I have  Delta DC with shaker felt bags connected to a 33 gallon metal can with a seperator lid. I usually just dump it all into the green waste can the night before trash pickup and them spray some water in for good measure to keep the dust from flying too much when the trash truck empties it. But my Postal Carrier, who is a real nice guy and gives me good service, does ceramics and asked me when he delivered a package and seeing my DC if I would be willing to give the saw dust to him as he uses saw dust for some of the special firing processes he does. So today I had both the DC and the seperator almost completly full. At least I was smart enough to roll the DC and seperator can to the side of the garage for emptying as opposed to in front of the garage. It kind of looks like it snowed saw dust by the side of the garage, but I got it all bagged up for him. When I told him today that I would have it for him tomorrow he was a happy camper. Now my DC sucks more now then it did this morning since it isn't full any more. But my dark blue t-shirt looks more brown in color and my bald head usually a bit red looks like I got a good tan.

There is a church someplace close to me that collects saw dust and dyes it. Then they have the children use it as paint for projects while learning about God. I guess it is more like sand painting then brush painting ut if the kids benefit who am I to not help. The Mrs. has the information on the church and location if this sounds vague.

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Wayne Mahler
God bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free.

That is really cool Allen! My wife makes pottery and they have used sawdust at her classes, it gives the pottery a deep rich dark patina, the pottery is literally buried in sawdust then fired.

Our Native American Indians have a similar method except for the burying portion of it. The Indians throw Horse Hair into the kiln, creating a flash process, as the horse hair lands on the pottery, it flashes as well from the heat. Leaving a very unique impression on the pottery, it's some of the most beautiful pottery around, I love it.

Horse Hair Pottery

Then the sawdust pottery

I love pottery, you never know really what the piece is going to look like after a firing, that is what is so fun and exciting about the process. You can shoot for a concept for what it should look like, but your at the mercy of nature and the fire.

 

Glad you got your dust collector emptied Allen, I can completely relate to the joy you are experiencing by having a DC work at its fullest capacity. And, I can relate to the bald head problem while cleaning a DC!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

John

That pottery is great. Did the Mrs. make these?

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Wayne Mahler
God bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free.

No Wayne, these are just examples I found on the web, I should have disclosed that. I can get some pics up of her pottery if shell let me.

Wayne Mahler said:

John

That pottery is great. Did the Mrs. make these?

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Wayne Mahler
God bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free.

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

Sometimes I look like I have been dumped in the flour barrel when I get through emptying my DC. I noticed though the last time I emptied mine that the suction didn't pick back up as good as it should. Still not sure why. I got to find a little time to take it apart and see what is going on in there.

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