Please Help Me Solve My Dust Problem Once and For All

[Doris]

Hi Guys,

As many of you know I'm a carver and woodturner and my dust problems are getting worse and worse and I would like some advice on how to deal with it.

Currently I am using a woodturning lathe, foredom (power carver) and bench drill and bandsaw to make my wares but the dust is getting everywhere. I was using a vacuum with a homemade cyclone to try and get rid of the dust but I'm finding its really not helping.

I need something more substantial and am trying to solve this problem while at the same time using as little space as possible. My space is at a premium. I have a 7 x 7 shed to house all my machines, wood and tools in and am hoping to find a small dust extractor that will fit in with my workspace.

I've attached a few photos of my shed and a floor plan to give you a rough idea.

A floor plan as well

The cabinet currently in the left under my lathe is where my vacuum currently is and I'm allowing this space for my new extractor. I have my eye on this one here

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ho ... tor-501262

But I don't know if this will be enough for my needs and also it only has one port and I have a number of machine in a small space. How could I have many machines connected to it via one port? Also I have problems with the size of the hose, 100mm is quite large for such a small workspace and I was wondering if I could make the hose thinner by reducing it without affecting the suction. I reckon I will have to put the hose up in my ceiling but have no idea how to fix it in place or the best way to route it either. I'm not trying to remove all dust but just the bulk of it really. I still wear a face mask as well but this doesn't stop me and my shed getting covered in the stuff whatever I'm doing.

If anyone has any suggestions to a different extractor or in fact any ideas then I would greatly appreciate them.

Thank you

 

[MattRoberts]

Hi Doris, I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is that a dust extractor that can handle multiple machines or vertical pipe runs needs to be about 2hp minimum, and is obviously significantly larger than the type you posted from Axminster.

The good news is that you can get quick release 100mm clamps from Axminster that make connecting and disconnecting that type of small extractor to different machines easy.

The other part of good news is that I've just upgraded my dust extractor, and have the 1hp Jet version of that extractor that I could sell you if you were interested

By all accounts, lathes are very tricky to sort dust extraction. The best thing might be to build a shroud that covers as much as possible without getting in the way of you working. If you build the shroud right, the chips will fall to a central area where you have the dust extractor hooked up

 

[MattRoberts]

The alternative is that you get a larger and more powerful extractor but house it outside of your shop and pipe through to it

 

[Bm101]

Can't help with technical information mate but I've seen several people saying they have built little lean-tos outside their sheds to house the dust extraction units. Would you have space for that? More space inside, less noise if you baffle it a bit. Clean workshop. Probably cost a bit but a long term solution.
Cheers
Chris

 

[Bm101]

Ahh. That's what you get for posting off your phone... double post.

 

[PAC1]

If it is only a lathe and Foredom the problem is that neither of these enclose the dust and spread it all over. You might find that a HPLV extractor could be the answer. So maybe http://yorkleen.co.uk/documents/product ... Extractors
The problem with a normal vacuum or even a dedicated power tool vac is the hose is quite small diameter the above is 100mm.

 

[screwpainting]

I know nothing about turning but has anyone ever tried attaching suction or an attachment to, or very close to, an actual chisels cutting area and thus getting the extraction right in close to where the dust and chips are being generated. I feel sure there must be some safe way of doing this whereby a quite narrow fitting, say 10mm x 80mm could be held slightly above and down the length of the chisel and be adjustable for closeness, to the chisel's cutting/dust and chip creation point. Thus creating very powerful direct suction at source with not much more than a shop vac.
Think of a gun sight type fitting mounted on the chisel that didn't get in the way and gave clear site of the cutting edge...

There's probably some reason it wouldn't work but it sounds like a plan to me.

If I am a genius, I'm having a beer...

Let me know

Too late

Hic!

 

[Terry - Somerset]

A few thoughts:

It is very difficult to set up extraction for a lathe and collect more than a few % of debris. I would focus on reducing the number of shelves/open cupboards, nooks and crannies where it will inevitably collect. Hoovering or sweeping becomes easier!

I do however use an extractor to reduce lathe dust when sanding (health risk etc) - a simple hood will carry away a large part of this if it is positioned immediately behind the area being sanded.

The bandsaw probably has an extraction outlet. This would reduce the amount of dust by 70-80% based on my experience with a small bandsaw and small extractor.

You can buy adaptors to reduce 100mm outlets - this may result in some loss of pressure but is normal in a small workshop - mine reduces from 100mm to 63mm pipework. You could turn rather than buy these. For a small workshop you have a choice as to whether to fit a few small length of piping with blast gates, or simply move a flexible hose from one machine to the other as required. I rarely/never use two machines needing extraction at the same time as it is only me working there anyway.

The extractor can be used as the workshop vacuum at the end of the day.

 

[Doris]

The bandsaw probably has an extraction outlet. This would reduce the amount of dust by 70-80% based on my experience with a small bandsaw and small extractor.

It doesn't. It's a little burgess 3 wheeled bandsaw. I could replace it with a better model but it belonged to my grandfather so am reluctant to get rid of it to be honest. I have worked out a way of extracting the dust but the hose size would be a lot smaller than 100mm which is why I asked about reducing the size of the hose being OK.

You have had some helpful suggestions though. I am looking into having less clutter in the open but want to get the extractor fitted in place first before I work out what space I have left.

One hose being moved from machine to machine is probably the way ahead for me. As I o my use one machine at a time. I just now need to figure out how I can store that so I don't trip over it when it's not in use.

 

[Myfordman]

Don't reduce the pipe size - it will kill the extraction capability very significantly. If the tool has a smaller outlet then reduce at the tool end only.
Run rigid 110mm drain pipe up from your extractor across the back of the lathe round the corner and across the back of bench . Home made blast gates behind each dust source to control where the extractor sucks. Only one gate open at a time.

 

[PAC1]

I agree with Myfordman you need 100 or 110 duct size. You probably do not need a cyclone. My guess is you do not create a large volume of dust and chipings it just goes everywhere. So the cyclone is reducing the suck without the benefit of separating any real volume.

 

[sunnybob]

Dont write off a cyclone till youve tried one. I was completely amazed how good it is at removing almost all dust and chippings, saving bag replacement and down time significantly

 

[SteveW1000]

The Foredom, bandsaw and bench drill would only need something around 63mm hose rather than 100mm, not sure whether the lathe shaving would block the smaller size. Problems with the bag type extractors is without the very expensive filters they let fine dust through, the wall behind mine is covered in a fine dust which is the most dangerous for your health. I would suggest that you look at one of the twin motor vacuums which can have one of the 63mm hoses. Look at some of the semi rigid hose so you can capture the dust as near as possible to where it's generated and bandsaws benefit from pick ups both from above and below the table. Should be possible to rig something up that can be moved from machine to machine.

 

[PAC1]

Dont write off a cyclone till youve tried one. I was completely amazed how good it is at removing almost all dust and chippings, saving bag replacement and down time significantly

Bob I do not. I even have one. My point is that if space is short as it is in this case and there is no large chip generator then a cyclone is an unnececessary luxury. The reason is you loose about one third of your suck with a cyclone so having no cyclone would allow a smaller extractor. A good HPLV would be best

 

[Halo Jones]

Do you have space for an air cleaner such as one of the microclene? For the size of your space I doubt you would need a large unit. I run mine on a timer so it runs while I am working and then another hour after I have left. It really helps reduce the fine dust that gathers on top of everything.

 

[Doris]

Do you have space for an air cleaner such as one of the microclene? For the size of your space I doubt you would need a large unit. I run mine on a timer so it runs while I am working and then another hour after I have left. It really helps reduce the fine dust that gathers on top of everything.

I already have one of them and it was quickly blocked up and blowing more dust around. I hope to use it again with a main extractor to get rid of the finer dust in the future. But I did find the whole thing really noisy.

Soil pipe at the back of the bench is a very interesting idea but how do you go about connecting the two. Also how do you fit blast gates to something like that? I would love to what others have done.

 

[sunnybob]

agreed the cyclone reduces volume, but mine removes an astonishing amount of dust as well. i have a sip vacuum with 100 mm tube, but the cyclone is only 50 mm at present, then going back into axminsters 63mm clear ducting to each machine so the cyclone is my very obvious weakest link.

I have a bandsaw, router table, belt sander, and mitre saw, far more dust than chip there.

The sip dust bags used to clog every couple weeks and have to be replaced. The cyclone now means I dont use a dust bag at all, and only have to go into the sip (inside its sound muffling box) every 4 or 5 months, to brush the fine dust from the corrugated filter around the fan.
The cyclone box can be easily unclipped for emptying, saving quite a few hours throughout the year.

I will be getting a larger bore cyclone as soon as i can to bring back the volume. I would list a cyclone as essential, and do whatever was needed to fit it into the space available.

 

[xy mosian]

Slightly off-topic but the dust problem has put me off using something like a Foredom.
Do you use a reciprocating head with that at all, and does it help with the dust?
xy

 

[Doris]

Slightly off-topic but the dust problem has put me off using something like a Foredom.
Do you use a reciprocating head with that at all, and does it help with the dust?
xy

I've never used a reciprocating head before. I use mostly burrs and sanding drums for my carvings. Any wasting out I do is either with a knife or mallet and chisel.

Back on topic...

What's the difference between these two types of extractors?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/record-power- ... ctor/94009

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ho ... tor-501262

 

[xy mosian]

Slightly off-topic but the dust problem has put me off using something like a Foredom.
Do you use a reciprocating head with that at all, and does it help with the dust?
xy

I've never used a reciprocating head before. I use mostly burrs and sanding drums for my carvings. Any wasting out I do is either with a knife or mallet and chisel.

Back on topic...

What's the difference between these two types of extractors?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/record-power- ... ctor/94009

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ho ... tor-501262

Thank you Doris. Sorry for the diversion.
xy