Air filter and vac/dust extractor recommendation

[Ber Gueda]

I need to solve my dust problem in my new shop. I am really concerned about dust and I'd like to enjoy wood working with the peace of mind that I am in a more or less healthy environment.

I am using for the moment being this respirator for the scroll saw and sanding. I also do all the sanding outside:
https://www.gvs.com/en/catalog/elipse-p3-respirator

And I would like to use a combination of a dust extractor or vac and an Air filter to be as protected as possible.

Apart from the sanding machine, there is a band saw on the way and, in a near futher, also a lathe. 

Regarding the Air filter, I thought about something like this:

https://www.recordpower.co.uk/product/two-stage-air-filter-with-remote-3-speeds-and-time-delay

And about the vac or the dust extractor, I think that it should be something with M classification:

https://www.festool.co.uk/campaigns/application-advisor/product-advisor-for-dust-extraction

Or this:
https://www.recordpower.co.uk/product/cgv3865--90l-2000w-large-extractor-4-inlet

So maybe you can help me with some suggestions on this matter. I might be getting a little "overworried" about the dust thing, that is also a possibility.

What are the main issues to take into account on both devices (air filter and vac/extractor)? 

Many thanks on advance for your help.

[OCtoolguy]

There has been a lot of discussion on this subject. I don't know if there is a right or wrong method but anything you do will help. A good respirator mask is the first thing to buy. Check out the Wen air cleaner. I love mine. Good luck.

[Ber Gueda]

You are right. Maybe there is no need to make a really big investment for the moment being. I have been searching the forum and one thing seems clear, the most important seems to be "attacking" the dust on the source. I might concentrate my efforts on this point, right now.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

As mentioned there are many factors that go into making a shop safe from dust but will tell you this is impossible. Now I must preface this as my opinion only. Each tool unless fully enclosed will spew dust in the air. Just the nature of the tools. yes there are ways to limit it but takes good quality tools and knowledge of capturing this dust.  The main source of the dust mask is the closest thing to perfect you can get to protect your lungs but you need to wear it religiously. The air cleaner you show is basically the same ones we all can buy here weather a wen or another brand. What you want is a 2 stage filtering system with them which the one you show does have this. The secondary filter is the most important and need to be changed every so often. The outer filter is also a changeable filter on the unit you show and cost less. They get clogged more readily than the inner so may require more changing. But this device is a air exchanger to break it down. It will not collect dust at any one specific spot. It circulates the air and exchanges with cleaner air. But what is never addressed is that it also blows dust around and that comes out the back end. It is just another tool to collect airborne dust which is a good idea. They need to be centered in shop or if using more than one then set up to collect half the shop for each. 

The Festool vac you show is just that a well built best on the market shop vac that actually collects down to 1 micron of dust particles and these are excellent but it is not used as a dust collector that can pick up large bits of chips and things like this. The hose size can not handle that and you get in all the cfm calculations and all that. They are made for things like collecting fine dust at a scrollsaw where you can direct the suction. 

The drum dust collector you show is more for shops that deal with large chip production tools such a planner, jointers, tablesaws, bandsaws and lathes. They can be helpful in collecting sanding dust if set up correctly too. But to truely deal with sanding dust the best is to use tools that have dust ports on them and hooked to a dust extractor like the festool you shown. Many tool brands have such dust ports. Capturing dust at the source is always the most efficient  way to keep a shop clean.  

This basically a break down as to what you are looking at. To tell what tools to buy is not something I can do. I believe you live in the UK so I have no knowledge what is available. I suggest you need to decide what it is you will be doing in the shop and build around that. If you are dealing with large chip producing machines then a larger better quality dust collector system sized properly is the way to go. The air exchangers are always a good add-on tool to clean the air.  they can not hurt. If you are using lesser size tools like scrollsaw and lathes then a shop vac with good dust collecting abilities will work fine. if you are combining all this then a full shop work up would be best. But again a dust mask of good quality is the perfect way to always protect the lungs. Good luck. Again I must say this is MY opinion only. Others will jump in and help some too. 

[Ber Gueda]

Thanks for the insight. For the moment being it's only scroll saw projects. But even the small amount of dust it produces, I can "feel" the dust in the air, so I am afraid that as soon as I increase the activity with the band saw, the problem will be much bigger. I use the mask even when I am outside sanding and I don't get close to the scroll saw without it. Perhaps I am too cautious.

Edited June 10 by Ber Gueda

[NC Scroller]

Actually, the scroll saw and sanding dust is some of the worst because it is so very fine. 

[Joe W.]

I recently got a HF dust collector (4inch hose) and for the jointer/planer/bandsaw. 
For the scroll saw I use the fan and filter method, placing the fan as close as possible to the scroll saw. 
The other tools use a shop vac and dust deputy with a 20 foot 2 1/2" hose.

Works well enough for me.

 
  

[Davevand]

Try to collect as much dust at the source as possible, don't let the dust get airborne.

I setup a two stage system with a small cyclone (Amazon cheap one) in front of my vacuum. It work surprisingly well. I have yet to have to clean the air filter in the vacuum (4 years) and I have emptied the dust bucket several times.

I also have a hose on top of my table that is hooked to the vacuum to collect from above the project. There is a surprising amount of dust on top of the table.