DOWNDRAFT SANDING BENCH

A great way to clear the air during sanding.

SHOP OWNER: Garry Smith

LOCATION: Engadine, MI

This is the corner of the shop used for the primary purpose of hand and machine sanding. In the design for the sanding bench, I wanted to incorporate a down draft to filter the dust and pull it away from the user. It needed to have a fairly large and sturdy top that I could also use to secure pieces while using hand planes or chisels. This is the reason I placed a substantial hardwood edge with holes for bench dogs on all sides of the top.

Six drawers for storage were also included in the design. The two large drawers on the right store some of the routers and accessories. The four drawers on the left are for sandpaper, sanding blocks and special sanding devices, among other items. I also wanted the piece to have a somewhat interesting look and feel.

Below the pegboard surface is a plywood layer with holes and routed grooves. Dust is drawn down across the entire top. A furnace filter installed above the fan captures the dust before it reaches the fan. The top portion of the cabinet needed to be blocked off from the drawer cavities. For the purpose of better airflow, I designed a shallow air duct into each side above the drawer cavities.

The front grille panel covers the exhaust. The air flows out through the opening in the bottom and the grille baffle in the front.

A threaded wooden retainer holds the front grille in place.

Air flows through the top, escapes through the bottom, and baffled through the front grille.