Lathe Dust Collection.

[gragian]

I’m pretty new to woodworking and turning and was wondering what a good “dust collection” system would be for the lathe I want to get. I’ve read that dust, if left unmanaged, can be hazardous to your health (perhaps even leading to respiratory ailments) and I want to get advice on a product (either bought or made) that would be good to make sure that any dust (especially airborn particles) is kept in check.

It’d be a mini lathe that I’d just be turning pens and (maybe) bowls on, and my “workshop” space is fairly small, perhaps 10’ x 16’ or so.

I’ve looked at products that simply filter the air, systems with hoods for the lathe, and even read about people who attach furnace filters to box fans.

As far as price goes, I’d like to get a quality solution for as cheaply as possible (who wouldn’t, right?). I would like it If I could take care of things for $100 or less, if at all possible.

Given the work I want to do, on a mini lathe, in the space described, what would be your suggestion on a dust collection/management system that won’t break the bank?

Thanks much for any information or advice.

[Texian]

Given your budget ($100) a box fan with filter in front is the answer. Placed directly behind the workpiece, it does a fairly decent job of directing the dust away from your breathing zone and collecting some of it. I have a small 1 hp. Jet DC (about $375 w/ 1 micron canister filter) that serves the table saw, 6x48 belt sander, and bandsaw, and extra filter in front of the heater/AC unit intake to help clean the air.

[thefixer]

Here's my low budget dust collector that works pretty well.

Parts to acquire.

1 electric leaf blower. I'm pretty sure you can get these from any hardware store for around $60.00. Mine is a 600 watt makita that someone was throwing out.

1 60 litre ( or 12 gallon in your lingo:p) plastic rubbish bin.

1 length of 60 mm ( or 2 1/2 inches in your lingo:p) flexible hose. Similar to that which is used for swimming pools. Fortunately for me, we make a product at work that uses this material so I get all the off cuts for nicks. ( "nicks" means free of charge:p)

1 plastic funnel. Any size you like. metric or imperial, it doesn't matter:p

1 vacuum cleaner bag.This can be snaffled from the laundry while SWMBO isn't looking:D

1 roll of duct tape.

Method
Cut holes on opposite sides of the rubbish bin lid to take the flexible hose and the air intake of the leaf blower. They need to be a nice snug fit.
Insert the leaf blower air intake into the hole and fit the vacuum cleaner bag to air outlet end.
Fit one end of the flexible hose to the other hole and fit funnel to the other end.I made up a set of pivoting timber slats to take the funnel so I can place it at virtually any position along the lathe.
Switch it on. You will notice that the rubbish bin becomes a large vacuum chamber and sucks the lid down tight. All the large bits of shavings that are drawn up through the funnel land in the bin and only the fine dust is trapped in the bag.

Bingo! One very cheap but effective dust collector

[badgaz]

Great idea shorty...now that's my style of DIY, simple cheap and, I'd wager, very effective. Used in conjunction with a face mask it would certainly minimise the amount of exposure to harmful dust.

That looks like a Saturday project to me.:2tsup::2tsup:

all the best

Gazza

[Travis Edwards]

I bought a GMC brand dust extractor for around 80 or 90 dollars back before they went defunct it has a 3/4 horse motor and is very quite. has a large hose (about 5 inch in diameter) with 2 suction outlets about 40 mm in diameter (fits standard vacuum cleaner hose) worked Very well (i believe Delta used to market one similar in the states) however for fine dust such as that which comes off of my small bandsaw i run a simple water filter. This comprises a 20 litre bucket with a lid, the hose from the vacuum only extends through the lid of the bucket and the hose which goes to where you wish to remove the dust extends under the water which half fills the bucketby about 4 inches. Somewhat like a bong or water pipe, works very well but empty the water after Each time you use it. In oz Triton used to sell a very similar system. a cheap vacuum cleaner would also work with this setup but would be somewhat noisier..

[Travis Edwards]

Oh and for a pick up the fuel funnel would work very well though you could easily fashion various shape pickups from other stuff easily found around home for various different jobs....I.E. water pipe, tin cans etc.

[Harry72]

There's not much point in setting up extraction on a lathe its only good for sanding, you will not contain the shavings coming off a gouge.
You are better off setting your lathe up in its own room for easy clean up and wearing a respirator.

[thefixer]

There's not much point in setting up extraction on a lathe its only good for sanding, you will not contain the shavings coming off a gouge.
You are better off setting your lathe up in its own room for easy clean up and wearing a respirator.

Extraction setup for a lathe is extremely important. It is mostly the sanding dust and fine dust from turning that you want extracted for health reasons.Not to keep the shed clean and pretty. If a particle is too heavy to picked up by the extractor then it is too heavy to inhaled into the lungs.

[Harry72]

Thats what I ment... only for sanding, by having it in a room it keeps the rest of the work area/shed cleaner ie less dust because its contained in the "turning room" :)