I used a downdraft blower from an old Sears cook range to help make this downdraft sanding table. Three easy-to-find 12″ x 24″ furnace filters collect the dust. For the working surface, I arranged six pieces of 12″ x 12″ rubber mat (the kind used in commercial kitchens) supported by an “eggcrate” grid made of 1/4″ oak. The holes in the grid match those in the rubber mats. The bottom third of the unit has a drawer for keeping sanders and sanding supplies. Locking casters allow me to move the unit around the workshop – and it is built at the same height as my table saw, so I can use it as an auxiliary table when cutting. Even when I’m not sanding, I sometimes run the unit to filter the air in my shop.
– Peter Dulak
