I am using the 7 x 2' area at the and of my garage as my "wokshop". I need to rig up some sort of dust extraction. I am trying to get my hands on a s/h vacuum cleaner, that I could plug into my power tools (jigsaw, sander, router) and use to clear up sawdust from the floor when woking with hand tools etc. Is this a good move, as it seems to be OK.
You misspelled "workshop" and the spelling police got you. Too bad they have nothing better to do than discourage others.
As to your question, sure, the shop vac would certainly do for the small area you are working in, better than nothing.I don't think a dust collection system is what you need at this point.
Keep up the good work, you will enjoy it more as you get older!
OK. There are TWO levels of extraction you have to address. The first are the obvious shavings caused by a power saw, router, drill, etc. These are usually taken care of on most power tools by collection bags attached to the tools thenselves or, even better, vacuum hoses attached to the collection bag holes so that MOST OF the shavings are sucked into the vacuum as they are made. An old cleaner will do for this purpose.
The second is the more difficult (and dangerous to health) microscopic dust that's kicked up by these tools and blown all over the workshop. It won't all be caught by the above. Sanders cause a lot of this and (to a lesser degree) routers, power saws, et al. These tiny particles can hang in the air for hours and only gradually settle and are more difficult to prevent and/or collect. Good worshops have power ventilators and extraction systems in the walls or ceilings. You obviously aren't in a position to do that. Is your workbench near a window? If it is, you can accomplish quite a bit by having a table fan pointing out the window and blowing a lot of the dust into the outdoors. And ALWAYS wear a nose/face mask when doing any work that will cause this dust.
I agree with Mike but have no windows in my shop. I did get two filters usually used with house's heating system and put one in front of a 20" electric fan and put the second behind it. These two filters catch a lot of dust. They can b washed off with an outdoor garden hose and I try to remember to wash them often. (The more often the better says the guy who fixes heaters.) I vaccume the fan now and then, too.
I use a roll-around evaporative cooler... the water in the wet filter traps the dust and leaves most of it in a water bin when it revolves around to pick up more water..
It will be replaced ASAP by a blower motor, box and furnace filters
it's a good start. also consider working with the garage door open, with a strong fan at your back. some tools resist dust extraction... sanders come to mind... and just getting the dust outdoors is probably your best bet.
damn, something that I forgot to suggest to sam... your comment about sanding rolled the fog back! A sanding box (shallow box with pegboard top and connection for shop vac) really helps with that fine dust... I was amazed how well mine worked,,
I use a sweeper in my shop. I fills up real fast but the bags are cheap. It sucks up small pieces that jam inside the sweeper. I usually use a broom and dust pan first. then follow up with the sweeper.
Thu, Nov 25, 2004, 2:27pm (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (Mike=A0Girouard) says: And ALWAYS wear a nose/face mask when doing any work that will cause this dust.
That's not the little things the dentist wears, but the type with replaceable filters. They've got inespensive models that work.
I've got a mask, that uses two replaceable filters, a window fan blowing in, and an open door, plus a broom and dustpan. That's about all I've got space for, but works.
On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 19:16:41 +0200, Phil Hansen vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email
I actually think the guy's _not_ a troll. I did, but now I don't. If he is, it's the best I have seen! Never gets angry, replies to posts. Is actually posting on-topic.
On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 18:21:02 -0000, "Sam Berlyn" vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email
Which makes me say _again_ that you need to avoid the big, expensive tools, and start with stuff that is portable, versatile, and allows the purchase of more basic startup stuff.
I am not trying to knock your hobby. I see a lot of "Congratulations. Go for it" posts here, so I hope that people are not feeling that I am a nay-sayer.
I do honestly feel that using up your limited (???) budget on junk machines that make you feel god but which are crappy will disappoint for all the reasons I laid out before.
BTW. 7' * 2'? That's _small_. I actually see safety concerns there.
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