DIY workshop dust collector... I'm gonna try to make one!

[MontyVeda]

Maybe some of our woodworkers already have (there's countless YT videos)... but for those who are interested, this is the idea:

Basically a big bucket between the power tool and the vacuum to collect the dust, so only a miniscule amount of dust and woodchip ends up in the vac itself, keeping its filters (and motor) cleaner for longer.

I've watched a few tutorials, but this is my main inspiration because it looks really simple (and appears to work)...

I picked up about £5 worth of random waste pipe connecters from Wickes, a fermenting bucket from Wilko (£10), plus one of several buckets I had laying around... and removed anything that looked useful from a couple of old vacuum cleaners in my Mum's garage (and stole some big hose connectors she'll never use).

I'll probably have a few parts left over





EDIT... a question for y'all... will it be significantly more efficient if I keep the length of the hoses to a minimum?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

If you keep putting it off and never get round to building it, it’ll gather dust all by itself anyway!

 

[slowmotion]

Maybe some of our woodworkers already have (there's countless YT videos)... but for those who are interested, this is the idea:

View attachment 577177

Basically a big bucket between the power tool and the vacuum to collect the dust, so only a miniscule amount of dust and woodchip ends up in the vac itself, keeping its filters (and motor) cleaner for longer.

I've watched a few tutorials, but this is my main inspiration because it looks really simple (and appears to work)...

I picked up about £5 worth of random waste pipe connecters from Wickes, a fermenting bucket from Wilko (£10), plus one of several buckets I had laying around... and removed anything that looked useful from a couple of old vacuum cleaners in my Mum's garage (and stole some big hose connectors she'll never use).

View attachment 577180

I'll probably have a few parts left over

You are James Dyson and ICMFP.

 

[MontyVeda]

If you keep putting it off and never get round to building it, it’ll gather dust all by itself anyway!

this is basically procrastination for building a bass guitar... i can't cut the body until blah blah blah

first i needed a specific router bit that I can't seem to get until April

then i splashed out on a sanding machine which will be perfect for sanding the shaped body...

...but it's going to make a lot of dust, so I'm not going to be using that until I've got something to collect the dust.

 

[MontyVeda]

You are James Dyson and ICMFP.

does that mean i have to move production overseas to save money

 

[Drago]

I recently sold my vacuum cleaner. It was only collecting dust.

 

[Milkfloat]

It’s not much of a help, but I just use a Henry without a bag and suck it up directly, I have not managed to break it yet.

 

[slowmotion]

Bill Pentz is/was the renowned expert on woodworking cyclones. It's generally agreed that coarser chips and dust from planers, thicknessers and power saws get trapped well, but the fine stuff from sanders ends up in the filter anyway. This is worth a read....

https://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/faqs.php

 

[Tripster]

Alternatively, Promenade Music do a good selection of Bass Guitars without the mess and fuss. Hoover not required

 

[MontyVeda]

Alternatively, Promenade Music do a good selection of Bass Guitars without the mess and fuss. Hoover not required

like most music shops, Promenade Music have a great selection of right handed bass guitars... and like most music shops, they have a very limited selection of left handed guitars

 

[MontyVeda]

It’s not much of a help, but I just use a Henry without a bag and suck it up directly, I have not managed to break it yet.

This is hopefully going to be a lot cheaper than a Henry... £15 so far, plus a bit of time

 

[Randomnerd]

Hardwood dust is toxic. Your diy solution won’t filter out any toxic dust. If you have to make your own guitar....Do the work in an open sided space, and not in a closed garage. Wear a tight fitting CE marked passive flow respirator mask minimum and have a HEPA filter vacuum running, attached.

 

[randynewmanscat]

Maybe some of our woodworkers already have (there's countless YT videos)... but for those who are interested, this is the idea:

View attachment 577177

Basically a big bucket between the power tool and the vacuum to collect the dust, so only a miniscule amount of dust and woodchip ends up in the vac itself, keeping its filters (and motor) cleaner for longer.

I've watched a few tutorials, but this is my main inspiration because it looks really simple (and appears to work)...

I picked up about £5 worth of random waste pipe connecters from Wickes, a fermenting bucket from Wilko (£10), plus one of several buckets I had laying around... and removed anything that looked useful from a couple of old vacuum cleaners in my Mum's garage (and stole some big hose connectors she'll never use).

View attachment 577180

I'll probably have a few parts left over





EDIT... a question for y'all... will it be significantly more efficient if I keep the length of the hoses to a minimum?

I use one of those to vac the ash out of my fire. Very little if any ends up in the cleaner, smaller than the one you are building but same.
They sell them in the brico (b&q) here, people don't like fouling their household vacs up with ash.

 

[MontyVeda]

Hardwood dust is toxic. Your diy solution won’t filter out any toxic dust. If you have to make your own guitar....Do the work in an open sided space, and not in a closed garage. Wear a tight fitting CE marked passive flow respirator mask minimum and have a HEPA filter vacuum running, attached.

I get what you're saying, but there's a big difference between a DIYer doing the occasional job and someone who works in a dust filled environment day in day out for years on end... I've got the mask, I've got the vac, I think I'll be OK

 

[Teamfixed]

Without wishing to repeat what others have rightly said, this is my experience... While it is true that some hardwoods are irritants/toxic for example a splinter of teak can cause blood poisioning. It is actually down to particle size. Hardwood dust is much finer than say pine dust. If you work with mdf the risk is both the dust but also if it is sanded and heat is produced you get fumes from the urea formaldehyde adhesive used to manufacture it. But as you say all of this is also down to exposure time. A proper dust mask/respirator is plenty. Extractors have different levels of filtration according to particle size. Myself, I use a small chip extractor but that as the name suggests is only good for chips from say a planer. If I'm doing any nasty dust stuff I use a good mask and try to ventilate as well.