• Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details)
  • Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Paul May for "Checkerboard (ver 3.0)" being selected as Turning of the Week for March 25, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Dust Collection Issues...

Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
13
Likes
0
Location
Bellingham, WA
I'm a 'newbie' who has only been turning for a year or so, and have been trying to upgrade my small garage shop to include dust and shaving collection systems... I've set up a mini cyclone shaving collector with a 5+HP shop vacuum, a large shop fan w/filter attachment and a new dust collection system w/1 micron filter...yet I recently read several articles that all the work/$$$ I spent may be worthless... See the following articles from another forum I subscribe to: http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/beginnnerscorner.cfm
Terry Hatfield's Dust Eliminator (http://cnets.net/~eclectic/woodworki...one/Index.html)
Todd Crow's Dust Collection (http://www.ecenet.com/~kcrow/dust_collection.htm)
Art Silva's talk on dust collection (http://www.lvwwg.com/mar00/LVWG0300.HTM)
Am I waaay off base, or have I wasted all my time, energy and money to invest in my new shop dust safety precautions or should I now install an 'external shop vent' or come up with someway to move all my dust collection devices outside??? I often use a 'dust be gone' mask under my full face bionic shield but wonder if I'm still not protected... Expert advise needed fast!!! Thanks and safe turning to you all!
 

hockenbery

Forum MVP
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
8,591
Likes
4,886
Location
Lakeland, Florida
Website
www.hockenberywoodturning.com
Kenneth,
We need to breath the cleanest air we can.

Shavings I clean up with a big snow shovel, broom and a wheel barrow. A dust collector is not practical for collecting chips for me.

I run a dust collector for sanding and some dry wood turning. I run an air filter in the shop when it is closed up. I wear either a dust begone mask or a powered filtration helmet.
I run a dust collector on my bandsaw.

Most days we have a big barrel fan blowing fresh air in and fans at the lathes.
When turning green wood with a gouge and the fans going I usually feel no need the wear a dust mask. There is no dust.

When I'm hollowing green wood and using compressed air to blow out the chips, I wear dust protection as the hollowing makes small particles and the compressed air fills the air with them.

One shop rule we have is to restrict the use of compressed air for clean up. It just fills the air with dust. A shop vac or dust collector hose puts the dust in the bin. A brush puts most of it on the floor.

Al
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 4, 2005
Messages
203
Likes
1
Location
Derby, Kansas, USA
Dust Collection Effectiveness

How much dust is too much?

Everyone has an opinion. They are all different. I would suggest a test.

Clean the horizontal surfaces in your shop area. Clean out the dust collection devices. Then turn for a couple of weeks with your existing dust collection going. The evaluate the dust that settles out on those surfaces and in the devices.

You know how much turning and dust creating you did. Compare how much dust you collected to the dust that settled out. Decide if that is acceptable or if you feel the need to invest more time and bucks.

Air quality is a health issue, so knowing how much you are dealing with helps.
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
5,436
Likes
2,792
Location
Eugene, OR
There is a huge difference between a real dust collector and a shop vac, even though it is rated at 5 hp. The motor on a 1 hp motor for a dust collector will weigh more than your shop vac. Mostly it is about volume of air that is moved. While the shop vac will have a higher velocity, the actual volume is really small. It is a vacuum cleaner. The dust collectors are fine for planers, jointers, bandsaws, and table saws, and the mess they create. Shavings from bowl turning will fill your dust collector in very short order, that is if it doesn't clog up the hose and the dust port first. Most other types of turning don't generate nearly as much waste. Collecting the dust at the source before it gets into the air is best. This is where sanding hoods come in. Just a hose a few inches from what you are turning and sanding will get a lot, but not nearly all. The more enclosed the piece is, the more dust is collected. What is not collected goes into the air, and into your lungs. Blow your nose after a work session. If there is dust in the mix, that is bad for your general health. Air scrubbers are nice, dust masks are a good idea for any dry wood turnings, if for no other reason than to keep your lungs clean. Having a blow through shop works if you are living in a mild climate.

I do have one You Tube clip up about a sanding hood I use for my bowls. Type in robo hippy.

robo hippy
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
13
Likes
0
Location
Bellingham, WA
Sorry about the three last websites that no longer open, but the first one still does and it is the one that jarred me into creating this thread. As I mentioned, I'm a newbie and attempting to set up my small wood turning shop as well equipped and safely as I can. After joining several wood turning forums, talking to a number of local more experienced wood turners, I thought that a dedicated shop vac w/HEPA filters & cyclone chip separator, plus a 20" box fan equipped w/dust filter and a new 3 spd 1 micron air filtration system would be sufficient to make the air safe to breath in my little shop. I have and routinely use a dust-be-gone face mask when I'm sanding as I hate the dual cartridge dust filter unit - it's just to darn heavy w/my Bionic full face mask.
The first website's info basically states that the only safe way for me to turn is to install some sort of exhaust fan to flush the dusty air outside of my garage. Should I have saved my money and efforts and just installed an exhaust fan? To late to save money and energy now, but hopefully this info may help other newbies safe their hard earned money and energy.
Thanks in advance for any comments and advice!!!
 
Joined
Nov 1, 2013
Messages
325
Likes
732
Location
Gulfport, MS
Website
www.woodtreasuresbybreck.com
Kenneth, dust collection and protecting our lungs is a vital aspect of what we do. Like what has been mentioned for every 100 turners you will probably get 90 different opinions as to how to do it the best way. Let your budget, research, and common sense allow you to sort through all the different methods people use and you will find what works the best for you. For me I saved up for a trend air-pro face shield that filters and blows a nice gentle flow of air over your face, I use it primarily when sanding and finish turning dry wood. I have an air cleaner for general dust removal in the air, and I only use my dust collector for sanding dust removal. All my curlies I shovel into a wheel barrow for removal. I built a sanding hood based on Robo's design and it works well. (I only use it for sanding) I can also just use the floor collector attachment by it's self right next to the work but the hood helps to get more of the dust than without it)
 

Attachments

  • dust hood #1.jpg
    dust hood #1.jpg
    44.3 KB · Views: 68
  • dust hood #2.jpg
    dust hood #2.jpg
    48.6 KB · Views: 63
Joined
Mar 17, 2010
Messages
85
Likes
2
Location
Port Alberni BC
Cyclone

Ken. I built a Pentz cyclone c/w a drop box for our seniors WW shop & it works great. It is mounted before a 4 bag 3HP dust collector. After 2 years there was hardly any dust in the 2 bottom bags. Then someone didn't empty the drop box properly, it filled up and carried over into the bags system. This seems to have loaded up the top bags with fines & affected the operation. In any case if you have a DC & notice the bags loading up, wash them. They can really load up & every time you fire it up it will discharge a huge cloud of dust!!
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
5,436
Likes
2,792
Location
Eugene, OR
Breck,
That spray line looks a lot like mine, except mine is down at the tailstock end. Next 'new and improved' sanding hood will be a 200 to 300 gallon barrel that is attached to the lathe, and will be on permanently. Like the D shaped piece of plywood for the end as well.

robo hippy
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
13
Likes
0
Location
Bellingham, WA
Thanks so much everyone!!! As you may tell, I was shocked that I was waaay off bounds with my previous purchases and additions to my shop... I feel much better now that many of you have suggested other alternatives and I think I'll continue with my previous efforts but add accessories similar to 'Brecks' and several others... Maybe in the spring, I'll add a exhaust fan system to assist in cleaning my small shop and upgrade to a motorized cleaning system in a new face shield rather than just using a face mask and a dust be gone.... As everyone has said before...this is a 'MONEY VORTEX' to get into, especially safety wise!!! Still, I can't complain too much as I love our turning and the craft that goes along with it!!! Again, THANKS everyone! Safe turning to all of you and wish you a Merry Christmas and Safe and Happy Holidays!!!
 
Back
Top