[maryjo]

That reminds me...am I going to need a dust collector with this Foredom or can I get by with a mask and fan till I can find one I can afford

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

a mask and fan will work.......but avoid the dust........an intolerance slips up on you , ask me how I know!

[whitecree]

As long as you aren't inhaling the dust, you should be able to 'get by' with a fan and mask. But you know, you can use a common vacuum cleaner and build a simple jig to collect dust.

[Nancy-ID]

Maryjo, that is all I'm doing . . .still. Hard to spend money on dust collection when there are more fun things to get for carving Seriously I am going to get a dust collector soon . Always use your mask even for those,"this will only take a minute sections". BTW, just looked at your profle. Your interests!!!! Fly Fishing. I am going to have to start picking your brain. Hubby got my a Fly Rod for christmas, but I haven't a clue.

[susieq]

Maryjo, there is a great dust mask that I have been using for 6 or 7 years....the same mask. It is made of a light weight material, won't fog your glasses or safety glasses, you can talk and breath normally while wearing it and it is not too hot in the summer. It filters down to 3 microns in size.

I bought mine years ago at a tool show that I went to with my husband. The lady now has a website and I finally ordered a custom replacement for my old one.....because I have a prominent nose and need a little more room than the old one gave me, (not because it wore out) even though I wore it for years. I might also add that they are making this custom mask at no extra charge. The mask comes in different sizes too, for men and women.

Paula Nicks is the lady's name and her mask is called a "Dust Bee Gone". It costs in the neighborhood of $40. bucks but you will have it for years. It is washable. Just gently swish it around in mildly soapy water, rinse, twirl it around in the air a few times and it is good to go again. Just type Dust Bee Gone into google and it will give you their website.

The shop vac idea is a good one, noisy but good. You should be wearing ear protection with your power carvers anyhow. I use the QB200 on their website. It is also lightweigh, soft little buds that go in your ears attached to a thin head band. They come with a spare set of ear buds and you can order replacement buds for it very cheaply. Do protect your hearing.

When you want to spend a few bucks on a dust collector, check out the "In Lap" dust collector...... Small, portable if you want to carve at a friends house or put on a demo someplace....and quiet. Mine runs for hours at a time (for 4 or 5 years now) with no problems. Sealed bearings, no oiling the little squirrel cage fan that runs it. Comes with two cloth bags. I love mine.

There is also an interesting dust collector in Wood Carvers Supply catalog. I don't know anything about that one, but if it's any good, it's perfect for what we do....which is basically carving in our laps.....
susieq

[maryjo]

Hey Nancy once you learn the basics of casting it's just like carving--PRACTICE,PRACTICE,PRACTICE.once you get the hang of it you'll love it.--------Hey Susan what was the website for the mask and lap collector:-]

[BobD]

I've got the Razaire, and LOVE IT! It's by RazorTip, who does a lot of woodburner equipment.

it's pricey, but with the lap attachment on the front of the collector, running the hose through a cyclone trash can top, I can keep up with a thickness planer!!!

Re: the In-lap collector...I haven't been as satisfied with that one...whenever I turn the one we have her in the office on, i get a puff of dust out of the collection bag...and usually end up inhaling some!

Sorry Susie, I've got to disagree on the dustbegone too...I've got one, and I was still sneezing out wood dust (before I got my collector). I've got one of the half-face respirators now that takes different canisters...I spent a little more ($45 at Lowes) and got the one that I can swap out the dust canisters with the chemical filters. I just feel more comfortable with the fit of the half-face respirators since I also wear glasses!

Bob

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I have a "Dustfoe" that works good....its just that I hate wearing a mask.....tonto does't think I look good in one either!

[susieq]

Hi Bob,
I am surprised that you had problems with the Dust Bee Gone mask. Of course I use both a mask and a dust collector...... Yes the In Lap will give a puff of fine dust when you first turn it on. After that, it's good until the next time you turn it on. I understand that it is recomended to wet the bag before using but I never do.

I had a real good respirator that was governtment issue (won't say who gave that to me). But if you carve for hours at a time, they are not comfortable. Some of my carving days are 6 to 8 hours long

Regarding dust, I was told by an engineer that inhaling anything smaller than 5 microns would pass harmlessly through the lungs....he was not a doctor and I would love to know if that was true or not. Anybody???? I prefer not to inhale any, personally....

If anyone is still interested in the Dust Bee Gone mask, just google it and it will give you the website. I think it was just www.dustbeegone.com

The inlap is available through some woodcarving catalogs. Gordon Debe was the man who started the business and he used to do our show years ago. After the show, he would sell his demo unit at a slight discount and one year I bought it. Gordon is dead now and his son took over the business. I can look on my paperwork for an address but in the meantime check some of the woodcarving supply catalogs or try to google it.

As Bob said though, you will get a puff of very fine dust from the bag when you first turn it on.....
susieq

Ps, just slipped over to google for a moment and typed in In Lap dust collector and got several sites that tell about it and several that sell it.

[BobD]

Hi Susie,
Not trying to argue here at all, but here's the results of my research...
Here's one site:
http://www.state.tn.us/environment/apc/PM25/

And another
http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyc...m#MedicalRisks
(I'm trying to verify the claims that Bill makes; his links are down).


Your body does a half-decent job of filtering out the particles larger than 2.5 microns (mucus membranes, etc.). That's not to say that it's healthy to inhale the larger things, especially in large qualtities...you still run the risk of sinus/nasal cancer and a other alergic-type reactions (I know if I cut ANY walnut on the saw without my mask, I'm going to have a sinus infection!!!)

But my research shows that the dust 2.5 microns and smaller bypasses all of the body's natural defences and lodges deep in your lungs (the tiny passages right were your lungs and bloodvessels exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide). In fact, research has shown that the material 0.5 microns and smaller can pass right through the lungs into your blood stream! And with some of the toxic exotic woods...that can't be a good thing!

Luckily, basswood, tupelo, and jelutong (the most often power carved) are relatively safe, according to my research...no more dangerous than any wood dust. Walnut is bad, as is Willow, Ash, Beech, Oak, and a few other domestics. The exotic tropical hardwoods (purpleheart, ipe, ebony, etc.) are all really bad...they are full of toxins to protect themselves from plants and insects!

Again...I'm really not trying to beat this to death...I hope you understand, Susie!!! Not trying to stir up anything! Honest!!!!!

Bob