Localized dust filter/collector?

W

Wapiti

Joined
Sep 25, 1999
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503
When I am hand-sanding at the bench, I create dust, be it steel or wood/other handle material.

I have been using, at various times,

-my shop vac with hose clamped to the bench-top nearby (rather loud, and I am concerned about it running for so long continuously...)

-large window fan with furnace filter attached on a nearby chair (kind of jerry-rigged-not a bad thing)

-a hose run from my more serious dust collection/evac system and clamped to the benchtop, much like the shop vac set up (hose snaking a distance that has to be moved when not in use...)


I have been pondering a smaller localized filter.
Like the one made by Shop Vac:
https://www.amazon.com/Shop-Vac-103...00004T181/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Or this one by Grizzly:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Ben...955?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com

I have one of the larger, ceiling mounted Jet units in my wood shop, and love it.
But I thought it would be nice to have something smaller, more mobile, that I could put right next to where I do my hand work, right at the source of the dust.

Any thoughts on these units, the problem, or creative solutions you have found?

Thanks,
Brome
 
I often considered that as I do a lot of hand sanding. I ended up just making my own down draft sanding table I set on my workbench hooked to my shop vac. Got my design ideas buy googling down draft tables. Yeah it's noisy but it's usually noisy in my shop so I wear ear muff with a radio a lot. Wished I'd made myself use ear muffs along time ago. As for the shop vac it's sucked along for 20 some years and still doing it's job but noisy as heck. It just made more sense to have vac right under where I'm sanding at not 2' away.
 
When hand-sanding I'll do the box fan/filter thing at the bench, no shop-vac. And wear a mask, always. I can always shop-vac up the dust after, it doesn't go far. Sanding micarta or G10, on the other hand, is a bit... breezier. I still use just the box fan when doing that stuff by hand.
 
There are many ways to collect dust when doing hand tasks. I have a "lap box" that is a shallow plywood box about 12X12X3". The top is covered with sturdy 1/4" weave stainless steel hardware cloth (wire mesh). One side has a PVC outlet to fit a shop vac hose on. You set it on your lap (or on a table top) when sanding, or carving wood ... and especially when doing power carving. The vac sucks out the dust and chips. A long hose and setting the vac in the next room or about 20 feet away helps with the noise.

When flat sanding on a granite surface block, use the "floor" or "sander/planer" nozzle attachment for your shop vac. It is a wide thin nozzle for sucking up dust. Just set it a few inches past the granite block and let it draw the fine dust away from you.

When power carving with larger burrs, I have a 3/4" flex hose that I tape to the handpiece. It connects to the shop vac hose and sucks the chips up right at the burr.

On all the above, I use a foot switch to turn the vac on and off.



My upstairs shop has a carving and finishing bench that has an angled drawer, covered with stainless mesh. The drawer has its own exhaust blowers the make a constant air flow down through the drawer. It has three fan speeds and a simple particle filter. It is very quiet. It is great for carving, sanding, drilling small holes, and pyrography (draws the smoke away). The mesh top lifts up to retrieve any small dropped objects. The bench also has lighting from three directions to make close work well illuminated.
 
Thanks for all the thoughts and ideas.

I guess I was too worried about over-running the shop vac and damaging the motor; I will let that go.

I like all the suggestions for down-draft/lap boxes. I have pondered this for the woodshop, but will not longer, and will put one together.
I think I will design it so that I can rest it upright on the bench, or lay it down flat, or put it in my lap.

And I think I will finally pick up one of those Radio Ear Muffs.

Can you explain more about the foot switch set up you use, Stacy? I have been needing to build one, but have not yet.
I have heard of folks using dryer door switches; is that the best way to go?

Thanks,
Brome
 
Mine is a little heavy for a lap top but I like that idea. Like I said I just lay mine on my work bench as it's about 12" by 20". Mine is made from 1 by 4's with a angled plywood bottom tilted towards where the shop vac fitting is glued and screwed into. The top is also plywood with a lot of holes drilled into it. I like the idea of laying my material right on top and sanding with out worrying about scratching the opposite side. I should add I don't finish my handles on my belt sander like most. I cut out the rough profile with my porta band saw with pins and all. Rough shape with my dremel drum sander and then use a 1/6 th palm sander! Dust control is very controllable in my small shop this way. Your mileage may vary. Sad thing is nobody makes a 1/6th sheet palm sander anymore. I picked mine up (Ryobi) a local traveling tool sale. IF knew how handy this tool was I would have bought a dozen. I've had to make a replace one replacement "spring" sanding paper holder once but thank goodness for my knife building experience I knew how to do that! I've used that same 1/6th palm sander and made dozens of homemade recurve bows with it along with countless knives!
 
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