Cost effective dust extraction - shop vac?

[Berserker]

Hey guys,

I work in a 10' x 8' shed and have never used any kind of dust extraction I always wear a mask but I really need to do something to reduce the amount I breathe in.

I've been looking at shop vacs to keep the shed tidy as I currently just sweep the mess up (and breathe even more in!). Would a shop vac hooked up to / held near power tools be enough to significantly reduce the amount of dust I breathe in? If so, does anybody have any recommendations for an affordable vac (under £100 if possible)?

Thanks!

 

[marcros]

it will be a start- shop vacs are good for handheld power tools, although the very finest dust tends to go straight through them.

I have the Lidl on ethat is on offer from time to time. I can recommend that. I forget the price- it is the bigger one and was about £60 i think.

When you say a mask, do you mean a decent one or a disposable paper one?

 

[Berserker]

Thanks, I'll check the Lidl one out. I've been using fairly cheap 3M respirator masks but I want to get a proper respirator too.

 

[marcros]

Both are a good investment.

I have just got a decent respirator and face protector and it is miles better than the relatively cheap ones semi disposable ones i used before. I got this one from work- a sample that they chose an alternative, so was spare. The filters are expensive and take some planning to get. In fact, the whole thing is ridiculously expensive, but didnt cost me anything.

The 3M 7500 seems to get good reviews and is about £25 + filters. http://www.arco.co.uk/products/126002 The 3m 6000 series seems to be be good value too at £15. http://www.arco.co.uk/products/111500/1 ... Respirator The 3M filters seem to be more readily available and sensibly priced. http://www.arco.co.uk/products/112700/1 ... ate+Filter I am sure that the competitors products are just as good- JSP, Scott et al.

Do check these prices and do a bit of research into what you want. This was just a handy website that google found first and told you a bit of bumph about each thing I mentioned. It might be worth looking at a full face mask, depending on what you are doing.

 

[Berserker]

Thanks marcros, those look like just the kind of thing I was looking for... saves me starting another thread! I'll do some research and read the reviews on the ones you suggested.

 

[giantbeat]

re shop vac's i can thoroughly reccomend this one in the cheap & cheerfull catagory
http://www.wickes.co.uk/wet+dry-vacuum+ ... vt/215735/

only £40 from wickes... i bought it for another job as it was cheap & was so impressed with its ability to handle everything from building rubble to very fine dust, its ended up being my home workshop shop vac & dus extractor, i have it hooked up to my router table or table saw and it pulls the majority of the dust, including the fine stuff.. my benches no longer get a fine haze of dust after running the saw. its far better on suction than the Numatics we have at work.

i originaly bought it as i wanted to board the loft out, no one had been up much other than to do wiring so there was about 4" of stoot over everything...i got this vac as a cheap disposable tool for the job, its handeled it beutiffuly & its now a prized possetion for when im working, its cleared 2 rooms of plaster rubble & dust (walls hacked back to bare brick) & was used to vac up a large amount of water in the cellar from a ruptured pipe.

 

[fluffflinger]

+1 for the Wickes Vac I have two and a brand new one in a box waiting in case the others die (OK my missus used to work for part of the group so I paid less than £20 a pop).

Before I had a proper dust extraction system I used this vac exclusively with one modification for use with bigger bits of kit, I simply replaced the existing pipe with 63mm flexible hose to produce far better airflow and therefore capacity to deal with bandsaw, router table and a push planer and thicknesser. The outlet from the drum is virtually that diameter.

I now have it hooked up via a small cyclone and it does all my hand tools, floor etc. Since I now don't have to empty the canister (well I haven't for the last six months) I attach a Numatic hepa flow filter bag inside using a couple of cable ties and some homespun ingenuity and can honestly say I am getting zero fine dust passing through the machine.

It was only ever a temporary fix but they are a great machine, my original is years old and still working fine.

 

[Berserker]

Thanks for the recommendations on the Wickes vac guys, think I might pick one up. For 40 quid you can't go far wrong! Between this and a new respirator mask my lungs will be very grateful!

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[pjm699]

I would advocate the http://www.safetyindustries.co.uk/acata ... -Mask.html which I use a lot as I have the dubious honour of working with a lot of MDF - the pre-filters are a great plan and extend the life of the p3 filter massively. comfy silicone and comes with a blanking disc which you can check the face seal with (holding manually and removing - not as the salesman demonstrated - installed in the filter holder - it did seal to his face very well but he looked a bit silly as he madly ripped the mask off his suffocating head!)

As for small vacuums - definately the Wickes one, I also went for the cheap and cheerful option - and then went back to get another one- the wet (cartridge) filter is worth it as well!

 

[MrYorke]

Perhaps try a Henry with the Hepa filters. I use one on various tools and does a great job. Bit more expensive but bullet proof!