Dust Collection

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Has anyone tried dust collection on metal working equipment? I am assuming that the normal vacuum type dust collectors are made for woodworking. Would they work for metal work tools as well? Or would the metal filings ruin the bags, intake, etc?
Reply:fire fire fire......bringing in the hot debris would be a problem.....for a band saw it probalby wouldnt be an issue  or a drill press but if the metal gets red hot it would be a problem...the cloth collection bags would be fire hazard especially if they contained any wood dust.....metal also weighs more so the vacuum part would have to be much stronger.....my wood working dust collector has a huge 5 or 6" hose  i dont know if that would work very well with the heavy metal debris, you would need to probaly reduce the diameter of the hose.  so if the runs were short and only metal tubing, NO Combustible materials in the line with a strong motor it would work.....i cant imagine that anything is finer then wood saw dust so if the wood working motor is enclosed i dont see a difference with vacuum metal except for the fire hazard and the weight issue.  my shop vac does great at vacuuming up metal debrisLast edited by 37ford4dr; 12-11-2011 at 10:04 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:The one tech school has down draft tables in the grinding room and a dust collection system. If I'm right it's a standard system where the large particles drop out as soon as the duct opens up in the "can" and all the smaller particles are trapped in the filter. Probably very similar in design to most shop vacs or wood filters.Fire's not really an issue in a dedicated metal system, but would be a big issue if the system was used for both metal and wood. You'd also want the system to be built primarily out of metal rather than the plastic and cloth most wood filters use, especially if the collection system is close to the source of the sparks..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I guess you could just build one by installing some rigid lines and plumbing it into a central spot for a shopvac. I have a sander and a small band saw.
Reply:Their is a basic difference between a dust collector and a vacuum cleaner that could cause problems with a dust collector.  When air is drawn into a vacuum cleaner it passes through the bag/filter before passing through the impeller. When air with is drawn into a dust collector it passes through the impeller before getting trapped in the bag. This may not make much difference with saw dust but the sharp, hard, abrasive material generated by grinding, cutting and whatever would erode the impeller blades after some use and that would degrade performance. Bob C
Reply:Originally Posted by Bob_CTheir is a basic difference between a dust collector and a vacuum cleaner that could cause problems with a dust collector.  When air is drawn into a vacuum cleaner it passes through the bag/filter before passing through the impeller. When air with is drawn into a dust collector it passes through the impeller before getting trapped in the bag. This may not make much difference with saw dust but the sharp, hard, abrasive material generated by grinding, cutting and whatever would erode the impeller blades after some use and that would degrade performance. Bob C
Reply:I would fabricate a cyclone into the top of a big waste collection drum, and mount the blower on top to extract filtered air after the cyclone.  If it is all metal cutting, welding, blasting and grinding, sparks and flying shrapnel should not be an issue.  Done well it should make for a nice clean shop.Cheers,  Tony._________________________________Transmig 310 + Argoshield LightOxy acetyleneOxy propanePrehistoric stick welder_________________________________