Dust Collectors; what micron size on bag?

I'm not sharp, but I can look things up.

Not to mention the ability to slap on a mask when doing things which make fine dust.

Advertising often creates a want where no need exists. If you've got the money, have at it, and use a bunch of duct tape, because dollars to dogturds you'll get more from leaks than you get from the bag.

If you've got allergies, definitely get the finest filtration for your collector _and_ your nose, directly.

For fine dust, I've found that a good powered air filter and/or dust mask helps more than small micron bags. Standard small micron bags seem to cut the flow down quite a bit on non-industrial sized collectors. The cartridge filters now available have a lot more filter area, so the flow rate should be kept up and smaller particles can get grabbed.

One of these days, I'm going to add a cartridge filter to my 2 HP Jet. I was not happy with a 1 micron top bag.

This is simply my own limited experience.

Barry

Wade,

I use a 1 Micron bag which causes no visible dust in the air when running, nor can my sniffer detect any "sneezable" stuff after a long session of dust collecting. Any reason you aren't considering a 1 micron bag, for health and comfort?

dave

Wade Lippman wrote:

If you are really serious about capturing all (well nearly all anyway) look at the cartridge filter replacements. One off the ww mags did a article about them this month. Looks like the way to go to me. Spendy but worth it in the long run I think

============== I have had a Griz 1029 for well over 10 years now ..and I enclosed only the top bag inside a 1/4 inch plywood box leaving about 4 inches clearance around the inflated bag as a method to reduce the dust that went thru the 30 micron bag....4-5 years ago I did buy a 5 micron bag and honestly I can not tell the difference... after a few weeks I still have a little duct on the floor below the DC... no more or no less that I can tell... BUT the "box" seemed to restrict the amount of dust in the shop in general...

I did not buy the DC for health resons...only to keep the shop a little less dusty thus more relaxing for me to use...

Bob Griffiths

the cartridges for the jet are not all that fine. You really need about .3 microns on the cartridge like I have on my cyclone. but it depends on how much fine sawdust you make really. tropicals are the worst. when I clean out my cartridges the dust that comes out is like smoke it floats up. very weird stuff.

Gosh, just when it seemed so clear, you dissent. Still, I appreciate your input.

If you really want good air inside your shop (and it's not freezing outside), why not put the DC outside and not be bothered with filter effciency at all? Lumber mills mostly have their DC outside...

============== I have had a Griz 1029 for well over 10 years now ..and I enclosed only the top bag inside a 1/4 inch plywood box leaving about 4 inches clearance around the inflated bag as a method to reduce the dust that went thru the 30 micron bag....4-5 years ago I did buy a 5 micron bag and honestly I can not tell the difference... after a few weeks I still have a little duct on the floor below the DC... no more or no less that I can tell... BUT the "box" seemed to restrict the amount of dust in the shop in general...

I did not buy the DC for health resons...only to keep the shop a little less dusty thus more relaxing for me to use...

Bob Griffiths

\ ================================ Actually I have been giving that thought some attention the last week... I just stuck a 16x6 foot "deck" behing my shop just to use some "stray" but used lumber that came my way last summer... It seemed to me that adding a

My wife however is questing me about doing this...because before she retired she worked in the Lab at an Aluminum manufacturer and their dust collectors were locsated outside the lab and were constantely being clogged because of moisture "gumming" up the DC (mostly carbon dust in this case)

Any thoughs on this ?

Bob Griffiths

Plenty of reasons here...

Wade Lippman wrote: : Bags are typically 30 micron or 5 micron, with a few even smaller.

: I understand that a 30 bag will pass fine dust that a 5 bag will catch, but : it is it really noticable over the other dust in the shop? If so, how do : good brands get away with selling 30 bags?

: If you are sharp you will pick up that I am trying to rationalize buying a : 30 bag, but need to be talked out of it.

the really hazardous stuff is sub 1 micron. Large particles your lungs can clear, but the smallest ones go in there and don't come out.

A 30 or 5 micron bag will make your shop look dustless, and than can be nice, but isn't going to do much of anything for your health.

Get a bag, or a canister filter plus cyclone, that can get the finest dust.

-- Andy Barss