Knife Shop in Basement, Safety concerns?

ddavelarsen said:
As to respirators, I have a beard so a normal respirator does nothing. I've been looking into positive pressure systems but they're about $1,200. Cheap
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Has anyone tried this ?

Under 200

http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture10?NTITEM=PRC001

PRC001.jpg
 
the Triton respirator is OK, we have a couple in the shop, but they have not seen much use as we have dust collection. It does have Ni-Cad or Ni-Mh rechargeable batteries soldered in 3 places inside the fan unit, so when those batteries go bad, it won't be quite as simple as replacing a battery pack. But a Batteries-Plus type place should be able to handle the job.

One other thing to consider about having a shop in the basement is not burning the house down. While egg cartons and carpet scraps may soak up sound, they will also burn. Carpet burns much better on a vertical surface than it does on a floor. Always flame test anything you are considering as sound proofing.

Oh, don't mix wood and metal in the same dust collector, don't mix steel and aluminium dust, and make sure your metal dust collector is designed for metal dust and sparks. A burning filter or "bag explosion" is more excitement than anyone really needs.

There are 4 secrets to soundproofing

1: Don't make the noise in the first place. Put rubber mounts under machinery, spend a few more $ for the quieter air compressor or the precision balanced steel pulleys for the grinder, etc...

2: Air sealing. A hole in a wall the size of your finger will let more sound through than will go through a 4'X8' section of the wall. Seal around pipes and wires, any cracks or gaps, etc. If your air ducts run through the basement, you will have to isolate them, wall them in or sound will just fly through them to the rest of the house. If you screw or nail something to a wall or ceiling that you later remove, patch the hole.

3: Mass, especially mechanically isolated mass. This soaks up low frequencies. You can buy expensive barium loaded vinyl, but drywall is heavy and cheap. Put up a layer as a ceiling, and then add some "sound isolation channel" and another layer of drywall. Be sure to mud and tape the seams in both layers and tape or caulk the edges for the air seal. Take photos or mark where pipes or wires are that you may need to access in the future so you can cut small holes when service is needed. "Access doors/panels" are an option, but they will leak sound.

4: Absorption, this is the fuzzy stuff that soaks up the high frequencies. You can buy fabric covered fiberglass panels or melamine foam that are flame retardant, or go for drop-in ceiling panels/tiles which are fairly cheap and can be tacked or glued to walls and ceilings. They don't burn, just don't breathe the dust you make when you cut them.
 
My shop is located in the basement also. For helping with the dust (but not as a substitute for a respirator), I hook up my grinder with a shop vac. I also put an exhaust fan in the basement widow. I hung up some tarps to sort of isolate the area where I work and keep the dust from moving over to the laundry area.
 
12345678910 said:
Has anyone tried this ?

Under 200

http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture10?NTITEM=PRC001

PRC001.jpg
Click to expand...

I tried one very similar, designed primarily for wood dust. I figured if I could smell spray paint through it (I could) then formaldehyde fumes from Micarta would also get through. It just wasn't sufficient. Have to get the right filter canisters for the environment, and that means an 'expensive' respirator.

But after reading through this thread, I'm probably leaning more toward ventilation and eventually dust collection.

Mahoney, thanks a million for the excellent suggestions re soundproofing! :thumbup:
 
I have a Trend Airshield and an Aircap II. The aircap gets the most use. It is light and easy to wear. I have dust collection and good ventilation in the grinding shop as well.

I also have ( sitting in a box) a full hood unit with umbilical external air source ( long hose to HEPA filtered air outside air). It was cumbersome, hot, and the blower noise was too loud in my ears ( the sound carries right down the air hose). They may be great for toxic chemical handling, but are not right for knife grinding.

Stacy
 
Stacy your notes about the forced-air hood are well taken. I had an Airshield, didn't like it. It really didn't remove much dust; I still blew black boogers at the end of the day, though not quite as black. I'm coming around to the dust-control solution more all the time. I was just down there looking for a place I could build an enclosure for my air compressor and a dust collector. I didn't find an obvious place but I'm just going to have to create one.

New project, coming up right after the squirrel cage blower installation. :)
 
Dave,
I'm surprised that the Trend allowed any dust. It has a 95% primary and a HEPA secondary. Did you install both filters? ( You did turn it on....didn't you) They don't stop organic vapors, but that is not really a major part of the knifemaking worries.
Stacy
 
Yeah Stacy, I had both sets of filters in it and both fresh batteries. :) I finally gave up with it when I used it buffing once - the faceplate got so cruddy I couldn't see through it and of course I hadn't bought replacement covers. By the time I got them I'd just pretty much quit using it. I did sell it to a woodworker though who does like it. That's when I started researching the "real" thing, which is quite expensive. I'm sure it'd work but like you said would be hot and I'm sure heavy & hard to see well.

Dust remediation sounds like a decent alternative. The only thing that worries me much is fumes from grinding Micarta and the fiberglass in G 10. I really don't want to breathe that stuff. So for now I'm just avoiding it as much as makes sense.
 
Man I wish I had a garage..... I want to build my shop...but I don't know if this discussion has made me more nervous!

What woods are the safest for handles?

Can I use a regular shop vac for cleanup as long as I don't vac up steel and wood at the same time?

One more question (ok I can't promise that, I want to suck you guys dry of info) does a large bucket filled with water below the grinder really catch a lot of dust?
 
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