Power Carvers and Dust Collection

D

Dave Walker

Active member
Just curious about those using dust collectors while carving with power. What micron size bags are you using, and what amount of dust escapes? Anyone using 5 micron bags have clogging issues, or does dust settle in to collection bag ok?
I've been looking at a dust collector for a while, but never really know where to start. I don't need a big monster, I only run 1 piece of equipment at a time. BUT, I would like something while power carving and running my bandsaw.

Thanks Dave
 
I looked all over for the micron limit of the filter on the T 1000 and for some reason it escaped me? I can tell you that it has two exhaust port areas on the sides of the cabinet and mine doesn't even have a light film of any dust on the flat surface after use? Now there is a heck of a air flow through those ports when it's on high but I don't notice any "dust" escaping there.

I use it for my power carving plus I have a whole room ceiling mounted unit that filters the room air several times an hour (18X24 shop) and it seems to have helped to solved my problem. I also wear a mask. I had dust induced pneumonia three winters in a row when I started carving after hunting season was over. Been pneumonia free for two winters now. Disclaimer.....I have not carved as much the last few years as I did in the past (nor do I carve as much as many folks here) but a couple of days in the shop would cause me lung problems before. No more......knock on wood!

Call or Email the folks that produce the T 1000 for your needed info.
 
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Dave,

Right now, I have a dust mask and a broom, but I have been tempted to get one of these:

http://www.oneida-air.com/homepage.asp

pricey but nice. HEPA rated. A lot quieter than a shop vac (I couldn't stand carving with that thing running). They have larger models too.

Chuck
 
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Dave,

I went and pulled this segment from one of the old "Carving Cork Gunners" articles that was posted on the MLB site for so many years.
You might consider going with a good sized two-stage collector that you can hook up to all the dust producing machines in your shop / work area (any good woodworkers supply shop will have dust collecton fittings you can adapt to any of your machines. Here's a plan I included in one of the segments for an easy to make lap-top collector that utilizes a 10" table saw collection plate and can be hooked to a 4" collection hose for a two stage collector. On my 2-stage, the bottom bag is 5 micron, but the top (fine particle) is 1m. The entire unit is on casters and can be moved around the shop to any machine I want to hook it to.............

This is a good point to address another issue. I want you to take notice that the flex shaft grinder is being operated over the screen of a lap board dust collector that I built. The bottom of this collector is hooked to the 4" inlet hose of a 1300 cfm, two-stage dust collector. I have dust collection ports on all the major machines in my shop (bandsaw, lathe, table saw); and, in addition to the site collectors, have a separate air cleaning - fine dust filtration unit that is capable of changing the air in my shop every four minutes. Besides running the collectors, I also wear a good quality dust mask when grinding with the flex shaft. You should not be using a flex shaft grinder - or even hand rasping, filing, and sanding - without dust collection/ protection equipment of some sort. Breathing in cork and wood dust without respiratory protection will cause you some major health problems down the road (and some monster headaches and sinus infections, right away!). Your lungs simply will not expel fine cork and wood dust because it is so light. An inexpensive lapboard dust collector to hook to a dust collection system or shop vac can easily be constructed:
View attachment photo(2).jpg

As finances allow, I'd sugggst adding a shop air exchanging unit. In addition, I use a powered Trend airshield facemask unit for any operation that generates a lot of dust, especially the lathe, band saw, drill press, and any flexshaft.
 
Thanks Bob. I'm going out now to look into the table saw collector with a 4 inch port, and a reducer to my current shop vac. Then I can easily change to 4 inch when I invest in a better dust collector. I do a lot now in the garage with a fan pointing out the door and a mask, but that slows down my winter carving. I use the shop vac sometimes too, but have never had a lap board.
 
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