How long does wood dust take to settle?

[LFS19]

Curious about this.
Does anyone know?

Thanks

 

[transatlantic]

I've often wondered about this too. You see people making cuts and then imediately taking off their mask. Yet surely that dangerous dust is there for a good while?

 

[Jacob]

Curious about this.
Does anyone know?

Thanks

It all depends. Fine stuff is up there for hours. I give my place a blast with blower - at least an hour before it's all settled and I can hoover the floor.

 

[LFS19]

I've often wondered about this too. You see people making cuts and then imediately taking off their mask. Yet surely that dangerous dust is there for a good while?

Indeed, that's what I thought

 

[LFS19]

Curious about this.
Does anyone know?

Thanks

It all depends. Fine stuff is up there for hours. I give my place a blast with blower - at least an hour before it's all settled and I can hoover the floor.

So when would you say was safe to go in mask-less? An hour or more?

Cheers

 

[Jacob]

Curious about this.
Does anyone know?

Thanks

It all depends. Fine stuff is up there for hours. I give my place a blast with blower - at least an hour before it's all settled and I can hoover the floor.

So when would you say was safe to go in mask-less? An hour or more?

Cheers

For me it's more about comfort than safety. If it feels dusty and your nose detects it then it is too dusty.
It gets noticeable if I don't dust often enough - it settles everywhere and everything I touch or move raises dust even though it has settled from the air.

 

[sunnybob]

Depends on the weight of each individual dust mote. Really fine will never actually settle. It will move every time the air moves. And remember, its the really fine that is the most dangerous

If I worked in a woodworking shop, I would wear a mask just about all day. My one car garage sized workshop has the roll up door open all the time I'm working, but I still wear a mask, and vacuum after every major operation. Its amazing to watch the black rubber on the floor. I can "hoover" all the work surfaces and the floor, and within seconds can see the next lot of dust settling on the black floor. Because its just a hobby for me, I dont mind the fact I spend almost as much time vacuuming as i do making the mess in the first place.

 

[ColeyS1]

Depends on the weight of each individual dust mote. Really fine will never actually settle. It will move every time the air moves. And remember, its the really fine that is the most dangerous

If I worked in a woodworking shop, I would wear a mask just about all day. My one car garage sized workshop has the roll up door open all the time I'm working, but I still wear a mask, and vacuum after every major operation. Its amazing to watch the black rubber on the floor. I can "hoover" all the work surfaces and the floor, and within seconds can see the next lot of dust settling on the black floor. Because its just a hobby for me, I dont mind the fact I spend almost as much time vacuuming as i do making the mess in the first place.

Sort your extraction out at source instead of letting it blow around in the air to start with !!!!!

Coley

 

[sunnybob]

I have all of my big machines connected to extraction. But sometimes I use a router on a sled rested on the main bench to plane thin planks. and of course hand sanding and sawing takes place on the bench. these make more dust than the big machines.
Regardless, I always vacuum the workshop after stopping work for the day. And then I go shower to remove the dust in my hair and on my body.

 

[LFS19]

For me it's more about comfort than safety. If it feels dusty and your nose detects it then it is too dusty.
It gets noticeable if I don't dust often enough - it settles everywhere and everything I touch or move raises dust even though it has settled from the air.

On your nose detecting it - is that just the smell of the cut wood, or?

 

[LFS19]

The sander is probably my dirtiest machine.
I echo the sentiment about spending more time cleaning than woodworking; it's a huge pain.
All well and good if you can afford an extractor, but I certainly can't, haha

To be honest, though, I've moved mostly to hand tools now, so other than the sander there's not an Insain amount of dust in my work place.
I only really use my router, sander and band saw and not all that often.

 

[stuartpaul]

Years ago they used to use a tindle beam to highlight dust in the air. Basically a big, bright torch beam akin to that shaft of sunlight you sometimes get which highlights the suspended dust. You can give it a go if you have a powerful enough light source.

There is a need to keep it in perspective. Zero dust is virtually impossible to achieve unless you're prepared to adopt clinical standards. In any case not a requirement of modern h&s where the limits are based on an 8 hour working day.

If you're particularly sensitive or have a medical condition you might want to adopt a more rigid approach but keep it sensible and you'll be fine.

 

[PAC1]

Curious about this.
Does anyone know?

Thanks

It all depends. Fine stuff is up there for hours. I give my place a blast with blower - at least an hour before it's all settled and I can hoover the floor.

Jacob, whilst this was standard practice in the shop I worked, for the benefit of others who follow your usually good example the HSE say this is not a good idea as you inhale more fine dust. Dust should be collected at source and any escapees hoovered up

 

[Jacob]

....Dust should be collected at source and any escapees hoovered up

That's what I do. Escapees settle all over the place including tops of shelves etc.You can't hoover everywhere it's impossible especially if there is stuff lying about. Hence the blower. Dust works it's way into boxes of tools and drawers etc.

 

[PAC1]

Tell me about it, stuff gets everywhere but HSE advise that you should suck not blow. Another reason to vent to the outside. There has been far fewer of the little blighters since I upgraded my extraction and started venting to the outside.

 

[MattRoberts]

I run an air purifier in addition to my dust extraction whenever I'm in my shop. Sure, it won't clear everything, but it's better than nothing, and it has a timer so it runs even after I finish.

 

[Normancb]

A laser pointer will give you a pretty good idea of how much dust there is around - if you can see the beam from the side there's dust. Don't look directly along the beam!

 

[Jacob]

Tell me about it, stuff gets everywhere but HSE advise that you should suck not blow. Another reason to vent to the outside. There has been far fewer of the little blighters since I upgraded my extraction and started venting to the outside.

You should suck not blow but it only works close up. Blowing reaches the parts that sucking can't touch e.g.you can blow dust from the bottom of a box of tools or from the cracks and crannies in and around machines.

 

[LFS19]

Good ideas with the light and lasers for testing the air,

 

[woodpig]

I run an air purifier in addition to my dust extraction whenever I'm in my shop. Sure, it won't clear everything, but it's better than nothing, and it has a timer so it runs even after I finish.

I use one as well. I leave it running on the timer for an hour after I go indoors.