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by
Steven Maxwell
Illustration by Paul Perreault |
DUST CONTROL |
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How to tame wood dust in your workshop |
Every
so often I hear from woodworkers who own a great workshop, enjoy
plenty of free time and possess the skills and inclination to
build great things. Trouble is, they can’t do much. A
lifetime of exposure to wood dust has created allergies that
make it difficult for them to spend time doing what they love.
Unfortunately, my only suggestion for these folks is equipment
that should have been installed years ago.
Dust collection in the home workshop
has evolved from a non-issue back in the 1970s to a top priority
today. The equipment and know-how available have never been
better. It’s now possible to build an affordable dust
system that makes your workshop time significantly less dusty,
healthier and much more enjoyable.
Winning
the dust-control game depends on three things: effective collection
equipment with enough power to do the job; convenient controls
that make it easy to switch the system on and off; and quiet
operation so it remains a pleasure to work around.
Any home workshop can be made
almost dust-free. The real trick is doing the job at a reasonable
price. That’s why I recommend you begin with a dedicated
dust-collection unit as the workhorse behind your system. A
1-hp model is fine for small shops; a 2-hp unit is worth the
extra money for medium-sized spaces.
Considering a shop vacuum system?
While these tools have their place, a dust collector makes more
sense as your main collection engine. Even a 1-hp unit moves
about four times the air of the largest shop vacuum, and it
does the job more quietly for almost the same price.
While a dust collector is your
best bet for bulk dust control, you need more. No matter how
diligent you are with pipes and blast gates and flexible hoses,
some dust inevitably escapes. And it’s more likely to
be the small stuff, the dust that causes the most respiratory
irritation.
This is why whole-shop dust filters
partner so well with dust collectors. Ambient filters trap fine
dust that’s floating in the air, and there are new designs
hitting the market all the time. Look for a unit rated to remove
dust down to the 0.5 micron level. This is the smallest size
of dust particle known to pose health consequences. You’ll
get the best results by leaving the whole-shop filter running
all the time you’re working (and even 30 minutes after
you shut down for the day). Use a remote control to switch your
main collector on and off as needed.
Finally, handheld sanders—belt,
random-orbit and finishing models—create the greatest
challenges for dust control because they spew out such large
amounts of fine dust.
This is why I’m convinced
a sanding table is an essential component of any home workshop.
The best commercial units can pull down the entire plume of
dust kicked up by a big random-orbit sander that’s running
without a dust bag. Shop-built sanding tables work almost as
well when you design them to connect to a 4"-dia. duct
that plugs into your main dust collector.
While it’s never too late
to invest in effective dust collection, the ideal time to do
it was yesterday. Take the dust challenge seriously and you’ll
never develop anything but an enduring love for the wood that
makes our workshops worthwhile. |
TOP
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ambient air filter runs all day
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coarse pre-filter can usually be
vacuumed clean
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fine inner filters often
aren’t cleanable, must be replaced when clogged
LEFT
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use thick felt filter bag up top; look for bag that
filters to 1 micron
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1-hp dust collector is sufficient
for small shops
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reusable heavy plastic bag is best below
BOTTOM
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even vacuum-equipped, handheld
sanders put fine dust in air
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downdraft table captures sanding dust |
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