Low cost dust collection setup

jonnymac44

jonnymac44

Joined
Sep 27, 2007
Messages
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Ok, i'm not on welfare, but I'm not tycoon either! I've put some money into expanding my shop from just sharpening and repair to full knife making. As a result, I've been doing a lot more grinding on steel and micarta. I'd love to have some type of dust collection setup but as you guys know, it's pricey getting all of the different tools needed in a knife shop. Does anybody have any low cost ideas for dust collectors? I've looked at Grizzly and they're just too far out of budget right now. I was wondering if a shop vac could be turned into a dust collector somehow........

What do you guys use?
 
I have several box fans in my shop with some 20"X20" filters on the draw side They are held in place with some angle aluminum that is screwed into the fan housing. They do a remarkably good job for just a little $. The filters I use are a bit nicer than the budget filters.
They look like this...
51MNREXJX7L._SS500_.jpg


I change them when they get full.


I use a shop vac hooked up to a portable hose stand I rigged up for removing dust in my immediate area while grinding or sanding.
 
I don't make or grind on knives, and not sure if you mean overhead, or at the grinder, but I did see on here during a "shop tour" picture thread where a maker took a simple stool, and placed a container of water just under the grinder/belt to collect dust and sparks.
 
Patrice Lemée;8490444 said:
Not sure if this qualify as low cost for your budget but if you have an opening to blow the dust outside you can get a blower like this for 150$
http://www.grizzly.com/products/1-HP-Light-Duty-Dust-Collector/G1163
and then a few pieces of aluminum tubing and you have yourself a really good system.
That's what I've done: http://www.lemeeknives.com/pages/shop_a.shtml (scroll down a bit).
Click to expand...

That's a nice looking setup, Patrice:thumbup: I've looked at that Grizzly model already, and the price isn't bad. I should have mentioned my power issues. When grinding I'm already running between 10 to 14 amps on a 15 amp breaker, so that 1 hp motor would probably push me over the limit and start tripping the breaker. Eventually I would love to upgrade the power capability of my shop but I need to save up some cash, the wife wants new kitchen counter tops and to remodel the front bathroom!:D I think for now I'll try the shop vac method since I already have several of them. Does anybody here add extra filtration when using a shop vac, or do you just go with the stock?

Thanks for the answers!
 
I was gonna say I also have a 3/4 hp one on my handle sanding station that should draw less amperage but if you only have one breaker for the whole shop it won't make a big difference. Just make sure you use something, anything to start. Micarta is nasty stuff.

Thanks for the:thumbup: on the shop. I do have to take new pictures. It's been more than a year and I crammed some more stuff in there like another drillpress, a mill, an anvil and handle shaping/sanding station. Now I only need a kiln, to make my home made grinder horizontal, quenching plates, another quenching tank, and.... Well you get the picture. ;)
 
I have a 5 hp vac connected to a 5 gallon pail, connected to my grinder. I keep the pail partially filled with water/bleach. My father who is a chemist swears that bleach does not create a flamable atmosphere. Connections were found at my local hardware store.

Matt
 
You can buy a small vac from Harbor Freight for around 100.00. This is for the fan only, run flex pipe to either outside or purchase a metal 40 gallon trash can and run it into that.
The unit I am talking about runs off 110v is small and light enough to move from machine to machine easily if you have standard pipe conectors.
 
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jon., I used a furnace fan that I bought very cheaply. I made an enclosure for it. This part is mounted outside the shop. The piping comes down to the grinder where I have a water trap to catch the sparks. There is no filter in the system, but the water collects everything. I have heard way too many stories about guys getting a fire inside their dust collection system. Patrice's system is the epitome of optimum as for bends and layout. Stay with long sweep bends and as few as possible. Use as large a pipe as practical. Put gates at each machine to close of unused lines. Without a filter the system will move more air. If you make one with a water trap do not bubble the air through the water or you will need a much larger fan.

~Alden
 
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