Turning Acrylics -- Odor

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JBOYD

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Oct 4, 2020
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Hello, I have been turning for about a year and a half and love to work with Acrylics / Acrylester Polyester blanks. I have a garage shop in Ohio and have two shop vacs with fine filter bags in them. One dedicated to the Lathe & one dedicated to the drill press. I don't have such a problem with the dust, but the odor of the acrylic is sometimes overpowering. Of course I can open a window or crack the garage door to clear the smell, but it gets awful cold in Ohio in the winter. Does anyone have any suggestions for better ventilation of the acrylic? Will a dust management system help with the odor? It almost seems like turning on the shop vacs emits the odor even with a new filter bag. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Jon
 
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jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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Not much you can do with odors. It is not fumes you are dealing with. Some acrylics are just worse than others.
 

JBOYD

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Oct 4, 2020
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Wapakoneta Ohio
After looking at other strings, it looks like my best bet would be to route the exhaust outside. I have a clunky respirator, maybe someone has suggestions on a comfortable one?
 

leehljp

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Feb 6, 2005
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Tunica, Mississippi,
I am highly alergic to CA fumes but can't get away from using CA. My solution is a combination of reusable respirators (as opposed to face masks) and using a dust collector system to pull the fumes and dust away.

Amazon respirators (N99)

Look down the pager for others. ( I have two with round filters, one with odd shaped filters, one with oval shaped filters.)
I don't use CA as a finish without using the DC and respirator, period! They fit fine and do not leak like Covid face masks.

AND to your question, I do not smell the fumes through them.
 
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JBOYD

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Oct 4, 2020
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thanks Hank. I do have a respirator similar to the one in the link. I will continue to wear. I am also going to upgrade my dust collector system as well.
 

LK&T

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Dec 1, 2020
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Sedro Woolley, WA
If you're wearing a respirator ( a REAL respirator, not a mask) and smelling odors, it's because you're not using the correct filters. You want filters that filter VOCs (volatile organic compounds). They're not hard to find. Dust collection will not have an effect on reducing odors unless you're collecting all the odiferous air and moving it outside your workspace. As far as the smell coming from your dust collector, good luck. I have the same issue.
 
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howsitwork

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Jul 9, 2016
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Thirsk
The smell will come from the dust collector as you are blowing air through the resin shavings and so effectively evaporating the VOC ( volatile organic compounds) into your shop air through the dust bag filter.

Your only solution really is a decent VOC mask as detailed above with carbon filters to take out the VOC 's. Other alternative is , as you say, to freeze. Suggest you empty the sacks regularly to reduce the residual shavings ( and smell ) too.
 

JBOYD

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Oct 4, 2020
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Location
Wapakoneta Ohio
Thanks guys all great advice. I now wear my respirator all the time and clean out the dust collection system regularly. Appreciate it!
 
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