Basement wood shop - keep that dust in! - DIY Chatroom

Amall23 · 10-31-2009, 03:49 PM

Hello all!

I am about to close on a house

and eager to set up my wood shop. I have some modest tools I use in a garage at the moment, but I plan on using them in my new basement.

My problem is, I want to keep the dust in. Its an unfinished basement, so there are no walls. Best I can think of is a plastic curtain hung from the ceiling with weights on the bottom. I would have the curtain drag on the ground for "optimum" dust containment. I'm still going between having the curtain move to the side (like shower) or if I would have it simply roll up or fall down.

Anyone have another idea or any suggestions for materials?

Thanks in advance!

wicked · 10-31-2009, 05:18 PM

I have one suggestion for you that solve quite a bit of dust problems. Npo doubt you will end up using a palme sander at some time and all palm sanders have a series ofducts under the rubber pad supoposedly to direct the dust into that stupid little bag. What I did was to remove the pad and use it as a template marking the holes. After wards I punched out the holes on my 1/4 sheet papers. Instead of the bag I modified one of those long narrow vacuum tools to fit where the bag fitted and the other end to fit a one inch hose. Put the paper on the sander base so the holes in the paper line up with the holes in the rubber pad. Turn on the shop vac or whatever and all the dust with get sucked up by the shop vac. You will be amazed that there is no dust in the air. It may be a start to help keep your dust level down.
Wicked

RobQuillin · 10-31-2009, 07:06 PM

A curtain will hold in some of the dust but you are going to find it hard to breath before too long in there. What you are going to want to do is get a vaccuum system with hoses that attach to your equipment and a air puritfyer system. These will cost a little money but they are worth the money you spend. I bought mine from Menards. My system are made by Jet and it works really well. I used to have my shop in my basement ban when I use them down there, there was a noticable difference. The vaccuum system will get most of the saw dust and chunks of wood, and the air purifier had filters that sucks the amdient air in the room through it and collects all the dust in the air. If you don't have the money now I suggest you save for it if you plan to keep your shop in the basement.

Amall23 · 10-31-2009, 07:20 PM

Making custom shopvac attachments.... that's a great idea!!! Thanks wicked, I'll definitely have to try that out.

I hadn't thought about ventilation.... my dads wood shop is HUGE and is always fine. The area I'm thinking of fencing in has a window there....a broken window. I had planned on adding a ventilation system with it so I could paint. Adding something for air filtration would be pretty easy too.

Thanks all.

wicked · 11-02-2009, 04:57 PM

You might want to invest in a ceiling hung air filter system. They usually come with a foam pre filter but I tossed that out quick and rtepalced it with furnace filtersI bought mine from Lee Valley but they no longer sell them but they must be available elsewhere. If you live in Canada Busy Bee Tools have several different types.
Wicked

vsheetz · 11-02-2009, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wicked

You might want to invest in a ceiling hung air filter system. They usually come with a foam pre filter but I tossed that out quick and rtepalced it with furnace filtersI bought mine from Lee Valley but they no longer sell them but they must be available elsewhere. If you live in Canada Busy Bee Tools have several different types.
Wicked

X2 on the ceiling hung air filter - I have one, works well.