Dust collection question.

[squbrigg]

Hi folks, I've been using my Foredom to rough out a carving and it has brought to head a problem I've been trying to deal with for some time. Dust. Having done most of my prior work with hand tools, dust was never a problem, but now, with a Foredom and a new band saw, they generate a lot of dust. Five minutes carving or sawing and 30 min. cleaning up. (Yes I do use a respirator)

So two questions: 1) what is the best way to go for collection ? and 2) is there a convienient lap collector that is made for carving?

I'm going to have to invest, so I want to do it right. Damm shame that bandsaw isn't getting more use, but it throws dust everywhere!

Thanks in advance.

Bob

[BobD]

I've seen them range from a furnace filter over a box fan to a HEPA filter... but there are a lot out there.


I'm in the process of reviewing the new Razorair by Razortip. It has some suction! Cam Merkle, president of Razortip told me he hooks it up to on of the cyclone lids that goes on a garbage can and uses it to clean up after his surface planer! It sits on a table but has an attachment to hook up to a laptable...both work really well.

The only downfall is that it costs around $300...

Bob

[Kenny_S]

Bob, I use a box fan with a filter over both front and back. Works but does not eliminate all the dust. If you have a shop mate vaccum, the new saws have places to attach those and helps out a lot, I have the same problem with the sanding of the backside of my bark carvings before I start carving them. Boy Howdy, The fine dust that kicks up. The shopmate helps but does not eliminate all the dust. Problem with the paper filtered dust masks is it fogs up my glasses to much.

[squbrigg]

Kenny and Bob....I have a shopmate vac, but it's only a light one, okay for clean up but too small for filtration. I'm debating a bagged unit like a Delta or a cyclone lid for the garbage can type from LeeValley with a bigger shopvac, or both. Starting to check out extentions for a "lap top" for carving from and will tie in dedicated lines for the vent from the bandsaw and make one for the table saw, using gates. But keeping my options open and looking for as much advice as I can round up from the experiences of folks here. Would like to see more info on the Razorair, keep me posted on it's performance would you? Thanks for the help.

Bob

[Kenny_S]

Bob, look at the Grizzly site for dust collectors. www.grizzly.com. They have some good equipment are very reasonable prices. Pretty lucky in that there is a grizzly store in Springfield Mo on the way to the lake house. Dtop most of the time going or coming.. Like I posted, I do use a 22 inch box fan with a foam filter in back and a fiber filter in the front and it does a pretty good job. Maybe $25 to $30 invested.

[Old_Gord]

Hey Uncle Bob; here's one solution to the dust from your Foredom, it's an air curtain or downdraft dust collector or whatever you want to call it.
Take a look at this article by Thierry Varem-Sanders in one of the online Woodcarving Ezines , actually the May/June of 1999 issue;
http://carverscompanion.com/Ezine/Vo...ol3Issue3.html
This keeps the dust contained for power carving.
Or you could make your own lap collector as you call it...I'll see if I can find that info , just don't know where it is right at the moment. Red Face
As for you bandsaw I think using the Shop Vac at the bandsaw would be the way to go.
One more article , this one back in Jan/Feb 98 by T.Moore, might have some interest to you also.
http://carverscompanion.com/Ezine/Vo...ollection.html

OG

[Old_Gord]

Well Uncle Bob, I'm here again , thought I'd do this as a new post rather than add to my other post since I don't know wether you had already read the other one.
Here's the web site that has the instructions and pictures for making your own lap dust/chip collector, I knew I had it somewhere.
It's at Fishcarver.com
http://www.fishcarver.com/making_a_dust_collector.htm

Hope this is of some help.

OG

[squbrigg]

Thanks Gord....I'll give them a shot......before my wife shoots me! Damm...but that woman has a sharper edge to her tongue than a Flexcut does! Ah...she loves me, she just hates the dust!

Bob

[Hugh]

Bob, I hate to discourage you, but you need a separate bldg for power carving. I tried a separate room, down in the basement, had a large industrial air cleaner, and the fine dust still filtered through the house. Cam Merkle (Razertip) is a very responsible dealer, if he sells an air cleaner, I wouldn't be afraid to give it a try. !!!

[jjtexas]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']I recently started using a foredom and agree that dust is a major problem. I have read all the postings I could find regarding dust collector systems/methods and had a strong desire for both effective operation and low cost.[/FONT]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']Long and short of my search is that I became interested in the design shown in the article by Thierry Varem-Sanders (link listed earlier in this string). I have to admit the greatest initial attraction was the expected low cost of construction. The only drawback is that I could not find anyone who had built one or had first hand info on how well it worked.[/FONT]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']I just finished building one last week. Total cost so far is about $30 (plywood, hardware and air filter) as the blower motor is a used one and was given to me for free by a local heating/cooling contractor. [/FONT]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']I have not found a "cheap" source of plexi-glass to make the cover yet, but even without the cover the unit is collecting all the dust that would otherwise cover me from head to toe.[/FONT]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']My two cents worth is that I have found Mr. Varem-Sanders has generously proved a solution to a big problem.[/FONT]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']Best regards to all[/FONT]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']JJTexas[/FONT]