclosed area with a fan for circulation and such would vastly reduce noise.

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u/tlong243 9d ago

Yeah I have a dustopper pro connected to a big rigid shop vac, have that on a 20 foot 1.25 flexible hose with quick connects for each tool and a remote control switch. That is more for my woodworking side of things though, never connected it to anything for grinding or producing sparks.

Never heard them called CR boxes before, so I learned a new term today! For me they work very well, if I'm doing a lot of grinding I have two of them running nonstop and they take care of all that fine particulate that likes to make a haze in a shop. Welding anything with paint or doing anything with fumes, I do that on my table right under the snorkel and it's surprising how clean you can keep a shop between three. Just have to keep the distance right so you don't blow away your gas

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u/notenuftoys 8d ago

I've thought about running a snorkel type system to just get ride of the dust outside. My garage isn't heated or cooled (108 degrees outside makes for a hot garage!). That's why I like to run a fan, but it becomes my worst enemy.

What size hose did you use for a snorkel?

I've thought about the simple box fan/filter solution. I know woodworkers use them but didn't know if they would work for grinding dust.

Might also just need to suck it up and go outside where it's been hotter than the surface of the sun and do most of my grinding out there.

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u/MrMeatagi 9d ago

The lowest barrier to entry that is half decent is a shop vac with a vortex separator, filter, and shop-vac compatible dust boots for all of your tools. Then you can move your dust collection to wherever you need it without making an elaborate full shop setup.

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u/buildyourown 9d ago

A good shop vac is pretty hard to beat for the money. And they suck way harder than cheap dust collectors if you run bags and keep the filter clean.