# Dust Collection for Portable Lathe?



## tntobel (Apr 20, 2020)

Hello all,

I am new to woodturning and I have a question regarding dust collection and safety before I get started. I live in Southern California, where I have the ability to turn outside and store the lathe in my garage. With a portable lathe (on workbench casters), do I need to worry about the amount of dust, or will the wind disperse the dust? I will be wearing a N100 mask at all times, and will be working in my backyard.

Thanks,
Theo Tobel


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

Theo - this is something that you will have to determine for yourself
once you get your equipment set up and start turning.
being outside in the elements will be different each day, according
to the wind direction and speeds.
some days it will be an enjoyable adventure, other days not so good.
the benefit of having your lathe on wheels is that you can compensate
for the breeze with just a turn of the machine to suit your climatic conditions.
once you get set up, keep in mind that it will be more stable if you can
add bags of play sand or concrete blocks/bricks to the base for stability.
don't think too far down the line.

edit: some wood species are not conducive to grass growth.
so you need to know this and how to manage the chips from
getting into the grass that you want to keep green.
when I was turning mahogany wood, I left a bunch of chips on the
floor of my carport and it got wet with a blowing rain.
the tannin acid from the mahogany stained the concrete red in places.

.


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## tntobel (Apr 20, 2020)

John Smith_inFL said:


> Theo - this is something that you will have to determine for yourself
> once you get your equipment set up and start turning.
> being outside in the elements will be different each day, according
> to the wind direction and speeds.
> ...


thank you John. I will be turning birch, ash, and maple billets, which I believe are not harmful for grass? I will definitely add sand bags to my base for stability, thank you for the wise suggestion. If I have a portable lathe in which I can bring outside, do I need a dust collector, or will the wind disperse the dust (should I be concerned about dust levels if I am outside)?

Best, 
Theo Tobel


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

Theo - again, this is something that you will have to determine for yourself
once you get your equipment set up and you start turning.
being outside in the elements will be different each day, according
to the wind direction and speeds.
some days it will be an enjoyable adventure, other days not so good.
the benefit of having your lathe on wheels is that you can compensate
for the breeze with just a turn of the machine to suit your climatic conditions.

I know you are very excited about this new adventure, but don't over think it.
one item that I just thought of is a cover. if you think it may be a good idea,
you could start looking for a fold-up tent on CraigsList, FBmarketplace,
Harbor Freight, etc. I know that direct sunlight would be an issue for me
and my old eyes. (just a thought here). I see your posts on other forums so
I know you are probably overwhelmed with all the feedback you are receiving.
just go slow and digest the information as you need it.









.


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## tntobel (Apr 20, 2020)

*tntobel*



John Smith_inFL said:


> Theo - again, this is something that you will have to determine for yourself
> once you get your equipment set up and you start turning.
> being outside in the elements will be different each day, according
> to the wind direction and speeds.
> ...



thanks John. There should be enough shade in the place I plan to turn (for now) but in the summer i might need one of those covers. I would imagine direct sunlight to the lathe would cause many problems.

stay healthy,
Theo Tobel


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