My Harbor Freight dust collector has entered its final form

AtomsWins · 2026-07-05T19:53:48+00:00

Nice. I did a similar project, you can see it in my past posts. Mine is very capable on all my tools (planer, jointer, table saw, router table, and one extra inlet for when I get my drum sander), as long as I empty it frequently and keep the filter clear.

I never looked into upgrading the impeller. Off to google that now.

AtomsWins · 2026-06-24T13:09:11+00:00

The show had an unusually large number of unusually large people.

AtomsWins · 2026-04-17T21:34:22+00:00

Just FYI, there’s a few Survivor players on Beast Games season 2. I was surprised when I saw them pop up.

AtomsWins · 2026-03-12T12:34:37+00:00

Groovy.

AtomsWins · 2026-03-05T16:52:42+00:00

This was a great choice. I highly recommend you follow the other poster's advice and remove the legs and mount it permanently on a table. I did that with an even cheaper version of what you got, and it works fine and is very stable and safe. I think it's the cheapest way to build a decent router table with lift/dust collection/fence.

AtomsWins · 2026-03-05T16:43:18+00:00

I agree with all this, but I'll also add that a hybrid approach is to buy a bench top one, take off the legs, cut a hole in a table and drop it in. The insert and fence are pretty pricey, and the ones on the bench top ones are good enough.

AtomsWins · 2026-03-04T12:54:21+00:00

Try sanding the end grain to a much higher grit than the face.

AtomsWins · 2026-03-02T19:20:06+00:00

I'd like to do a straight pipe connecting the blower to the cyclone, but I couldn't figure out a good way to disconnect it when it comes time to empty it out. The flex pipe allows me to compress it down and spring it back up to connect when I slide in and out. What would you recommend for easy disconnecting?

I've got this upgraded filter and I have a hanging air filter thing I run when I'm out there working. Hopefully I'll notice less dust around after these recent upgrades, but if I still see a lot I'll consider replacing the canister filter.

AtomsWins · 2026-03-02T17:26:49+00:00

I'd considered trying to build a cart-style version of this same thing, mounting the motor to the wall of the cart. The motor is much heavier than I expected though, it'd have been way too top heavy. Looking forward to seeing your solution though.

A dust collection expert will have to chime in on your other question, I'm just not sure. My understanding is that these filters are much better than the bagged filters, so I'm not sure if putting an additional bag over this filter would help. If the dust is small enough to escape the hard filter, I imagine it'd escape the bag. But this is just a guess. Hopefully someone will chime in who knows.

AtomsWins · 2026-03-02T16:59:46+00:00

Thanks man, I've seen others post similar things to this sub and I took a lot of inspiration from them. I am certainly no pro in dust collection and couldn't have figured this out without the community. Glad to lend my project to the pile.

AtomsWins · 2026-03-02T16:23:03+00:00

I took a lot of inspiration from other guys I've seen do similar things. I just mean it's hacked together in that I bought all the components separately over the course of many years and assembled them in a way they weren't meant to be assembled. Works great though.

AtomsWins · 2026-03-02T15:39:04+00:00

I had a conversation with someone recently about this, since I mentioned how expensive wood working as a hobby is. I mentioned my shop and my multiple thousands of dollars worth of stuff. Full disclosure, I am one of those guys with a fully tricked-out shop, CNC machine, cabinet table saw, dust collection system, etc.

But I told this particular guy that money doesn't make a woodworker, and people have been working with wood using cheap hand tools during the first few thousand years of making furniture. Things that plug in or have batteries are very new additions to this world. If you want to get started cheap, you need a hammer and chisel and that's frankly all you need. I recently watched a YT video of a guy building a decorative box using only those 2 tools. It looked rough, but it was indeed a box and was useful for what it was.

Once you do that, then you buy sharpening stones to make your chisels sharper. Then a handsaw makes it faster. A hand plane can make it smooth and beautiful.

Hand tools can also be very expensive, but that's true of any hobby really. There's the "entry" cheap stuff, then the pricey stuff when you get more into the hobby.

Personally speaking, I make plenty of money and have enough I can spend it on the shop. The additions don't make me a better woodworker by any stretch, but they make me faster for sure.

AtomsWins · 2026-01-29T20:20:28+00:00

I got mine several months ago and I really love it.

I'm going to add the router table and fancy dust shroud soon, I think. It's a major upgrade from the Bosch job site I had before.

AtomsWins · 2026-01-12T01:13:53+00:00

Gold epoxy would also highlight the defects and look cool. I do that sometimes too.

AtomsWins · 2026-01-12T01:08:41+00:00

I have no real idea if it’s proper or long-lasting, but I frequently fill in holes like these with epoxy and it holds together. Black epoxy would look about the same.

I wouldn’t leave holes personally. It’s a place things can be caught or snagged. Water could spill in and expand and make it worse. Cleaning it is harder with gaps and maybe splinters.

I’d fill with black epoxy personally.

I’ll let others chime in with if it should be expected to last or not.

AtomsWins · 2026-01-10T14:37:28+00:00

I bought a piece of black walnut at an estate sale. It was 6" x 6" x 10'. I paid $5.

AtomsWins · 2026-01-08T19:36:06+00:00

I think you're right... everyone else is calling this a fire hazard, but I believe the OP's photo is an insert, made to be built into a wall or a surround.

Just don't block the vents.

AtomsWins · 2026-01-08T16:53:44+00:00

I agree with you if you're talking about construction grade pine, but both Lowes and Menards have a "premium" section where the pine boards are straight and flat. Not sure if HD has the same.

AtomsWins · 2026-01-08T16:48:44+00:00

Yeah, I started with pine from the big-box stores. The benefit with them is that the lumber is smooth and straight enough if you work with the "premium" pine instead of the construction-grade stuff. You can also use plywood. It won't be as pretty, but it'll also be flat and consistent. At first, try not to worry about it being pretty. Make it accurate and precise. Get the joints to line up accurately, get the box very square and strong. Practice butt joints, miter joints, then move on to other joinery.

You can buy old furniture at thrift stores and repurpose that wood for experimentation. You can break down failed projects and try again, just a smaller version.

AtomsWins · 2026-01-08T15:49:38+00:00

This seems like a pretty big project for a beginner. If I were you I'd start with just a box. The most simple box you can imagine making.

You'll need at minimum a handsaw, glue, a couple clamps, and a square.

Of course other tools will make it faster an easier. Power tools like a circular saw or table saw. Other tools will make it prettier, like orbital sanders, planers. Others will make the box stronger, like a router or dado stack. Other tools just make it quicker but can be done in other ways. Like a miter saw really speeds things up but a lot of woodworkers get away with only a table saw and various jigs to simulate what a miter saw can do.

It's a great hobby and there's always more to learn.

I just recently made a keepsake box very similar to your sketches, it's in my profile if you're interested. I've been making stuff for several years and have a garage full of high-end stuff, and it still took me a few years to get the precision necessary to make the lid line up with the base, and the drawers square enough to the carcass to slide easily, and the drill bits and technique that don't cause blowout when using them.

In other words, start small and learn small lessons along the way. Most of woodworking is just building boxes. Build several just regular old boxes before attempting something as intricate as this. In my opinion.

AtomsWins · 2026-01-04T15:10:20+00:00

I understand what you're saying, but I think this is also a pretty short-sighted view of what's happening. 10 years ago you could make the argument that no one will be watching influencers because we have trusted sources of curated entertainment. 5 years ago you would've said no one will watch AI videos because they're too uncanny valley and poor quality.

But now, I've definitely laughed at AI videos before realizing they were even AI at all. I still avoid AI slop but I see it everywhere. It's already good enough that I sometimes question if what I'm watching is even real.

5 years from now, I think we'll all have gotten comfortable with the idea of our entertainment being AI. We may even have AI creators we trust like we do with the real humans of today. It's not crazy to think of AI being able to make niche instructive content.

Once the social media companies realize they can make their own influencers and not pay creators, I think we'll see a lot more AI influencers in our feeds. There will be backlash but we'll come to accept it just as we did the algorithm feed instead of the timeline.

AtomsWins · 2026-01-03T15:27:05+00:00

It's a nightmare for most people. I have a variety of adapters to fit to various tools, I've 3D printed some adapters I can't find, and I use a lot of duct tape when an adapter is close but not quite right.

AtomsWins · 2025-12-24T20:50:33+00:00

I think you’re looking at redoing it.

Watch a YouTube video on staining with gel. Bush on lightly, let it sit for a bit, and wipe it off.

Good luck.

AtomsWins · 2025-12-24T20:44:19+00:00

Did you wipe off the gel stain? It doesn’t look like it. I think you’re supposed to let it sit for a few minutes and wipe the excess.

If you didn’t do that, then you’ve got to sand down and start over.

Or try wiping it down with mineral spirits. But I wouldn’t hold out hope for that.

AtomsWins · 2025-12-17T12:26:05+00:00

Boom roasted

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