Thread: Dust extractors again

I am in a similar position. I have one half side of a double garage (if the car is outside). I have a big double door and a side man door which I keep open. I also use a powered dust mask when turning/sanding (picked it up for $50 at an auction). The cross breeze normally keeps things pretty good and I do not switch off the mask until I have done the shop vac routine when cleaning up. Always wear the mask when I empty that as well. I leave things open for a while after I finish up. I turn about once or twice a week at home (small bowls, pens). Given the amount of work I do I think that is ok. At my club we have a cyclone and I also wear my mask. No room for anything else anyway at home.

G'day,
I'd reckon if your only going to be turning pens and the like then a simple 1hp D/E similar to the Carba-tec ones would suit well. I have both I and 2 hp D/E's and the 1hp is alot quieter than the 2 hp plus easier to move around - which may work well if you don't have a dedicated workshop. Ifyou can place/wheel the D/E outside, so much the better though your neighbours may think differently.
You'll also need to purchase flexible hose, clamps and a "big gulp" hood to place near to the work - I painted the inside of my hood white with a cheapo spray paint as it makes it easier to see the profile of the work you're turning. There are also arms you can buy which fit onto the lathe bed for mounting the big gulp to - I have a love/hate relationship with mine. I'm thinking I'll make a stand from an old pedestal fan base soon to hold the hood.
If you want specifics on units then have a look in the dust extraction forum down the bottom of the forum lists.
Bruce.

Thanks for the tip Bruce.

I will look around for a 1hp DE. Is the side bag version as good as the vertical one?

I just got the powered dust mask delivered this afternoon and tried it on. At least it doesn't fog up my glasses and seems easy to breath through. Now I just have to get the dust out of the garage so it doesn't remain in the air.

Greg

Greg,
Must say I haven't seen the side bag jobbies so can't really comment but I'm sure the basic principal is the same.
The up side to putting the D/E outside is twofold - less noise for you and you get better turnover of air so theoretically less dust ( that last point is totally out the window if you sand redgum). Let us know what you think of the powered dust mask when you have given it a good go!
Bruce.

Originally Posted by plantagenon

I will look around for a 1hp DE. Is the side bag version as good as the vertical one?

The advantage of the single side bag is that it can go under something like a table and not take up additional workshop floor space.

But the disadvantage of any single bag DE unit is that the filter bag is also the chip/dust collection bag. As the bag fills up it reduces the air flow and becomes less efficient so the bag also has to be emptied more often than dual vertical bag systems. I also found with my ancient single bag Woodfast DE that the bag became more clogged than any of the subsequent DE configs I've had. Cleaning a clogged filter bag is a time consuming and messy business.

Thanks NealS

I will steer away from the single bag and go for a separator system

It all depends on the use you have for the dust extractor

If getting used on the lathe purely as an dust extractor the single bag units work very well and when set up vertically they do not clog up, they can be easily screwed to a wall to do this. It is easy to give the bag a shake and all the loose stuff falls to the bottom of the bag.
You can still use it to pick up the waste material as Neil indicated you just have to empty a bit more often but it is not that much of a hassle as it still works out about the same as you would for a normal set up 1hp extractor.

If you have other uses for other machines then the other option is to use the 2 bag systemand if using for a thicknesser or any other heavy waste type machine then the 2hp is the best chioce.

Noise level from these machines is another issue. Given the circumstances you have described I would definitely go for a smaller system (1hp). Jim Carroll has a machine that is the quietest I have come across and well worth considering. Having a noisy dust extractor going the whole time can lead to a reluctance to use it. The other thing to consider (as Jim alluded to) is there is a difference between a dust extractor and a dust/chip extractor. The 1hp units don't handle chips very well so don't expect it to collect the shaving from your turning.

I looked on Jim's website. Is this the model you were referring to when you mentioned quiet? LEDACRAFT FM-230MD PORTABLE DUST EXTRACTOR.

Chips are not a problem as I have a small hand held vacuum that I use at the end of the day and it collects chips in no time at all. I don't have a lot of mess as I'm only turning pens and then not a lot.

I mainly need a DE to remove dust that I would otherwise breath in as I was getting a bitter taste in my mouth. My doctor thought it was from breathing in fine dust particles during the sanding process. Since then I have been using a powered dust mask the problem has abated. However, I don't want dust floating around in the air in my small garage after I have finished turning for the day. Apart from that it is also a nuisance when it settles on the other tools. If the machine is quiet I can probably place it outside the door to make sure all the dust stays outside. My next question is - If I put about 4metres of hose on it will it reduce its capacity to remove dust from over the lathe. Also is the side bag easy to detach and empty. I looked at the photo on the website but it is a bit hard to tell.

Thanks

I don't have a lot to add, except to say I have a 1hp upright model and it works well for sanding but it certainly doesn't collect the chips. The chips are nice and comfy on the floor anyway

I wheel mine outside when I work for two reasons - firstly, space and secondly, the filter bags don't filter the very fine stuff very well so my preference is for that to be outside of the shed where the wind can blow it away.

The 1HP is not very noisy - you would probably prefer to switch it off to have a normal conversation very near it, but it is certainly not intrusive.

Cheers,
Dave

Originally Posted by plantagenon

I looked on Jim's website. Is this the model you were referring to when you mentioned quiet? LEDACRAFT FM-230MD PORTABLE DUST EXTRACTOR.

Chips are not a problem as I have a small hand held vacuum that I use at the end of the day and it collects chips in no time at all. I don't have a lot of mess as I'm only turning pens and then not a lot.

I mainly need a DE to remove dust that I would otherwise breath in as I was getting a bitter taste in my mouth. My doctor thought it was from breathing in fine dust particles during the sanding process. Since then I have been using a powered dust mask the problem has abated. However, I don't want dust floating around in the air in my small garage after I have finished turning for the day. Apart from that it is also a nuisance when it settles on the other tools. If the machine is quiet I can probably place it outside the door to make sure all the dust stays outside. My next question is - If I put about 4metres of hose on it will it reduce its capacity to remove dust from over the lathe. Also is the side bag easy to detach and empty. I looked at the photo on the website but it is a bit hard to tell.

Thanks

Yes that is the leda one

I would try it inside first and see how you go if a bother then look at setting up outside.

This is how I have set up my d/e the unit stands next to the lathe ,later it will be moved outside . It is a 1 hp from Leda used only on the lathe am setting up a wet/vac system for other machines.
I breathe a lot better now
Trevor
Attachment 178471

Plantagenon,
Re your question about the 4mtr hose - I reckon a better and cheaper way to go is to use 100mm pvc plumbing pipe for the backbone of your extraction system as it is relitively cheap and effective. The flex hose is good but you will lose efficiency with long lengths as the spiral nature of the hose interupts clean airflow plus it isn't cheap. Pvc fittings work very well with D/Es - tees, takeoffs, caps bends etc. you can really customise the setup to suit you - have a look online for pvc fittings and you'll see what I mean. Only one tip to give - don't glue the fittings and pipe together (use gaffa tape or such) because as sure as shooting as soon as you glue it all up you'll want to rearrange or add something to your system and you'll be back buying more fittings. DAMHIKT
Bruce.

Thanks Bruce.

Sounds like the way to go. That way I can set the DE up at the garage door and plug in the PVC pipe when I am turning. That will also allow any excess dust that goes through the bag to blow outside. I will have to remember to have the better half move her car out of the carport as a coating of dust won't go over well. I have a small gym off the garage and the dust has been flowing back through the door into it and covering the equipment. Popularity is worth the cost of stopping this happening.

Greg