Another wood dust thread

[Peter Quadarella]

Sorry for making yet another one of these threads, but I've read all the old ones and am still undecided as to what to do, and could use some opinions.

I started getting into woodworking early this past summer and have recently completely taken over my 2 car garage. Now that it's cold I need to work inside a bit and I'm making too much dust to continue without some dust collection.

Right now I am mainly using my circular saw on rails, my router/router table, random orbital sander, miter saw, and assorted other hand power tools like drills and such. I will likely be purchasing a planer and a drill press within the next 6 months or so. At some point I know I will be getting a bandsaw but I don't know when.

I don't even own a shop vac. I am just using some disposable masks (they are NIOSH certified). I'm not willing to spend thousands yet, but a few hundred - maybe.

I have been looking at the 1 1/2 hp Steel City dust collector. Is that overkill for me now, or is it worth getting? I suppose I could roll it around and attach it to my portable tools somehow. Or should I just pick up a shop vac for now and worry about a real system sometime in the future. Or I could spend a bundle on something like the Trend Airshield and just use the vac for cleaning, and maybe get an air cleaner sometime in the future.

Can anyone help steer me in the right direction here? Thanks, any advice you have to spare is welcomed.

[Don Bullock]

Peter, you have some good questions there. Let me start by saying I'm just returning to woodworking so my experience is somewhat limited when compared to those here who have been working with wood for much longer.

I tried using a ShopVac. It sort of did the job, but not really. This was especially true with my table saw and planer. Some here told me when I posted a gloat for the planer that it was now time for a "real" DC unit. At first I didn't listen, but when Rockler had the Jet DC - 850 Dust Collector on sale last week my wife bought one for me. See - http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=69842 If you do decide on a planer, table saw and/or jointer a "good" DC will be necessary. You should be able to also use the DC for a band saw and miter saw as well as cleaning up around your tools.

As for your smaller tools, especially the sander, a ShopVac will do the job. I currently have a ShopVac hooked up to my ROS with an Oneida Dust Deputy between. It is amazing how much better that is over using the sander without any DC.

[Danny Thompson]

I also have a 2-car garage and have a shopvac that I hook up to your power tools as needed. This seems to do what any other vac would do for me. What I am targetting next is an filtration system, typically $200-400. The vac is good for grabbing most of the dust, but the filtration system cleans the dust that makes it into the air.

[Doug Rogers]

Peter,

You might want to try the HF roll-around dust collector (under $100). My shop is under construction, so I don't want to put up the duct work up until all the cabinets and machines are in place. I added a trash can cyclone lid and a 30 Gal. trash can to the collector. It works great. I connect it to the machines with 20' of 4" heavy duty clear hose.

I also use a Porter Cable CS with guide rails. I bought the PC 10' hose and hook that to the dust port on the saw. I use an adapter to hook the saw hose to the collector hose.

I also found plans for an air cleaner which uses a Gable Fan and some furnace filters. Check out the Pen Turners forum for the link.

Doug Rogers

[Rick Thom]

Peter, if I were you I would get a good shop vac now (equipped with Hepa filter) and when you go for more large equipment like a table saw or planer add a dust collector.
The shop vac is always useful but the dc will handle much more. For now get as much dust at source as you can. Many tools can be connected directly to your shop vac, so they eliminate most of the dust before it can get into the air.
When you are buying larger equipment you may make a better on a good dc and save yourself some dough too.

[Peter Quadarella]

Thanks guys, I'm shopping for a ShopVac now. I looked at the HF collector but realized that my I'll probably have use for a ShopVac for other things, even if I don't use it for dust collection after upgrading. Thanks for the advice, now to pick out a model ;)

[Dave MacArthur]

The Rigid shopvac at HD has been highly rated and was on a super sale last week. The Scroll Noise Reduction (SNR) system apparently is very effective, or so folks have said on numerous threads here. I don't have one, but have read the magazine reviews which rated it highly and threads here. If I were to buy a new one that wasn't a Fein or Festool CT22, it would be the SNR rigid.

[glenn bradley]

Since you've reviewed the other threads, I'll be brutal. If you are not going to go to a planer, band saw, table saw or jointer you will be after a killer shop-vac. If you do enjoy the hobby and stay with just hand held tools, you may be the first ;-)

If you see yourself doing this for a few more years (or forever) do not pass go, do not collect $200, get a cyclone. It will seem like a lot of money but, your enjoyment in the shop, the reduction of dust in the shop and tracked into the house and the years you will add to your life make it chump-change.

[Peter Quadarella]

I bought the large Ridgid today, it got excellent reviews and I like it so far. I am thinking about the future, maybe make a little enclosure outside and... well we'll see :)

In the meantime this should be ok, I might get a better mask and make some filtration before too long also.