Built on the job site.
The Dust Box wasn’t designed in a boardroom. It was built by Sam Burton, a working contractor who was tired of dust, debris and contaminants hanging in the air and spreading through his clients’ homes. He built it for contractors and DIY’ers, and priced it with the end user in mind.
A contractor’s problem. A contractor’s fix.
Sam Burton has spent 13 years as a home improvement contractor in Pittsburgh, PA, specializing in kitchen and bathroom renovations. About 80% of his jobs happen in occupied homes, with families living, working and breathing just a room away from the work.
The idea came from a bathroom remodel with no windows. With nowhere to vent the dust, the only option was to seal the room off behind a plastic barrier. Even though Sam took every precaution he could, it was a disaster: dust settled on the furniture, the plants and everything in between, and he ended up paying professional cleaners to put the home back together.
The air scrubbers on the market were built for big open floors. They were heavy, bulky and expensive, and they didn’t fit where Sam actually needed them. So he built his own: a couple of 1×6 wooden planks, a twin window fan and two regular furnace filters, put together in his garage, which became his makeshift factory.
What keeps Sam in the trade is being an entrepreneur and expressing his creativity through his bathroom designs. And clean air matters because of the people he works around. He doesn’t expect homeowners to wear masks in their own homes, so it’s on him to protect them.
“The Dust Box is here to clear the air.”
Sam Burton, creator of the Dust Box
Refined at the Digital Foundry.
To turn his homemade prototype into a product other contractors could buy, Sam joined the Digital Foundry at New Kensington, an advanced-manufacturing and innovation center run by Penn State New Kensington and the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland. Its makerspace gives local entrepreneurs access to modern tools, technology and expert guidance.
Through the Digital Foundry, Sam connected with the team that helped turn his vision into a real product, and the way it all came together was perfect timing. That work added real upgrades to the Dust Box, including antimicrobial blue LED lighting, built-in USB charging and the brushed aluminum housing, and helped get it ready for market.
Sam is grateful for the team that helped make it possible. Together, they took the Dust Box from a garage prototype to a tool built for real job sites. The Dust Box is here to clear the air.
Built & priced with the end user in mind.
Durable & easy to transport
Made by someone who uses it. Every design decision comes from real job sites, from the brushed aluminum housing to the carry handle.
Quick & easy replacement
No proprietary parts. Swap in any standard furnace filter in seconds, plug into a standard outlet and flip one switch.
Priced for real people
Made for contractors and DIY’ers, not just big crews with big budgets. Straight specs, a fair price and nothing you don’t need.
Every feature earned its place.
Locking latch and hinged lid for tool-free filter swaps.
Dual 5V 2.1A USB ports for phones and lights.
High-flow 12V fan rated up to 900 CFM.
Antimicrobial blue LED strip across the filter.
Put the Dust Box to work.
Quickly clear the air on your next job or project. $375, or 2 for $700.