Does turning an acrylic pen cause dust?

[ossaguy]

Hi All,

This might sound like a dumb question,but I'm having continued problems with sawdust,even with using a good respirator,and a DC,and working outside.Almost to the point of feeling like I have to give up my new-found favorite hobby.Trying to find some solutions to try before getting to that point.

Here's my question.......

If you turn an acrylic blank,will that create dust like wood does? Do you still use the same type resipirator,if at all?

I just love the different woods,but might give the other materials a try.

Thanks for any advice,

Steve
San Diego

 

[nava1uni]

Steve,
Everything makes dust. Before you give anything up it might pay to really look at what you are using for dust collection. What kind of face mask are you using? I use a Triton hood with its own motor. the air is filtered and I breath no dust at all. I use a cyclone with a Rigid shop vacuum. I have very little dust in my shop. I have a system that fits behind the pens and sucks it up as I am turning. I clean up often and it makes it easier to turn with no dust. PM if you need more information.

 

[ossaguy]

Hi Cindy,
I'm using a Resp-o-rator ( the kind with the mouthpiece/nose clip which is supposed to work good ),and have a Rockler vac,but that bag is a 30 micron.I was thinking of trying the optional 5 micron bag,but the sales guy said it really cuts the vac action down,so I have avoided that.

I thought I had it all working ok,but the last 3 Saturdays,I notice it takes til Wednesday for the heavy chest feeling to lift.Just like clockwork.


I was wondering if the CA could be doing it also? So I was following that other post asking about the vapor-type resirators,which I was going to try next after I take a week off.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[1080Wayne]

What woods have you been turning ? Some are much more problematic than others . Lathe speed correlates with dust generation - the higher the speed , the greater the amount of dust in the air . Unfortunately , higher speed also generally makes turning easier . Sanding at high speed (unless wet sanding) maximizes airborne dust .

Plastics generally come off in ribbons - assuming sharp tools , but you can put dust in the air with high speed sanding . Sand with a 5x1 inch wide strip with a hand on each end , on the underside of the spinning blank . At lowest lathe speed , the dust should just come over the top of the blank and fall on the side of the strip closest to you .

CA isn`t required on most plastics to get a high gloss finish .

 

[ossaguy]

I've been turning mostly BOW,and Big Leaf Maple.I just love those woods!

I know I do more sanding than an experienced penturner,to fix my goofs with the cutting tools.I'll try slowing the speed.A helpful salesguy at Rockler recommended sanding at higher speeds for a better finish,so that's my reason for doing that.

Just shopping at that store can start the heavy-chest condition,I know it must affect me way more than normal folks.

So could you wet sand an acrylic blank from start to finish? I tried wet sanding a wooden blank,and it made the wood look really "washed" out,and not good.

Thanks for the helpful advice.This forum is great!

Steve

 

[randyrls]

Rockler vac,but that bag is a 30 micron.I was thinking of trying the optional 5 micron bag,but the sales guy said it really cuts the vac action down,so I have avoided that.

Steve; Any dust collector you have should have 1 micron bags on it. That gets all but the finest dust particles.

The Shop Vacs are vacuums, not dust collectors. But I have used my DC as a vacuum.

 

[JimB]

To me it sounds like the guy at Rockler is giving you a lot of bad advice. Randy makes 2 good points. A shop vac is not a dust collector and you need 1 micron bag.

Also, when are you putting on the respirator? Before going into the shop? Is it really air tight? How are you getting the dust off your clothes? Also, shopping at the store you are exposed to many things so you could be having a reaction to 1 thing but not from all the rest.

 

[ed4copies]

Make no changes in your methods, just use plastic for a weekend.

IF you don't have the same "heavy chest", you know it's related to the wood you were turning. COULD BE one or more of those species, or could be wood in general.

 

[bubbatww]

Can you take your DC outside? through a window or wall to get it away from you? Even if you are working outside maybe sit the DC up to suck anyway. I grew up without and only time I use a DC now is when I use a planer. I love the smell what can I say..lol

 

[Chief Hill]

This is why I just installed a dryer vent outside the back of my shop and simply vent the DC right outside behind my shop. All the tiny wood chips blow freely onto my lawn and is Free Fertilizer. If I don't want Acrylics sucked up and blown out I just pull the hose away from the lower half of the lathe and raise it to only suck up the particulate / Dust materials. Either way saves me the dust issues.

 

[workinforwood]

Switching to acrylics means you need good glasses or you can get a chip in the eye real easy!

I doubt you are allergic to wood in general. Most likely you have a particular type of wood that your body isn't liking. Mixing certain wood species can make it even worse. Some woods are like accelerants to other wood types. You need to narrow it down by making lists of what you turn and only turn one type of wood in a day to start your testing, then mix in a few woods. An oily wood like cocobolo, ebony and a multitude of others could cause an allergy through your skin, so just getting some on your hands can do it. Just plain ole wood dust in general though, it's completely possible that someone is allergic to it, but I bet that would be a very very rare case. You wouldn't be able to live your life to well because you are exposed to dust with wood in it all the time. It is in your house and outside everywhere. The sawdust on the 2x4's in your house can be transfered under the drywall into your home a few micron's at a time over years and years, as well as being in the vents. Dust blows off trees from dead branches, rotten wood, chain saw down the street, wood peckers and who knows how else, and I'm sure you don't wear a respirator 24 hrs a day. These are my thoughts anyhow.

 

[nava1uni]

how big is your shop Vac? I would use a smaller micron bag and a different respirator and have your dust collection on when using CA, as well as, a fan blowing the fumes away from you. CA can cause lung problems as can the accelerator. If you use a Cyclone your vacuum becomes a dust collector.

 

[ossaguy]

Thanks everyone for all the replies,& helpful tips.

I have the Rockler wall mount vac,thats mounted underneath my lathe on a cart.I really don't have a real shop,but just roll it out of my storage unit, into a parking lot between 2 buildings that the air is really moving most of the time it seems, when I'm turning.So I make sure it's blowing behind me,and I have one of those clear plastic vac hose attachments that pulls everything off the mandrel pretty good.I thought that would do it.

So I'll try to locate a 1 micron bag.Any tips on who makes them available? I have to get the measurements.I'm wondering if it will cut the suction down so far that it's ineffective.I should have bought a real one to begin with,but I was trying to be as ecomomical as possable,just starting out.

The small shop vac I have for cleaning up I know is not a small micron unit,so I want to get something better.Any suggestions on a good one to get? Also on a cyclone? I saw one on the Rockler site that's got good reveiws.Does using that make it more noisier?

Thanks again,

Steve