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Thread: Air Purifiers-Do they really help control the dust? Trying to prevent fine Dust

  1. #1
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    Air Purifiers-Do they really help control the dust? Trying to prevent fine Dust

    I have a 20x50 workshop. My "sawroom" is 20x20 and my tools are connected to a Jet Vortex Dc1100 RCK (has canister and Vortex) .

    I have doors i try to keep closed to prevent fine dust from heading into the other part of the shop when sawing.

    If i purchased one of those fancy hang from the ceiling air purifiers would that help prevent the fine dust from settling allover the "sawroom"?

    I have been doing a lil research and am i correct in reading i need to have one that exchanges the air every 10 mins or something like that?

    And finally recommendations of those fancy lil guys that hang from the ceiling? I see lots of them at my Rockler store....ie Jet Rikon, etc...

  2. #2
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    I don't know that you're going to prevent all the fine dust from settling, but they definitely make a difference. Mount it to one side of the room so the air will circulate better. I have a Jet that I've been happy with, but if I were buying one right now I'd get a Grizzly and save some money. I run mine on low speed whenever I'm in the shop and bump it to high speed if I do something that creates a big cloud of dust. You can literally see the dust disappearing out of the air. I buy the cheap furnace filters from the big box and vacuum the face of them several times and change them when they start looking ragged. No way I'm paying the price they ask for the factory filters. My shop is roughly the same square footage as yours.

  3. #3
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    My shop is much smaller than yours. I have the Rikon from Rockler that is on a rolling cart. I pull it next to the work when sawing and let it run for awhile after. There is still a little fine dust settling here and there, but it made a huge difference. The proof is in the filters. It does collect a lot.

  4. #4
    They don't make the shop dust free but certainly do make a big difference. I do the same as Ted and have it running all the time on low (it comes on with my shop lights) and then crank it up when sanding, cutting mdf, etc.

  5. #5
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    My experience is the air filters do make a difference in clearing out the air but it does take some time. I would wear a good respirator when making dust and working after making dust then leave and let the filter clear the air.

    I use a Dylos particulate air quality monitor which actually measures the quantity and size of the dust particles floating around. This shows significantly better air after the filter is running for an hour or so. Such a monitor eliminates all guessing and hoping. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AWEG0Y

    Note that the air filter must be installed properly to get good circulation around the room since it can't filter air that it can't move. They come with specific instructions.

    JKJ

  6. #6
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    My shop volume is much larger (15,000 cu ft) so I have a 900 cu ft/minute shop-built filter as designed by Bill Pentz. It works well for clearing the air, though I don't have much to compare it with. I have never owned a ceiling hung air filter. I can't answer your question about settling dust. The assumption is that it helps. I regularly clean all surfaces in the shop including those at height (tops of DC ductwork and light fixtures for example) to manage dust and try to maintain as healthful an environment as possible.

    Dust management is clearly one of, if not the top health concern facing woodworkers.
    "the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” Confucius

  7. #7
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    All will help. Rather than worrying about dust on the tools, worry about COPD and breathing. I have one don't use all the time as i should but yes it will help. One thing I did find out, and these should run all the time, is find out the DB rating of the machine. Get as low a DB unit as you can. Mine is a delta and the sucker is loud. Also, mount in an area against a wall to generate an air flow to keep the dust moving.

    Generally the smaller the micron it will filter and the quieter it is will drive the cost. I saved a tad on $$ by getting the delta and now know why. Wish I'd sprung for the quieter one. Buy once cry once.

    I'm going to be moving in about 2 years, and I will sell mine, and get a better one (quiet).

    Cheers!

  8. #8
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    Like a lot of things that ones that are well made and perform well do better than something else. I have a gable fan in a shop made version that runs a 20" x 20" filter set. Even though it is sub-optimal when compared to something like my dad's JDS, I am always amazed at how much stuff I get out of the filters every few weeks. The filters are empirical proof of what I would otherwise be cleaning up.

    10 years ago the JDS 750 was head and shoulders above the herd but, the recent tests I see show Jet and others more or less matching that performance now. The price range for this level of performance still seems to be in the $300 to $400 range.

  9. #9
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    FWIW, I've heard it said that a ceiling-mounted cleaner will only capture the fine dust that has risen up to the level of the cleaner, leaving lower levels of dust to settle as usual. The corollary to that being a recommendation that they be mounted at the level of your head so that there is more impact on the air you're breathing.

  10. #10
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    WOW! What great information. I like the idea of building a rolling cart for it. Sound is something i didnt consider either. I was not aware that there are other units out there that are not ceiling mount. i do have a good respirator that i use when sawing. my main focus is to try to cut down on some of the fine dust.

    So is the analogy "if a lil is good a lot is better" true here? in other words if i need a 320 CFM would i be wasting my money on a unit that provides 950 CFM

    Looking at the Rikon 62-100 https://www.woodcraft.com/products/r...l-model-62-100
    Last edited by David Ruhland; 01-23-2018 at 10:13 AM. Reason: Forgot to ask CFM question

  11. #11
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    The gold standard for dust control is to capture it before it can get airborne. So I would start by trying to figure out how you can accomplish that. I would love to see an actual fan curve for that 1.5 HP 1100 CFM blower...

    I bought the Dylos that John recommended and can confirm that it is helpful. I was surprised at the fine dust that was making its way into my office and ended up getting a HEPA filter to keep that air healthy.
    Last edited by J.R. Rutter; 01-23-2018 at 10:30 AM.
    JR

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by David Ruhland View Post
    WOW! What great information. I like the idea of building a rolling cart for it. Sound is something i didnt consider either. I was not aware that there are other units out there that are not ceiling mount. i do have a good respirator that i use when sawing. my main focus is to try to cut down on some of the fine dust.

    So is the analogy "if a lil is good a lot is better" true here? in other words if i need a 320 CFM would i be wasting my money on a unit that provides 950 CFM

    Looking at the Rikon 62-100 https://www.woodcraft.com/products/r...l-model-62-100
    Anyone who wants a "quiet" air filtration system can build one with an old furnace blower, that can be had for free or at a minimal cost (check your local furnace installation & repair shops).

    Mine is also a rolling system built out of a scrap plywood box (Google yo find vast of information on how to build your own purifier).

    An AFS is better than nothing, but dust collection at source is still your best defense, followed by a dust mask (suitably rated).

    Simon

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stan Calow View Post
    FWIW, I've heard it said that a ceiling-mounted cleaner will only capture the fine dust that has risen up to the level of the cleaner, leaving lower levels of dust to settle as usual. The corollary to that being a recommendation that they be mounted at the level of your head so that there is more impact on the air you're breathing.
    I'm going to disagree. They pull the air through and it's going to lift any that's lower. When I have a big cloud like from cutting MDF I can actually see the dust rising to the filter when I turn it on high. You want it higher than your head so you don't bump into it. Of course you can put it over a work table or table saw so you can't walk into it, but then it throws shadows right where you need the best lighting.

  14. #14
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    As for noise, I run mine even when I'm not creating dust because I need the "white noise" to mask my tinnitus. I've found that I can no longer concentrate in the shop when it's not running. Of course I wouldn't want an overly loud one.

  15. #15
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    AS J.R. indicated, the objective is to capture the dust before it becomes airborne.

    If you don't, you need to wear suitable breathing protection while in the shop.

    I would suggest that you concentrate on collecting the dust at source, for example a table saw will require above and below blade collection.

    I simply leave the cyclone with HEPA filter running constantly while I'm machining and for 15 minutes afterwards. I don't have any visible dust and my particle counter shows that the air is cleaner than outside ambient air.

    Once you've collected the dust at the source, you won't need a secondary filtering method........Regards, Rod.

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