Glen-L.com

I know there are quite the variety of ways/locations of "shops" people here are using to build their boats. We all still create a lot of sawdust and one reads a lot on here about taking proper breathing precautions with regards to fibreglassing, painting and even sanding. What do people do/use with regards of using their saws, routers and other pieces of equipment?

I am also in the market for a better dust collection system for my basement woodworking hobby porjects. Any suggestions besides wearing a good respirator all the time I've always thought I was being careful and collecting "good enough" with what I have now, also always wearing a mask during sanding and other obvious creation of small particles.. but this year has been poor one for my asthma and I've been learning a lot about the dangers of submicron dust. frankly it scares me and prob some of the reason health hasn't been 100%. Also having to have the "shop' in the basement means dust currently wafting (love that word!) through the house... this I'd like to change too..

sorry for the long winded post. What do other people use and do?
cheers
Greg

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I can't do everything, but I can do something.

I have a dust collector, it is a big blower with collection bags on it, it sucks up sawdust/chips very well. However, I dont think it will get the submicron stuff.
I have seen sanding tables, or downdraft tables. You start with a box the size of a worktable, mount a squirrel cage fan inside it blowing out a side. The top would be open for a furnace filter to collect dust as the work is done on top. You have a grate on top of the furnace filters that you work on. High quality filters would be available for this type setup. Downdraft tables can be bought factory made, but are pricey.
There is also a small paint booth, kinda like the downdraft table but on its side. The fan is on one side, the opposite side open for working, the filter is deep inside the box so that you reach in slightly to work small parts.

I have a dust collection system, but only use it one larger projects as the hoses and connections can get in my way (if it were a stringer unit, I could have installed the drops from the ceiling). I also have one of those ceiling mountieddust filtration systems thta works great! I turn it one when routing, sanding, etc and it pulls an amazing amount of dust out of the air.

Real simular to this.

I have the same thing as capt jake, but made by Jet. It really takes the fine particles out of the air. I notice the difference when it starts to plug as there is more "stuff" around.

It still does not keep it clean enough though to put on a dust free finish. I think the only way to have that is to have a separate building or room to do your finishing in.

A not-so-technical way to catch most if the fine stuff:

Furnace filters (I use 3m filtreat behind generic prefilter) duct-taped to an el-cheapo box fan from china-mart... er, I mean wal-mart.

As far as "real" dust collection goes, I use a 5hp Grizzly cyclone, but it's still nice to have a portable filter.

I live on 70 acers so blowing dust outside isent a problem, i keep a fan blowing on me/an the project an a fan in the nearest window or door, also i do as mouck big sanding outside.
Ipicked up a house size squarl size blower from the local installar of heat an air ($20.00) this takes it away fast. i set this up to blow dust away. rember to use a fan allways when using epoxie. after its cured its eneart. also to sand it use wet or dry paper with soap& water. no dust at all. an a better job than youll get with power tools.also any windy day i blow the shop out with air hose an blow gun. again i can do it becouse of my location to others.just my thoughts
Falcon (port)

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