How To Design and Build Centrifugal Fans for the Home Shop

by David J. Gingery

"There are low-cost centrifugal fans available, but rarely will they do exactly what you want them to. If you're building a small furnace to melt aluminum you can use a surplus fan. If you're going to build a dust collection system for woodworking tools, a welding booth, or a grinding wheel, you'll find that the blowers you need are not available at low cost. Dave will show you how to design a fan with simple math that will provide the volume and pressure you need for the system you're building. With a pocket calculator you can figure out the dimensions of the fan, the size of the motor needed to drive it, and predict performance. You'll be shown how to use pillow blocks, shafting, plywood, sheet metal and other common materials to build a dirt-cheap blower that outperforms any make-do blower you might find on the surplus market. Dave will also show you how to build a simple manometer and pitot tube. You can actually measure performance and fine tune your air system. Dave used this equipment to build and adjust a powerful gas burner for his iron-melting crucible furnace. Learn how to build a dust precipitating cyclone, design sheet metal transition pieces (a very valuable skill), balance a dust collection system, build a static balancing stand, and more. Gingery's brand of simplified do-it-yourself knowledge is not available anywhere else. top rate. Order a copy.

Paperback

First published May 30, 2012

Reviews

[João]

This is an amazing book. It's written at a level that will allow folks that are handy to build fans and understand their performance. If you're interested in building a fan, just get this!

4.5 stars only because of the absolute horror that is the imperial system.