Chip and dust control on lathe

[Don Farr]

I do not have a DC. I use the biggest shop vac that Ridgid makes and move it around when needed. I works good on the TS, BS and even OK on the planer, but I can not come up with a way to make it work on the lathe. I tried one of those large chutes behind the workpiece. but most of the chips/dust come off the front.
As you guys know I am really loving this turning but it is killing my sinuses.
A dust mask, face-shield and eyeglasses don't mix well. My glasses fog up and I can't see what I am doing. :confused:
What to do????

[Jim Becker]

Sorry, Don, but you really cannot effectively collect from the lathe while it's running and you're using tooling. As you already understand, there is no consistant direction that the chips fly when you are cutting. However, collecting fine dust when sanding with a hood that you can position in the "right place" is pretty important. That dust usually heads towards the back of the machine at a low downward angle. Even a shop vac can work for this application, although a larger hood powered by a DC is a little better as it can move more air from a broader area. If you see a "bargan basement" DC in a store, buy it to dedicate to the lathe if you cannot put in a larger system for your whole shop. You don't need a big one for the lathe; but something that will handle a 4" hood will work even better than the shopvac.

Also, some turners use movable curtains to help contain the "splash" from the lathe from going all over the entire shop. It at least makes cleanup with the broom and vac easier.

[Royce Meritt]

Most of us have had the same problem. What seems to work for me is to use a dust mask with little one-way valve (OK so I don't really know what it is called.) so that when you exhale your breath goes out the one-way valve instead of up around your glasses and fogs them up. Just make sure your glasses are on the TOP of the nose piece of the dust mask.

[Ted Calver]

Don,
I'm in the same boat. I've been toying with the idea of one of those air powered combination face shields with the battery pack, but so far can't bear to part with the $$. In the mean time I'm turning green wood and keeping my tools extra sharp to reduce the amount of fine, nose cloggin' dust.
Let us know what your solution is.
Ted

[Don Farr]

Don,
I'm in the same boat. I've been toying with the idea of one of those air powered combination face shields with the battery pack, but so far can't bear to part with the $$. In the mean time I'm turning green wood and keeping my tools extra sharp to reduce the amount of fine, nose cloggin' dust.
Let us know what your solution is.
Ted
Hey Ted, I guess that is what I will have to turn to also. I read about a new one on the market that is not as expensive, but I can not find it again.
I will certainly let you know if I find one.

[Dale Thompson]

Don,
I had a similar problem with the dust mask/glasses fogging thing. If you are using those cheap paper masks like I do, try "pinching" the metal strip around your nose before putting on your glasses. My son suggested this and it has certainly worked for me. Fortunately, I don't have the sinus thing which requires me to do this on the lathe.

Forget about containing lathe chips. They are too heavy to be efficiently picked up by either a DC or a shop vac. If you are getting "dust" from your chisels (either skews or gouges), you should consider reviewing your technique. Even with a very fine skew cut, you should get "shavings". These are fine shavings but I would not call them dust.

The "dust" should come from sanding. I've been told that if I use my tools right, I should get a 150 grit surface off the tool. Well-sometimes I do but most of the time I don't. My lathe is reversible so that helps a lot with the sanding "dust". The DC gets most of it on everything but long spindles.

The bottom line is, we should perfect our tool control so that sanding is obviated. Yeah, right!! ;)

Lastly, and stupidly, I must admit that I don't use the face shield very often on the lathe. However, when I am using the grinder for sharpening I ALWAYS use it!!. That grinder scares the heck out of me and I NEVER use it without the shield. :cool:

Dale T.

[Mike Kelly]

Don, I think we all have the same problem with a lathe. I have a dust collector and most of the turnings end up on me too. I have used this mask for the last year and as far as masks go it is pretty good. I take it home at night and hand wash it with dishwashing liquid, hang it up and the next morning it is new again.

http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=2089&gift=False&mscssid=3D6B9DEC9191460180EEF35980B21EDE

I am going to try to use a small fan tomorrow and point it towards the turning to push the dust towards the collector. I am going to rig another collector as close to the front (or maybe side) as I can also. I am going to finish a jig made out of MDF (ugh).

[Bryan Cowing]

I put a 20" box fan at the end of the lathe, on low to keep dust away from my face and keep from fogging my glasses from a mask. For collecting dust on the lathe, run in reverse, that way sanding dust exits off the top toward the back of the lathe toward my 4" DC hood.