how to get rid of fine dust in the shop

[Big Dave]

Collection at the source is the best way to control the small particles. Not knowing how your dust collection system is set up, my first recommendation would be to check all of the joints in the piping and hoses to ensure maximum air flow is being pulled from the tool(s). Certain tools will always be more efficient at dust collection than others. The tablesaw and compound mitersaws have always been my nemesis. A zero clearance insert for both helps a great deal. Adding an overhead shroud above the tablesaw will capture most remaining dust. As for the mitersaws, I have yet to find a system that works better than "moderately good". There are some saws that are better than others, but there will always be airborne dust coming off of them...

Ceiling-mounted air cleaners do work quite well. And depending on the size of the shop, more than one is necessary to be effective. Keeping the inlet filters clean or replaced on a regular basis will ensure good airflow throughout the space.

And don't forget to sweep the floor after a good day in the shop. Neither of the systems mentioned will work with dust already on the floor. And if it isn't picked up, it too will become airborne every time you walk through the shop. 

And lastly, if everything in your shop is "wood", dust isn't nearly as noticeable...



Hope that helps!
Dave

[jteneyck]

Unless your air filters have HEPA rated media you are passing much of the really fine stuff on through.  The human eye can't see stuff less than about 25 microns in size (although you can see light reflected off much smaller particles) but it's there, and if it's there your lungs are what's filtering it out of the air.  I'm not a member of the safety police; folks who've seen my shop can attest to that, just advising you that just because your furnace, air, etc. filters are collecting a lot of dust and you can't see anything in the exhaust air doesn't mean it's not there.  So if you are going to return filtered air to your shop, make sure you use HEPA rated filters.  Alternatives include wearing an appropriately rated dust mask and/or sending your DC's and air filter's exhaust outside. 

John

[Steve N]

I was reading through and surprised to see no mention of the quality of the filter in use, until John mentioned HEPA. Some filtration is pretty porous at the lower end, and it is more for chip collection than fines. Look at what the rating is of the filter, is it a bag? Drum? Not saying that the filter is useless, but it may need some help like an air cleaner as well as the DC unit. If the DC alone needs to do the job, maybe just getting a bag designed for finer dust is what is needed. You can also approach this as a 2 step problem, using a porous DC unit to catch most of the dust, and personal filtration to keep the fines out of your lungs. Only get the one pair of lungs, treat em nice.

[alsayyed]

I thank you very much for the information it was very useful and helpful information. I might go for filter, but regarding a new dust collector not now maybe in the future i love to have dust collector with canister but it is way expensive. again thank you very much woodworkers.

[Ray Newman]

What dust collection set-up/system are you utilizing?

Some one here may have the same system or other posters may have ideas to improve its efficiency.

[Gibbcutter]

The air filtration units work but may be dangerous to use while working in your shop. They pull the air/fine dust upward and your lungs will be in the path. I have a cyclone duct collecter but now use a mask when cutting a lot of wood. I now do most of my sanding outside. If you have one, put the filtration unit on when you leave the shop. Some guys have them on timers.

Yes, the fine stuff will kill you.

[Steve N]

I have my air cleaners on low tool stands, a little over waist high, and they work very well
My Respiratory Doc told me that tip, he's a woodworker too. Mine are on wheels, and I pull them around the shop to be near whatever dust creating tool I'm using at the moment. You can visually see the fines cloud going into them if you get the fines cloud between you and a window.

But I still wear a full face respirator if I am doing much sanding, or routing/sawing where it makes fines. Only one good lung, gonna protect that.

[TDKPE]

I made my own cyclone and plopped my 2 hp Harbor Freight dust collector blower on top of it.  The exhaust is piped out a casement window (the long black 8" flex duct). 


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The other casement window has a vintage 16" window fan that moves more air than a common 20" box fan by a mile. 

   

My last line of defense is an air filter I made from an air conditioning air handler blower, with some HEPA filters and some courser filters in front to pre-filter the air so the expensive HEPA filters don't load up too fast.  I used an old wooden stand I made for a drill press, waaaaay back when I was in high school.  I think Nixon was President.  

   

It's now on wheels, and holds my lunch box planer.  I don't use it a lot, as I prefer to blow the dusty air outdoors, with fresh air coming in from the other end of the basement.  But it has a 3-speed motor that runs at very slow speed on low, so I can leave it running for hours after I'm done in the shop without bothering anyone on the main floor.

I think every shop should have some sort of forced ventilation, as it's not unusual to stink the place up with solvents and sometimes burning wood from a dull blade or bad technique.

[GeorgeV]

A box fan and a furnace filter in conjunction with my dust deputy and shop-vac has worked well for me for many years. It is an easy connect to  each power tool that I am using.

Because my shop is in a two car garage, I periodically, about one a month, open both doors and using a leaf blower, I clean out anything that remains while wearing a dust mask. Quite honestly there is never that much.

[rwe2156]

Open all the windows and doors on a windy day.  Fire up an electric powered yard blower.  Have fun.

YUP ^^ + an assistant with a broom.  A car wash type broom works well.

Hit any cobwebs with a butane torch (no you won't start a shop fire......)

A couple big fans blowing out will work, too.

Be SURE to wear your dust mask!!

All this advice and I've never dusted my shop once in 25 years.......I just let sleeping dogs lie.