Dust Curtain Recommendation

[Old Bob Behling]

Have just installed a cubicle curtain track around my lathe and need a recommendation on what to use for the fabric. Want to stay with a lighter color, preferably white.

[Dwight Rutherford]

I use shower curtains from Walmart. Plastic doesnt collect chips or dust. Clear, or opaque, cheap to replace if needed.

[Bob Bouis]

How about clear 6-mil plastic sheeting (and some grommets)?

[daryl moses]

I just use the cheapest shower curtain I can find.

[Brian Kent]

I plan on getting a shower curtain with a nice forest scene.

My only hesitation is fumes in a fire. Would some kind of cloth be safer?

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Bill - I had put up a curtain on three sides of the lathe/sharpening station in my old shop. Just used heavy visqueen (sp?) plastic sheeting. I found that the solid sheet blocked airflow to the ambient filter on the ceiling. Wound up replacing it with a fine plastic netting that my wife found for me. A little more, but it blocks the chips while allowing the air to flow through.
The new shop will use the same.

[Thomas Canfield]

I like to use an oversize shower curtain with extra length to have curtain at floor and close to ceiling or at least 7' to stop the flying chips. Search Amazon. I use 1" thinwall or EMT conduit as rod.

[Scott Synnott]

Bob,
I have been considering a track curtain arrangement as well. Do you have a vendor and model you recommend?
Thanks

[Michael Mills]

If you are looking at chip control, rather than dust control, you may consider netting. Mine has about 3/8 X1/4 openings.
Allows visibility and air flow through it.
If doing it again I would probably go with this type instead. I am sure they carry different lengths, this was just the first I found.
https://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Barrier-Hunting-Netting-Protect/dp/B00MB8YH2Q/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1467117537&sr=8-12&keywords=garden+netting

[Prashun Patel]

Can you LMK which cubicle track you recommend, Bob?

[Bob Bergstrom]

I used a couple cheap 6"x8" plastic tarps from Menard's. They come in different thicknesses, but I bought the cheapest.

[Old Bob Behling]

Bill - I had put up a curtain on three sides of the lathe/sharpening station in my old shop. Just used heavy visqueen (sp?) plastic sheeting. I found that the solid sheet blocked airflow to the ambient filter on the ceiling. Wound up replacing it with a fine plastic netting that my wife found for me. A little more, but it blocks the chips while allowing the air to flow through.
The new shop will use the same.
Jeff, What size openings in the netting and where did you purchase? Also what clearance at the floor do you have? Thanks

[Old Bob Behling]

Can you LMK which cubicle track you recommend, Bob? Prashum, I used Imperial track. Also many other suppliers. Check Amazon.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Jeff, What size openings in the netting and where did you purchase? Also what clearance at the floor do you have? Thanks
I got the netting at a commercial fabric store locally - it came it 10' widths. I keep it just touching the floor. Got the track from Ikea - curtain track with nice round corners.

[David Linnabary]

I've been thinking about this as well, my thought was to purchase canvas painters tarp, cut to size, hem then insert metal grommets to hang the curtain with using standard wire shower curtain hooks from a closet rod.

David

[Old Bob Behling]

I got the netting at a commercial fabric store locally - it came it 10' widths. I keep it just touching the floor. Got the track from Ikea - curtain track with nice round corners.

Jeff, what size openings and what material and color is the fabric? Also what commercial store has this fabric?

[Geoff Whaling]

If you want heavy duty curtaining try your local sign printing business or commercial outlets that use large vinyl signs for rejects or past their use by date advertising campaign signs.

I have several that I get from a local sports store for free as they simply dump them when finished. They are a HD vinyl printed one side and are approx 10' x 8' with a rod pocket top and bottom to suit 1 & 1/4" dowel. Some have interesting photo only prints others are real in your face advertising banners but at least you can turn that face away from the lathe.

I use mine for photo backdrops, temporary screens, dust drop sheets etc.

[Mike Peace]

I got cheap white plastic ones from Big Lots. White is better than clear for me as it makes for a better background when taking process pictures or woodturning videos like I make.

[Bob Bouis]

Re: the curtain tracks. I think I've found a good source. They sell them in custom configurations, include all the hardware, have options for a drop-down (which is good for me because of all my lights.) Here's the right angle one:

http://www.covoc.com/type-1-cubicle-track/

Here's the whole list:

http://www.covoc.com/cubicle-track/

[Charles Wiggins]

How about clear 6-mil plastic sheeting (and some grommets)?

This is what I did to separate my shop off from the garage. I just bought a roll of clear plastic sheeting from the paint dept and a ½" grommet set at the BORG (http://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-1-2-in-Solid-Brass-Grommet-Kit-71264/100200416). I used a piece of 3/4" conduit for a rod and metal shower hooks. Fold the plastic sheeting at the top so you're putting the grommet through two layers, and it will be much less likely to tear. I was able to run the curtain across directly under a floor joist (my shop and garage are in the basement), and I made a short curtain that hangs down in front of the conduit rod by wrapping a piece of plastic around a 1 x 2 and screwing it to the bottom of the joist. I'll try to remember to post a picture later when I'm at home.

It not only keeps the dust and debris out of the garage, but the shop stays cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

[Thomas Canfield]

I keep seeing the "privacy" curtains that hospitals use with net at top and solid cloth about 6' down to floor. Something like that sounds like a good way to drop big shavings and allow air to circulate at the ceiling. A drawback would be that dust could also move with the air, but right air flow might minimize the dust problem.