No cyclone dust collector, no problem! I'm really just joking -- I would love an expensive 5hp cyclone dust collector, but I am sticking with my basic 3 HP grizzly dust collector for now. But what about all that dust that is bad to breath? Things under 2.5 microns are super bad for your lungs and can cause cancer. Those typical filter bags only filter down to 2.5 microns, so you are breathing the worst dust with those type of systems. I set out to improve upon it by putting mine in it's own closet, and using a fine grade filter.

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I built this dust collector closet for around $100-$120, but that is because I milled all the wood myself from downed trees. You could probably get all the wood for a few hundred dollars, and finish the outside with some cheap 1/2" drywall, and still get the benefits of better air inside your shop. The filter was probably $20 or so, but I forget at this point.

What do you all think? Is this a good idea or a terrible idea? Let me know in the comments!

The only materials I bought were the insulation, and the purpose of the insulation was to make it quieter, and is somewhat optional. Sometimes my CNC is quiet enough where I don't feel like I need to use hearing protection.

I still will have to wear my dust mask a bit; my CNC machine kicks out a lot of fine particles when I'm not using my dust boot.

I did measure the dB of things using an iPhone app. With the doors open, I see about 78 dB when pretty close by, and it drops to 72 dB when the door is closed. In the middle of my shop, it is around 67 dB, which is a normal conversation noise level. It's best to avoid prolonged exposures to over 85 dB to avoid hearing loss. I feel pretty confident that the noise level is now low enough where I can leave it running and not worry about hearing issues.

Corbin Dunn
https://www.corbinsworkshop.com // CNC files, products, portfolio
https://www.corbinstreehouse.com // Corbin's Treehouse Blog

Chapters:
0:00 Intro and Dust Issues
0:33 Other Options
1:25 My Solution
2:18 The build
5:05 Insulation
5:37 Conclusion


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