I wear a respirator while grinding and sanding things in the shop, but with Winter here, the doors can't be open to allow fans to circulate air. I have worked on buying tools to avoid using the grinders,cut off wheels and sanding tools, but I still need them quite often. Our shop is old and we don't have any sort of dust collector or air filtration right now. After last nights work, I have had it. Even if I wear a mask, the air is still thick when I take it off. My lungs are hurting today. I figure I could use a vacuum next to what I'm grinding, but that has is risks as well. Do any of you have any suggestions beside high dollar dust collectors and opening the door when it's freezing cold?
Jury rig something out of a 5 gallon shop vac with intake & outflow hoses, the latter sent outside. You might get away with dryer ducting for the outflow hose. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Yup...Try something even if it doesn't work. Then try something else....Usually sooner you will find something that works in your shop.
I saw somewhere..... I THINK on youtube, a guy had made a dust collector out of an old plastic 55 gal. drum and a smaller (I'm guessing like a mobile home size) furnace fan. Maybe I'll see if I can find that. I think it was a video.....
I realize this is one of those dumb ass, GOOGLE IT posts, but I think it's something that is overlooked in most shops. I found this. Smart idea.
I have a Delta dust collector, hangs on the ceiling, has remote control, quiet, very powerful, filters are easy to change, it uses furnace filters and a washable secondary filter. When it is running you can stand back in shop and see everything slowly being pulled up and into filter. You can't really use anything that vents outside as it will cause way too much heat loss, I know, I live in Maine!
I think you alluded to the risk of dust explosions when you first mentioned using a vacuum. Don't underestimate that risk. Have a look over on the Garage Journal. There's lot's of good stuff over there. Probably find a solution. Pete
I actually used 2 of them when I was painting my motorcycle. I hung plastic from floor to ceiling and my box fans were taped to one side to bring in fresh air. I just had a curtain to walk into the "paint booth" and the air displacement was enough for positive air flow. By the time I was done, almost all the paint spray was out of the air and the filters were filthy but still flowing air like they were new. I'm just saying it's a super cheap and easy solution, at least until you come up with a more sophisticated system. Either way, good luck and kudos for thinking about your long term health in our hobby. Too many people don't.
Hey Guys, I've worked in HVAC and dust control for over 25 years, and the safest solution is to use a high quality dust mask whenever there are airborne particles floating around. The dust particles you can't see (i.e. the sub-10 micron size) are the ones that cause the long-term damage to your lungs and health. Silicosis caused by long-term inhalation of dust particles may be traditional among many tradespeople, but it's a tradition no one wants to maintain. The sort of air filters you have easy access to are just not suited to providing you with any protection, and recycling the air inside to minimise the heat loss and drawing in cold outside (fresh) air only keeps throwing the lighter particles into the air again. High quality HEPA filters should help, but they block up quickly and are expensive. Use a high quality (cartridge style) face mask and don't take it off if you are serious about your health. Oh, and recirculating air with particles through a non-explosion-proof motor has its own potential for disaster, so be careful if you are spraying any flammable / volatile materials. Look after yourselves, rodding needs you.
It would help if you put a box fan( good one, not a house fan) down low & a vent up high on the other end of the shop or a cuppola in the center of the roof( if possible), pulling the new air in high & the bad air out low were it is going to settle Put a cheap cardboard & Fiberglass filter over the fan & make it so you can block them both off easily in winter.Usually flap vents will do.Look in Graingers for the vent & fan. jimV
This is what I use ,I use this for welding and grinding. The canisters hang over my back and are out of the way.
Yeah, that's just it. If I suck air out of the shop, I just have to heat it more. I did find some stuff over there. I searched here to, and to my surprise, couldn't really find any information. This is bad shit! I use a mask, too, but I don't want to have to walk around the shop all day with it on. Thanks for all the replies. I think I'm going to go Thrift shopping for some supplies. My lungs need it, plus the shop is full of dust.
You can build the box with hepa filters. Use a furnace filter in the first stage to get the larger particlate. We use to build a fresh air hood with a full brim hard hat, fitting on top and plumbed to a shop vac outside that had a hepa filter in it. Really just created a postive air flow. Worked well until some guys were smoking a doobie out back and the guy spraying gel coat got real happy.
If you make something like this, build a couple and hang them on opposite sides of the shop so they set up a circulation and you will have better results. We had ten commercial air filters set up in the truck equipment shop where I worked, really made an improvement with the smoke and dust from several welders and air arcs. We also tried out a "smoke eater" which was a filter box with a hose and snorkel to suck up the fumes right at the point of welding; but it was not very handy inside and under truck bodies.
I installed a barn exhaust fan in the wall. When not in use it is covered with an insulated door. Yes it sucks out heat, but I don't run it steady unless I'm painting. A little heat loss compared to breathing in all that crap is a trade-off I can live with. A good respirator helps too.
I actually have a friend with a paint booth in his shop and its primary use is cutting and welding. Kind of strange at first, but makes so much sense. He builds alot of stuff and the rest of his shop is beautiful.
Are you mostly doing small parts on the bench, or grinding on something bigger? If you're doing small parts, you could build a downdraft table, and move your grinding to it. Just put a filter on the exhaust. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpT50VnF7PI
For better weather a carport cover would be the ideal work space. Wintertime in a garage - Bundle up - put on a respirator - and exhaust fan it outside. I use a wall/gable fan with the shutters that open. If the dust is down low like sanding paint/bondo I use a box fan. Then when things need to dry - turn on the heat and leave the shop....
I actually bought a cheap box fan and two filters as suggested. The good filter turned black after a couple days, so I'd say it works. I think I need two more fans to be ideal. RichB's suggestion of two is spot on. Having one near my work space didn't really help. I moved it to the opposite side of the shop and turned the furnace fan on and it helped a lot more (circulation). If I had the space a downdraft table would be ideal! I see the "Single star fairy" came to read my post. Thanks asshole!
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