Thread: Home made dust collector. A little different

Like some woodworkers I use a shop vacuum to deal with dust but it kills the filter and vacuum pretty quick. So I made up and tried some of the home made dust buckets you see on the internet. I was happy when you suck up shavings but with the dust it just seemed to go straight though to the shop vacuum. Plus when I restricted the vacuum line it would suck the plastic bucket flat. What I wanted was something that would deal with everything from plaster dust to shavings and didn't let any though to the vacuum. So I designed my own it still uses the same design you see on others with using the inlet causing the dust to vortex to the bottom. When it gets a bit dusty I fill it with water to the first rim on the steel drum which collects most of the dust but the filter catches the rest. The filter is a air pod filter that you can purchase from any automotive store. It works great and catching the excess dust and is fully washable unlike the shop vacuum. Granted it still has a filter but it goes all day and when I'm done I hit it with the garden hose and its good to go again. Plus if I want to clean it quick I just reverse the vacuum to blow and blow the filter out. The whole thing cost me under $20. I know its a bit different but it works well for me.