Thread: Dust extraction and dusk masks

Originally Posted by plantagenon

. . .The manual just says clean the filter bag regularly but doesn't offer advice on how to do it. Can the filter bags be washed or do they need to be shaken to remove the dust?

Yes they can be washed but if you try to wash a dust clogged bag then you will end up with sludge in the wash so it's better if the bags are shaken first. What I do is wearing a mask I empty the cloth bags and then turn it inside out and put them inside a big green plastic bag. Shake and then remove the DE bags and put the green bag in the bin. Then I wash the bags.

The second issue relates to a dust mask. I have had a build up of fine dust from other power tools not connect to a DE. Although I vacuum the shed the day after I use it, I would prefer something to save me breathing in dust. At the moment I have an economy powered mask from Carbatec but I seem to be getting an eye weep and a running nose after shed time. Maybe its just a cold coming on.

It's probably just an allergic reaction to dust but I guess it's up to you to decide.

BTW - I've omitted the usual rant about vacuum cleaners etc. I'm sure everyone know my position on that

Thanks Bob.

The vacuum cleaner is just to clean up the shed, remove timber bits from the band saw, and bench top, etc as you would use them to clean a house. I don't use it in place of a DE when I am working.

Originally Posted by plantagenon

Thanks Bob.

The vacuum cleaner is just to clean up the shed, remove timber bits from the band saw, and bench top, etc as you would use them to clean a house. I don't use it in place of a DE when I am working.

Sure I guessed that would be the case but it appears that you may have missed my reasoning behind why I think vacuum cleaners are potentially dangerous. Unless a vacuum cleaner has a genuine HEPA filter, just using one even to clean up a shed, increases the amount of invisible particles in the air. They do this because they are high air speed devices which mince visible particles into smaller invisible particles that will pass straight thru a non-HEPA filter. To minimise the generation of invisible dust, a dust pan and broom and continually running DE that vents outside the shed is probably better than using a basic vacuum cleaner. While it may not even produce as visibly clean a shed, it will minimise the concentration of invisible dust.

Originally Posted by BobL

...BTW - I've omitted the usual rant about vacuum cleaners etc. I'm sure everyone know my position on that

Then

Originally Posted by BobL

...The reason I think vacuum cleaners are potentially dangerous is because...

Fail

Originally Posted by Groggy

Then

Fail

Yep - couldn't resist it

When I used to work in aircraft hangars we cleaned the floor by sprinkling wet sawdust before we swept up. No dust, simple, effective and made it easy to know where you hadn't swept yet.

Originally Posted by BobL

They do this because they are high air speed devices which mince visible particles into smaller invisible particles that will pass straight thru a non-HEPA filter.

Bob,
Isn't the impeller in a vacuum cleaner normally placed AFTER the dust bag? I.e. if the dust bag catches the visible particles, there's nothing for the impeller to 'mince'?

Originally Posted by jack620

Bob,
Isn't the impeller in a vacuum cleaner normally placed AFTER the dust bag? I.e. if the dust bag catches the visible particles, there's nothing for the impeller to 'mince'?

Because the volume is low and the air is higher speed than a DE the mincing is done by one sawdust particle on another.

OK, but in a DE isn't the sawdust impacted by the impeller on its way to the dust bag? Surely an impact with a solid impeller blade has a bigger mincing effect than dust particles banging into each other?

Ok - Here is some photos of my shed and the setup. As you can see there is only one air inlet/outlet. Forget the tarp at the front as I just put that up when it was raining. The DE is a H & F Halfo DC 25 and is wheeled outside and around the corner of the shed when the lathe is on. The DE is only hooked up over the lathe and not over the bandsaw or disc sander as you can see. The best I have for those tools is an Aldi vacuum cleaner to suck up the dust.

Can anyone suggest additional air extraction methods to minimise the dust. Counting on you BobL.

I also bought a Trend Airshield Pro because I can't handle the timber dust much longer - beginning to get an allegy and I don't want to give up woodwork.

That white box at the end of the bandsaw bench...........for spirit storage and such like i guess

Its the airconditioner I was going to install at some distant moment in the past. It's garage sale material now.

I can tell you that changing from the cloth bag to the pleated 'truck air-clearner' type filter makes a big difference.
I still wear a good 3M face mask as well.

Seeing that little tunnel you have I'd be sucking or blowing fresh air in via the back wall. Something like this to blow air in, possibly through a few ducts or a high volume extractor fan?