Dust Collection OR ?

[Scott Berg]

I am contemplating the purchase of a dust collector for my shop. I am just a hobbyist woodworker (i.e. woodworking is not my real job) and am still in the process of aquiring a full set of shop tools (aren't we all?). I currently have a table saw, router and router table, drill press as my "major" tools and will soon be buying a planer and jointer.

I am wondering how many of you have dust collection systems in your shops versus just sweeping up on a regular basis? My shop area is a single garage stall, approx 11 by 21 and I am tired of sweeping up the rest of my garage (another 2 stalls) every time I work.

Instead of a DC, would I be better off rigging up a roll of plastic sheeting that I could lower when I need to in order to contain the dust? I usually use a dust mask. Any feedback of a non-critical nature is appreciated.

[Tyler Howell]

Scott.

DC is so very important from a safety stand point. There is well documented data on the effects of micro sized wood fibers that can cause all kinds problems with the respiratory system. Even contact with the skin can irritate individuals sensitive to the oils & resins.
All these goodies migrate throughout the house too if the shop is inside or next to it.
I'd put DC on the short list of must have items.

[JayStPeter]

The jointer and planer produce serious amounts of chips. You'll be glad to have a DC when you get them ... regardless of safety/health.

Jay

[markus shaffer]

Scott,

It's really worthwhile to invest in a good dust collection system from the beginning. I started out with a Penn State single stage collector and drug it from machine to machine for about 4 years. It did work, but I've since put in a cyclone from Oneida and wish I had spent the money on it to begin with. From what I understand, the new Gorilla model from Oneida is a good machine for the price despite it's hideous color. As Jay pointed out, a jointer and planer will produce more in chips than you'd really want to just sweep up. On a productive day, I will fill the barrel of my dust collector three or four times with chips from the jointer and planer. The way I have my machine set up, I have a contractor bag inside the barrel so that when it's time to empty, all I have to do is pull out the bag and replace it. Takes a few minutes and I'm back to work with little mess and virtually no airborne dust.

The other issue really is health. I used to not care about the dust and whatnot that I was breathing in, but in this day and age, is the possiblity of lung cancer really worth what a dust collector costs to you? Granted they say everything causes cancer these days, but I live in New York City where the air itself is considered some of the worst in the country so trying to keep the air in my workplace clean is a worthwhile endeavor. In my eyes, the amount I spent with Oneida was not chump change by any means but with a history of cancer in my family, I'd rather spend a little more preventive money now than 50 times that later in medical bills. Oh wait.. I finally have health insurance.. Perhaps it'll only be 45 times as much.

Sarcasm aside, it really is more pleasant to work in an atmosphere where the air is clean, there isn't huge piles of woodchips on the floor and everything in your shop isn't covered with a fine layer of dust.

-Markus

[Norman Hitt]

Scott, you are SMART to ask this question early in your woodworking endeavor, and it is a question that many of us should have asked long ago, and probably would have, had the facts been known then, about the very real health hazards of the finer dust particles, (ie; .5 to 1.5 microns in size--"the ones you can't see").

If you get a dust Collector system and set it up properly, it will not only Minimize your cleanup chores, but save your health, and that of your family by eliminating the large AND Fine dust particles from migrating into the rest of the house. If done properly from the start, it will most likely be a One Time Only purchase that will last throughout your woodworking career and keep you healthy so you can enjoy it for many years to come.

The suggestion to block off the shop part of the garage with a sheet, will only concentrate the dust into a smaller area which will further add to the dust/health problems, and it will Still Migrate to the other parts of the garage and house.

A Good DC on your Short List would be a Very Good Decision.

[Scott Berg]

Love this forum! Thanks for the feedback, and it seems like my gut instinct (get a DC) was correct. If you know there is a possibility of having health problems from something that could be done about, why not do it? Thanks again and I am now off on my next "project", getting the facts about DC and deciding on the right one for me.


Thanks again to everyone who took the time to answer, this is a great resource to have available to me.

P.S. Markus, the air here in Colorado is not always a clean as people would think either!!

[Steven Wilson]

Scott,

You don't have to have a DC but you do need to protect your lungs from the dust. Funny thing is, is that the dust that will harm you tends to be the size that you won't really notice (i.e. 30 micron dust particles will tickle your nose, 1 micron particles won't). Jointers and planers kick out a lot of chips and can make a mess of your shop but they really don't pump out a lot of dust; sanders, tablesaws, routers, shapers, and the like do pump out the dust. I started with a small Jet DC650 and it was marginal at collecting chips and almost useless for collecting fine dust. I ended up getting sinus infections every 4-5 weeks and figured that this can't be good for my health in the long run. Now I use a Oneida 2hp commercial unit for the large machines and a Festool vac and tools for collecting from small hand held power tools. Since making the switch the air in my garage is always clean, I have much less dust settling on finishes, and I haven't been to the doctor for sinus infections since.