Dust Eater
At last, a way to clean, comfortable building—no goggles or dust masks, and no more "fall-out" that covers everything.
A serious problem faced by many model builders is an allergy to dust generated from sanding wood and finishing materials. Actually, exposure to any dust is detrimental to the respiratory system even without an allergy. Many experience a sensitivity developing after several years of uneventful exposure. Eventually, the watery eyes and the sneezing become sheer torture. Exposure must stop. Often, this means model building must stop.
Dust masks that filter particles from the air help, but they must fit well and are seldom comfortable. Eye protection may also be necessary and glasses may not be sufficient. Goggles are extremely uncomfortable and fog easily. Obviously, these items must be used to be of any value. Usually, a modeler doesn't bother to don this paraphernalia for a "little" job and soon is back to the sneezing. Also, none of these devices protect from the dust distributed throughout the shop, waiting to be stirred up later.
What it is
The Dust Eater is the answer. This little jewel will prevent most dust from ever nearing your nose. Even better, it traps dust to prevent its spreading throughout your entire shop.
The Dust Eater consists of an ordinary 20-inch square portable box fan with brackets to hold standard 20 x 20 x 1 furnace filters to each side. The fan is available for less than $20 and the filters are about $1 each. The Dust Eater is quiet, consumes about as much electricity as a 200-watt light, and is portable.
Materials
- 20-inch square portable box fan
- Standard 20 x 20 x 1 furnace filters (quantity depends on use)
- Brackets (masking tape, 1 x 2 wood, or light metal)
Assembly
- Attach a filter to each side of the fan using brackets. Brackets can be as simple as masking tape, although they will be more convenient if fabricated from 1 x 2 wood or light metal.
- The figure in the original article shows how the Dust Eater is assembled.
Use
- For balsa sanding, install a filter on the inlet side only.
- For sanding resin or using primers, install filters on both the inlet and exhaust sides.
- Place the Dust Eater near the sanding area, facing away from the work.
- Switch the fan on and sand.
- Change the inlet filter whenever it appears covered with dust. All the dust from the sanding required for a balsa-sheeted pattern wing is easily consumed by one filter.
Author
Earl Haury
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
