Thread: Dust extraction choices

Originally Posted by jim47

I am a selt funded retiree with limited means.

I was aware that dust was a health hazard, but I didn't know that fine invisible dust occurred from woodworking activities.

I am considering buying a Carbatec 2HP economy dust extractor, to be used in conjunction with a home made flower pot cyclone. In addition, I am considering buying an economy powered dusk mask from Carbatec.
It is claimed that the mask is able to remove minute wood dust and composite particles down to 4 microns in size.

I would very much appreciate comments on the following.

1. Working inside a shed (a) 30ftx20ft (b) 24ftx18ft wearing the mask, with the dusty outside via 3m flexible hose or perhaps combination short hose attached to P100?

2. Working outside wearing the dust mask and using the dusty with shorter length of flexible hose?

3. Working outside wearing the mask, and not buying the dusty?

Thanks Jim

Hi Jim
here is my 2 cents
if you are using large amount of mdf in your work and making lots of fine powder everyday then yes I suggest you invest in so personal protective gear.

If you are mainly using real wood on a amateur level a few hours per week then I think the risk is overstated from a health risk perspective. I am a health professional and I am yet to meet someone who suffers ill effects from breathing too mush saw dust

By all means dust extraction keeps your shed tidier but from a health perspective i think the risk is overstated by BP and others for commercial gain

Regards

Andrew
(exception here is if you are working nast exotic timbers)

Originally Posted by kiwioutdoors

Hi Jim
here is my 2 cents
if you are using large amount of mdf in your work and making lots of fine powder everyday then yes I suggest you invest in so personal protective gear.

If you are mainly using real wood on a amateur level a few hours per week then I think the risk is overstated from a health risk perspective. I am a health professional and I am yet to meet someone who suffers ill effects from breathing too mush saw dust.

Well it sounds like it's time you met someone who did - so let me introduce me.

I disagree that you have to be exposed everyday over a long period of time to be affected by MDF. I spent 3 consecutive days working with MDF outside on the back lawn and I lost my sense of smell for 6 weeks. It was deadly serious - everything tasted foul and I could not drink beer. Even after 6 weeks my sense of smell and taste was not right and it took about another 6 weeks for it to be back to normal again. It might not sound like much of a problem but let me assure you it was no fun. I have since been able to work with it OK without any problems (maybe I'm now desensitized) but I always keep a DC running in the background to keep the shed well ventilated.

The other issue is that no one knows before hand if they are allergic to specific wood dust or not. For some people all it takes is a single contact with wood dust from a specific type of wood to trigger a problem. eg look at this Silky Oak poll.

As someone that has worked with dust control since the mid 1980s, what I see are large number of woodworkers that think they have their dust emissions under control when they are so far from any control that they might as well have none and in some cases all they are doing is making things worse.

Originally Posted by kiwioutdoors

By all means dust extraction keeps your shed tidier but from a health perspective i think the risk is overstated by BP and others for commercial gain

Regards

Andrew
(exception here is if you are working nasty exotic timbers)

Flabergasted, I can say no more. I suppose this could be construed as a vested interest comment, I have had NUMEROUS tales of health issues related to me since I started selling ClearVue in this country, I suppose they were all hypochondriacs.