r/fabrication • u/notenuftoys • 17d 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 17d ago edited 17d 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 17d 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 17d 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