Hello all! I know that many of you deal with dust collectors in a woodworking/wood shop.
So I thought I’d start a conversation about the benefits of dust collection systems.
I work for an aftermarket supplier of dust collector filters and am new to the world of dust collection and I am always researching and learning new things about different industries.
How does your shop benefit from dust collection and why do you think it’s so important?
I know things like sawdust and such can be harmful to breathe in.
Thanks!
-Kaitlyn
I use a shop vac with a clear plastic cyclone fitted above a 5 gallon bucket. I don’t have a dust shoe and instead tend to follow the work in progress with the vacuum hose as needed. Dust gets everywhere. I should get a dust shoe, but I like to be able to watch the progress of the cuts. I would also like to have a full enclosure for my machine,
Dust is a problem because I have a fully open basement where the shop and the laundry fight it out for priorities.
I don’t really see going all the way to a proper dedicated dust collection system. I think I will head toward in an enclosure, shop vac and dust shoe direction. Also, some form of room air filtration would seem to be a good idea for getting the fine floating dust.
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I purchased the Fein Turbo 2 and a dust deputy along with a 20 gallon barrel for my xcarve hands down best investment i have done for it, The Fein is quite and 99.9% of the dust goes in the barrel. I clean my filter in the Fein about every other month.
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Forgive my ignorance but what is a dust shoe. Have you thought about upgrading to a full dust collection system for your shop? I know they are a bit expensive, but some people either DIY or start out with something cheaper until they are able to upgrade.
Russel Crawford shows a picture below. It is the plexiglass looking thing to which the vacuum hose attaches. It has bristles underneath that allow the shoe to go up and down with the bit while maintaining good dust containment. These generally work well but can block the view of the work and tend to get in the way if you make videos of your projects. They also can be a problem if your CNC carves are 3D rather than 2D and have extremes of relief. This is to say that the bit may be carving a deep part of the project while the dust shoe is bumping a nearby higher part of the project.
Small CNC machines don’t produce dust at the same rate as something like a jointer, tablesaw or lathe. If you think about it, the machine carves for hours and after it’s done, most of the material is still there. A shop vac can generally keep up with the rate at which dust is produced. Small CNC machines can benefit more from a full enclosure which helps keep the dust from getting elsewhere in the home shop…
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Steve,
Other than the noise factor, do you feel that the Fein is superior to a shop vac? I’ve got a cyclone running into my Rigid shop vac, and very little dust gets past the cyclone. Works, but very noisy!
Absolutely it is! best one I have ever seen and used, I have a 3hp Laguna that I run for the rest of the shop.
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What was it like before you had a dust collection setup (can be shopvacs, cartridges/canisters, etc.)
vs not having one at all? Could you notice a difference in the air quality? I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not have a dust collector of some sort with all the sawdust and things floating around.
@anon71428089 I do not have dust collection on my XCarve. I just do not want the extra weight on the gantry. I do have a shop vac close by to remove the chips. In my shop I do have a central vacuum and a shop made air cleaner made from an old furnace blower. The central vacuum is vented directly outside. I also use shop vacuums throughout the shop.
I am upgrading my central vacuum now with improved blast gates and changing the ductwork. I will be bringing a drop close to the XCarve.
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