
CONTROLLING WOOD DUST
Wood dust from any wood has the potential to irritate your eyes, nose, throat and lungs...and the dust from some exotic woods can even be toxic!
COLLECTING DUST AT THE SOURCE
It is a good idea to try to capture the larger particles of wood dust as close to the source as possible. Many woodworking tools (palm sanders, bench top sanders, chop saws, etc.) have built-in dust ports for easy hook up directly to a shop vac. For more powerful tools (such as table saws, planers and jointers) you may want to consider using a 1 hp dust collector such as this one (click here) or even a 1.5 or 2 hp model.
For scroll saws, I know that at least one company has developed a dust collecting vacuum system that can be attached right to the saw (click here to see it).
You can also try clamping a shop vac hose (or a hose leading to a dedicated dust collection system) close to your scroll saw, like onto a nearby cart or floor stand, or directly to the scroll stand or to the edge of your scroll saw table. One option is pictured here.
Another alternative for scroll saws is to position a small fan to one side of the saw, and a box fan (with air filters attached to both sides of the box fan) on the other side of the saw (click here). The small fan blows wood dust from the scroll saw towards the box fan, and the air filters on the box fan capture the dust.
The air filter on the side of the box fan closest to the saw control should be of a lower efficiency (capturing some dust but allowing most of the air to pass through) and the air filter on the side of the box fan furthest away from the saw should be of a high efficiency (to capture as much dust as possible). Dust should be frequently vacuumed off the air filters to prolong their usefulness.
COLLECTING FINE DUST (AIR FILTRATION)
Some wood dust - especially very fine (small) particles - will get past dust collectors and get into the air. Therefore, it is very important to always wear a dust mask when working in your shop. The better dust masks seem to be the ones with removable filter cartridges (such as the 3M half mask respirator shown here).
In addition, you might also want to consider getting an air filter for your shop. Steve Good of the Scrollsaw Workshop recommends the WEN 3410 Air Filtration System, which you can find on Amazon - click here).
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