Amount of Dust Collection Needed in Garage Shop

[John Goodin]

I work out of three car garage and always with the doors open. The garage is about 600 square feet of floor and the open doors provide about 170 square feet of opening along one wall. If it is too cold to work with the doors open I just don't work. It is a hobby. I have the common 1 HP dust collector and a 3 micron bag that gets switched between the table saw and planer. A shop vac is used on the ROS. Sometimes I hook the shop vac to the router table; sometimes not. I usually wear a dust mask when operating these machines. So my question is. . Besides wearing the dust mask more are my current practices enough with the garage doors open or should I add additional safety measures? If so, what additions or modifications are recommended. I thought about a ceiling mounted air filter to help with the air borne particulate but wonder if the effectiveness would be minimal with open doors. Thanks

[Peter Christensen]

Well you could just test the air and then decide if what you do is enough or needs improvement. Don't put directly in the dust stream being generated, just near you at head height.

https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_from...nitor&_sacat=0

I think a 2' to 3' diameter fan would be more effective than the room filter.

https://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-high-velocity-shop-fan-93532.html

[Bill Jobe]

You can pick up shop vac. hoses pretty cheap. Add a couple of them to the exhaust and run the hoses as far away as possible, downwind.
With all the doors open the air will go in every direction, so the effectiveness of your system will also vary from one day to the next.
Seems to me you'd be better off closing the doors and upgrading your DC, venting it outside.
I don't think 3 microns would get it.
I'm still learning about air quality, but I don't think your methods are adequate.....just my opinion.
As for a fan, I think pulling the dust is superior to pushing it. When you push the air it goes everywhere.
But I'm a rookie,so.......

[John K Jordan]

I worked like that for 10 years. I hooked a shop vac up to my bandsaw to catch most of the sawdust. I worked with the garage door open when possible. A big fan at the door blowing outward seemed too move most of the fine dust. After a bunch of sanding I left the garage for a while and let a Jet air cleaner on the ceiling circulate and clear the air. (I checked with a Dylos particulate counter - it took about 1/2 hour or so with the door closed.) I don't know how it would work with the door open but it might help if placed effectively. A bag type DC doesn't stop the fine dust very well - any way you can blow everything outside through a wall?

You say dust mask but not the kind - I think the type is important. I don't trust the little paper masks based on my experience with allergic reactions to the dust in my hay storage building. I only use these industrial respirators with P100 filters, I have several plus a couple of full face versions for occasional use in the shop and around the farm. I wear them when belt sanding and sanding away from the DC pickups even though I have a good 5hp cyclone. I keep a couple for visitors and students too.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MCUT86

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007JZ1M10

JKJ

[glenn bradley]

Do you mean point-3 micron perhaps(.3)? A DC with a 3 micron bag is a dust distributor, not a dust collector. Chip collector? Yes. 3 microns is not what you want to be breathing.

microns.JPG

A good respirator is a reasonable choice for folks wanting to open the door and use fans. There are a number of small, comfortable ones that work well. I use one when hand sanding or using small power tools that don't collect well with the shop vac. Folks sometimes get the idea that the forum likes to poo-poo their DC ideas. I assure you that is not the case; we just want you to have a long, happy, healthy hobby-life .