I built a new 350 sq bow shop. It is really dry in it, plus I have electric baseboard heat. I bought a humidifier and that helps a bit. But every time I go out there, I end up getting really stuffy for days. I am looking for a good dust collection system to clean the air. You guys have any suggestions? Thanks, Roy
I bought a Delta dust collector, it will only take care of one machine at a time. I am very pleased with it so far. Hope that helps.
I use my shop vac on my sander and bandsaw, works good. I am looking for a unit to clean all the dust out of the air in the shop. Thanks Jess.
If you can find an old furnace blower you can build a nice one pretty cheap.
Here are some pictures: Air Cleaner (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/108026230ZDrQFs)
Use a HEPA filter in the inlet instead of the cheap pleated filter shown, and hang it from the ceiling. The filter on the inlet keeps the dust from getting into the blower and motor.
The most expensive part would be the HEPA filter.
Whatever you decide to use it must be designed so the return air passes through hepa filtration. This can be a bank of flat filters in a wall if the unit is in a "doghouse", or using cylinders. The dust that is of concern remains airborn almost forever- ultra fine particles that get into the lungs and are very difficult/impossible for your system to clear. Not to mention many aspects of bowyerism uses synthetics like epoxy, glass and phenolics.
One problem with being casual about taking care with your respitory system is the damage won't always appear until later in life. See those guys wearing oxygen? That was my uncle too. A life in woolen mills-he hit 65 and his system just collapsed. The Dr said thats typical. The lungs just couldn't handle what he had already put into them anymore, even though it had been years since he'd left that occupation.
The worst systems are the bag types directly returning air into the room when only being filtered by the bags. The dust that is put back into the space is the smallest and most dangerous size. I'm a woodworker, and believe me, once you set up a good system using and maintaining it is essentially hassle free. And your shop is much nicer to work in.
I consider a good dust collection system to be as important in my line of work as any of my machines.
I would think building bows, with all the sanding and other operations that make dust, to be on par with what I do in that regard.
Try to collect it as close to source as you can.
Joshua
Thanks Joshua. Some good info there.
Roy, I have saw dust alergy's and had to put in a Jet 1000 air filter above my work bench. My home shop is around 500 s.f.. I'm also installing a shop vac.
Some times I also use a face resperator when using my edge sander.
I have a pretty elaborate dust collection system with a 2hp Giz collector. I put the dust collector in an adjacent room to my shop and run the piping through the wall.
My dust collector sounds like a B-52 taking off so I positioned it outside my shop to keep the noise level down in my shop.
I use a powematic dust collection system, but I found that wasn't adequate for the more fine particulates floating unseen, the kind that makes you 'stuffy'. I then got a refurbished delta air purifier that will completely filter 1200 sq ft an hour down to one micron. It does work pretty good but you have to clean the screen and shake out the filters pretty often. It has a guage on the side to notify you when the filters are struggling with air flow. Good quality piece of equipment.
Thanks guys. Dan you have a picture of your delta?
What do you guys think about this unit?
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5489&cookietest=1
Roy, I have a 2 horse Griz AND on of the Jet hanging air cleaners (picked up off Craig's for 1/2 price used). The Griz gets the main source dust and the Jet cleans the tiny stuff out of the air. My system is use a paper dust mask, do the sawing/sanding type work and get out for an hour while the air cleaner does its thing. Then go back and enjoy a clean air shop.
I use a three or four different things:
1) I always wear a mask. Even though it doesn't do a great job, it is another barrier of sorts for the particles to get through.
2) I use a shop vac at the source of the dust. Sometimes it takes some rigging with clamps, but it's worth the effort.
3) I built a hanging dust filtration system out of an old furnace blower. It's full uncased, uses two filters to pull air in, and has a filter over the outflow. (Someday soon I'm going to run the outflow outside, much like a dryer vent.)
4) I use a 20X20 box fan with a pleated furnace filter on the back to catch sanding dust and particles set loose by my rasps. I have one workbench near a window, so I often will open the window and face the box fan outflow directly out the window.
5) I try to use hand tools for the bulk of my work.
Good luck!
Another vote here for using two systems, I have a Jet dust collector and JDS air filtration. I am still putting the finishing touches on my new shop so I have yet to use two together but have used the JDS for quite some time and very impressed with it. Especially when it comes time to clean the filter, that's when you really see what it's doing for you.
Roy from Pa, I thought this would be easier than downloading a pic.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&source=hp&q=delta+air+purifier&rlz=1R2GPEA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=14294140492961019411&ei=u_xBS4SIKNOflAf2xdSYBw&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_ result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBsQ8wIwAg#ps-sellers (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&source=hp&q=delta+air+purifier&rlz=1R2GPEA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=14294140492961019411&ei=u_xBS4SIKNOflAf2xdSYBw&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBsQ8wIwAg#ps-sellers)
Thanks Dan and others. I settled on a Grizzly.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Remote-Controlled-Heavy-Duty-Double-Air-Filter/G9956
That looks like a nice unit, I like the remote. I like Grizzly's stuff!!
All good advice. Capturing dust at the source is important...and the shop air cleaners are nice. I use both.
One thing I might suggest is that a lot of dust is generated performing tasks that your dust collectors and air cleaners won't help with. This means a respirator of some sort. I'm like most people and hate to wear them, but started using one of these years ago and now can't imagine being without it. Way more comfortable and I believe effective then a basic respirator. Spendy, but until the Walmart starts carrying new lungs I think worth considering.
http://www.mcfeelys.com/product.aspx?itemNo=TR-2000&s_kwcid=TC|4266|trend%20airshield%20pro||S|p|4391255425
Very good point John, and this time not on the top of your head. :bigsmyl:
Got the Grizzly yesterday. Have it sitting on the bench for now, plan on hanging it in the ceiling. Things works great..
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/4c97d6b8151be4c3c3
There was a slight problem, the package had some damage on the ends. When I opened it up, the remote control was broken up pretty bad, but still worked. I called Grizzly, the lady was very nice and helpful and they are sending me another remote.. She even called back today to confirm sending me a new remote.
Like others have said you really need more than one type of filter. A dust collector is great at the point of source and the whole room filter is good for the smaller stuff left in the air. If you are really concerned I would use a respirator made to filter dust, not fumes.
I used to have a great wood shop and had to go to the respirator when sanding black walnut. It took me a while to figure out that it was the finest black walnut dust that was making me sick. I got almost flu-like symptoms.
Like was mentioned above it's the accumulation over time that will get you. You won't feel it creeping up on you.
Making the air cleaner from a blower fan and filters will save you about 90% of the cost of a commercial one and it's really easy.
Good luck!
Sorry about repeating info others had said. I somehow missed reading page two before I responded.
Ranger, that is what I have had the past 3 months, flu like symptoms. I also finally figured out it was the dust. I now have a shop vac at the bandsaw and sander, the Grizz air cleaner, and have been wearing a good mask.
Glad to hear you got it taken care of Roy. Another thing with many shop vacs is that they throw a lot of fine particles back into the air. If you can keep yourself a decent distance from the vacs exhaust and let the filter get it that will help a lot.
See now Roy, that's the first thing I liked about Grizz, they have such good customer service, second great machines, but service goes a long ways.
Harbor frieght sells them at a great price.
Well I got the dust under control, but I'm still feeling a little ill with flu like symptoms and stuffy nose. Waiting to hear about some tests I had done today.
I just went through this real fast but has anyone mentioned that the ducting builds a lot of static and a discharge of static electricity into fine dust has Been known to start fires so ground the ducting plastic or metal. Jim
My last shop had the room for a Torrit 3-phase run off of a rotary Phase converter. I had the luxury of all machines tied into a rigid pvc system running around two walls. I am now downsized to two bays of a three bay garage. I now have a large Delta bag collector. It has two intake ports down at the bottom. I have three spindle sanders, 4 ft beltsander, bandsaw,
planer, jointer. totally frustrated with doing the hose dance every time I switch machines.
Anybody in this boat?
Oh ya, I gotta move the hose from machine to machine too.
I had a floor sweep and a couple of locations to connect to the hoses. I used a combination of PVC and regular dust collector hose. One was stationary at the radial arm saw and the other moved from machine to machine. I did have the whole system grounded with copper wire to avoid static electricity build-up. I found a little book/pamphlet that showed hot to do the grounding. It worked quite well.
Shop vac clamped to the tool and a good dust mask.
pete
I wear a respirator, and do my sanding outside and try to stay upwind. I also use a shopvac on my saws and sanders, with the garage door open. Also wash my cloths immediately after I am done.
Got the Grizzly mounted in place tonight. Really sweet unit. Hanging from 4 chains and this thing doesn't vibrate at all. And the air in the shop is so much cleaner. All I need to do now is dress up the power cord to get it closer to the wall away from the tillering tree.
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/a697d5b7191ee0c029
Not all dust is created equal. I find walnut to be annoying, osage makes me feel ill and yew makes me feel like I am dying! The toxic effects of some dusts can be cumulative and reaction to them can become more severe with continued exposure. John Shultz developed a severe allergy to yew and had to quit working with it. Don't be macho about exotic wood dusts - use safe procedures and good dust control. Good topic Roy!
Very good advice Shaun!!
What about cutting and sanding fiberglass bow's? I only ever tried it once and it destroyed my bandsaw blade. I'm now wondering if maybe it was the fiberglass that really messed me up. This was 2 months ago I made that bow. Dano ? Shaun ?
Any things possible Roy, but guy's I know that make glass bows don't seem to be affected. Swine flu that's what I think, did you kill a hog? :goldtooth:
Thanks Ole Timer:) No hogs for me..
FG is bad stuff too. To saw it on a band saw, try a bi-metal fine tooth blade made for cutting metal. It dulls a wood cutting blade in a hurry. Some bowyers tell me they just grind limbs down to the line with their big edge grinder. I have tried both methods and don't much care for either. Would not like to make my living making glass bows!
I believe Dano has the cure, get on down to Texas and kill a hog or two. I try to do it every winter and it keeps me from breathing dust - at least for a couple weeks.
Never kilt a hog myself:(
Well I really don't have anything to add but I am leaving for Texas in the morning to go try to shoot a hog. :)
Roy,
Now that you have had the Grizzly unit up and running for a week are you still happy with it? IS it as effective as you hoped and is the sound volume tolerable. I have been trying to decide between the unit you purchased and the equivalent Jet unit. I have had mixed results with Grizzly tools The jointer has been fantastic but the small tablesaw was disappointing to say the least.
Mike
It does a great job and it's not all that loud.