Indy Cindy Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 I am wanting to get a lathe but I have concerns about how to contain the shavings and dust. All of my woodworking equipment is in the unheated-uncooled garage with dust collection. But I would like to have my lathe in my climate controlled house. I can suck it up and make cuts on a bandsaw or table saw etc. in the garage, but for the hours I anticipate spending in front of the lathe I want something more comfortable. Is having a lathe in the house a real possibility without sending sawdust through the central heating and cooling system? Where do you all have your lathe and how do you deal with the mess? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave H Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 The sanding would be the draw back, and of coarse the shaveings in your soup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Cindy Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 The sanding would be the draw back, and of coarse the shaveings in your soup Ha! I took an introductory workshop this past weekend and had an open cup of water near my lathe. Yep, extra fiber in my drink! I am thinking of maybe using the laundry room in my basement or possibly a sunroom on the main floor of the house. I was amazed about the shavings that got everywhere in the class, plus dust since I'm not doing it quite right yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatthewCremona Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 Back when I was in college, all my tools were in my rental's unheated garage. When I got my lathe, I decided to put it in the basement since the amount of woodworking I did seemed to decrease during the winter (mostly due to the unbearable cold). To contain dust and shavings, I put the lathe up against a wall and hung plastic sheeting from the ceiling on three sides. I found that this worked really well. When it was time to clean up, I could lift the sheeting and vacuum around the lathe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid-woodworker Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 I would second the idea of plastic curtains or walls, they will help imensely. I have a separate space for my shop but want to do more for dust collection. My lathe is against a wall and I plan to build a V shaped box under the lathe. One side would start at the wall, maybe even taped to the wall to catch as much as possible and it will run down under the lathe to about one foot under the center. The other side of the V will start about even with the bed in the front and about one inch space away to catch some of the shavings on the operator side. One piece behind the head of the lathe and another at the other end of the bed. This trough would catch the majority of the shavings and someof the dust. Then just vacuum the trough out. I my case I will be connecting it to my dust collected to pull as much as possible. BRuce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Cindy Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 Thanks, Matthew and Bruce for your ideas! I like the idea of the curtains and the v shaped bed to contain the shavings. Even in a dedicated shop those ideas would help keep the shavings from getting in every nook and cranny. Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cts1085 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 In addition to plastic curtains I have been around those that use screening material as well (think screened in porch) - the screening allows for some air movement but the larger bits are better contained to a smaller area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I've been looking at shower curtains to hang behind my lathe. (even though it's outside, it's tucked almost right against the back of the shop wall, so I need to redirect all that dust out of the corners.) And you have the benefit of moving it on a rod when you're done. I had the lathe set up practically next to a gas powered hot water tank. having dust float into the flame was always a worry of mine, but it hadn't happened while I was there. (It was also around the chimney - literally at my back when I used my lathe - from the furnace. I clogged up more air filters in one session turning than the house made in three months.) the dust got everywhere. even the far side of the basement. Shavings were easy enough to deal with. Best advice I can give is stock up on lint rollers, and keep them in a plastic bag until you need them. When you're done in the basement, wipe everything down to get the dust. Depending on what you're going to turn, you won't get everything, but you will get the majority of it. I'd also recommend some hair covers. (Not an issue for me, but it might be for others.) even if it's a simple hat... And maybe get an extra set of furnace filters, and tape / attach them to a box fan, to pull the air towards it, and thusly into the sacrificial filters instead of your house filters. (sort of a poor man's air filtration... but it won't get everything.) Last tip: close your ducts in the basement near your turning area. Even if it's just a plastic bag taped or magnetically held on the vent for the session. That dust will definitely get into the duct work. Fine particulate stuff like what comes off the lathe when you sand will drift all through the house then. and hope nobody has any allergies to the materials you will turn. Not trying to scare you, because I used the lathe for over a year in that position. Nobody has any serious side effects that they are willing to tell me. (maybe the dog, but he was always a little off...) And the house is still standing. There are areas of the basement that got so little dust it wasn't even worth cleaning up afterwards. And then.... Maybe you could hang a couple of sheets up in the area you want to turn into your lathe center. In addition to plastic or curtains or whatever along the back, these can be removed to wash (I'd recommend a laundromat for this chore), and tied out of the way when you aren't turning. The sheets seemed to do a lot to catch much of the dust going towards one corner of the basement I was working in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Cindy Posted August 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I've been looking at shower curtains to hang behind my lathe. (even though it's outside, it's tucked almost right against the back of the shop wall, so I need to redirect all that dust out of the corners.) And you have the benefit of moving it on a rod when you're done. I had the lathe set up practically next to a gas powered hot water tank. having dust float into the flame was always a worry of mine, but it hadn't happened while I was there. (It was also around the chimney - literally at my back when I used my lathe - from the furnace. I clogged up more air filters in one session turning than the house made in three months.) the dust got everywhere. even the far side of the basement. Shavings were easy enough to deal with. Best advice I can give is stock up on lint rollers, and keep them in a plastic bag until you need them. When you're done in the basement, wipe everything down to get the dust. Depending on what you're going to turn, you won't get everything, but you will get the majority of it. I'd also recommend some hair covers. (Not an issue for me, but it might be for others.) even if it's a simple hat... And maybe get an extra set of furnace filters, and tape / attach them to a box fan, to pull the air towards it, and thusly into the sacrificial filters instead of your house filters. (sort of a poor man's air filtration... but it won't get everything.) Last tip: close your ducts in the basement near your turning area. Even if it's just a plastic bag taped or magnetically held on the vent for the session. That dust will definitely get into the duct work. Fine particulate stuff like what comes off the lathe when you sand will drift all through the house then. and hope nobody has any allergies to the materials you will turn. Not trying to scare you, because I used the lathe for over a year in that position. Nobody has any serious side effects that they are willing to tell me. (maybe the dog, but he was always a little off...) And the house is still standing. There are areas of the basement that got so little dust it wasn't even worth cleaning up afterwards. And then.... Maybe you could hang a couple of sheets up in the area you want to turn into your lathe center. In addition to plastic or curtains or whatever along the back, these can be removed to wash (I'd recommend a laundromat for this chore), and tied out of the way when you aren't turning. The sheets seemed to do a lot to catch much of the dust going towards one corner of the basement I was working in... Thanks, JHOP. Dust throughout the house is one of my big worries. Our furnace is in the basement room that I am considering, gas water heater too and I have the fire concerns as well as the dust in the house concerns. I did get my lathe and it is currently set up in the garage. I like your shower curtain idea even there to keep the shavings and dust out of the corners and off my shelving unit. The box fan with the furnace filter is interesting, too. Thanks for the great tips! I'll keep them in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Another approach would be to use fans and a dust collector to lower the air pressure in your turning room to prevent the dust from floating towards the rest of the house. A couple of box fans with furnace filters taped on both sides in a window, one blowing into the house to raise the pressure, one in the turning room blowing out to reduce the pressure. Use cardboard to close up the remaining space in the open window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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