Dust extraction advice

[gidon]

A little visit to Yandles woodworking show yesterday resulted with me buying a Scheppach mv100 vacuum dust extractor - mainly for my planer thicknesser:

http://www.nmauk.com/sitepages/04_Scheppach.html
(the one it shows is the 58mm version, but they now do a 4" version which I got)

And a Microlene MC400 air filter:

http://www.microclene.com.au/mc400.htm

Little unsure I made the right choices - any advice appreciated. The air filter is noisier than I thought - which is annoying because you end up turning it off. And it's hard to tell whether it's actually doing anything? Anyone had good experiences? How loud are yours(!)

Also I wanted something to replace my Karcher vacuum which only has a 35mm hose. So went for the Scheppach. Comes with a 4" hose which fits straight onto my p/t. I was told this vacuum style DE's are the only ones which will also cope with fine dust? And it's smaller which is handy for me. But is it adequate do you think? It has a spec of 53 l/s I think. And a 45 l capacity. I don't mind having to empty it a little - I just want to check it's matched to using with my p/t. It seems ok.

Also can I just get a smaller diameter hose for it and use it for my power tools and shop clean up. Otherwise I still have to keep my Karcher (and I'm running out of room!)

Cheers

Gidon

And and I got a Trend air ace mask for £22 which seem very good! Oh and it's a great show and free - well worth going if you're nearby.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Gidon

The only item I have first hand experience of is the Trend mask.

I have had one for about six months now and it is excellent. As I have to wear glasses for woodworking the visor allows them to be worn comfortably.

Phase 1 of my workshop should be finished later this month and I will then be seriously doing something about the air that I breathe.

Please keep us updated on your thoughts with regard to clean air.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Anonymous]

Gidon,

I've only just recently got a M1000 Microclene filter myself (on offer at Axminster; how could I resist :wink: ) and I was pretty surprised how noisy it was too. But then its not loud enough to require hearing protection, so I guess I'll just get used to it. Too early yet to say if its making a difference 'cos I just haven't been in the workshop, but I think it'll be worth it judging by the research I did before buying it. After all, new lungs aren't available off the shelf are they?

Weren't you tempted by any of Yandles timber? Every time I go there I end up gazing with envy at it all. Trouble is I'm always on the way somewhere else, and there's never room for it.

Cheers, Jester

 

[duncanh]

I have the mc400 and by the colour of the filter it appears to be doing a good job. I sometimes work with paxoline/bakelite (for making boomerangs) and the filter definitely looks brown. If I look closely I can see dust particles moving through the air towards it.

Yes, it's noisy, but when I bought it I also bought a speed controller which came as a replacement power cord with a dial in the middle of it. It can go from full speed down to a virtual whisper. I think I got it from
http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk/ but I'm not sure if it's still on the website. I generally work with it the a higher setting but when I leave the room I turn it down and leave it on for several hours.

Duncan

 

[gidon]

Thank you all of you for some very helpful replies. Yep Neil the Trend Air Ace seems good (even though it looks daft!) - I'll give a good go this afternoon.

Jester dare I ask how much you payed for the MC1000? It's probably overkill for my small workshop but I'm still interested. I paid £120 for the MC400 which is not the bargain the chap made out but fine. The thing about the noise of the thing is it's bearable on its own (although can't find a figure for its noise level in db) - but when you start turning on other tools/machines it all adds up! I was overwhelmed by the wood at Yandles - but like you bought nothing. Have you tried Atkins and Cripps in Plymouth for timber or is it too far for you? They are meant to be good - I'm going to try and go next week.

Duncan - thanks for the info on the mc400 - good to know someone else with one - and may look out for a speed control or try and make one. Do you know if it matters how how you mount it in the workshop? I have it well above head height but haven't yet worked out whether it should be lower?

Cheers

Gidon

 

[Anonymous]

Gidon,

How much I paid? Cripes, I've erased it from my memory in self defence! I think it was about £150 (and if anyone knows somewhere cheaper I'd be obliged if they'd keep it to themselves. :wink:

Funnily enough I don't think the noise with other stuff running will be a problem; I always tend to wear ear defenders then anyway. I think mainly hand sanding (yes, some of us still do that) and lathe stuff will be where it becomes a drawback. Time will tell.

Aitkins and Cripps huh? Yeah, they were suggested to me by a pro outfit a while back, but I seem to recall you needed to buy quite a quantity at a time and I never found a circular tuit in order to find out more. I'd love to hear how you get on with them. I was lucky enough to visit Scott Woyka's workshop yesterday (familiar to F&C readers, I'm sure) and asked him about timber suppliers. Rather discouragingly he said he tended to get it from places in Oxfordshire and the like. Heigh ho.

Cheers, Jester

 

[duncanh]

I've no idea of the best height for it - mine's just above head height when I'm leaning over my work, so not very high. I'm not exactly using it in a typical set up though (if such a thing exists) since I work in my spare bedroom (or at least what used to be a spare bedroom ).
Most of the dust I produce is from a jigsaw, filing and hand sanding - all I work on at the moment is boomerangs, but that should change soon as my woodwork night class starts in a couple of weeks

Duncan

 

[gidon]

Thanks Jester. Atkins and Cripps aren't open Saturday so need to find some time to pop along. They seem ok on the phone but we shall see. If Yandles could be a little closer that was just the ticket ... I've just found a little stack of sawn oak that I had forgotten about! So that may keep me going for a bit!

Cheers Duncan. That sounds very familiar - I used to do woodwork in the spare bedroom of a rented house. Spent hours trying to clean up when I left but still lost the rent deposit. And in the previous house I did woodwork in the study! Bunged a sheet over the computers and I was away. Don't think my wife was that chuffed! Brings it home though, I'm now doing woodwork in a dedicated 14x8 foot shed and I still complain non stop that I want more space.

Jester had a look at your website - now that's what I call a decent sized workshop!

Cheers all,

Gidon

 

[Anonymous]

You know how it is, you find something that is BRILLIANT, but after a few years, you just assume that everyone else also uses them?

Well, about 25 years ago, I discovered the generic "Sonic" ear plugs whilst shooting off both very large calibre artillery pieces, but also those small but irritatingly noisy Heckler 'n Koch sub-machine guns.

In those days, I found these ear defenders in a gun shop — not so sure if it is as easy to find a UK retailer these days, but they are still being manufactured.

These little chaps are comfortable for all day use, but incorporate a tiny 'plug-in' stainless steel valve capsule that shuts off loud noises when necessary (even your own/partners' snoring!) — normal conversation is easy, as it passes straight through and, although the main valves are optimised to close down upon receiving sharp reports, they seem to work on a sliding scale also.

Anyway, I now find them to be as perfect in the woodshop and bed, as when they were really being put through their paces.

Hope this helps,

--
batty
Oh, their url seems to be,
http://www.earinc.com/p1-filtered-sonicvalve.php

 

[gidon]

Thanks for this batty - they look very intriguing - I may just have to find a uk stockist ...
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Gidon

I thought they looked interesting as well. They are 20 USD, which isn't bad, but then delivery is 35 USD.

Delivery remained constant at 35, even when I was ordering ten.

Cheers
Neil