Scrub pad air filter?

[Metals406]

Any reason why a scotch backed foam kitchen pad wouldn't make a good oilable filter fer hard to find ones. . . Like the Dolly 117 filter? opcorn:

Discuss. . .

 

[DSS]

I wondered about using some extra fine scotch-brite pads, but had no idea if it would be fine enough.

 

[cat-face timber]

IMHO

I would try it, but would cover the foam with some nylon stocking material that I would have to steal from the wife.

If it were me, I would try it for a short time and check for fines in the carb.

Not sure about the oiled part, I would soak the foam in saw Gas and let it dry, that oil should be enough???

 

[Gearhead1]

I've used pre-cleaner wrap filters cut down to the size for some "difficult to find new" OEM filters. Look through a Stens catalog for an idea of what might work for your specific need.

 

[DSS]

I never thought of the foam backed pads but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Spitback out of the carb might degrade them?

 

[tdi-rick]

Some use aluminium oxide as the abrasive in the scourer pad so you wouldn't want any of that sucking through, particularly if you think some relatively soft wood dust on the intake side of the filter can be bad...

I second looking through an OPE spares catalogue at filters, maybe a B&S one can be cut down for size.
The foam pre filter for our Honda push mower is about 3.5 x 4".

 

[Metals406]

I use Western Family Canola oil in the can (cheap PAM), for oilable saw filters. Soak them good with a spray -- squeeze it in, then squeeze the excess out onto a paper towel or rag.

It catches fines amazingly well. I was also in a pinch to use the 117, and there are some small holes in the flocking. I sprayed both sides and went to cutting. The oil trapped everything I threw at it, no fines in the carb throat. opcorn:


Should I fuel test a yellow scrub pad fer you fellas? Wonder if'n it'll melt? :msp_mellow:

 

[mikefunaro]

I'd be inclined to believe that this is not an ideal air filter for a few reasons:

Basically any air filter you want a material which allows for appropriate filtration but does not overly impede the flow of air to the saw.

If you look at spongy air filters most of the time they are a large percentage by volume of open space, and when you go to compress them they compress down to almost nothing.

To me the sponge portion (which I believe is actually manufactured) on a sponge like this does not have sufficient pore space or voids. I have a feeling it is not going to let a lot of air through, so your saw may behave as though it has a clogged air filter.

If I were you I'd see if you could get from stens or someone like that a bulk portion of air filter foam. I have a lawnboy commercial mower for example that uses a foam air filter, and so from rotary I get after market filters that look like they are just cut off a big sheet of the stuff. The point is it's air filter foam though, and while it's spongy I think it has specific characteristics of sponge intended for air filters.

Try blowing compressed air through one of those sponges and see what gets through

 

[mikefunaro]

thinking about it a little more, the scotch brite portion is also probably glued onto the sponge, and I assume that this glue basically creates an impermeable layer between the sponge portion and the abrasive portion.

 

[Metals406]

I got the wife grabbing a yellow one, and we have some blue ones from Costco here already.

When she gets home, I'll do all these tests suggested, and report back.

 

[Philbert]

Had to give you some creative thinking rep on this one! I like the idea of using a kitchen sponge as an air 'cleaner'!

Here are some geeky thoughts (I live in Minnesota - one of the 'M's in 3M, and know a lot of folks who work/have worked there). The scrubby part of the pad itself is a 'non-woven' fabric. They take some type of synthetic material in a liquid form, and squeeze it out through ketchup bottles in a squiggly mess, then fuse that mess into a pad. Depending upon what base material they use, how large the holes are in the ketchup bottle, how densely it is squiggled together, it might end up as floor mats, kitchen scrubbers, insulation for winter clothing, disposable respirators*, etc.

For the abrasive products (floor buffing pads, kitchen scrubbers, paint finishing, etc.) they bond abrasive materials to the fibers - probably some types of aluminum oxide or silicon carbide. Pretty fine stuff that you can's ordinarily see, but what makes the scratch pattern when used.

So, thinking out loud here, it raises the possibility of introducing those abrasive particles into your carb, jug, bearings, etc. In practice, they would still have to make it past the foam part of the sponge, but probably not something you would want to take a chance on.

I don't know if 'No-Scratch' ScotchBrite pads have abrasive bonded to them, or if they just use a milder abrasive.

Anyway, I recommend sticking with an oil resistant open cell foam material, or cutting up some other types of filters designed for this use. *Although, they do sell oil-resistant disposable respirators . . . .

Philbert

 

[Fifelaker]

I had an old Mac top handle 310 maybe??? the filter was gone when I got it. I replaced it with a piece of sponge. I tried (ruined) a few sponges before I found one that wouldn't melt from gas. That saw is still running as far as I know.

 

[ttyR2]

If you compare the density of a cleaning sponge vs. a foam air filter, I'd think the sponge is a LOT more dense, meaning it won't flow anywhere near the same amount of air. It will be a lot more restrictive.

 

[DSS]

The finest grade scotch brite, I forget the color, white I think, has no abrasive at all. No idea what its filtering ability is though. That's what I thought of using, maybe with a foam OPE pre filter of some sort.

ModifiedMark re-did the flocking on some Poulan filters too, there's a thread somewhere.

 

[7sleeper]

I've used kitchen pads a few times. But I use the ones that are without the scrubby part. Usually I cut them in half, i.e. making them thinner, to not impede airflow too much. I also have used excess sponges from vacuum assisted closure techniques from the hospital I work at. They are a little bit softer than the kitchen sponges and collapse easier. What is important is not to impede airflow by collapsing the sponge.

What I also do is grease the inside of the carb throat. Just use a very small coarse hair paintbrush and coat very lightly. Works very well for me.
I did a test here http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/104896-5.htm#post1651379

Further any fear that oil or grease will damage the kitchen sponge material is simply an illusion. If we look at how many "washcycles" they go through, always in contact with oily & greasy residues, I believe that they are a lot tougher than we can imagine.
The only problems I have had sofar with them is that they are sometimes too small but then again they are cheap.

7

 

[ROWDY]

UNI filters makes a universal cut to fit sponge filter. I use it in my nieces Polaris 90 and it works great. I used an SOS pad for an air compressor and found that it breaks down over time.

 

[Philbert]

The finest grade scotch brite, I forget the color, white I think, has no abrasive at all.

Depends which 'market' you buy from: automotive, metal finishing, wood finishing, janitorial, etc. Different manufacturers may also have different color schemes. This is the finest 3M stuff that I know of, sold through medical products and personal care:

Buf-Puf Facial Sponge :3M US (yes, it's ScotchBrite for your face).

Further any fear that oil or grease will damage the kitchen sponge material is simply an illusion

There are all types of materials used, from cellulose based to all types of synthetics. Several years back I did a project with foam paint brushes and found that all types of foams are used; different materials, different densities, etc. Some would resist certain solvents, other would break down or dissolve in them. They all looked like 'black foam' to me. I don't think you have to restrict yourself to OEM materials, but I would test anything you use with gas, 2-cycle mix, etc. and see how it holds up.

Philbert

 

[Metals406]

I'll mist one with mix after dinner. . . Your filter would never sit in a pool of fuel mix overnight, so I won't go there.

Although, it would be interesting to note the results -- so maybe I will!

As far as airflow, I don't think it would impede it do bad, especially if a guy cut one down (like sleeper did).

I think oiling would be key as well.

Sponge in hand, more later.

 

[kevin j]

I bought some TwinAir foam filter sheets (coarse pores bonded to finer pores) to make filters for a GasGas Trials bike. OEM was something like $20 for a flat panel filter about 4 x8 inches, and long time to order. I made them for $2 each, have about 10 cleaned and preoiled and just changed them out. Very efificient on dust collection, breath well (after I figured out i was oiling them way too much with too thick an oil. The TwinAir oil worked great. )

edit: they were listed as industrial panel filters, maybe 10 years ago. I dind't spend much time on the site below now to see if the material is still sold in flat sheets.

This was abut 1 to 1.5 cm thick. flat sheets abut 12 inches x 16 inches.

Twin Air Filter

Might be a lifetime supply of chainsaw filters...

 

[Metals406]

Been soaking a yellow in mix for a couple three hours now. . . No change.

Will check again in the morning.

Also seems to breath just fine. I put my mouth on the yellow side, and exhaled a normal breath. . . Before soaking it in fuel of course!

At $0.96 for a two pack at Walmart, it might be a cheap alternative. opcorn: