I live in the Las Vegas area where temperatures will soon be exceeding 100. I've been thinking about moving my lathe into an air conditioned spare bedroom for the summer. I could move my single stage dust collector into the room but prefer to leave it in the garage for my table and band saw. Any advise how to economically and safely convert the bedroom into a work space for turning?
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Moving Lathe Indoors for Summer
- Thread starter Margaret Stanish
- Start date
A climate controlled space would really be nice. I would be concerned about the dust that would be entering your home HVAC system from the spare room. It my be worth your time to consult you HVAC provider to see what impacts this move would/could cause and any solutions. Even though you stated you have a dust collection system they Don’t collect it all. A mini split would be the way to go, but most likely not an option. Good luck in getting to a climate controlled work space.
To use the bedroom, you would need to block off the supply and return ducts to the room so dust and smell doesnt get spread through the house. A window unit or mini split could then be used to condition the air.
How about building an enclosure in your garage for the lathe and then using a mini split or portable AC unit for it?
I have a friend who did just that and it turned out really nice.
I agree with the others that upgrading your shop is best. If that was not possible and I needed to put a mini or midi lathe in a bedroom, here’s what I would do.
First I’d build a box for the ac duct with a filter on it to stop dust entering the duct when ac is off.
For the return air duct, I’d include a fan to suck air out of the room, pass it thru a hepa filter, and into the return duct. This would keep dusty air from flowing out. Could be as simple as a box fan with filter taped to it stuck over the return.
Then I would want something to catch as much dust as possible at the lathe. Since the big dc is in garage, I’d think about something like this, reversing it so it sucks instead of blows. Add a hood made from cardboard and set it behind the lathe.
I’m considering making one of these for my lathe even tho I have a dust collector. I want something quiet enough to run all the time.
First I’d build a box for the ac duct with a filter on it to stop dust entering the duct when ac is off.
For the return air duct, I’d include a fan to suck air out of the room, pass it thru a hepa filter, and into the return duct. This would keep dusty air from flowing out. Could be as simple as a box fan with filter taped to it stuck over the return.
Then I would want something to catch as much dust as possible at the lathe. Since the big dc is in garage, I’d think about something like this, reversing it so it sucks instead of blows. Add a hood made from cardboard and set it behind the lathe.
Dust Collection Research - Air Cleaner
This site is all about dust collection and protection. It shares the risks from fine dust exposure, how to measure your risks and how to effectively protect yourself and those close to you from airborne dust hazards. Fine dust is so extensively studied that researchers call it PM short for...
billpentz.com
I’m considering making one of these for my lathe even tho I have a dust collector. I want something quiet enough to run all the time.
A small window air conditioner could easily keep you cool in your shop if you partition the turning area off and cool that area by itself.
You could partition the area with a sheet of plastic or cardboard, anything will work to separate the lathe workspace from the rest of the garage.
A little duct tape and plastic will get you through the hot summer and it all comes down in 5-minutes in the fall. Keep it simple.
You could partition the area with a sheet of plastic or cardboard, anything will work to separate the lathe workspace from the rest of the garage.
A little duct tape and plastic will get you through the hot summer and it all comes down in 5-minutes in the fall. Keep it simple.
Currently, I run a portable swamp cooler and insulated my garage door, which works good when temperatures are in the 90s. Soon, we'll be going over 100, and the swamp cooler doesn't do much good. I'll have to give it some thought on building an enclosure.
That's a good idea but my HOA doesn't permit window ACs.
HOA likely permits a mini split. Sectioning the garage as mentioned, and using a mini split, will work well. I would use something with insulating properties, and not just plastic sheet. The 1” thick insulation board for construction use would work, it will require some minimal framing work - lightweight furring strips etc. If you use the area daily you want to just leave the unit operating 24/7.
Whether sectioning the garage or using the bedroom, a mini split is whats needed since you cant use a window unit.
Whether sectioning the garage or using the bedroom, a mini split is whats needed since you cant use a window unit.
You could still use a window A/C unit inside your garage by venting the AC unit into your turning area and exhausting the hot damp air
into the remainder of the garage area. No-one will see it from outside your garage. You could drain the water from the AC unit into a
5-gallon plastic bucket and water your plants with the condensed water.
into the remainder of the garage area. No-one will see it from outside your garage. You could drain the water from the AC unit into a
5-gallon plastic bucket and water your plants with the condensed water.
Costco (and others) carry a portable AC unit that you can vent outside. Not sure what the coverage area is.
I get what you're wanting to do. I've got a bit more time before temps get real hot where I live but my garage stays in the high 80's all summer long. I wouldn't section off a space in my garage for my lathe and it seems reasonable to want to take advantage of the already cooled space in your house that isn't otherwise being used. I'd block off the vents and air intake if they are at floor level. I'd probably try and block dust from going under the door if there is a gap there by putting a towel or something like that in front of it.
The big concern for me would be the type of flooring in the room. It would be a big struggle to get all the shavings and saw dust out of any carpet. If I had carpet, I'd want to try and lay something over the top to make clean up easy and I'd get a good shop vac to clean up when I was done and to try and keep dust contained to that space.
My in-laws live in our basement now but I have often thought about moving my woodworking bench and hand tools to a spare bedroom in the basement. Especially when its hot out and I'm sweating away in the garage. I insulated the garage to help in the winter but didn't consider how that would hold the heat in during the summer. I'm also not willing to cool my whole garage and pay what that would cost.
The big concern for me would be the type of flooring in the room. It would be a big struggle to get all the shavings and saw dust out of any carpet. If I had carpet, I'd want to try and lay something over the top to make clean up easy and I'd get a good shop vac to clean up when I was done and to try and keep dust contained to that space.
My in-laws live in our basement now but I have often thought about moving my woodworking bench and hand tools to a spare bedroom in the basement. Especially when its hot out and I'm sweating away in the garage. I insulated the garage to help in the winter but didn't consider how that would hold the heat in during the summer. I'm also not willing to cool my whole garage and pay what that would cost.