Quick Follow up on “My Dust Collector Install”

[FrankEV]

It has taken a few days to get back to cutting again after installing my Dust Collector (DC) System.

 I have been working on a few projects at the same time, one being a sculptured piece that required removal of material with a Router.   Using a router sled to lower areas on the project, my hand held trim router produced a tremendous amount of cutting materials.   This material would have filled up my small shop vacuum quickly.  Using the DC pull around hose, the cutting material was easily and quickly picked up.

I also had the need to do a little sanding on my table mounted combination disk/belt sander.  With the DC operating the sanding dust was collected and no noticeable amount disbursed into the air.

In preparation of another project I used my table saw to cut panels and with the DC system attached and turned on, the saw dust was collected and there was hardly any material disbursed into the shop.  The little saw dust that comes off the top of the saw was again easily picked up with the pull around hose.

Then yesterday morning I spent over 3 hours at the scroll saw.  I let the DC run continuously while cutting.  My dust collector box under the table worked like a charm.  Most of the generated saw dust and small pieces that would normally drop to the floor or onto my apron and shoes, was almost collected one hundred percent.   I simply picked up, and tossed into the collection box, the small cutout pieces the popped up out of the cutting.  Only a few got away and landed on the floor.  Large cut out pieces were simply grabbed and pitched directly into the trash can.  Since I did not add a top of the table collection hose to the system, I did get a little saw dust on top of the work and table but this is very insignificant and again easily cleaned up after cutting with the pull around hose.

Previously, the floor of my shop would be littered with cut out pieces and saw dust for a few days until  a project cut was completed and I stopped to actually clean up.  Yesterday, it took less than a minute to clean up the floor around the scroll saw to pick up the few pieces that got away and the minimal amount of sawdust that dropped to the floor.   I can see that a few minutes of dusting the shop walls, shelves, stored materials, etc., now and then, will keep the shop a lot cleaner than it has been in the past.

Just a little FYI.  The temps are cool these days and I have a small heater to warm up the shop.   While cutting yesterday with the heater on, it started to get too warm so I shut the heater off.   The DC system pulls a lot of air out of the shop and it immediately began to noticeably cool the shop down.  This is a problem I will easily live with. 

Hope my DC install post and this followup was helpful.

 

Edited January 18, 2021 by FrankEV

[WayneMahler]

Happy to hear your DC is working so well. Keeping the air cleaner is keeping your lungs cleaner. Giving you a clean safer and more healthy place to enjoy your wood working.