Safe Dust Separation and Collection

Having had the opportunity to visit @twforeman I had to copy his twist top design after mine imploded using the vacuum table. Let me know if you want the DXF or NC files, all cut out on the SO3, aside from the dremel bit.



dremel with an 1/8" end mill none the less.

And the finished mess of non organized tubing.

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Is that a “Dust Deputy”? Any more details on the build?

Nicely done!

I have a recommendation: Minimize the length of tubing from the vacuum to the cyclone. More tubing means more air resistance and less vacuum efficiency.

You can see mine here:

About as short as I can make it.

Another recommendation: When possible don’t reduce the tubing size until forced to do so. Running larger tubing from the dust collector to the dust separator will significantly increase the efficiency. If possible, run 50mm or 2.5" tubing.

You can see that I don’t decrease in size from the above picture (too).

A dust separator (e.g. a cyclone) is not sufficient for air safety when the exhaust air is dumped in the volume with humans… A HEPA filter rated at 0.3 microns is necessary for that.

If the the air is dumped outside, the HEPA filter isn’t necessary if the air cannot easily return into the volume with the humans. A 5 micron filter will do. This prevents “snow” from accumulating under the exhaust. They are usually cloth and can be washed.

A separator saves stress on the dust collector - the vacuum element - and in the case of using a HEPA filter, prevents the expensive HEPA filter from clogging up quickly and needing to be replaced.

mark

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That sure looks like one. Oneida sells a complete package including the barrel underneath too. The one they sell is pretty strong… it’s really hard to collapse it… but it can be done (been there, done that).

The white plastic one is less expensive; the black plastic one is made of conductive plastic and it is used - along with conductive tubing - to avoid static build up problems. Hot/warm small particles moving around creates static. On a large scale this can become combustable and/or explosive. On smaller scales it causes build up in the tubing, reducing efficiency and requiring cleaning.

If one is concerned, there is an easy solution - run a naked copper wire through the tubing and dust separator and run it to local ground.

There are many solutions possible - trading off time, materials, and budget. One does not have to have a high end system to be safe.

Here are some related postings:

This thread includes a list of vacuum system design principals:

mark

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I have the same setup too! Fein vacuum and Oneida Dest Deputy. I also bought the HEPA filter for Fein (100+ bucks, very expensive).

I’m thinking about adding fans and air filters to try to grab airborne saw dust. It’s really nasty when using the table saw or sanding.It is going to be a challenge as I work in my garage and it’s sort of air tight.

I’m thinking about adding fans and air filters to try to grab airborne saw dust. It’s really nasty when using the table saw or sanding.It is going to be a challenge as I work in my garage and it’s sort of air tight.

Yup. Not quite a dangerous as CNC particles but not good stuff.

Good airflow in a work area is a good idea anyway… but it’s not sufficient to keep shop air safe. It is best to grab the dust as close to the source as possible.

The first thing to check is if your table saw is already set up for vacuum; many recent ones are. If so, use it! If not, they make after market fences and gates that use a vacuum.

I use a track saw for most of my work along with a track saw that has a vacuum connector on it and it picks up virtually everything. I’m mostly cutting stock to approximate dimensions however a good track saw begins to approach a table saw for many jobs. YMMV.

There are sanders with a vacuum connection, just like my track saw. Festool has a complete line. Really good stuff through and rated safe by the UL, the EU rating body, the German rating body and so forth. Those ratings don’t come for free; they are a bit pricy.

It’s also not hard to create your own dust collection for a table saw:

Google for “dust collector for a table saw” and many ways to make you table saw collect most of its dust.

A bit of thinking and a bit of work and you can make your shop a lot safer.

mark

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I use a hose attached to the table saw. But that’s not enough to capture everything. Blade’s housing side walls are made of plastic (probably ABS), and it’s not tight sealed. I have a DeWalt job site table saw (that I can fold it and put in a corner when not using). I haven’t ever thought about fixing the issue, though if I stop for a minute, I’d come up with something - another project added to the backlog. :slight_smile:

Getting tired of the 5 gallon bucket collapsing I decided to change that. A little improvement. Files attached.






F360 link
http://a360.co/2bp83jW

If you just want the cam paths for 3/4" MDF with 1/4" end mill.
Dust Collector.zip (23.0 KB)

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Nice job,I eneded up cutting another bucket and slipped inside,if it fails ill def be looking into making this myself