Metal Dust Collection

[dpitt417]

Setting up home shop for making knives. Looking for a cost effective dust collection solution that will be ok for metal. Everything I see seems too industrial and for corporate production. I just want something small. Thanks!

[gkyle840]

After vaccuming the garage out twice a day when grinding, I am curious about this as well.

[Ed Caffrey]

The words "metal dust collection", "small" and "cost effective" simply don't go together! For a collection system for steel/metal dust, you're going to need a large/heavy duty until, with spark arrest features. They are not small, and they are not cheap!

That being said, one of the cheapest/most effective methods is to hang a 5 gallon bucket of soapy water below your grinder(s). Used in conjunction with a stand alone air filtration, you can get effective, efficient dust collection. NOTHING you can build, buy, and/or install will collect everything that flies around the a knife shop, and you still need to wear a QUALITY RESPIRATOR.

[Ray Rogers]

I second Ed's opinion. I do have a Grizzly system that was 'cheap' at about $300 and it works pretty well. The air path passes through a metal trash can where the heavier metal dust is collected. Sounds good, in theory and mostly works. BUT, and there's always a 'but', I've had metal dust collect in the plastic hose just below the grinder and melt through the hose. Also, there is a large canvas bag where the lighter wood dust collects. Wood dust is extremely flammable so if a hot spark does manage to get past the metal can I hope you have very good fire insurance. BTW, on this type of dust collector you must put it somewhere outside your shop - no point at all in having it in the same room where you're collecting the dust.

Bottom line: use Ed's method or even my simple tray below the grinder but don't bother with a dust collector for metal dust...

[dpitt417]

Thanks for the responses. Will do on the soapy 5 gallon. I was willing to buy the $300 range unit from Grizzly (and would pay more for a better idea) but it concerned me it only says for wood in the specs. I figured it would not last long for metal grinds but if I could get a year out of it - so be it. I am ok sweeping up wood as I don't do much except on handles. More just wanting to catch the metal grinding.

[Ray Rogers]

I use my Griz when I grind wood but leave it off for metal, been using it for 17 years so I doubt you'd wear it out. The reason they say its for wood is because as I mentioned earlier the wood dust can explode if you get a hot spark in there...

[WNC Goater]

Grinding metal, I have a little overhead dust collector that uses a squirrel cage motor and A/C filters. It's amazing how dirty the filters get with airborne particulate.
I rough in my blanks with an angle grinder and I've moved that operation outdoors. Profile and grinding blades I use the bucket of water under the belt. And I've bought a decent respirator and extra filters. Amazing how much those filters catch. I constantly vacuum the floor with a shop vac. Difficult to keep that stuff under control so constantly cleaning helps keep it out of the rest of my house. (Shop is in basement)

I use a Delta dust collector for woodworking and use it when finishing my handles. I cringe with I hit the tang and send a few sparks into the hose. I probably should buy a dedicated shop vac or something for grinding the handles.

[dpitt417]

So my brain says the bucket of water under the grinder is a must. Buy a Grizzly Dust Collector and only use it when grinding metal. Since I do very little wood - only handles; let the shop vac take care of that. I will use the same shop vac on the shop and metal dust, but well after there is no chance of hot metal. I have a dedicated garage for making knives to explain my environment. Feel free to poke holes in this plan.

WNC - I would like more info on your overhead dust unit if you have any. I am not familiar but would be interested.

[Ed Caffrey]

I built my own "dust suckers" for the finish shop. When I first moved into this shop I found an old furnace blower/motor..... my shop has a loft/partial ceiling, so I simply cut out an outlet through the loft floor, attached the blower/motor to the ceiling, and then built a plywood box around it, that accepts 16"x25"x1" disposable furnace filters....the dust/air gets sucked through, catching most of the junk on the filters, then recirculates the air throughout the shop.....



The filters simply slide in/out of the sides for cleaning/replacement.....


A few years ago, when I discovered I had some lung issues, I added a second "dust sucker" I had on small, old swamp cooler laying around..... I mounted it in the same manner (through the loft floor), and removed the "hogs hair" and replaced it with stacked disposable furnace filters. I also relocated the controls so I can easily turn it on/off.



Whatever you do for dust collection/air filtration, DO NOT assume that you don't need to be wearing a respirator!! I have lung issues, and after having part of my right lung removed, part of the issues were directly attributed to all the years of dust from the shop! Do all that you can to protect yourself when working in the shop......you won't be "10 feet tall and Bulletproof" forever!

[dpitt417]

Hearing you Ed on the respirator - appreciate the heads up. Like to hear what others are doing. I am starting from scratch so will end up buying new and appreciate as much data as I can get before purchasing my solution.

[Ed Caffrey]

I don't know of any "good" stand alone dust collectors. The only ones I've had first hand experience with is the grizzly units..... http://www.grizzly.com/products/Heav...-Control/G9956 and I found it very lacking in the amount of air it moved, and the amount of "crud" it removed.

That's the reason I built my own..... I've never found a commercial one that was worth the money it cost.

[WNC Goater]

Originally Posted by dpitt417

WNC - I would like more info on your overhead dust unit if you have any. I am not familiar but would be interested.

What I have overhead is similar to what Ed has shown, though much smaller. Homemade plywood box with an open back the size of your hvac filters, figure a way to secure the filters. I see Ed uses several layers, good idea. I have a small squirrel cage motor inside and of course, an opening on the front for the filtered air to blow out of the box.
My motor came from a bench top jewelry dust collector as did my filters which aren't hvac filters but were made specific for jewelry dust. Fiber type filter with a sticky substance on one side.
There are several commercial collectors available made for woodworking. Jet makes one which has various speeds and a remote control. They aren't cheap.

It's one thing with grindings and filings, that's nasty enough. But it is a real eye opener to see how much airborne stuff gets collected in these filters, which are overhead and just filtering the air. And even still how dirty the respirator filters get.
Kind of alarming.

[daddy2kids]

Hello everyone.
I need a good dust collector as my kids now come to the shop and are interested in what I do.
Any ideas which brand to get?
I want to buy one but I'm confused with all the information I'm reading on reviews.
Can anyone tell me which one is good to buy in this review?
Which dust collector is good
Thanks.

[jimmontg]

I live in an apt and have my grinders mounted on a cart. Have to go outside which is often affected by the weather. I'm a bachelor and just walking into my livingroom shows it, work bench, my leather working station and so forth. I am going to build a pvc schedule 20 pipe cage that will be big enough to put the cart into to grind and move around inside. I am not tall so it doesn't have to be either. Figure the whole thing will weigh about 30 lbs. Mostly will be covered with clear plastic except where the sparks fly from my 2x48. my 1x42 throws all its sparks into the cart so no problem there. I will install some thin aluminum or steel where the 2x48 throws sparks with a water bucket and fire proof cloth on the floor. Easier to vacuum up an 8' by 8' area than dusting the whole doggone house or not grinding at all because it's too cold outside. I don't like grinding with gloves on.

I got this idea from a shop I worked in that had a dedicated grinding room. Had over a dozen grinders in there including a big 4 ft. wide belt sander that could flat grind a full sheet. Had huge fans exhausting through light filters to the outside. This could be modified to keep a large area like a basement or garage free of grinding dust. Build a small room that your grinder fits into and put a fan on it to pull the air through a set of filters or out of a window. Guys used to stand in the door of the shop grinding room to cool off in hot weather. Just a thought, doesn't have to be as big as mine as my cart is kind of big.

Here is a trick I learned to make my respirator fume filters last longer. Tape some paper towel over the filter and change often, it stops most of the airborne dust except the really fine stuff. I use tuberculosis dust masks my son gives me when not using synthetics, they are form fitting and stop even fine dust like from the belt's grit breaking down, metal dust actually settles out of the air quickly, it is the dust from the belt that goes all over the place and also cuts up your lungs microscopically in a process called silicosis.

[Ray Rogers]

Daddy2kids,

Keep your kids out of the shop until they are big enough to wear a good respirator. No dust collector is good enough to protect your lungs (read what Ed said above your post) ...