# Benefits of dust collection



## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I,m new on the forum so why not start with one experience that I have learned the hard way.

As many of my generation I have thought that dust collection is for sissies. Why spend good money on that when you can rake out the chips when they pile too high to walk through and just blow the dust out of your nose?

Well, I started to understand that when I decided to make a couple of closet doors of MDF. I had little experience of MDF at the time but I was inspired by some cabinet doors I had seen. The job included routing profiles on the doors and I took on the job with great enthusiasm and soon filled the shop with very fine router dust.
The doors looked great but in the evening I didn´t feel so well. Next morning I woke up with a high fever and it had me knocked down for over a week. I didn´t connect it first with the dust, I thought it was field-mouse fever (common in this part of my country) but when I asked a doctor about it later he ruled that out as I had no kidney problem. Some time later I learned about the health issues with MDF and also about wood toxity in general and put two and two together. Since then I have invested in a dust collector and pay attention to these matters.

When I´m at it I can also mention that I had a similar experience when I was young (and even more stupid). I was welding some zinc plated steel and inhaled the zinc fumes. Every experienced welder know the effect of that as "zinc fever".


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## lbj (Oct 16, 2010)

Hey there, I am new to turning and the sanding, even with a dust mask, has me feeling that it is hard to breath. I enjoy the turning, but the dust???. I have a dust system, but it does not help with the lathe, only the sanding.I use a exhaust fan also,but the dust is all over the basement, and it is 1200 square feet. I am sure there is another way to go?.Any help out there would be great,thanks,lbj.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm

You will learn a LOT. I don't go full on Pentz treatment, but I do have a ducted system, it works for me, I am constantly working out the kinks in various dust hoods, and I have an overhead air filter / cleaner. I can't recall the last time I had to blow sawdust out of my nose...


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## lbj (Oct 16, 2010)

Hey there,thanks for the reply,I am up to my hair with dust throughout my basement. I will measure my space,and get the over head, and two exhaust fans. I have made five dust lids with little success.I made a four foot box under the lathe to catch the chips.I have a dust collector with a three quarter horse,and five micron cloth bag.Wow do I HAVE DUST!!!.lbj.


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## AnselmFraser (Oct 7, 2010)

Always use a very good dust mask we find a trend air shield pro excellent.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

lbj said:


> Hey there,thanks for the reply,I am up to my hair with dust throughout my basement. I will measure my space,and get the over head, and two exhaust fans. I have made five dust lids with little success.I made a four foot box under the lathe to catch the chips.I have a dust collector with a three quarter horse,and five micron cloth bag.Wow do I HAVE DUST!!!.lbj.


To be blunt, that 3/4 HP isn't powerful enough, and that 5 micron bag isn't stopping the most dangerous stuff, the stuff that is between 1 and 5 microns... 

Not sure what is available where you are, but at the least I would look for a machine with a 1 micron bag or cartridge, and at least 1.5 horse power. And even that is on the low side...


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## mrcando (Jan 10, 2011)

*Dust extraction*

This is my first post, so I am still learning the ropes. I share everyone's concerns about dust abatement. I am currently building a workshop and am in a bit of a quandary as to the best method of reducing the fine dust in the shop. Since I live in a very rural and secluded location, my first impulse is to set up a 2hp sgl. stage collector outside the shop connected by ductwork inside to all my power tools. That would mostly eliminate the fine dust that even the better collectors re-introduce to the shop environment. Other advantages are noise reduction and saved floor space. Has anyone tried this or have an opinion on it? Thanks, Phil


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

The most dangerous dust is that in the 1 to 5 micron range. Typically the 1 micron filters are rated thus as they capture 99% of dust 1 micron and larger. They typically capture a high percentage of .5 micron dust as well... 

Since you are rural however, you might consider just grabbing a cheap HF 2HP dust collector, and blowing the fines outside... You will lose heated / cooled air that way, but the lack of fine dust in your shop would be worthwhile.


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## SteveEl (Sep 7, 2010)

If you heat that shop with any sort of combustion (wood stove, propane, natural gas etc), then be VERY careful simply exhausting your dust control to the outdoors, because you could create a lethal "backdraft" of carbon monoxide filled air from your heating system's exhaust. 

Have fun, be safe
Steve El


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## mrcando (Jan 10, 2011)

*Dust extraction*

Thanks for the input guys. As for the carbon-monoxide problem, I had already considered the potential for creating a negative pressure differential in the shop whenever the vacuum is turned on. I will be using a small wood stove when I'm working in the shop and a small unvented propane heater when the shop is unoccupied. The best solution that I can think of is to leave a window partially open during the time that I am using the power equipment. I don't think carbon monoxide will ever be a problem as long as the vacuum can get the majority of its air through the open window. If this whole outside vacuum thing doesn't work, I can always just bring it inside during the winter. Thanks again for the great input. Phil


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