Hazardous Dust??????

[chiphunters]

[xx(][xx(][xx(]
Has anyone heard info on how important it is to be safeguarding against the dust created by using exotic woods, corian, polymer clay, etc.

We have a ceiling mounted dust collection system we run all the time in our workshop, but are not sure if this is adequate.[:0][:0]

We also have a 2hp collection system for our saws and didn't know whether we needed to be using something that big or not. The only problem is the noise it creates if it's not really necessary.??????

Do any of you use surgical masks, etc., while turning and/or sanding???[:0][:0]

Thanks for any help you all can provide!!!!

George (my wife typed this one for me so it would look better[^][^])

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Yes, dust is hazardous to your health. I use a triton, I hear it is on sale somewhere for $170.

This is me in my newest dust protection suit, batteries last about 24 hours. Fully contained. Just don't eat burritos before getting in to this thing

 

[drayman]

george, all fine wood dust is harmful especialy mdf dust.in the uk it is recommended all extractors should be able to filter down to 0.5 microns. i have an extractor hanging above the lathe, and my main extractor to t/saw router table is also 0.5 microns, and i also
use the trend air ace also 0.5 microns. simply because my grandfather died from the results of fine coal dust aged 48.[V] hope this helps. stay safe, colin. [^]

 

[chiphunters]

Love the hazmat suit!!!!! Looks good on you -- a little tight maybe --[][][]
My wife wants to know if they come in matching sky blue for her so she can watch over my shoulder!!![][][]

Thanks for the laugh!!!!!!![8D]
George

 

[chiphunters]

Drayman,

Sorry to hear about your dad!!!![V] Lost mine a few years back and can appreciate your loss[|)]

Thanks for the info!!!![]
George

 

[Daniel]

Yes the health hazard from any dust is serious. it is the very fine dust that does the most damage, it gets deeper into the lungs. Exotics and others can have hazards of there own as well. as far as a shop air filter. that solution is a bit like shutting the barn door after the horses get out. the filter is cleaning the air that you are already breathing. it also takes an air filter a fairly long time to clean the air in the shop. Surgical masks are not a good answer either. A respirator yes but the paper masks simply allow the small particals to pass between the mask and your skin. The shop dust collector is a good choice as it can capture the dust as it is made. note the info above about 0.5 micron filtration also. but you have to be sure it moves enough air to actually capture the dust. generally this is far more air than people think and available systems would lead you to believe. for example 4" duct work cannot move enough air, the pipe is simply to small. think more like 6" pipe min. the way i like it explained the best is to take a straw and a match. now light the match and put it out by blowing through the straw, pretty easy. now light another match and put this one out by sucking through the straw. there is a huge difference in the air/power needed from a vacume than from a blower. Some real numbers that probably mean little to the average wood worker. you need 900 cfm. of air moved at a speed of I think 90 feet per second to collect the dust at a lathe.

 

[Fred]

I highly recommend the use of a vacuum at the SOURCE of the dust. Be that a table saw, a lather, sanding station, drill press, where-ever. I have gone to the trouble of adding Loc-Line flexible hoses to ALL my equipment and I collect 95% of the shavings at the cutting tool edge as it cuts the material.

I have found that clean-ups are a snap as very little is left if I adjust the hose properly.

I actually mounted a plate on my banjo on the lathe to hold the Loc-Line hose and can adjust it very easily while turning. It is almost like having the tool handle made from a vacuum hose it works so well. All the cuttings are collected in a central positioned shop vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter canister installed.

I use the 4" central vacuum to clean up all around the shop but am finding little to clean up.

The noise from any vacuum is far easier to tolerate that the illnesses that occur from inhaling even a little of the dust that comes from my turnings.

I will add that we can NEVER be to careful when it comes to our health, after all if you ain't got your health then what do you have? And the cost associated with putting in adequate vacuum devices is wayyyyyy less that those hospital bills will ever be.

Get'er done early on and avoid the risks of becoming so allergic, and worse, sensitized to these wonderful woods and enjoy your hobby/business! []

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Originally posted by chiphunters
<br />Love the hazmat suit!!!!! Looks good on you -- a little tight maybe --[][][]
My wife wants to know if they come in matching sky blue for her so she can watch over my shoulder!!![][][]

Yes they do come in supervisory blue.

Originally posted by Fred_erick
<br />I highly recommend the use of a vacuum at the SOURCE of the dust. Be that a table saw, a lather, sanding station, drill press, where-ever. I have gone to the trouble of adding Loc-Line flexible hoses to ALL my equipment and I collect 95% of the shavings at the cutting tool edge as it cuts the material.

I have found that clean-ups are a snap as very little is left if I adjust the hose properly.

I actually mounted a plate on my banjo on the lathe to hold the Loc-Line hose and can adjust it very easily while turning. It is almost like having the tool handle made from a vacuum hose it works so well. All the cuttings are collected in a central positioned shop vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter canister installed.

I use the 4" central vacuum to clean up all around the shop but am finding little to clean up.

The noise from any vacuum is far easier to tolerate that the illnesses that occur from inhaling even a little of the dust that comes from my turnings.

I will add that we can NEVER be to careful when it comes to our health, after all if you ain't got your health then what do you have? And the cost associated with putting in adequate vacuum devices is wayyyyyy less that those hospital bills will ever be.

Get'er done early on and avoid the risks of becoming so allergic, and worse, sensitized to these wonderful woods and enjoy your hobby/business! []

I have a 1600CFM DC with a port mounted on a swing arm so I can place the port really close to my turning. I also have a JDS ceiling air filter.

When sanding, I can see a really nice trail of dust flowing into the port of my dust collector. I am always amazed at how much dust is still collected on the primary filter of my Triton.

Unknown Turner: "If you are not wearing a respirator you are one."

 

[toolcrazy]

Amazon.com has the triton for $169.95. I'm gonna try getting mine today.

 

[TowMater]

Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA
<br />Yes, dust is hazardous to your health. I use a triton, I hear it is on sale somewhere for $170.

This is me in my newest dust protection suit, batteries last about 24 hours. Fully contained. Just don't eat burritos before getting in to this thing

The suit is fine and all, but why is you wearing those pink boots???[}][]

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Originally posted by TowMater
The suit is fine and all, but why is you wearing those pink boots???[}][]

They are part of the whole ensemble. [8D]

 

[leehljp]

Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA
<br />Yes, dust is hazardous to your health. I use a triton, I hear it is on sale somewhere for $170.

This is me in my newest dust protection suit, batteries last about 24 hours. Fully contained. Just don't eat burritos before getting in to this thing

It looks more like a beezzzzmat and buzzzzmat suit! []

 

[toolcrazy]

Originally posted by toolcrazy
<br />Amazon.com has the triton for $169.95. I'm gonna try getting mine today.

Convinced the wife to let me get one.

Those of you that have one, do you use it all the time, or just for sanding?

 

[txcwboy]

I just use my t shirt pulled over my nose.Its a .5 micro special issue fruit of the loom [] That or I smoke a cigarette and the smoke keeps the dust away ! LOL

Dave

 

[ahoiberg]

george, the triton respirator is a great idea, but if you can't afford it now, you can get a canister type respirator from the hardware store and use a fan around your lathe to direct the dust toward the air filer. you can also tape a good furnace filter to the back of the box fan to collect some of the dust. i know this isn't the cure all solution, but it will definitely help until you can afford the bigger/better stuff.

 

[larkl]

I'm a newbie to this and no expert, but after watching both my father and father-in-law pass away with lung problems I did a few things with my lathe. I wear a respirator. I use my shop vac to collect right at the lathe (cable ties connected to a big magnet to hold the hose in place). I wanted to build a dust collector, but I found this at Home Depot for under $100

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Job-Site-Air-Filtration-System/

 

[edstreet]

Larkl, what is the hose diam on that unit? Will it take a 4" hose?

Ed

 

[larkl]

It's not a dust collector (sorry for the wrong terminology). It's an air filtration unit, so no hose connection. I just set it on the bench behind the lathe and let it run.

 

[Fred]

And how often do you have to clean the clogged filter/ I bet the unit clogs very fast as there is absolutely NO surface area to the filter. I do believe you would be far better to replace that small unit with at least a shop vacuum cleaner using a HEPA filter.

Remember it is your health we are talking about. Small amounts of wood dust can cause one to become sensitized to the wood and that is disastrous to your future health. If you are having little problem with the dust now, just wait. IT WILL CATCH UP TO YOU and you will be miserable from then on.

It is so easy to at least try and avoid the pitfalls of killing yourself from dust inhalation. Just a little bit of dust every day goes a long way to destroying your health. WHY play around, go ahead and install the absolute best money can buy. Even that expense will be minuscule when compared to long term health costs. And you will also be around a lot longer to enjoy the family and your hobby.

Dust inhalation is very similar to smoking- they both KILL and both are a very miserable way to go! []