Thread: High Dust extraction efficiency...... a fools erand?

My thought on this is does it actually matter whether or not we have to get out the broom after using tools in a home shed? I use a powered dust mask when I am working. WHen I actually have a permanent shed set up I will probably look at cross ventilation and/or a room filter to remove airborne dust to prevent it going into lungs after the mask is removed. That can be a fairly low power/low cost option to protect health from what I understand. I am then more than happy to sweep/vacuum up the stuff that isn't a danger to my health, hence efficient chip extraction is a low priority. Am I understanding something poorly?

Originally Posted by petersemple

My thought on this is does it actually matter whether or not we have to get out the broom after using tools in a home shed? I use a powered dust mask when I am working. WHen I actually have a permanent shed set up I will probably look at cross ventilation and/or a room filter to remove airborne dust to prevent it going into lungs after the mask is removed. That can be a fairly low power/low cost option to protect health from what I understand. I am then more than happy to sweep/vacuum up the stuff that isn't a danger to my health, hence efficient chip extraction is a low priority. Am I understanding something poorly?

I would say Yes it does matter, sweeping stirs up the invisible dust particles into the air, this is something I try to avoid.


Pete

Originally Posted by soundman

Great......Righto then.......how much do ya want for ya thicknesser.

Hi Soundman,

Seeing as how you asked, I have worked out the price for my thicknesser and I have decided to give you first option. I have sent you a PM.

Thanks again mate.

Doug

Originally Posted by petersemple

My thought on this is does it actually matter whether or not we have to get out the broom after using tools in a home shed? I use a powered dust mask when I am working. WHen I actually have a permanent shed set up I will probably look at cross ventilation and/or a room filter to remove airborne dust to prevent it going into lungs after the mask is removed. That can be a fairly low power/low cost option to protect health from what I understand. I am then more than happy to sweep/vacuum up the stuff that isn't a danger to my health, hence efficient chip extraction is a low priority. Am I understanding something poorly?

Ya probably understanding just fine.

If ya like most of us you havn't got a lazy couple of grand to spend on a truly effective dust extraction system, so ya gona be sweeping or vacuming, and ya probalby need to be wearing a dust mask of some sort at times.

If ya worried about sweeping circulating the evil and tretorous "invisable dust", ask ya self how that "invisable dust" got on the floor in the first place.....it almost certainly fell out of the air, unless the fairys put it there.

Now if you go to suck the dust up with a vacume cleaner you will simply be spewing "invisable dust" into the air at a great rate, because the filtration on most workshop vacume cleaners is pretty poor....lots of houshold vacs are not much better......we can talk about "invisable dust" in the home another time.


There has been some ongoing discussion as to the effectivness of those interiour air filters.....some postulate that they actually continue to circulate very fine, dare I say it "invisable dust", that would otherwise settle out of the air....( probably fall on the floor where we could sweep it up )

One of the most important things to consider with any workshop is ventilation, no dust extractor or air filter will do a damn thing about gassious fumes, and there are plenty of those involved in woodworking and good ventilation will remove the "invisable dust" far more effectivly that anything else.

Good ventilation is far cheaper than realy effective dust extraction and solves many problems appart from..you guessed it "invisable dust".

cheers

Originally Posted by doug3030

Soundman,

Thank-you very much. I really mean it. Until you pointed it out I really did not realize how bad the situation was and what I could be doing to my health. As you pointed out I have been wasting my dollars and my even more precious time chasing an impossible dream.

I have decided it just is not worth it any more and I am going to give up woodworking. Today I am going to photograph all my gear and timber and it will be advertised in the marketplace in the coming weeks.

Once the shed is empty I am going to put a snooker table and a darts board in there and hang a big-screen TV on the wall and put a beer fridge in the corner. This way my lungs will be safe and I should live a long happy life. I was a fool for even trying.

Doug.

Hey Doug, there are no guarantees that some small microbe totally unrelated to woodworking might beat the dust to it, so don’t give up what you enjoy for what might happen. You have to take as much care as you can afford / see practical and from there just take it as it comes.

I won’t give up riding a motorbike because of what might happen. It has been 40 years next year since I first rode a bike, and still Mr dead hasn’t jumped me… Doesn’t mean he won’t tomorrow, but I’m not going to waste today worrying about it.

It is my view that a workshop with clean air free of " Invisable Dust" simply is not practicaly achieveble for most of us, only by use of high efficiency dust extraction.

However by opening some windows and doors, perhaps installing an exhaust fan and may be puuting the dust extractor out side.......and using some sensible PPE, we can enjoy healthy woodworking.

Just like we can reduce the chances of death or serious injury from motorbike, simply by learning to ride defensivly, buying a good set of leathers and above all wearing a helmet.
You can die very very easily, and even easier ge messed up good, if you are stupid on a motorbike, take some sensible precautions and you can live long enough to die from old age.

cheers

We are all going to die, it's just not knowing when and how that makes life exiting.
Enjoy it while you can.
Regards

Hi Soundman
Now don't take this the wrong way i am only "taking the p#ss" as aussie's do, but having seen your shed and health problems from dust is the least of your worries i think your wife will find you banged up on the floor after you tripped over something on the floor and hit your head on the way down.
Only joking Mate

Soundman - Sometimes despite your own still stupidity you can still live long enough to wonder how you did it, that certainly has been the case for me. I should have been dead a thousand times over, and that is why every day I wake up in one piece, I count my blessings that I am still here, and enjoy every day like it is my last day, because one day I will be...

Originally Posted by A Duke

We are all going to die, it's just not knowing when and how that makes life exiting.
Enjoy it while you can.
Regards

Exactly... as they say don't take life too seriously you won't get out of it alive.

Originally Posted by whitey56

Hi Soundman
Now don't take this the wrong way i am only "taking the p#ss" as aussie's do, but having seen your shed and health problems from dust is the least of your worries i think your wife will find you banged up on the floor after you tripped over something on the floor and hit your head on the way down.
Only joking Mate

Ya go that right...for most of us dust is the least of our worries.

With the current westerlies blowing, I'm waiting for a tree to come a clobber my shed.

cheers