Dust Collection, How Good?

[Ole Anderson]

So how good is your dust collection system? The thought occurred to me while I was sweeping my floor. Does anyone have a DC system so good you don't need a floor sweep, or at least not need to sweep your floors? Seems to me that there are certain operations that just don't lend themselves to easily using a DC system at 100%. Sanding large objects if you don't have a vac attachment on your ROS. Ripping a thin edge on your TS where the edge of the blade is exposed. Ripping a strip too narrow to use your overhead blade guard with its dust port. Pretty much any hand operation. And lets face it, few dust shrouds catch 100% of the fine dust and chips. My shop is much cleaner than it used to be when I just had a single bag system with a 4" hose, but I still have to sweep. And I don't get sawdust fog anymore.

[Jim Andrew]

I've been trying to improve my dust collection, have a 2 hp cyclone, but use vacs on ROS and miter saw, miter saw could use some improvement. Sent one of my router bases to Eurekazone, use that router a lot, as it can connect to a vac. Really would like to put a dust port on my skilsaw, as I use it to put a straight edge on boards that are not edged. The skilsaw throws more dust than about anything, but hard to put a port on.

[glenn bradley]

Mine is pretty good but, there are still little drifts of stuff that collect around certain areas. No tools dust collection is such that it controls all the dust no matter what operation you are doing; or you do very little of what the tool is capable of ;-) My hand tool work sends more spoil to the floor than any of my machines but, these are chunks of wood compared to the fines that come off a sander (for example). Every now and then when I am taking a vac hose from one point to another for an operation that involves a vac hookup, I will trigger the vac and catch those odd locations that seem to always pick up the random spoil. I wouldn't eat off the floor but, for dust control (especially the fines) I am pretty happy with it. I have 2 HEPA vacs, a bagger with an oversized AFF filter and a cyclone hooked to various machines.

[keith ouellette]

I am always getting sawdust all over everything. much of it finds its way to the floor. I have a problem remembering to turn on the DC and don't realize it until I get sawdust blowing all over the place from the jointer or the planer. I have no collection above my TS blade (only in the cabinet) so there is a slight cloud every time I use it and I have no DC under my router table (only in the fence) so there is a ton that comes from there.

On the bright side: My wood shop doubles as a small engine and chain saw repair shop so all that sawdust soaks up all the oil and carb cleaner.

[Rod Sheridan]

I have a shop in the basement so dust collection is pretty important to me.

I don't have a mitre saw or a router (except for an EC Emmerich one :-)

The tablesaw has above and below the blade collection, the jointer/planer has good collection and so does the shaper.

I have 2 floor sweeps, they're great for plane and chisel shavings and the slight amount of dut that escapes the above tools.

I have a Festool vacuum for the ROS which works as well as the cyclone did.

I have the 0.5 micron Dylos meter and with the shop not being used I have particle counts in the 500 range, run the cyclone a bit and it drops into the hundreds range

I tend to leave the cyclone running while I'm the shop, I don't normally turn it on/off unless it's going to be a long time between machine operations..........Regards, Rod.

[David Kumm]

My dylos .5 will read 500-1000 when shop is empty, 500-to 5000 when working and no DC, 150-500 when Dc is on. Dave

[Victor Stearns]

Greetings Creeker's,
I have a cyclone system and YES I still have to vacuum the shop. Since the installation of the cyclone, I do not have the mess that I used to have. I am still working on the fine tuning of several dust collection hoods and still have a few to make. The biggest flinger of chips is my router table and RAS. But given some more time, these will be improved. I do have a floor sweep but do not use it much unless there is a lot of bench work going on such as hand cutting dovetails. Overall I am very happy with the system and very pleased with not having to clean up after a session of planing.
Keeping making Sawdust,
Victor

[Jim O'Dell]

I have a great cyclone. What I don't have on all the equipment are great pick up hoods to match. TS and planer are great, RT and BS are good. DP, SCMS, RAS, circular saw, hand drills, files, etc are worthless. One of these days.....Jim.

[ian maybury]

I'm just finding my way into these issues, having just switched to a Clear Vue/Pentz system having previously had only a basic bag filter unit.

The issue that has surfaced straight way is that a router table is a downright awkward SOB to get decent dust collection on. (thanks for the help guys) Depending on the work in hand specific solutions (like fence collection) can go from doing a great job, to not working at all.

The main floor machines are often not too bad, but many of the stock set ups on ancilliary equipment like this are not really design to make use of the relatively high CFM available from a good system. This philosophy (which can't totally overcome the effects of poor hooding) relies on moving enough air to create a large enough low pressure volume around the cutter to pull in air borne fines.

Which has got to be an issue when using a vacuum too, possibly even on machines with good dust collection/hooding. Especially if the vacuum doesn't have HEPA filtration..

ian

[Bob Riefer]

My system (HF dust collector, exhaust outside, 4" PVC with blast gates) is worlds better than nothing at all, lots better than I was doing with a shop vac, and doing virtually nothing to protect my lungs I'm sure. I still need to sweep, but much less frequently than before.

[Ole Anderson]

It would be interesting to have the dust guru Bill Pentz respond to this thread to see how well his shop manages dust. I would expect pretty well, but not perfect.

[Jim O'Dell]

It would be interesting to have the dust guru Bill Pentz respond to this thread to see how well his shop manages dust. I would expect pretty well, but not perfect.

Unfortunately won't happen as Bill doesn't post here any more. Dust collection is such a volatile subject. Any of us with strong convictions on this subject have to be careful or the thread goes postal. Thankfully Bill has very strong convictions. Like him or not, and I do, his convictions have made us all aware of the dangers of dust to our health, and the need to do the best we can to keep the air we breath in our shops as clean as we can afford to make it. He also gave us an alternate way to have a great system for less money than if we purchased a ready built unit. And does so free of charge to individuals. I had several private conversations with Bill as I was deciding on what I would do, and he helped me a lot. Pointed out one issue I created with my implementation of my design that could have been a disaster if I had ever had a fire in the piping. I'll always be grateful for that note. Lots of threads in the archives with some great information from a variety of people. Dig them up. They are worth the reading. Jim.

edit: IIRC, Bill recommended using a respirator even with dust collection, especially if you had allergies to the wood. I'd love to have his hoods though, I bet they do a much better job than what I've done so far.

[Alan Schaffter]

It would be interesting to have the dust guru Bill Pentz respond to this thread to see how well his shop manages dust. I would expect pretty well, but not perfect.

I'd love to have his hoods though, I bet they do a much better job than what I've done so far.

Unfortunately, Bill has done more for others than he has for himself! I have corresponded with him for many years, and many times he lamented about not having the time, money, or health to work on his own shop DC setup. He spent lots of time and money buying and using test equipment, running his website, answering emails, etc., over the years, but not so much on his own shop, especially at his latest house. It has been interesting watching his philosophy and recommendations evolve over the years. I remember a big brouhaha over filters and their ratings in '05, '06(?) which was joined by none other than Robert Witter of Onieda, Shiraz Balolia of Grizzly, Ed Wynn of Wynn Environmental, etc. that occurred not long before Bill quit/was banned from SMC. But he also admitted to me later that filters aren't much good regardless because no cyclone works well enough to keep it from clogging over time and reducing collection at the source. You are better off discharging outside! Of course there are the hood issues already mentioned, and the sad fact that there arent' many ways to do dust collection properly, safely AND cheaply- bigger is always better and 3 - 5 hp motors w/15"-16" impellers are the only way to achieve the (OSHA, etc.) required CFM at the source in anything but a small shop. Also, depending on your physiology and shop habits, a good mask is indispensable.

[Mike Cruz]

Funny... your answers will be completely different if you ask three different types of wwers. Power flatboarders can have really clean shops, neanders not so much, and turners NO WAY! There is just about no way for a turner to "catch" all his shavings...sanding on the lathe is a different story.

[Alan Schaffter]

Funny... your answers will be completely different if you ask three different types of wwers. Power flatboarders can have really clean shops, neanders not so much, and turners NO WAY! There is just about no way for a turner to "catch" all his shavings...sanding on the lathe is a different story.

Yup, there is rarely a good answer. I doubt there is anyone in the medical profession who will tell you that if your free air dust is lower than OSHA or EPA standards or the CFM at your machines exceeds their recommended levels you won't develop a lung disease, or the opposite that you will definitely have a problem if your system results in dust levels that are 50% or 100% higher than recommended or your CFM at each machine is 50% lower than recommend. The only thing you can do is the best your time and money will allow.

As to cleanliness, that is a personal choice.