Dust control in the workshop for beginners

Chas Jones

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Location
Cotswolds, UK
The missive below was an attempt to help beginners in woodwork on a UK Turners forum get their heads around the complex subject of dust control.

Obviously it is only a very simplistic view of a very complex subject but its main intent is/was to stimulate thought and discussion of the risks and solutions in a home shop.

Dust control for beginners

Hope it is of interest.
 
Well done Chas, I'm sure that some will nitpick some points with you, but overall, I think you hit all the major concerns. I do think it is important to inform people new to the hobby that they should expect to spend a fair chunk of change on dust collection, and the real dangers of not doing so.

Cheers!
 
Best advice I ever saw was a response to someone saying their air cleaner was good enough for dust control...an old timer responded with "Tell that to the bottle of oxygen next to me and the doc that said I may never turn again!" Dust protection is important!

Thanks for sharing Chas!
 
I don't Chas, there a quite a few mis-spelled words in there (maximise, realisation, neighbours, practise, etc..). Oh wait, that's proper english. :D :rofl:

That's a very good article, thank you for posting. :thumb:
 
I don't Chas, there a quite a few mis-spelled words in there (maximise, realisation, neighbours, practise, etc..). Oh wait, that's proper english. :D :rofl:

That's a very good article, thank you for posting. :thumb:
Darren, it's because he's writing in Metric. :p

Thanks for the article, Chas. Dust control and collection are important for any woodworker.
 
Thanks for keeping that topic front and center Chas. I think your article is nice and concise.

I can relate to your comments especially about MDF. I had always thought I was immune to any wood dust, what the heck its natural product eh!. Until I cut a bunch of MDF in my basement and then started finding that I was wheezing. Getting worse each time I worked down there with no dust protection at all.

Thats when my wife and I agreed on my stand alone shop and I put the most amount of money into a single tool in my cyclone dust collector and air cleaner. I wont do serious woodworking until I get it all hooked up in my new shop and right now I am stuck for ducting. Still dabble in the odd small project but I will patiently wait to have it all hooked up before I again do serious cutting/planning or sanding in a confined space.

The point you make is more serious to me because of the winter we have here. My shop is sealed up to save in heating. That means if I did not clean the air, even floor dust that gets kicked up continuously gets recycled over and over.

Given I am really only starting out and plan to do woodworking for the rest of my able days, I decided I start off in a manner that will allow me to survive.

By the way I see all your work in posts and it really looks great. Dont always comment because by the time I get to see your posts most of the others have already said what I thought and it seems corny to be repeating the same thing all the time. Where do you find so much spalted wood. Are these logs that are found decomposing in the forest?


Great that you have taken the time to alert as many as possible to this hazard. :thumb:
 
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Thanks Chas for a great piece. When I went to the doctor about 2 yrs. ago for what I thought was a cold he told me if I didn't quit breathing dust I would have emphysema in about 2 to 4 years. So I got the DC, air cleaner and a Trend. It has made a world of difference. But he got my attention real quick when he said the word emphysema because my grandfather died of that.
 
... Are these logs that are found decomposing in the forest?
Rob, I am fortunate in that my main customer owns considerable woodlands, I have the onerous task of having a wander through them from time to time selecting which of the non timber production clearout needs diverting from the firewood stack.

... Great that you have taken the time to alert as many as possible to this hazard. :thumb:

As you might gather it is a bit of "soap box" subject as far as I'm concerned, as the years go by I experience accounts of more and more people injuring themselves unecessarily and yet I still see people working without protection even at very public demonstrations.
 
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