Journey to SMC

[Roger Rettenmeier]

The David Weaver post was an inspiration for this post...

I built a dedicated wood shop about 10 years ago. At the time, I worked with mostly corded tools. I am a Forest Technician by occupation, and working wood, construction, log home building have been my secondary, off season occupations. With DUST as a LUNG concern, I plumbed the shop with a collector and filters. To go that route when you are doing woodworking as a hobby/ part time, this can be expensive (to do it right). Since my primary occupation is Forestry, I eventually decided to go dustless, old school with woodworking, Enter SMC, hand planes, chisels, auger bits and braces...

About 5 -6 years ago, I was working on "stuff", and was googling appropriate woodworking threads. Old SMC threads were always coming up (a few years before I actually joined), helping me out. Eventually, I had a problem that Google and SMC could not solve from the archives.

I joined, got some input from some VETERANS, and went on my way.

I LIKE this forum, and like that the veterans keep posting here , even if some things are redundant.

THANX

[Frederick Skelly]

Welcome Roger. Glad you decided to join us and to speak up to let us hear your views. Hope to hear more from you in the future!
Fred

[Jim Matthews]

The experienced guys are generous, and patient with us Newbies.
The site is well-moderated and composed.

I've always felt welcome, even if I was stepping on toes.
You've made a good choice, one worthy of support.

[george wilson]

Roger,as a long time woodworking veteran,I have COPD. My shop is now equipped with a proper dust collector. I am careful to not breathe any more than I can. The 18th. C. cabinet makers using a lot of mahogany usually died of lung cancer,and they were still working by hand. So,be careful.

I wish I could have afforded dust collection in the 60's,but I could not. Don't know if home shop size units were even available back then. I also wear a PROPER mask when spraying lacquer as I got sick back then from too frequent lacquer fumes.

[Joe Tilson]

+1 on what George has said. Although I don't have a filtering system, I do use a respirator, and have two. One is for dust and one is set up for vapor. When I can, I work outside which helps some. After sawing with a table or bench saw, take a look to where the sun light is coming into your shop. You will see the micro fine dust particles. Those are the ones to get you down the worst, because they get into the nooks and crannies of your lungs and don't come out. Like George, I wish I could afford a collection system. Back in the sixty's there wasn't much done for dust particle or fumes. I even painted cars with a paper mask; now that was stupid, but that's all we had to work with and thought it was the way to go. My knees can tell you about lead poisoning.

[Roger Rettenmeier]

George, Joe,

Thanks for the heads up on the "fines" that are still created. I'll keep the dust collection on. I guess you can't escape the dust, but can make less of it. I have nearly got away from the random orbit, and belt sander.

[Tom Vanzant]

Roger, there are dust collectors and dust collectors. Make sure you have 1 micron filter bags or canisters. Older bags are more like 5-10 micron, which means the really fine dust passes through and into the shop and your lungs.

[Roger Rettenmeier]

I replaced the top bag of my collector with a 1 micron filter, and am adding a thien baffle for the heavy stuff. I still need to re plumb the always on dust collection cabinet for the airborne dust that escapes from the permanent plumed in stations (table saw/ planer, miter saw, router table). That one probably has a 5-10 micron bag, It is about 15 years old.