Dust is dangerous

[Patrick Curry]

I'm pretty sloppy when it comes to dust collection. I use my HF collector for the larger machines, buts it's got some leaks and what not. But like many of you, I work out of my garage with the door open. I don't drage the collector over for the chop saw, and usually not the sander unless it's an extended session. But I buy those white 3m dust masks by the 20 pack and use them all the time. Regardless of what I'm doing. They're completely comfortable. Much easier for someone like me who doesn't put the effort in to keep my shop clean from dust

[Brian Henderson]

Was this the Barbarella Gun episode? I like his techniqe for workholding on the mill/drill (using his hand) whilst machining out the stock..

That Tested series is all full of wince-worthy shop moments. Hard to watch.

Yup, that's the one.

[Brian Henderson]

Dust is one of the reasons why I'm switching more and more to hand tools. I don't do this for a living, so time isn't as big of a concern for me. I also recently purchased a respirator that I wear when using power tools (minus my sander which hooks up to my shop vac).

I've got a respirator that I wear the majority of the time, except at times when sawdust isn't a concern. Virtually all of my tools are hooked up to dust collection and I still have to vacuum up dust in the shop. I would no more forego my respirator than I would forego eye protection.

[rodrigo sosa]

You would be amazed at how many shops will spend tens of thousands of dollars for for a sliding panel saw or edgebander, then run the cheapest dust collection they can find. In my experience, hobbyists and home guys always pay more attention to this sort of thing. "Gotta' get the job out the door!..."

Erik Loza
Minimax

ditto, happens here in the south south too, when i was dismantling my sliding for transport the dust really got inside, dry coughed all the afternoon (mdf) cant imagine working 8 hours 7 days a week that way...

[Alan Schaffter]

I don't know if this has been done before, but maybe it is time for a panel of half a dozen certified experts in dust generation who can speak to the amount and size of dust generated by various machines, and a half dozen pulmonologists get together to discuss/debate this topic. Though not Nearder-centric it could be done at something like Woodworking in America. Maybe Oneida, ClearVue, Grizzly, PennState, etc. could sponsor it- Pop WW are you listening?

[jack duren]

I don't know if this has been done before, but maybe it is time for a panel of half a dozen certified experts in dust generation who can speak to the amount and size of dust generated by various machines, and a half dozen pulmonologists get together to discuss/debate this topic. Though not Nearder-centric it could be done at something like Woodworking in America. Maybe Oneida, ClearVue, Grizzly, PennState, etc. could sponsor it- Pop WW are you listening?

What would this do?

[Jeffrey Martel]

I've got a respirator that I wear the majority of the time, except at times when sawdust isn't a concern. Virtually all of my tools are hooked up to dust collection and I still have to vacuum up dust in the shop. I would no more forego my respirator than I would forego eye protection.

Right. I did just that today when planing down a bunch of walnut. I'm sure I looked pretty nutty wearing safety glasses, ear muffs, and a respirator, but I won't have to worry about black snot tomorrow. Good thing I wore them too, because I somehow clogged up the chip blower on a 735 and it just started shooting out all the dust out the front of the planer at me. I've clogged up lines before, but not the chip blower.

I've also got a cheap overhead air filtration unit.

[Chris Parks]

Dust is like smoking, you make your own decisions regarding the risk and at the end you have to live with it. There will never be a concerted universal education campaign as there is with smoking to point out the dangers and there are always people around who are willing to tell us that dust is not dangerous to our health. My time selling Clearvue showed me one thing, health and safety can't be sold, it is always bought and usually only after the dust has settled in the lungs of the purchaser. There are so many myths, untruths and plain lies put out by sellers of "dust collectors" it would take a book to sort it out and then the author would be ridiculed by the non believers. The average bag/filter type "collector" should be banned from sale along with shop vacs but that is a whole other war yet to be fought and my guess is it will never be.

[Jim Andrew]

I've been buying the white dust respirators, problem is when I wear glasses, along with the mask, is that wearing the mask makes my glasses fog up. So I have to choose one or the other.

[Brian Henderson]

I've been buying the white dust respirators, problem is when I wear glasses, along with the mask, is that wearing the mask makes my glasses fog up. So I have to choose one or the other.

Don't get the disposable white dusk masks, they don't do a very good job, get the ones with the replaceable filters, they form a much better seal over the nose and mouth and won't fog anything up.

[Mike Chalmers]

Don't get the disposable white dusk masks, they don't do a very good job, get the ones with the replaceable filters, they form a much better seal over the nose and mouth and won't fog anything up.

Any I have used do.

[rodrigo sosa]

Any I have used do.

Tried applying a thin layer of saliva and wiping it out?
When I scuba dive this works though, i dont dry it completely...

[David Ragan]

You are correct in the many deaths from black lung, and of my relative ignorance on that issue-I'm from farming and cattle country.

However, broadly speaking, the exposures and health problems that folks get in hobbies and occupationally are many times not attributable to such.

[Dennis Aspö]

I have a 6700 3M full face mask, it's comfortable enough that I can wear it several hours in a row. Still I'd rather tackle the issue with a proper DC hookup to my main dustmaking machines, the table saw and bandsaw, my shop vac is pretty darn effective with my sander.

[Ole Anderson]

Between the cheap single band paper masks (which are useless) and the full face masks are the n95 double band fuzzy ones with the exhale port, that is what I use. As long as you keep the bridge of your glasses on top of the filter, they don't fog. And you need to pinch the aluminum nose piece to fit your schnoz.