Dust extraction advice for bandsaws

[Sideways]

I need your advice please.

I need to add localised dust extraction to two bandsaws sited together in a workshop.
One's an elektra beckum 250, the other a slightly larger startrite, so 10" -12" size machines.

My impression is that high volume low pressure extractors / chip collectors aren't well suited to bandsaws and I'd be better off with a high vacuum steel drum type - something like the axy trade / numatic nd750 machine maybe.

Could the bandsaw users here please share what does and does not work for you.

The two bandsaws will be in use at the same time so I need two extractors or one larger one that's got enough airflow for both. Noise is always an issue. For that reason the yellow / green record power things are out. Positively offensive !

 

[sunnybob]

http://www.sip-group.com/store/category ... 01923.aspx

I have one of these and its extremely efficient on my 14" bandsaw. I am sure it would work just as well on two if it was fitted close to them.
yes its noisy.
But its simple to make a sound deadening box out of 22 mm mdf and some old blankets. The noise is now down to something that I cant hear over one bandsaw, let alone two.

 

[Sideways]

Thanks Bob. That's encouraging !

 

[Geoff_S]

http://www.sip-group.com/store/category/213/product/01923.aspx

I have one of these and its extremely efficient on my 14" bandsaw. I am sure it would work just as well on two if it was fitted close to them.
yes its noisy.
But its simple to make a sound deadening box out of 22 mm mdf and some old blankets. The noise is now down to something that I cant hear over one bandsaw, let alone two.

Yes, I have something similar but it's the Record Power RSDE2 on a Record Power BS350 bandsaw. It works just fine. I've not really noticed it as noisy, but then I've not compared it to anything else.

 

[sunnybob]

If youre going the sound deadening route, remember you have to let the air out of the box. You cant just seal it up. make a baffle system thats pretty wide to allow the air out.
all noise is just fast moving air. If you can control the speed of the air the sound(almost) goes away.

 

[Sideways]

Thanks, yes.
I have stripped and rebuilt a very low noise vacuum (59 dB). This gave some interesting insight into design tricks that help to reduce noise.
Very open foam in the exhaust air diffuses the flow and helps to reduce air noise.
Surrounding the motor with the dust bag effectively puts a noise reducing jacket around it
Using a very inert soft rubber boot around the motor / turbine cuts down vibrations
And high density foam along the main air path reduces internal wind noise.
Use of plastics rather than metal drops the resonant frequency of the body.

Probably added less than £5 worth of materials but a substantial spend in acoustic design and development testing.

I'll shop for as quiet a machine as I can afford but it sounds like building a vented cabinet is well worth the effort.

 

[Jasper42]

I have the record power one, added a box to the side of my workshop, I can still hear it but no where near as bad as having it inside. My vortex and collection bin sits inside so I only need open up the box every few months to clean the really fine dust off the filter bag.

 

[Geoff_S]

Would a set of ear defenders be the safest and cheapest way?

 

[sunnybob]

ear defenders should be worn anyway.If any noise is loud enough for you to have to raise your voice at normal conversation distances it will be damaging your hearing. The more you have to raise your voice, the quicker your hearing will be permanently damaged.
But these dust collectors can annoy people three streets away