Airborne dust from random orbit sander

[Thomas Wilson]

Alan, I remember your discussions of air filtration with David Morse and your well-done tests of your system. I appreciated them very much. I don’t plan on doing anything so elaborate. I am just posting particle count rates for various activities. I will log count rates and mitigation measures I use for information. When I get back to the shop, I will also check air velocity around the tools and downdraft box using a Testo hot wire anemometer to give a quantitative measure of air movement for my dust collection components. I think numbers are useful for people compare to and evaluate their own shops.

I am making information about shop dust a small crusade because even as a hobbyist I think I damaged my lungs before dust collection and filtration were widely available. When I started setting up my current shop, I hoped my high end equipment might be sufficient that wearing a mask would not be necessary. What I’m finding is that it is not. I will also say that while 4000 count is bad for your lungs, it does not seem too bad while breathing it. The air is not heavily laden with dust. I am not coughing my head off when I take the mask off.

[Ron Selzer]

I appreciate all the effort different people have put into monitoring the dust in THEIR shop and what they do to lower it.
I do not wear a mask in the shop except when cleaning out the dust collector bin, my choice
I don't recommend that anyone not wear a mask and hearing protection in any shop unless the air monitor shows dust in the air is low and noise levels are down.
Ron

[Tom Bussey]

I read an article one time that stated that, do to all the contaminates in the air around us. Like smog, smoke, dust, industrial fumes pollen in the air and so on, that just breathing is just hazardous to your health. But on the flip side, not breathing is clinical death in four minutes.

Over 150 people have died on Iowa roadways this year, and it will probable more that double by years end. Have you stopped using any other form of transportation other than leg power? How many people die from abusing prescription medicine? How about obesity? The other day an older man went fishing below our dam, fished there all his life, and never went home. Slipped and his hip waders filled up with water and he went down.

I have a friend who never smoked or worked in wood at all but has a lung problem and has a life expectancy of 2 to 5 years.

I have been woodworking for 50 years. I have 4 dust collectors and dust canisters on all the sanders and 3 shop vacs on router tables and still can't get it all. If I take a planning cut on my table saw, Saw Stop with overhead dust collection. And it doesn't do any good if it is not turned on, so it gets turned on, and I still can't get all the dust. Did I mention two air filters hanging from the ceiling. and a fan with a pleated filter?

I do the best I can and then I get on with my life. If I was that worried about fine dust then I would quit woodworking as a hobby and take up golf. But then I would have to be worried about being struck by lightning. So I would have to stay in the club house and have a drink. but then I might become an alcoholic.

[Ric Jones]

i built a sanding vac box, and attached to dust collector, and found it was just ok, came across a festool vacume and walla, what a difference, the vac table is setting on patio relegated to being just a table, soon to be sold.
i did just purchase a few other festool tools, choked on price, but we will see i'm especially excited about the 150 OS, it goes into action this week, see how that works
rj in az