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Thread: Building small woodturning workshop - need clarification on dust collection needs

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Bluffton, SC
    Posts
    48

    Building small woodturning workshop - need clarification on dust collection needs

    Hi...

    I am a woodturner that has a roughly 6x11 area in my garage that has my lathe, bandsaw, grinder, and workbench (tight fit). We are moving next year to be closer to the grandkids, and are building a home that has a roughly 13 x 17' workshop area as part of the home (it is also going to hold my wood blanks, eventually a table saw, and a few more small power tools.)

    Currently my dust collection efforts include a fan, suspended from the ceiling behind me pushing much of the fine dust out of the garage. I use my Ridgid vacuum connected to a dust deputy to vacuum up my wood shavings, but they still manage to get into everything in the garage. I want to try to avoid that in the new workshop.

    My concern in the new workshop is that I have windows but no external door to blow out the fine dust. I am considering a ceiling mount air filtration unit to deal with the fine dust, but would like some recommendations if the primary source of shavings will be the lathe. Another concern is the decibel level of the floor dust collection unit in a room that size. I already have hearing loss in both ears, and am trying to avoid any further loss (I use ear plugs, and n95 masks from 3m).

    My questions are the following:

    1) Is it worth getting cyclone (vortex) larger unit that I can hook up a 'big gulp' type dust hood? to catch some of the shavings and sanding dust?
    2) Are there dust collection units that have lower decibels so they are not as deafening? (I do not have a way to put the unit into another room and run ductwork.
    3) I have been going through the workshop forum and all of the dust collection recommendations (going back more than 10 years), and am probably more confused than ever concerning which way to go on this.

    I know this is a fairly small workshop. I have about a year to get this planned out, so any recommendations would be gratefully accepted. I'm trying to minimize the amount of dust on everything. I"m happy to sweep up the shavings, but I literally have to 'blow out' the garage periodically to get all of the dust that accumulates on shelves, corners, areas far away from where I turn.

    Thanks in advance.

    Dave

  2. #2
    If you search "effective dust collection for a wood lathe" you should find a good thread on this website. Seems like the consensus was getting the dust was possible but possibly not the shavings. I use a shop vac with a dust deputy and auto-on switch. I don't have a lathe set up at the moment. When I did, it made a mess. My planner just makes it's mess and I sweep up.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Collection at the lathe is only really possible when you are sanding. When you are cutting, the chips fly in many directions and pretty much all of them are not toward any kind of collection hood you can install behind your workpiece. That means for a turning, collection is limited to sanding and a floor sweep. And for the latter you need some form of pre-separation to do it safely in case some small piece of metal is picket up. You don't want that passing through a blower and possibly causing a metal-on-metal spark situation. You don't need an "expensive" cyclone system for this; a trash can separator will work just fine, but a cyclone certainly is the top-shelf solution.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Kartzman View Post
    ...
    1) Is it worth getting cyclone (vortex) larger unit that I can hook up a 'big gulp' type dust hood? to catch some of the shavings and sanding dust?
    2) Are there dust collection units that have lower decibels so they are not as deafening? (I do not have a way to put the unit into another room and run ductwork.
    3) I have been going through the workshop forum and all of the dust collection recommendations (going back more than 10 years), and am probably more confused than ever concerning which way to go on this.
    Dave,

    I use a big cyclone (5hp) for the shop and a "gulp" hood at the lathe. It is phenomenal at sucking up sanding dust, even from a ways down the spindle. It is practically worthless for picking up chips and shavings since they are usually propelled away from the hood. This is my primary lathe showing the hood I use for sanding and a picture showing my best solution so far for the chips - a huge plastic bin from Walmart that fits nicely under the lathe. (I use a smaller one next to it to collect used sandpaper, etc.)

    lathe_PM2_Jan17_IMG_5751.jpg lathe_PM_tub.jpg

    Note that I designed my turning area around my preference of turning smaller things and spindles. People who mostly turn big wet bowl blanks sometimes use curtains to contain the huge mass of shavings. When I turn larger things I just deal with the shavings with a broom and a shop vac type hose connected to the cyclone.

    The noise from the big cyclone is deafening. I've heard others say their cyclones are not bad but maybe they use smaller motors and move less air. I put mine in an sound insulated closet (along with a big air compressor) since I don't think I could stand it otherwise. As it is now, I can carry on normal conversation in the room.

    Can you possibly cut a hole in the wall behind the lathe? A friend of mine is a believer in using a powerful industrial fan behind the lathe to blow chips, sawdust, small cats, everything out of his garage shop. It seems a louvered shutter could be opened when the fan is in use. I can't use this method since it is not an exterior wall behind my lathe and I really don't want to blow the heated/cooled air out of the shop.

    The whole subject is in fact very confusing, especially considering that most people have limited personal experience with anything other than what they installed in their own shop. Just like me, my experience is only with a shop vac and a 5hp cyclone. I can say mine "really works well" but what does that mean? There are few easy metrics for comparisons. I do use a Dylos particulate air quality meter to monitor the fine dust in the air which gives me confidence in my installation.

    JKJ

  5. #5
    Dave,

    I have my workshop in the basement, so my wife asked that I minimize the noise & dust in the house. What I have done is :

    1. Put 2" foam (white) insulation over the joists, and sealed the joints with white duct tape. (Note, this has greatly increased the brightness of my workshop.)
    2. Hung a PM1200 from the ceiling. This unit is great in that it has a remote to turn it on and off, and that I can set it on a timer. I set it to run 2-3 hours after I finish up in the shop to filter out what is left around.
    3. Put a dust collector in with a home-brewed cyclone.
      1. This unit has a collector near my lathe, but as noted it doesn't do much to reduce the big stuff.
      2. It does a great job sucking up the sanding dust though !
      3. I use the Long Ranger remote (https://www.pennstateind.com/store/LRMSET220.html) which turns on the DC when I open the blast gate. This works greatly, and helps to ensure I don't leave a blast gate open.
      4. I put the DC and cyclone unit outside my shop, and that has greatly decreased the noise.
      5. I also put my air compressor outside my shop. Great idea also !

    So far, the boss is quite happy.

    Kind regards,
    Rich

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
    Posts
    11,248
    Rich, are you indicating that you have exposed white Styrofoam insulation as the shop ceiling?

    That's a serious code/fire safety issue............Rod.

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