As a beginner I have been putting together a fairly small shop for the last year or so and now have nearly all the power tools I think I should need. They, of course, generate a good deal of airborne dust as well as chips/shavings. With a limited budget and a desire to maintain my health, it seems that perhaps an air filtration system would be the first thing to settle. The shavings on the floor don’t seem as much a problem as the sneezing and throat irritation that comes from airborne particles. So my question to all of you with more experience would be what suggestions would you make to minimize the risks? BTW … at present the shop is housed in a far less than ideal space of 25’x12′ but I intend to relocate it to a more functional size of perhaps 30’x30′ within a year or so. Until that time the tools are kept somewhat mobile to maximize space.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Ken
Edited 6/13/2003 6:16:18 AM ET by SparrowHawk
Replies
Ken,
I've given this a bit of thought, especially after visiting a friend's shop a few days ago - it had no dust collection whatsoever. (Everything was coated with dust, shavings, and chips.) For what it's worth, here's my opinion.
1. Purchase the largest dust collector you can afford, preferably with a filter rather than an upper bag. Don't waste a lot of money on the special pipe and fittings they try to sell you at outrageous prices - use PVC sewer pipe and fittings; just be sure to ground them.
2. Build your own air filter. Although it's possible to build a good dust collection system yourself, it will take a lot of time and work. A filtration system, however, can be built inexpensively and easily. There are many plans for these on the web ranging from elaborate set-ups with remote control and bag type filters, to a simple box fan with furnace filters. (In fact, to me these are so easily built that it seems silly to buy one even when a limited budget is not an issue.)
3. Go to Bill Pentz's site and learn both how to set up your system the right way, as well as how important all this is to your health.
http://cnets.net/~eclectic/woodworking/cyclone/
4. Good luck, and don't delay.
Jeff
I had the same problem that you have. I have a 15by 35 shop and filled with tools. I was stoped by the city from being wider due to a set back restriction. Since it is so narrow I don't have room for the traditional dust collector. I too are living with the large chips or take the thickness planner to the garage when I use it and use my leaf blower to clean it when finished.
For the floating dust, I found plans for dust controll in Woodsmith mag. http://www.Woodsmith.com. Look in past issues for dust control. They no longer have the parts but Garainger has the fan. You can buy the rest from a local hardware store. I have two,clg. mounted and they work. I also, since I am a carver some with power, purched a bench portable dust collector that I take out when sanding or cutting and put away when finished.
I really don't know if this is getting all the dust but have noticed much less on the other tools. I still wear a dust mask.
Good luck, Rex Charlotte N.C.
I got caught up in the DC frenzy about a year ago(went with the Dustboy) and truely feel that the only benefit to owning one is a cleaner shop. Don't get me wrong, a cleaner shop is probably a safer one, and a DC frees up more time to make shavings. But in my basement shop after some cuts on the tablesaw with the DC running there is a ton of airborn dust. A box fan hanging from a hook by the cellar entrance pulls it out(when it's warm). Long story short, if you want to protct your health go with filters, if you don't want to spend half your life with the horsehair and dustpan in hand go with the DC. IMHO
Open a door on one end and a large fan pushing out on the other end.
You do not need to get the air clean. It is sufficient to get the dirty air out.
That is not a very good solution if you have conditioned air in your shop. Tom
I have a DC, but the side door open, the attic trap door propped and 1 or 2 attic exhaust fans blasting is my best airborne dust control system. Works fantastic! about 8 plus months a year.
Enjoy, Roy
Exactly. I don't understand the furnace filter idea. Just clear the air.
A dust collector without an air cleaner, will allow the finest and most dangerous dust to hang in the air. An air cleaner without a dust collection system to get the bulk of the dust, will take much longer to clear the air and its filters will need a lot more servicing, which can be expensive and time consuming.
In short, the two systems compliment each other, neither alone is nearly effective as the two of them together. When you install a dust collector, try to vent its exhaust to the outdoors rather than recycle the finest dust that it misses back into the shop.
John W.
Ken,
While your researching and thinking about a more long term solution, right away go out and buy a good shopvac and replace the filter with the Hepa filter. This will work for now and will get plenty of use after you add a DC.
Look into the chip seperators also.
Enjoy, Roy
S-Hawk
lots of good suggestions. I have small basement shop with only a small window to vent to outside on distant wall, so had no direct exhaust option. I got by at first with a shop vac, then added the cyclone/trash can and HEPA filter. Fine airborne dust was still a problem, so I used the furnace filter on a box fan for a while, then added an air filtration system. Finally bought the small (too small) portable Delta dust collector (on sale at Lowe's this week for $88). I'm using all of them. Starting over, I would have sprung for a big DC and the filter at the beginning. I think the consensus is that it's best to try to capture what you can closest to the source. The filter is backup.
In the shop and home projects I run a 20x20 window fan with a 1x20x20 furnace filter in front of it. sucks up a lot of the crud and makes the shop or room healthier.
I let it run almost year round in the damp basement shop. cheaper to run the a dehumidifier and very effective for moisture control 11 months of the year.
PS. It has been determined that wood dust causes cancer. use your approved mask as well.
RD
SparrowHawk,
Given that you'll be moving into biger digs in a year, that'll give you just enough time to research a good solution...and save up lots of money.
In the meantime wear a respirator when you sand, hang a couple of box fans with furnace filters, hook the table saw to a big shop vac and buy a couple of two gallon size shop vacs for the other tools....all that will cost you about $200 bucks and get you to next year....and your 5 hp solution.
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