Dust collecting system

S

steierknives

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Nov 22, 2005
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Does anyone have a tutorial on building a dust collecting that is safe for use when grinding steel and titanium (one that can handle the sparks)?

Thanks Dave
 
I once was grinding with a pair of welders goggles on for safety glasses and was doing fine until I stopped and took off the glasses. Someone had set a pitcher like the kind you drink water out of on my bench. Naturally I thought it was water. Well upon removing my glasses i found that it was on fire. I grabbed this pitcher by the handle and started through my garage at almost a run looking for a way to get this outside without starting something else on fire, mainly me. It was splashing fire over the top of the pitcher and flames were following me towards the door. I reached the door and realized that the pitcher was melting down towards my hand and I was going to be in trouble in a second more. I threw it out across the cement and naturally it skidded across it and went under my car. I ran back int o the garage and grabbed the hose and put out the fires from my workbench to the door and then out to my car and put it out.
Wow. I later found that my Son needed a can for something and put the Lacquer thinner in the pitcher. Wow. Luck was indeed on my side that day.
 
hcambron,

The Harbor Freight dust collector is a pretty generic unit primarily used in woodworking. I have a similar unit and it will certainly move a goodly amount of air. However, I do not currently use it as it takes up too much room in my shop right now and, more importantly, I'm very concerned about the potential fire hazard from sparks.

I've been searching for a good spark arrestor solution but have not yet found my ideal. Has anyone used this device to make a two stage collector? http://www.grizzly.com/products/G3376 Will it make an effective spark arrestor? Can anyone recommend a good spark arrestor design?

Allen
 
I use a Jet Dust Collector system here in my shop. I use one for my grinders and one for my buffer. Its the portable unit and works really great. It has 750 cfm's of suction power. Check out my shop you maybe able to see it in there. God bless and have a great knife day. $ 129.00 Unit

Barkes Knife Shop :thumbup:
http://my.hsonline.net/wizard/knifeshop.htm
1.812.526.6390 :)
 
Check out Penn State Industries. I have one of their Cyclone units, with the stand up micron filter. All my piping is metal, and, as long as you have enough distance between your spark source and your collector, you'll be fine.

Some guys build water traps, that's another way to go. I have found that, if you design and position your traps correctly, in a short time, you get a build-up of swarf that tends to catch the hot particles before they get sucked all the way thru the system anyway. I'll just wet the swarf pile with a handful of H20 from the dunk bucket when I'm making hot sparks and it does the trick.

Grinding Ti at a low belt speed is a really good idea as well. It really cuts down on the spark temperature and volume.
 
My grinding area is pretty open to the outside( a real bummer in the winter) so all I really use is a blower mounted on a piece of ductwork to move the dust outside, and away from me. to deal with most of the sparks, I have a 5 gal bucket of water under my grinder. That catches probably 90% + and is useful for dipping blades that are getting too hot.
 
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