Dust collection

[Kevin]

I am in the middle of designing my woodworking workshop.  From my perspective one of the core issues to inhome workshops is proper ventilation an dust collection.  So I've spent quite a bit of time researching how best to handle these issues properly.

 

In my reading I've learned that in our the traditional woodworker's basement workshop can be one of the most unhealthy places to be.  Most do not have access to an outside window and many have very poor dust collection.  After doing a lot of digging I ran into the research done by Bill Pentz.

 

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm

 

In this treasure trove of information he includes plans on how to make your own dust collection cyclone.  There are links to some of the sites that will sell dust collection units built from his plans but the important stuff is his research.

 

We may not make much dust since the wood (and metals) we work with are much less than full scale wood workers but in some ways this may set us up for more troubles down the road.  Its easy to discount the impact the dust can have since it is so little.  But if your shop is not properly ventilated, the near invisible dust particles can and will build up over the years.  This invisible dust is what you end up breathing.  His background and research did scare me a bit, but, with powertools, I think a bit of fear is healthy.  Always respect the power tools so you can measures to protect yourself from harm.