A NuB's Kind of Question....

[Joe Scarfo]

I've had this lathe for about a week and a half now and I'm turning like crazy....

Right now I'm trying to duplicate a cave man style mug that I made a few months ago on my little delta.... The LOML son loves it... I may make him a few for xmas...

The shavings are very fine and I've started sneezing from the dust, something that hasn't happened before...

My concern is come winter I'll be using the natural gas heater out there.... should I rig up something to capture dust to avoid an explosion?

My instincts are no, the amt of dust it takes to have a mis hap would likely cause the entire shop to look dusty and cloudy and there isn't that much dust.... still I wanted to enquire....

I used to think making pens on the Delta Midi was fun... but you know... with this new lathe.. making bowls and stuff just doesn't compare... I can't wait for my skills to advance and I start with the segmented bowls.

If you are curious, the mugs are made from a big chunk of spalted maple I was able to save from a friends fireplace.... I'm trying to get more.

Thanks
Joe

[Michael James]

you'd be wise to collect some of the dust, but I'd be more concerned with your respitory system than a fire. Protect yourself and your property.
my .02
mj

[David E Keller]

MJ is right. I'd be more worried about your lungs than fire.

[Bill Buchanan IN]

Most definately Joe. You are sneezing because of all of that sanding dust all over everthing. A 1 to 5 micron dust collector should be set up to collect the sanding dust. A dust collector to collect the turning shavings is an exercise in futility, but you do need to collect the sanding dust. Check your hankerchief later that day or next morning for the evidence.
As you turn items larger than pens, you will quickly learn how much dust will collect EVERYWHERE ! You do need to breath, An explosion can happen, but not likely.

Spalting is a fungus. You do not want to breath that stuff.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Joe,

Like the others, I'd be more worried about your health than a fire.

I have a Lennox gas overhead gas heater in my shop and haven't seen any problems with fire or explosion.

I do not use my DC when I am turning green wood. The wet stuff can clog the pipe.

However, I do use the DC when sanding and finishing a dry turn item and I wear my Trend Airshield.

Some day I'd like to get a couple air cleaners to put in my shop for the finer dust that escapes everything else.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree with Bill and the others. I would be more worried about my breathing. After two trips to the doctor this past year for a brochial infection (that takes forever to get over) that she said could lead to pneumonia or emphysema I now have a DC, a air cleaner hanging from the ceiling and a Airstream AS400 respirator. I don't worry much about explosion. Adding the air cleaner sure did help keep the dust down and the DC for dust. Not much help when turning green.

[Steve Schlumpf]

I agree with everyone else on this - protect your lungs!

My shop in located in the basement and I have a simple Jet DC 650 that I use to capture the sanding dust. I learned the hard way that using a DC with green wood doesn't work - it caked up inside the filter/bag and was a real treat to clean up later!

I started off with the Trend Airshield and it worked well. I used it for a couple of years and then upgraded to the 3M Airstream. You don't have to go to that level of filtration if you don't want to but you should get something to clean the air you are breathing!

[Allen Neighbors]

I have an old, pot-bellied stove about 10 feet behind me every winter, with a roaring fire, and I've never had an explosion... (not counting the time I had let the fire die out, and then threw a lacquer soaked rag into some glowing embers, and closed the stove door). :D
I don't have a DC, but I have a home-built air cleaner over the lathe, and I use fans to direct the dust away from me, and through a window, to outside.
I really think that if there's enough floating dust to cause an explosion, you couldn't breathe... :)

[Brian Brown]

Use a dust collector to protect your lungs. You only have two, and replacements are very expensive and in short supply.

[Karl Card]

Do yourself a huge favor and get a respirator. I am not talking one of those disposable ones that do not fit.

One thing is for sure is that sawdust once in your lungs, does not come back out, and of course that is not the right way to grow trees either..lol

[Joe Scarfo]

Thanks guys... I thought I updated this thread earlier this morning....

I've already hooked up the dust collector and that was the plan all along.... I probably should've mentioned that...

Thanks again for your thoughts and concerns..

Joe