Put my DP's new blower to good use

[David]

A week or two ago I installed a compressed air line next to the chuck of my DP (1/4" copper tubing). I posted pics on abpw. Yesterday I gave it a good workout on a repetitive series of drillings. Drill a hole; step on the switch to clear the table. Repeat for each work piece. No more fiddling with large chips of wood that prevent the next piece from laying flat against the fence.

I wrenched my shoulder congratulating myself for finally getting the air line installed. Should have done it when I installed the overhead air reel about a year ago. Sometimes I procrastinate too much.

Dave

[Lee Michaels]

"David" wrote

LOL. Would that be considered a work related injury?

[Tim Douglass]

I didn't see the original post, but want to mention the caution to keep the air pressure low (like 30 lbs, I think) when using it to blow chips. High pressure is a good way to blow chips into your eyes.

-- "We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

[Upscale]

Wouldn't it be prudent to use some type of flexible tubing and aim it to blow away from the users eyes? If anything, eye protection should be worn anyway. I've seen little chips from drilling (wood or metal) shoot out at an alarming speed.

[mac davis]

well, I've spent most of my life thinking that sucking is better than blowing, so I use the DC with a tapered collector on the DP... The air setup looks workable, and will help, but I'm constantly trying to get the dust OUT of the shop/air, so I don't want to blow it off the DP and have to clean it up (or breath it) later.. YMMV

mac

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[David]

The chips land to the right of the DP in a small area. I step on the valve for a 1/2 second and "poof", the area around the chuck and fence are free of chips. We aren't talking powdery fine dust that blows all over the shop. Once or twice a day, a quick vacuuming of about 4 square feet cleans up the debris from the DP. (There's a wall close to the DP, so the debris can't go far) It's not as messy as you might expect.

Dave

mac davis wrote:

[Leon]

Yeah but, with a vac you use no effort between holes and less to clean up. I strap my shop vac hose to the DP near the bit and take care of it once and for all while drilling.

[David]

My shop vac can't remove chips 6 or more inches away from the nozzle. A vacuum won't pull from very far from the end of the nozzle, so I don't agree that a shop vac, mounted to the DP will be effective, nor will it's usage be reduced to "zero time", as my little add-on, since it's foot activated. I don't break my "stride" while drilling, to get a blast of air.

Dave

Le>

[mac davis]

that sounds workable... I might have to "rube goldberg" it a bit.. maybe some kinda net or bag for the shavings to blow into??

mac

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[Upscale]

Perhaps a big box fan blowing into some type of filtered net, pillow slip or container of some type? Should be relative easy to set up.

[David]

AAMOF, Tim, I set my line pressure to 20-30 lbs. :)

Dave

Tim Douglass wrote:

bring something to kill"

[David]

Look at the pictures I posted. The blower aims at the table below the chuck...

Dave

Upscale wrote:

[David]

My God, this is getting out of hand! I can't understand why all the hoopla over a bunch of wood chips on the floor next to the DP. Don't you guys make sawdust in your shops without stressing over it? I spend about a 1/2 minute or less with the shop vac cleaning up after a project at the DP. Without the blower, the same mess is there, but the chips are in the way (between fence and work piece) as I switch/move work pieces. Wiping them away is problematic, and blowing them away with my own lung power gets the stuff in my face. The air line method works great for me. No one else need duplicate my idea if it's all that unsettling.

Dave

Upscale wrote:

[mac davis]

or maybe he could get Bill, with his double gloat, to stand near the DP and attract the dust??

mac

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[mac davis]

Relax, Dave... nobody is jumping on you, just responding to your post.. the advantage that I see of air over DC or vac is noise level, assuming that your compressor is loud and close to the dp..

I don't mind the DC noise on the DP, as it's a shopsmith and louder than the DC.. I stopped using it on the band saw because with the DC running, I can't hear the BS... not good if you're resawing a 12" log and want to make sure that the BS isn't binding or lugging down...

mac

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[David]

I don't think anyone was jumping on me. I think some guys are perceiving that the compressed air makes more of a mess than it really does, that's all. It is a solution that I wish I'd come up with a long time ago. The compressor doesn't run often enough to bother me unless I open the valve to let air blow constantly at the DP. The 1 second blasts use next to no air from a 30 gal tank.

Dave

mac davis wrote: