Workshop Dust - a few thoughts

[brianhabby]

I've only recently acquired a workshop, a rented garage that has power. I used to have to work outside on the patio and store my tools in my 8' x 6' shed. Workshop dust was not a major issue when working outside because most of the time I wasn't there for very long before it started raining. On the few occasions when I did spend any amount of time outside the wind usually made sure that my sawdust problem was shared with the neighbours..!

Now that I have a 'proper' workshop, dust is fast becoming a major issue. I have a small workshop vac that I bought from Screwfix for about £90 and it has been great. The tool plugs into it and it auto starts when the tool is switched on and stays running for a short while after switching the tool off. Trouble is it is now proving to be a bit on the small side because I am creating a lot more dust and of course there are no neighbours to share it with.

I've had an old extractor fan knocking about for a few years and never really had a use for it, I always intended to put it on Ebay one day, (might get a couple of quid for it). Well am I glad I never got round to selling it. Having seen what some of you guys on this forum have done, I am inspired to make a workshop filter system using the filters from Axminster. Interestingly, on page 112 of their current catalogue, they mention that these filters work best when used at low speed so that the dust is not forced through the filters. My fan has a controller that gives it five speeds, the fastest of which blows the fan over when standing it on the bench..!

I've also just ordered the Trend Respirator, expensive I know, but what price your health?

I'll get an extraction system soon and plan of plumbing it in with blast gates etc. I'm thinking about the Axminster ADE1200. Any comments on this?

One final though about all this sawdust - I've been putting all the sawdust/shavings etc into plastic bags and passing it to various friends and family members who use it as bedding for their little rodent pets, (hamsters, guinea pigs etc). My question - If this dust is so bad for us, how come it is okay for these little animals?

Regards to all

Brian

 

[PowerTool]

Interesting post,and some very good points (Other than the lathe,I do most of my woodworking outside.)

One final though about all this sawdust - I've been putting all the sawdust/shavings etc into plastic bags and passing it to various friends and family members who use it as bedding for their little rodent pets, (hamsters, guinea pigs etc). My question - If this dust is so bad for us, how come it is okay for these little animals?

This is something I have wondered before,so I bag shavings seperate to sawdust,and try to bag the shavings as seperate wood types (although I pass shavings on for bedding,don't do it if I think the wood might be nasty /poisonous/unpleasant)

Andrew

 

[Lord Nibbo]

I'm the same as Powertool, Chippings/shavings from the planner are ok but saw dust gets bagged and thrown in our local recycler for anything wood. But I have to admit I never gave it a thought about if the critters may be sensitive to the kind of wood

Good Post something to think about ! ! !

 

[WellsWood]

Had a large bag or 2 of redwood chippings from the P/T which I recently offered to a friend who's children have pet rabbits. She refused them because she'd been told pine was poisonous to rabbits :? Anybody else heard this? I was surprised because I didn't think you could get much more innocuous than Pine.

Mark

 

[Roger]

When I used to breed rabbits in my 'other life' I never had a problem with any wood shavings or rough hand cut sawdust.

That said, I know Yew isn't too good for them and neither is Cedar; but then I never had access to them. Of course MDF and any artificial wood is a definite No No! Any very fine dust will affect them as it does people i.e. sneezing, lung congestion etc. so I’d keep that separate in bagging.

Pine is perfectly okay and I think she may be getting confused with Cedar in that respect.

 

[ike]

I didn't think you could get much more innocuous than Pine.

OK for us maybe, but not good for small animals to nest in.
It's due to the phenol compounds apparently. If you notice, there are many brands of 'pine' disinfectant on the market with the active ingredients extracted from the wood which suggests to me at least that there's some toxicity there.

Ike

 

[WellsWood]

If you notice, there are many brands of 'pine' disinfectant on the market with the active ingredients extracted from the wood which suggests to me at least that there's some toxicity there.

Ike

Hmm hadn't thought of it like that but it makes sense, I'd always assumed the "pine" thing was just because people associated the smell with freshness.

 

[NickWelford]

In a similar vein, some woods cannot be used for composting or mulching either - walnut, fo example, suppresses plant growth very well.

 

[brianhabby]

Thanks for the interesting comments. I think I will definitely be keeping dust and shavings separate from now on and just giving the shavings away for the animals.

I spoke to Axminsters' technical people and was told that the large machine that I was thinking of buying can only be fitted to machines that take a 100mm hose and that if I connect it to something like a mitre saw that has a smaller hole then it wouldn't work. So I am thinking that the large machine (ADE1200) can be connected to the planers and I will still use the small Screwfix vac on the smaller tools. What do you think?

I got my Trend Airshield Respirator yesterday. It arrived just as I was about to start some routing and although there was not much power in the new battery I gave it a try - what a piece of kit. I should have bough one a long time ago, it's not at all heavy and the visor stays perfectly clear.

I'll order the filters for my home made air filter next week and then get started on that.

regards to all

Brian

 

[Anonymous]

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[woodbloke]

brianhabbly wrote:

I got my Trend Airshield Respirator

They are a really good piece of kit, tho' the flexible material which fits under your chin soon starts to break up - I'm doing a mod to mine at the 'mo and will post the result with some pics when dun - Rob

 

[Routermonster]

Brian

Like you, I've recently become concerned about dust in my garage/workshop. I am now sensitive to plywood dust and I'm ashamed to say that I've been very cavalier about MDF in the past - so I'm paying the price now.

Anyway, I've just bought the ADE1200 and I think it's excellent value for money. It's connected to my new P/T, but I've bought another length of hose which I will connect to my bandsaw.

I use a vac with power tools and my router table.

Hope this helps.

Les

 

[brianhabby]

brianhabbly wrote:

I got my Trend Airshield Respirator

the flexible material which fits under your chin soon starts to break up

And I've just grown my beard back...!

Brian

 

[Pecker]

I've just had a "waste inspection" performed by Arena Networks - a Welsh assembly funded Org. Wood shavings Ok to sell onto pet shops, horses etc, but saw dust has to be bagged up and just put into rubbish bins as cannot be used for bedding - can cause respiritory/eye problems.

There is apparently a huge debate going on at this precise moment all about "wood waste" and the best way to dispose of it. The shavings and offcuts can be used in a variety of ways, but sawdust - especially mixed is still going into landfill. This is a debate that will grow aver the next few years.
One IMPORTANT point to remember, if your shavings are contaminated with treatments ie Tannalisation etc DO NOT pass them on for bedding especially to horses - apparently can really upset them.

All of this causes problems for me as a pro. If I uprade to a "proper" extraction system, the sawdust goes into the same hopper as shavings....

mark