Let's talk dust collection for a bit.

What is the biggest source of dust in your shop?

Have you done anything to harness that dust or looking for ideas?

For me I have a pretty good handle on most of the dust that gets into the shop except from the top of the table saw. I have a 1987 model Delta Unisaw with dust collection on the bottom of the cabinet. But the amount of dust that comes off the top of the blade is horrible.

I have ambient air filters and connection on most machines.

What about you, how do you handle shop dust?

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

For me (and I would love to change this somehow) the only dust collection I have is just letting the dust fall where it may, then use my vacuum to clean up after. The canister on the vacuum is probably around 32 ounces, so it gets emptied often.

if i could find some sort of dust collector that doesn't make horrible amounts of noise, I would be happy to get it, but most that I have seen/heard are more like a C130 coming in for a landing. Something the neighbors wouldn't tolerate. especially for more than a couple of minutes at a time. I don't even run my Vac for more than a few minutes at a time. Why can't they make vac motors as quiet as lathe motors or grinder motors? My 15000rpm grinder is less noisy than my 12 amp vacuum.

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Charles Nicholls
Site Host
nicholls61@att.net
Proud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRA

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nichollswoodworks

Awhile back I posted an above table saw guard with dust collection: http://www.thepatriotwoodworker.com/forum/topics/completed-tabsaw-blade-guard?xg_source=activity

It works pretty good and the dust doesn't spew out like it used to. I also switched to an HF dust collector with a cartridge filter that filters to 1 micron and has more CFM than my Rockler DC.

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www.thepatriotwoodworker.com Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops

I filter the air with my lungs.

Because of my shop size (16 X 22 usable space) everything in my shop is portable including the 1 1/2 HP Delta dust collector.  Its primary use is the planer and router table and the lathe.  My Unisaw hasn't been fitted with a dust port yet becasue I need to put a motor cover on the saw so the dust drops to the cabinet on the saw.  The scroll saw, vertical sander, drill press and mortiser and spindle sander are attached as needed to a 10 gallon shop vac.  The jointer and band saw dust hit the floor for clean up later. 

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Ron Dudelston
Site Administrator

Above and Beyond WoodWorks

Planer has a 4" dust port, as does the band saw and table saw. Need above the table saw collection, though. I built a BIIGG GULP from a 33 gallon plastic storage tub and a toilet flange that serves the SCMS. The router table has integral dust collection in the fence and it takes a shop vac hose. The scroll saw dust just gets blown on to the floor. But, the best collector is a bag my wife made that hooks to the underside of the jointer with Rare Earth magnets. 

I use a HF 2hp and vent it do the outside. A 35 gal. galvanized trash can with a "Cyclone" type plastic lid serves as the primary collection point and collector vane protector. Very little ever ends up outside. Also have a 1.5 hp small DC that I can wheel around to machines like the V Sander, Oscillating sander and stationary belt sanders.

I don't have any air cleaners. Like Cliff, I filter a lot through my lungs....and nose hairs.

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Mike I thought I remembered the one you made. I have got to look at that and make one for my saw.

LOL I know what you mean Cliff, I do some of that too.

Cliff said:

I filter the air with my lungs.

I know Mike built a Table Saw blade guard/dust collector.

Which by the way if very cool if you haven't seen it.

I am just wondering if any of you have any experience with any of the commercial ones or have any others built one to serve as a blade guard and dust collector like this one.

I kinda like the ones that stand off to the side but I am sure there are draw backs to it also. By standing off to the side and being suspended you wouldn't have to remove it when making dado cuts. You probably don't need it for those type cuts but it if is mounted on the back you would have to remove it. I just found when I had a blade guard on and had to remove it to make certain cuts, soon it just didn't get put back on. Seemed like it was on and off all the time.

Just wondering what you thoughts are on overhead suspended vs mounted guards with dust collection.

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

 I think I got about 85 % of the dust problems work out in my garage / shop.  I have no DC as such but do have one  16 gallon  6.25 hp Rigid shop/wet vac, one 16 gallon 6 hp Rigid shop/wet vac, one 12 gallon 4.25 hp Rigid shop/wet vac and a little Rigid shop vac ( I think it 5 gallon.)  The three big vac does fairly well on all the tools I have except the Grizzly table saw and the 10 inch compound sliding miter saw. The small vac I basically use it for general clean up on the table saw and miter saw and I'll connect the hose on it to all my sanders.  I also have this thing dust in my face. 

It supposedly covers about 200 sq feet and I have it hanging down from the ceiling about as center of the garage/shop.  My problem with it is I don't think it has powerful enough motor but do believe it would work just fine if it was on table next to you.

As far the table saw, since I broke the little plastic in front of the guard it been spitting dust in my face.  I just need to sit down and order that part.  Hopefully I will next few weeks

Wayne E

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Wayne E

Well in point of fact unless they can certify that the  air cleaner removes particles down to less than a micron all they are really doing is pumping the most hazardous particles around ensuring that they stay suspended. 

The dangerous elements of wood dust are the sub micron particles of wood dust that may - or not - contribute to a person's becoming sensitized and then allergic and the other is the super fine sub micron silica which is like multi edged glass shards that  tear the alevoli of the lungs and cause a species of damage that is cumulative over time and not healed from.

Charles said:

if i could find some sort of dust collector that doesn't make horrible amounts of noise, I would be happy to get it, but most that I have seen/heard are more like a C130 coming in for a landing.

Well Friday I was in the4 BORG  and I wanted   to grab a chunk of clear pine to make doll house clapboards and trim.

 I was driving my car so I had to have the guy cut it in half.  He took it to a cross cut station with a Powermatic twin bag cyclone unit.  The rotor was about 16" might have been 20"  IT made some noise but standing right next to it I was impressed at how quiet it was considering that it was hooked to a 5 HP  engine I should have looked for the RPM rating.

 

I still want to build my own making it maybe 3 or 4 feet across and slower spinning so it wouldn't make a lot of noise.

Guys sometimes you need to go old school.

WAYNE a 19 inch box fan (20.00) and a really fine 1 micron furnace filter or 2  (orange box store) taped or screwed to the inlet side of a fan works well.  Mount it up at ceiling wall corner blowing down a side wall.

It will circulate the air in the shop kinda like a full room circular fan and take out the small stuff.  You could make a wood frame to mount it all in too.

 

JOHN- Your zero clearance saw blade insert is part of the cause of that dust but not the culprit.  If you want your dust collection to act like a vacuum then you need to seal up your tablesaw base like a vacuum.  That means AIRTIGHT.

 

Too many guys don't know there is space between the base and tabletop, open doors and holes in the base.

Seal them up and the only air coming in is by the blade.

 

If you can put your hand over the sawblade hole (blade down, power off) and feel the suction, your airtight, if not seal it up.

 

By the way, a wet/dry vac has been my only source of suction and has worked well once the tool i'm using it on is sealed up.

 

CHARLES- Make a box to put the motor in and soundproof it with insulation for misic studios and home.  There are ceiling tiles, foam boards, insulation panels, and foam that I'm sure would do the trick.

 

Google sound proofing and sound insulation.  I'm sure with a littlesearching you can find the right stuff.

Dragon

Been to old school and sometimes it better than the new school.   I have used the box fan for many years and had it right next to the work piece I'm working on.  To me that works just fine if the project is small.  In last 5 or 6 years my projects just keep getting bigger and the fan just  keeps getting push or knock out the way.  I still keep that, it been mighty faithful to me.  It been thru too many projects for me to toss it out to pasture.

Wayne E.

dragon1 said:

Guys sometimes you need to go old school.

WAYNE a 19 inch box fan (20.00) and a really fine 1 micron furnace filter or 2  (orange box store) taped or screwed to the inlet side of a fan works well.  Mount it up at ceiling wall corner blowing down a side wall.

It will circulate the air in the shop kinda like a full room circular fan and take out the small stuff.  You could make a wood frame to mount it all in too.

 

JOHN- Your zero clearance saw blade insert is part of the cause of that dust but not the culprit.  If you want your dust collection to act like a vacuum then you need to seal up your tablesaw base like a vacuum.  That means AIRTIGHT.

 

Too many guys don't know there is space between the base and tabletop, open doors and holes in the base.

Seal them up and the only air coming in is by the blade.

 

If you can put your hand over the sawblade hole (blade down, power off) and feel the suction, your airtight, if not seal it up.

 

By the way, a wet/dry vac has been my only source of suction and has worked well once the tool i'm using it on is sealed up.

 

CHARLES- Make a box to put the motor in and soundproof it with insulation for misic studios and home.  There are ceiling tiles, foam boards, insulation panels, and foam that I'm sure would do the trick.

 

Google sound proofing and sound insulation.  I'm sure with a littlesearching you can find the right stuff.

I have a Delta DC unit over in the corner of my garage and I have made 2 duct runs with blast gates. One goes to where my table saw gets hooked up and has 2 blast gates. One gate goes to the hose that hooks to my table saw and the other gate goes to a floor sweep. The other duct run goes to the support post in my garage and down to a blast gate that I can hook up 2 different sized hoses to hook to my various hand tools as well as my router table. I only use one blast gate at a time as the DC isn't strong enough to more then one at a time. It works well for my shop but I would like a one with more "suck" to it down the road. 

 

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Allen Worsham
Corona, CA

allenworsham@earthlink.net

'Graze in every man's field, but always give your own milk' J. Vernon McGee

Awhile back I built an air filter from a furnace blower that has 3 speeds enclosed in a box. On the intake side I have 2 air filters and on the discharge side it has 1 HEPA filter and it does a good job of filtering the air along side of the dust collector that has a 1 micron cartridge filter and a THEIN seperator for the tools. I don't use a respirator but should because an air filter and dust collector will take out the large particles but not the fine ones you cant see.

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www.thepatriotwoodworker.com Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops

John this guard also has a mount that attaches to a pipe that can be attached to the side, I just made an extra one that uses the splitter. I need to build the arm that attaches to my extension table. It's on my list.

John Moody said:

I know Mike built a Table Saw blade guard/dust collector.

Which by the way if very cool if you haven't seen it.

I am just wondering if any of you have any experience with any of the commercial ones or have any others built one to serve as a blade guard and dust collector like this one.

I kinda like the ones that stand off to the side but I am sure there are draw backs to it also. By standing off to the side and being suspended you wouldn't have to remove it when making dado cuts. You probably don't need it for those type cuts but it if is mounted on the back you would have to remove it. I just found when I had a blade guard on and had to remove it to make certain cuts, soon it just didn't get put back on. Seemed like it was on and off all the time.

Just wondering what you thoughts are on overhead suspended vs mounted guards with dust collection.

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com