Upgrading my shop fan, idea from YT

I had a old furnace blower that I've used as a shop fan, it worked, but hard to position and lug around.

Got this idea on YTmag and had to share the results. Took an old junk pushmower, removed the engine and the front tires, bolted the blower on top, then modified the handle for my purposes. Then I upgraded the wiring by adding a switch (I always hated that I had to plug it in direct the way I got it).

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Haven't really used it much, but it sure seems nice, especially compared to before!

Brandon
 
I have 3 blowers on wheels. My biggest is a 3/4 hp 220v 4 speed. I used old rotary switches form old window AC's to control the fan speed. I designed blowers to tilt so I can blow the dirt off the floor or up at me.

My first blower was put on an antique baby buggy frame. The other two on 2 wheel carts.
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I can not tell from the pictures, but you will get a lot more air from each blower if you block off about half of the discharge with a 1x6 piece of wood.
 
Your pictures reminded me that I wanted to put a screen in front of the intakes, just for some safety.

I was trying to figure how to aim the air stream like you said, by tilting, but then I figured if I need to I can make some type of louvers and it'd be simpler then tipping the whole thing. IF anything else I can use blocks to angle the whole mower deck...err, base.

Thanks for the ideas!
Brandon
 
The fans have a screw they pivot on. The plumber's strap and block of wood allows me to angle the fans towards the floor for blowing the dirt out the door or upwards to keep me cool.
 
If you notice, the fan on baby buggy wheels has a block of wood. I used an ammeter and positioned the wood to get max air and minimum current. You never want to block off air intakes, just discharge.

The other fan is the mother of all fans. 3/4 hp 220v, 4 speed and she blows hard, no need for restricting air. If I blow air into pole barn via the overhead door, you can stand in doorway and feel air leaving. It moves a ton of cfms.
 
"Never say Never".
Blocking the inlet unloads
the wheel, RPM goes up. Amp goes down.
Cooling air goes over motor.
Some FACTORY blowers have INTAKE dampers.
Has been discussed before, in or out,
always get both answers.
Its all about static pressure.
 
Really cool fan that works great:homemade with a 3 horse electric motor turning an airboat prop.wow
 
Here is the way I build them up. Neighbor does HVAC so I can pick through his old units before he takes them in for junk. I have picked out four Air Handlers,,,AKA blowers, and the photos show how to do it. The teal unit is from a very small Bryant and the big blower is from a Carrier. The super nice ones are from Lenox units because they are galvanized. VERY pretty units. Next one to be built up.
Now on the small one you can see the "heal" plate that controls the air flow. It is just bent tin and is one inch high. If you hook up you AMP. meter and try the blower with and with out you will see a HUGE difference. Watch your amps to air flow ratio. Most air to least amps as possible. WATCH OUT for your FINGERS!!! What you want is after running 20 minutes unplug the unit and put your hand on the motor. It will be pretty warm but NOT hot. The bigger unit has an air shutter set up on it. Both work and you can add 1/4 wire screen if you want. By the way, If you take them apart be very careful not to knock off any of the little balance clips on the cage blowers. They are very very touchy!
I added rubber feet and heavy brackets to make them VERY sturdy. Handles to carry them around too. The switches are in regular wall type/size boxes with a Ceramic rotary Antenna power switch from 1945 found on Ebay. Very very heavy duty and Cost around $10.oo These switches have six positions and let you hook up the Low, Medium low...Medium high- and high speeds and OFF positions. These units take a fair bit of a day to assemble but really work well. You can blow almost anything clear across the room! My hat is there so you have a size. They do make bigger ones but then you are getting into commercial size units. Have sold two to people and they love them.
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Just the opposite. Use an ammprobe and you will see. Block discharge not intake. Blocking discharge, fan runs faster. The faster the motor turns, the less the current. Loading motor more, slows it down and more current. Simple rules for motors.
 
Yes I always block the discharge. You can hear the motor pick up rpm and the air flow increase.

If you think about it this is the way the fan was designed to work.
In the a/c the fan is open on the intake side and restricted on discharge side from static pressure of the air ducts.
 
You have it backwards, flow is amperage, so you have less flow if amps are less, that is why motor speeds up.
 

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