Recs appreciated - Dust/debris collection for sharpening

[bdaabat]

Good day all! I'd appreciate recommendations from the community on dust/debris collection options. I'm currently working in my basement and am solely sharpening knives/other metal implements. I'm mainly using belt grinders...one of which has a dust collection port and one does not. The space in the basement is open (I'm just getting started and am figuring out how to make this all work).

If folks have figured out reasonable ways to safely manage dust/debris that are inexpensive and performs reasonably well, terrific! If folks have been there and done that and decided that a more pricey system works WAAAAAAYYY better, I'd be open to that as well. I'm trying to be cost conscious. AND, I'd prefer to buy once and cry once.

Thank you in advance!
Bruce

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Wet grinding is the best way, but it can get messy.

 

[Diemaker]

I am a big fan of air to air heat exchangers for removing air you don't want to breathe. Even if you don't mind breathing the air they are great at getting the stink out of the shop too. Mine was $1200 for 220 cfm and I have a filter stack before it to keep the cells clean. It was a lot of $ at first but my only regret was waiting to get it. It does lose a lot of efficiency below 27f so they do have their limitations. For me though, I would never run a belt sander in an unventilated area.

 

[kwackster]

Next to whatever main method of dust collection you choose, also consider a good ionizer in your shop.
Besides keeping the room you work in non-smelly, it also makes any airborne dust fall to the ground quickly where it is easily vacuumed up.

Works also great in living quarters and the kitchen.
Once you turn on the machine (and keep it on 24-hours a day) in the first few days there will be quite a large settling of airborne dust on the ground, which will of course need to be vacuumed up.

However, once that is done you will find that vacuuming will be notieably less necessary, as the ionizer keeps the airborne dust to a minimum.
My morther-in-law (81 years old) is very happy with the ionizer i gave her, as a) cooking smells are suddenly gone much quicker and all living quarters stay smelling fresh (without the use of any artificial odorizers), and b) she doesn't need to vacuum the house so often anymore.

 

[bdaabat]

Next to whatever main method of dust collection you choose, also consider a good ionizer in your shop.
Besides keeping the room you work in non-smelly, it also makes any airborne dust fall to the ground quickly where it is easily vacuumed up.

Works also great in living quarters and the kitchen.
Once you turn on the machine (and keep it on 24-hours a day) in the first few days there will be quite a large settling of airborne dust on the ground, which will of course need to be vacuumed up.

However, once that is done you will find that vacuuming will be notieably less necessary, as the ionizer keeps the airborne dust to a minimum.
My morther-in-law (81 years old) is very happy with the ionizer i gave her, as a) cooking smells are suddenly gone much quicker and all living quarters stay smelling fresh (without the use of any artificial odorizers), and b) she doesn't need to vacuum the house so often anymore.

Thanks! Had not even considered this.

I got started down the knife sharpening road because I love to cook. One of the few downsides of that love is sometimes the smell of whatever you've been making lingers. It's one thing if you're baking an apple pie and that wondering cinnamon-baked apple smell persists. It's another thing entirely if it's fried onions and garlic.

Do you have any recommendations for an ionizer?

Bruce

 

[kwackster]

Tne only advice regarding these ionizing machines is that investing in quality always pays off in the long run, also considering it needs to run 24/7 to get the most out of it.
I have been running a smaller ionizer in our kitchen and a larger one in my workshop for over 15 years now, and if either one of them would break down it would get replaced asap.

Now i'm in Europe where in general choice is less and prices are higher than in the US, so you may have the advantage.
Best to read up on these machines and maybe watch some YouTube video's before you spend any money.
Small ones in 12 Volt can even be bought for your car btw.

A useful side-effect is also that a good ionizer completely annihilates any virus than may linger in the air.
During the Covid period many of these machines were placed in the Dutch government parliament buildings just for that purpose.