Creative Woodworks & crafts 1997-12, страница 62

Dirk Boelman reviews the AC465 Air Cleaning System from Penn State Industries.

A report from my musty, dusty basement

Like many craftspeople. T have a relatively small basement workshop, measuring about 17' x 21'. Every square inch is jam packed with tools, wood, more wood, and assoited miscellaneous junk that 1 might use mm someday _an(j wouldn't dare throw away.

1 spend a lot of time in my little workshop, and while | I'm there, 1 tend to create an awful lot of sawdust. We | have a central-vac system in our home which does a | passable job of collecting the dust from my stationary tools. But more often than not I'll turn on one of my J tools, like my scroll saw, without hooking up the vacuum hose. Don't let anyone ever fool you into believing that scroll sawing doesn't create sawdust—yet how many people have a dust collection system attached to their scroll saw?! The end result is that 1 usually have sawdust flying around my workshop.

Common sense and better health

Now we all know that it's not good for any of us to be breathing sawdust! It's in our best interest to do everything we can to reduce the amount of dust we inhale. With that in mind, I want to tell you about an air cleaning system which I have installed in my workshop that honestly captures a great deal of thai pesky

airborne sawdust quickly and efficiently, with no special hook-ups. You just switch it on and forget that it's there!

How dust it do it?

The AC465 from Penn State Industries is a self-contained air cleaning system that measures 24"w x 12"h x 30"d. On the front is a washable metal pre-filter. Tnside is a 12" x 24" ASHRE 65 percent pocket filter. A powerful rear-mounted blower draws air into the front of the unit, trapping tiny particles and other impurities in the filters, then the clean air is recirculated back into the room. According to the manufacturer's specifications, this unit will completely recirculate and filter the air in a typical 20' x 20' x 8' shop over 8 times per hour.

Since the system weighs a mere 40 lbs, it can be used as a portable unit or it can be installed permanently. I opted for permanent installation and hung the unit from my shop ceiling since T just didn't have any other space available. It can also be sat on a tall rack, bench or rolling cart, and moved close to whatever tool you're using at the moment. The unit has a 7'-long cord with an on/olT switch, so you can plug it in anywhere and it's ready to use.

If you've ever tackled a remodelling project around your house, you can fully appreciate the unit's portability. Whether you're tearing out the old stuff or putting in the new, a lot of dust gets created! Dry wall dust, for example, seems to float around all over the place. The AC465 easily sets up wherever you're working to capture a great deal of the airborne dust, thus preventing it

from landing in your lungs or on the fine furniture and collectables in adjaccnt rooms.

A suspending testimonial

Since T installed the AC465 in my shop, I've had at least a half dozen people stop by. The first thing they always notice is the unit suspended from my ceiling. "So, does it work good?" they look up and ask. The way I answer is to climb up a step] adder, remove the pre-filter, and let them have a look inside. The front of the filter is always covered with dust, the best indicator that it really works. It's also a good reminder for me that it's time to clean the filter!

After demonstrating the AC465 to enough basement visitors, I know that it really performs. It's also a great feeling to know that the unit is there to help take care of my health!

So give the AC465 from Penn State Industries a try. Just mrn it on and it will hang around collecting dust for you, too! You won't pay much attention to it, but your lungs will thank you for thinking of them.

The AC465 Air Cleaning System sells for $239, and is available from Penn State Industries, 2850 Comly Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154; (800) 377-7297.

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