$15 mega shop fan

[newrider3]

I've been hunting around for a powerful fan for my garage for years now, when it gets up to 100 degrees outside it is usually 120+ in my garage. I finally found a suitable squirrel cage blower out of a rotted out swamp cooler a friend scrapped, gave $10 for it. A little welder and sheetmetal screw magic had it fastened to the carcass of a garbage picked mower. I added a junction box and switch picked up off the ground at the jobsite, and the other $5 at Lowes covers the sheetmetal screws and a switch cover plate.
The motor has a high and low speed, so naturally I wired it straight to high. All in all it works pretty **** good for being quite ghetto looking.

 

[Timtreo]

Hey that's pretty cool! (pun intended) Good idea.

 

[91blaze]

Haha, that looks so ghetto. But sweet idea anyways.

 

[gvfc2]

haha i have one up in my room. im a scrapper and got it free. when its 90* its 115*+ in my room. mine looks more ghetto tho. got it from a furnace. pretty load but really good air flow

 

[mckutzy]

looking cool... again...
Gota get a guard and grills on that thing though. Where I used to work, We used one of those squirrel cage blowers and it had sucked up something like a piece of wood or other debris, shot it across the shop narrowly missing the boss's head. After we put a grill on the intake and output ports it was much safer, but boy did it do its job of cooling the shop and also hot electric motor parts we were working on.

 

[newrider3]

Thanks for the comments!
Yep, was thinking about some expanded steel over the front of the outlet, just gotta find a scrap or two around. So far this thing is tits, my shop is actually livable now.

 

[bighead]

Could use that for leaf blower as well. LOL

I like it. I have a few of those fans. The really move some air.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Suggestions-

*Re-mount blower at 90* for some self-propelled action.
*Remove motor and mount engine for better range...

Actually a very good idea!

 

[CaptCanadia]

LOL great idea! I couldnt do that here though because of all the sand it'd be a sand storm! But on a serious note what if you did add a little motor on it? Wouldnt you be getting some more air?

 

[newrider3]

I actually thought about it if this motor ever goes out, but I doubt it's really necessary since it only runs at 1740 RPM now and it's pushing a lot of air. Not sure if I would trust the balance on this thing at 3600 RPM input...

 

[RobertD]

I saved the squirrel cage when my AC went out .... OMG this is a perfect use.

 

[B.M.800]

We got a blower not quite as big. Gonna see if the motor still works and then save it for my shed. Keep me from gettin fumigated or something.