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Small dust collector or filter for cleaning old PCs?

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First post, by Ozzuneoj

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So, for as long as I've been messing with old computers I've had this dilemma...

Currently my work space is in the 3rd floor of our home. My shop-vac is best kept in the garage unless needed for extended periods indoors. I live in a place that has very cold winters usually from November to April.

So, when I get a box of neat old parts in the mail and take it up stairs to look it over, dusting the parts is a pain in the butt. I either have to blow the crud all over the place, trying to keep the larger pieces in a garbage can or take the stuff outside when its 0F outside.

What I want to build or purchase is some kind of basic but effective dust filtration device that I can just set down on the floor or desk, put some filthy machine\part in between myself and the filter, turn the filter on, then start blowing the dust off toward the filter.

I have some very high RPM 120mm Delta server fans and power supplies to run them, but I'm not sure what kind of filter would effectively catch the fine dust that comes out of a PC. If I can find a proper filter, I was thinking of attaching one of my beefy fans to a square "cone" made out of something I have laying around, hook the fan up to an old AT PSU (or eventually a 12v DC power brick with a switch to make it more compact, if the idea actually works). Then I can just switch it on and blow the crud toward it. All I'd have to buy is a filter.

Is there some kind of prebuilt thing that does this? I guess it'd be nice if it also could be used for clearing the air when soldering too, since that causes a similar problem when its too cold to open a window.

Anyone have any ideas or know of any products that are good for this?

Also, canned compressed air isn't the most convenient or efficient thing to use for dusting. My shop vac can be reversed to use as a blower, but its so huge and I don't want to have to keep it in my office or lugging it up and down three flights of stairs. Are there any small high powered blowers that can be used in place of cans of compressed air?

What do you guys use? Specifically, those of you that horde old dusty hardware like I do. 😵

EDIT: I've seen this, but I don't know if it would work well enough for anything that isn't sitting 3 inches away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1acowq4aVs
People are saying that these would be good filter pads to use:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Activated-Carbon-Fil … 0-/261016794361

Maybe a small 10" desk fan with a filter attached would be better.

Now for some blitting from the back buffer.

Reply 1 of 5, by cyclone3d

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Ok, so the easiest premade thing would be something like a sand/bead blasting cabinet and a dust collector.

Something like this would work great and you would contain the dust and not have to worry about it going all over the place in the room.

Just add an air compressor and spray nozzle and you are set. The included blasting nozzle may work but I have never used one so I'm not exactly sure.

Blasting cabinet:
(small benchtop)
https://www.harborfreight.com/benchtop-blast- … inet-62454.html

(larger floor standing)
https://www.harborfreight.com/abrasive-blast- … inet-68893.html

Dust collector:
https://www.harborfreight.com/13-gal-1-hp-ind … ctor-61808.html

If I had to dust computer parts inside my house, this is the setup I would use.

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Reply 3 of 5, by Ozzuneoj

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cyclone3d wrote:
Ok, so the easiest premade thing would be something like a sand/bead blasting cabinet and a dust collector. […]
Show full quote

Ok, so the easiest premade thing would be something like a sand/bead blasting cabinet and a dust collector.

Something like this would work great and you would contain the dust and not have to worry about it going all over the place in the room.

Just add an air compressor and spray nozzle and you are set. The included blasting nozzle may work but I have never used one so I'm not exactly sure.

Blasting cabinet:
(small benchtop)
https://www.harborfreight.com/benchtop-blast- … inet-62454.html

(larger floor standing)
https://www.harborfreight.com/abrasive-blast- … inet-68893.html

Dust collector:
https://www.harborfreight.com/13-gal-1-hp-ind … ctor-61808.html

If I had to dust computer parts inside my house, this is the setup I would use.

Holy cow, those are huge. 😊

That's a little larger and more expensive than I'd go.

Speaking of cleaning computers... I always hear that vacuums are inherently bad to use on electronics, due to static. How exactly does this work? I'll admit I've used a vacuum on computers in the past if they were really filthy, but any more I just blast them with a tiny nozzle on a shop vac... which has to be done outdoors.

Now for some blitting from the back buffer.

Reply 4 of 5, by chinny22

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I vacuum above the hardware with just the hose, no attachment to get rid of most of the dust.
If I'm feeling keen I'll use a paintbrush, but this is pretty rare.
I'll also just blow into parts.
I've seen that blowing is bad due to moisture in your breath, so is compressed air (I don't use this cause I'm too cheap)
In the end computers are designed to work in homes, offices, etc not dust free environments. bit of cleaning from time to time is nice but I'm not going for spotless.

Reply 5 of 5, by torindkflt

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I just use a standard box fan with a 20x20 furnace filter taped to the back. Not really "small" I know, but still easily portable at least, so assuming you have a large enough workbench it's relatively easy to set up and take down. You could also do this with smaller box-shaped tabletop fans or make your own using case fans and filter material if overall size is an absolute concern.

I haven't done so yet, but I have considered building a cowling/containment area around it as well using cardboard to help better contain the floating dust before the fan gets a chance to suck it into the filter.

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