zaphod07 Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Right now I am in the search for a used dust collection system and am currently using a large craftsman shopvac that gets filled pretty quick. 1. I was just wondering how often do you find yourself emptying your dust collection system / shop-vac or what ever you use? 2. Also what do you do with all your saw dust? 3. What do you use to reduce general airborne dust and prevent the dreaded black boogies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mzdadoc Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 1. All the time depending on the project and machine. Planer makes A LOT of dust. 2. Fire starters. (Google it) pretty cool. Also goes in the good ole fashion trash can. In my area I have a saw mill and they'll let you put large paper bags (recycling bags) by their dumpster and the general public scoops them up. Ask first though 3. Better machine dust collection at the source, air filtration unit mounted to ceiling, and lastly most important is a respirator. 4. Welcome to the forum!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Hi Z! +1 to Mz advice on dust disposal. Mine either ends up scattered in the woods out back, or in the trash; but I know many people use it for fire starters or mulch. Be careful about spreading sawdust from some species outside for mulch, or using for animal bedding - I know walnut is a no-no, there might be others. On the dirty nose issue - you need to work on collection at the source, good air filtering, and a good respirator. Collecting at the source requires a good dust collector, connected to the machine(s) with a proper hose or duct. A shop-vac is good for some uses, but is not really a proper 'dust collector'. They just cannot move enough air to collect the chips *and* fine dust from larger tools (like table saw, bandsaw, planer, etc). So you need to do some research on the different units out there and see what fits your machine needs, and also your wallet. In general, machines with a 4" dust port require a good DC; items with a 2.5" or smaller port are meant to be used with a shop-vac. Good air filtering is also part of the dust collector - most collectors with 30micron bags just pump the fine dust into your shop, which is not healthy. You really need to get down to the 1.0micron or even 0.5micron filtering to remove the particles that are dangerous to your lungs. Many people, myself included, also run a shop air cleaner - mine happens to be ceiling mounted - and while I find it useful, it works only for the stuff that's already in the air that you are breathing, which brings me to Use a good respirator. Even with a decent dust collection system, many woodworkers also use a face respirator for the last line of defense. Get one and use it for a few sessions in the shop, and then take a look at the crud trapped in the filters - that's all the stuff you'd otherwise have been breathing in. There are volumes of information out there on dust collectors, DC systems, duct designs, airflow, CFM, filter, micron, etch etc. It's not just the dirty nose you need to worry about, it's also the stuff that makes it all the way to your lungs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 1. When it's full 2. Trash or backyard 3. Denial Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Neighbors yard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod07 Posted February 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Thanks for the info on the micron filtering John. Right now my sawdust gets collected in a big trash can until full then just gets piled over the muddy spots in the woods behind the house. I never thought of making fire bricks with it. My dust filter is as of right now is really high tech house filter taped to a cheap box fan and if I can remember to put on my el-cheapo dust mask its usually to late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 1.5 ho single stage dc with 5" hose, Ridgid big shop vac, festool cleantex. Dust goes to my friend who owns a horse (except walnut). I wear a respirator for air borne dust. (P100) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raefco Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 black boogies aren't normal? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandonD Posted February 27, 2015 Report Share Posted February 27, 2015 I dump mine straight in the garbage can. I have one of those that you put everything in and they come out with a truck that lifts it up to empty it. That's what I've done, but I was home from work the last time I saw it get emptied. The truck looked like a smoke stack driving down the road. Not sure I want to continue doing the same anymore, but my DC bin is larger than the largest yard trash bag... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RichardA Posted March 1, 2015 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Out here in the country, I help the county and mulch the roadside edges for no charge at 60 MPH. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I had figured out a whole ecologically beneficial plan for disposing of my sawdust, and then I remembered that I bought kitty litter to keep in the car as a traction aid on ice and snow. So now some of the sawdust tops off the kitty litter bag for absorbing spills, traction on ice and snow, etc. I guess I'll find out if it works or not. Sawdust might be too soft/smooth for traction, but wood chips will probably work well. Spent an hour breaking up ice in front of my house and helping a neighbor dig out his car. We didn't get much snow, and most of it is gone, but what's left has thawed and refrozen so many times that I needed to get out my ice chopper to make a dent in it. Most people just have shovels and are out of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I was thinking about Richard's solution, and I'm considering using a zero stage dust collector like his: no separator or cyclone, and no filter. Just suck all the air and dust out of the shop and dump it directly in the compost pile. The only problem will be finding enough "hot" material to balance it. If not, I don't get good compost, I just have a pile of sawdust slowly rotting and growing mold and mushrooms. Aha! Sawdust plus coffee grounds plus worms = high quality organic fertilizer! I just need to pick up the coffee grounds from the local Starbucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod07 Posted March 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Out here in the country, I help the county and mulch the roadside edges for no charge at 60 MPH. Theres a win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod07 Posted March 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I just bought a Grizzly hanging air filter about 5 min ago off their web page right now its on sale from 199.00 to 109.00 here is the link. https://www.grizzly.com/products/G0738 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I just bought a Grizzly hanging air filter about 5 min ago off their web page right now its on sale from 199.00 to 109.00 here is the link. https://www.grizzly.com/products/G0738 If I bought that, I'd have several straight line indentations all across my face......... Low ceiling... actually, no ceiling, and the joist space is filled with wood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 8 Inches of snow today. Shoveled twice so far. Second time it was kind of icy underneath, here's what I did with my saw dust. Oh, that thing in the driveway is my car... Because cars don't belong in garages, tools do! Also, this snow better not delay my drill press delivery tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted March 6, 2015 Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 Tom, what pray tell are you going to do with it when the snow melts in August? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted March 6, 2015 Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 Tom, what pray tell are you going to do with it when the snow melts in August? Give it away. On a side note, I cleaned my dust collector today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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