Grinder Room or No Grinder Room

[ep3757]

I currently do not have a grinder room in my shop but have been contemplating getting one done. I work sitting down because that is how I got used to working and now have a hard time being steady working on my feet. All of my equipment is right around my work table and I can move from one machine to another in now time but I battle with the dust constantly. The question to you all that have a grinder room is do you find it to be a lot of going back and forth from one area of your shop to another and is it worth it for you. My concern is that I'm a full time maker and time is money for me. All input would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks
Enrique Peña

 

[Calvin Robinson]

Enrique,
I've thought about this too and have come to the conclusion that it just wouldn't be feasible to have a separate room just for grinding. I have six different grinders in my shop,with dust collection capabilities on all except one,a big floor fan with a an air filter on the inlet side and filter area on my air conditioner eight times bigger than needed in order to control dust. I figure its more efficient time wise to fight the dust than try to work around having a separate grinding room.

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

I setup a grind room with a window with a fan blowing out with an external door nearby so I could get some cross breeze. I don't like tones of dust in the shop for functional, aesthetic and health reasons.

 

[Salem Straub]

I've got a grinding room with dust collection on the grinders, too. I don't like having a bunch of dust around the rest of the shop. I don't find it to be a hassle as far as extra walking.

It does make it easier for my wife to sneak up on me while I'm grinding, and make me jump by unexpectedly speaking.

 

[quint]

I would love to have a grinder room. I battle dust constantly in my little shop/garage. My issue is that I do as much leather work as knives and having that dust around makes it a pain with the leather work where you want a clean area to work.

I have contemplated building a cage of sorts for my grinder with those welding windows (plastic type stuff that wont light up if you get sparks on it, is flexible and all that). I am not sure how feasable or effective this would be but figure it would help my dust collector do its job and would help the dust from spreading so bad.

 

[james terrio]

I don't have a grinder room but I wish I did. I do have a separate leather room.

 

[Smithy]

I have an idea for making a grinding "dirty" room out in the garage using over-lapping clear plastic panels running from floor to ceiling. Problem is...I don't know what they are called or where to get them. You can just walk through them and they do cut down on dirt. Anyone know as it seems like this would be a good way to make a room within a room? Teddy

 

[William Schrade]

Teddy, They're called loading dock curtains or strip curtains. An 8' section cost around $600.

 

[Widerstand]

What about building a small framed in room around the grinder and rather then building walls just staple up some plastic.

 

[Rick Marchand]

I am going to make a "Dirty Room" once I get a permanent shop. The time you save on cleaning, and moving around equipment/projects to avoid dust would make up for having to walk through a door. Not to mention working in a cleaner environment for the majority of the time. Dust hangs for a long time in your shop and the simple act of wiping down a spot on your bench kicks it back up. For me it is a choice of a separate room or wearing my respirator constantly.

I am also stealing an idea from Kevin Cashen. Install an exhaust system, wired in such a way that it must be turned on before you can operate the grinders.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Teddy,
They are called welding curtains. You can find them new on ebay often for a good price. I bought 16 feet worth for $300, brand new in the box with the slide tracks. I plan on putting them in the new shop ( whenever I get it built :{ ) . The plan is to make the end corner the grinding area, and have the strip wall close it off. With a dust port at each grinder, and good air extraction/ventilation in that area, I should have little dust leak out into the rest of the shop. Other things like the type of surfaces can help prevent dust buildup. Smooth surfaces clean off better than rough ones. Any shelf should be wire shelving, as the dust will fall through. A solid shelf is a dust trap.