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Inspired by Joe White's excellent professional sanding table as well as the tutorial that Mario posted some time ago, I finally built one. Check out the following pics:

The 1/2" top features 405 half-inch holes over the span of 24" x 40".



The filters are 20" x 20" x 2". I currently have Merv 7 filters but will be replacing them with Merv 13 that are capable of filtering down to 0.3 microns.



I used a standard 1/2 HP furnace motor with a squirrel cage fan. The draw at the table top is significant and after being filtered the air exits at the bottom.



So I plugged it in and sanded a few items and noticed a signigicant difference in the air quality in the room. I'm looking forward to turning it on for a few hours while I purposely disturb all of the dust lying around and really cleaning up the place. Stay tuned!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Thanks JJ. I'm gettin' tired o' the brown boogies and I've got a squirrel cage that is just waiting to be used.

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Gabriel Regalbuto
Carlsbad, California
Freedom 35!

Right on JJ. That will also make a great secondary work bench if you add a removable top/cover to it.

Nice job

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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That looks great, JJ.

Rather than having its own fan/motor and filter(s), my downdraft table hooks up to my dust collector. Just another way to go about it that I thought I'd mention for others contemplating building one.

Also, rather than building a dedicated unit, I built mine in to the top of one of my workbenches, a big old thing I got for next to nothing from a furniture maker friend who wanted it out of his shop. The top was in very bad shape, so I added a layer of plywood onto it, and in the process, I cut out a rectangular section of the old top and built a simple chute of sorts with a dust port at the bottom. The new plywood top then has a corresponding section that's drilled with a slew of holes. It works great.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

My rationale for having a separate unit is to incorporate filtration that captures the smaller particles that pass right through standard dust collection systems and my goal was to have the ability to clean out the entire room of such particulate either during or after a work session.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Very nice JJ. Gotta make one of them.

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JJ, just to be clear, I don't mean to criticize your approach at all, just to mention alternatives.

In that spirit, one could also build a table much like yours, with the filters, and still connect it to a dust collector - just to allow the dust collector to be what moves the air. Or, leave the filters out of the table and use a dust collector with a filter that catches the tiny particles, which one ought to be using on other machines anyway.

Again, not to knock the self-contained complete unit deal like yours. In my case, I just figured, well, I already have the dust collector, so...

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Nice job JJ. I've GOT to make one of those. A dust free shop would be such a splendid thing.
Thanks for the photos

John

Amen! That's inspiring, JJ.
Thanks!

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

JJ,
That's pretty freakin' awesome. I have an old squirrel cage sitting out in the pole barn. When I get off active duty I'm going to have to make one of these.

Isn't it funny how we sign everything we make now. I've been doing that and putting a date on it too. Cool beans man.

Hutch out.

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Yeah, Hutch...some of us have evolved from chemically marking our territory by the old leg lift on the corner of the jig. That's why you always gotta be careful when you buy used equipment! <BSEG>

BTW...hurry back from active duty, Sarge. And many thanks for your continued service!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Hey JJ
I'm getting ready to build my downdraft table and was wondering now that you
have used it awhile what would you change?

How tall did you make it? Is it comfortable for your height?
Have the filters worked out well? Would you change to a slide out system?

Thanks for any input

Dennis

Great idea JJ!! Turn on the sanding table and mix up the air in the shop to let the table trap it! I got a huge industrial furnace fan waiting to be turned into something! Huhm!!



Not me!!
Call me old fashioned!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Tee hee hee ..good to hear I'm not alone Billy

Nice set up JJ...you have cleverly made many of us feel the urge to spend even more. Its hard to argue against good sense.

Cheers

Kim

I'm 6' tall and the height (including wheels) is 37". I find it a more comfortable height than the 35" that is one of my other benches. I have taken some of my guitar holding cradles and sanding fixtures and keep them in place with 1/2" dowels that fit into the table top.

The filters are fine as is. Since they keep the interior of the box clean, I have taken to storing some of the bulky shop items inside. Just make sure you remember where you put them. DAMHIKT

I often just let the unit run for a few hours and allow it to clean out the shop. One problem is that it is so quiet that I have forgotten it was left on. I hope to find a circuit timer in my Christmas Stocking along with the requisite lumps of coal!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Thanks ... I'll make sure the timer gets added to mine during initial build

maybe I missed it in my cursory reading, but a pre-filter would be a handy addition.

JJ

Very nice setup. Just curious JJ, do you clean or replace your filters and how frequently.

Thanks in advance,
Bob

Yea, I'm thinking of a washable polyester type that might catch most of the dust and be easily cleaned.

I take them outside and slap them around when they get so dirty that I can't see the filter media....and then vacuum them. Pay attention to the wind direction. I probably should clean them more frequently but the suction always seems to be adequate.

I replaced them after a year and lots of sanding projects only because I thought it was time. I never thought a pre-filter was necessary since most of the particulate I generate would go through most screens. If I had chips or other debris, I guess it might make sense.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Nice setup JJ.

Any ratings on your fan? We recently replaced our JennAir range that had a downdraft in the center of the range. So I could use the squirrel cage from the old unit for something like this in the future. Also thought about using on a makeshift paint booth. Not sure if it's stonge enough for either application.

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......