Preferred air filtration system?

[HelloStranger]

I'm looking to buy filter to keep the metal dust to a minimum because I have a garage attached to the house and would like to keep the air clean for everyone. With limited budget, what filtration system would you get? I only have about $200 to spend. I've thought about building one out of squirrel fan and a canister of activated carbon or a box of stacked HEPA filters.

Many thanks for saving our health.

[MinnesotaDave]

Your budget is pretty low, but I'd google "pocket bag filters" - they hold a lot of material.

I'd use a few cheap furnace filters as a prefilter to get the big particles.

Then the pocket bag filter - then a very good filter for the final exhaust.

This way you only change the individual filters as needed.

Install a vacuum gauge to read the beginning vacuum, then cover about half of the opening to simulate 50% reading and mark the gauge.
This will allow you to know when your filters are getting dirty enough to probably need service.

This is just off-the-top-of-my-head stuff, but could help

[cruizer]

Well, some tubing and a shop vac would be ok, The tubing like for house ducts would have to be like 4" to reduce the vac suction so you hang it over your work, and vent the dust and weld fumes outside.