Without some form of dust collection, sawdust and shavings from stationary machines can become a nuisance and a hazard. Recently, I tried out a new approach to dust collection from Steel City Tool Works, the mini dust collector. This single-stage collector gathers dust and passes it through a plastic impeller, on the way to its collection/filtration bag. A 2.6-amp universal motor powers the collector, and it has a 4"-diameter intake port and outlet.
I hooked up the mini dust collector to machines that I would normally use with my central collector. I was pleasantly surprised by the little guy's performance. It did an admirable job on my tablesaw and bandsaw, and I was really surprised by how well it performed on a 12" portable planer, although the grille on the inside of the intake chute would clog occasionally after heavy cuts. The universal motor that powers the unit is pretty loud-95 db-so hearing protection is required.
The collection bag filters only to 30 microns, which means you wouldn't be able to rely on this level of filtration to keep a shop clear of the most dangerous particles.
In spite of its shortcomings, I really like the collector for its portability. It's a great addition to a portable planer or a jobsite tablesaw, adding simple dust collection where it may have seemed easier to let the sawdust or shavings simply accumulate on the floor or in the yard-and any dust collection is better than that. It's an easy way to improve jobsite hygiene and safety, of which I'm always in favour. For more information, visit www.steelcitytoolworks.com or call 877-728-6651.
Read more in Workshop Essentials and Shop Set-Up
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