I've had a notion to build a big whole shop dust collector for Yeats.   But finding a big turnkey impeller is pretty tough.  And the key to moving alot of air is diameter.   You want a BIG impeller to get the kind of airflow necessary for a system that captures all the fine particles and nut just the chips.


So I was thinking... what if I used my cnc wood router to cut curved slots in two pieces of plywood then used the 3d printer to make the curved blades to Epoxy into those slots?   I'm think 15" BC impeller on a 3hp motor.

Thoughts?

I know it's a doable project but I've never seen anyone use 3d printed materials for it.

I have seen whole impellers printed. I saw one printed for a shop vacuum.

My concern is the balance. You are spinning at 1750 rpm and part do explode.

What are you going to do for the housing?

My printer doesn't have the volume to do the whole impeller as one piece or I'd absolutely do that.

Plywood and sheet metal for the housing.  I'll use the router to cut a slot in the plywood to press the sheet metal into in a curve.

Airflow is one of those dark sciences...like magnetism or digital electronics.

Lots of theory to get it right ..but 1/2 a degree off and it won't work.

It sucks ..or it doesn't.