New Idea(?) Lathe powered dust collection

Re: New Idea(?) Lathe powered dust collection

Sounds like a lot of work for minimal gain. My experience says you are right about being good for sanding type dust only.  You likely have a shop-vac that you could rig up a lot easier.

Given all the chips that result from turning why is the sanding dust a problem that really needs a solution? I have an old 1HP DC for sanding but I still end up with a lot of  overall cleanup!  If it is a breathing issue, I always wear a respirator anyway.

Bill

Re: New Idea(?) Lathe powered dust collection

Interesting idea, but without gearing up significantly it likely won't create enough suction to remove much of the dust.

Re: New Idea(?) Lathe powered dust collection

This reads like an over engineered thought process to a problem  that we all encounter. There are much safer and simpler ways to mitigate this problem without major cost demands.

Re: New Idea(?) Lathe powered dust collection

I agree.  It sounds like a solution that is better served by a shop vac with a HEPA filter on the cheaper side or a DC with a canister on the more expensive side. 

Some responses, etc.

1) I have a shop vac. It is very noisy and bulky. I do not consider it to be an acceptable solution for the problem. Also, it requires an additional item (with what I suspect can be a very high current draw) plugged into my already very convoluted power set up.

2) Don't have a DC, hence the reason for this thought. Yes, that would be great, but like the shop vac, don't really have the outlet to spare. Or the room for one.

3) A system working off the lathe, which is already running and plugged in, may not be able to supply even marginally close to the power of a DC or even a shop vac, but it would (hopefully) supply something. And if it can reduce the amount of fine dust that ends up laying across pretty much everything in the garage, that would be a good thing.

4) If set up properly, there is no inherent risk to this idea. It would be designed to move air, which in turn would carry the fine dust.

Shop vacs and DCs have no part of this idea. They are out of the question. Will it prove a viable solution? Maybe not, but the construction costs should be minimal. (And, besides, I do have a turbine from a fighter jet that I can use for the impeller. <- Kidding. Yes, I have one, no I wouldn't use it.)

Re: Some responses, etc.

A simple, but not a perfect, solution would be to mount or suspend a 20" box fan right behind your lathe.  Add a suitable sized furnace filter to the sucking end.  I've used one for about 30+ years - it has a fine filter paper (sheet) that is held by 1/4" aluminum channel and that is covered with an additional furnace filter.  Surprising how much dust it picks up over time - even though it is about 3-4 feet to the left of the headstock.  I should also note that I have a DC hood directly behind the lathe and a JDS ceiling mounted air cleaner close by.  Again, not the best solution but probably better than nothing!

Re: Some responses, etc.

I have a ceiling mounted box fan.  It is my air conditioner.  I have an overhead JET dust filter gizmo.  I turn it on when I enter the shop and set it for 8 hours.  It turns off on its own.  I do not use my dust collector (Delta 850) for chip collection.  One large vessel can fill the drum up.  Instead, I use it for dust extraction when sanding.  I use a feed shovel and broom for chip collection.  I just roughed the outside of a 10" x 10" by 16" block of wood down to an 8" cylinder.  Already filled a standard 33 gal trash can.

A couple times a year, I turn on the JET and Delta, and get my air hose out and blow the fine dust into the air.  I blast the ceilings, doors, drawers, bins, walls, light fixtures, shelves.  Every surface.  I let it run for about an hour then repeat one or two times.  The box fan is mostly blowing the dust out the garage door into the driveway.  Don't forget to move your cars first. 

BTW, my situation is that I am in a rental property.

This greatly reduces the options. I had to get special permission to have a 20 amp 110 outlet added so I could run the lathe. And the only other outlet is accessed via a long extension cord.

It is a townhouse in a rental community.

My thinking was that the lathe is already running, that this idea would not stress the lathe to any extent if set up right, and no additional outlet would be required to plug into. If I was collecting chips, I would definitely incorporate a cyclone of some sort. I know the chips pile up fast as I have had them up to my knees before.

It's not critical to the idea where I am, but it is relevant to me and does hinder some of the suggestions made.

What happens if you want to turn up the speed?

 A quiet shop vac will handle the dust off a lathe quite easily.

Re: Some responses, etc.

Craig -- The fundamental problem with using the lathe to power your duct collection impeller is, to work properly, most impellers need to run at a particular speed. If you decide to always sand at the same speed, you can come up with the right pulley diameters to run the impeller at the right speed. However, if you, as most of us do, will be sanding at various speeds (depending on the type of wood, the size of the piece, which grit you're using, whether you're using a sanding lubricant, etc.), you'll need to be constantly changing pulley sizes to keep the impeller running at the right speed. 

Re: Some responses, etc.

Strikes me that that represents an optimal speed, rather than a specific required speed. But I will certainly take this information into account before purchasing an impeller. (Or building one, as the case may be. I see no reason to contact Oneida and use one of theirs as the cost would not be justified.)

Re: What happens if you want to turn up the speed?

There is no money in the budget for a 3rd shop vac. I have a 16 gallon and a small vac, both of which are Craftsman and not quiet. Even with the muffler on the larger one. To my knowledge, quiet shop vac run about $500 to start. (There's one major brand, whose name escapes me. Chrome canister?) Also, quiet or otherwise, is another plug in another outlet.

I would imagine any speed increase would increase the draw of this idea. It would be least effective at lower speeds, though as sanding is normally done at slower speeds, some gearing would likely be necessary to compensate.

Should probably also be a way to disengage it easily and save it only for sanding.

Re: What happens if you want to turn up the speed?

$279 and 66 decibels   https://www.amazon.com/Turbo-Vacuum-Cleaner-Gallon-1100W/dp/B00K69ILFQ/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3O84LHKJHOBOS&keywords=fein+vacuum&qid=1676413331&sprefix=fein+%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-4

Re: What happens if you want to turn up the speed?

A box fan with a filter, as I suggested, is relatively quiet, inexpensive, has 3 speeds, and can run from your extension cord.  A 6-outlet power strip is cheap and might help in your situation.  The furnace filter can be cleaned with your shop vac numerous times before replacing.

Why are you trying to reinvent the wheel and make things so complicated?

Re: What happens if you want to turn up the speed?

Why do you see it as so complicated? The idea involves no additional power connections, provides suction only when the lathe is running, would be located close to the source. No, I do not think it should be used for collecting chips, but for sanding I think it is a very reasonable idea. What is your perception of this that makes it so incredibly complicated? This isn't an electron microscope. (Which, if I dig around a bit, I think I have plans for somewhere. Really. Granted, the cost of building it was about $100,000 when the article first appeared.)

In my current setup, I do not have room for a box fan. Also, that idea does have a recurring cost to replace the filter.

Re: What happens if you want to turn up the speed?

$279 is 4 times the cost of what I paid for the large shop vac I already own. Granted, it is not quiet.

I do have power strips, including those with built-in breakers. But plugging in additional items is putting additional load on the circuit, so I only plug in one additional device beyond the lathe. OK, and an LED light. Plugging in a shop vac as well would trip the breaker. (Yes, this line is more an answer to Tom Gail's response. Sorry.)

Re: What happens if you want to turn up the speed?

Why be so confrontational?  The idea of a box fan is way more feasible than making your own contraption. Just vacuum the filter off every week and keep on turning. Nothing you could build from scratch would work as well and be as cheap.

Re: What happens if you want to turn up the speed?

As I have tried to state multiple times, a box fan (or shop vac) requires an additional outlet, an added draw on the circuit. Where is the confrontation? Aside from everyone seemingly ignoring the fact that I have stated this multiple times. The confrontation lies with those that choose to repeat statements contrary to the conditions under which I have to operate. Suggestions are only of value if they work within the limitations that exist. Outlets don't magically appear, with the required amperage, to make these suggestions function.

The box fan with a filter on it is essentially a very simple form of the overhead dust collectors sold by JET and others. Yes, certainly cheaper. It assists in collecting ambient dust, but is ineffective at collecting anything close to the source. (Side Note: ShopNotes magazine had a plan to build your own overhead collector for cheap, for those interested and with the required extra outlets/wiring. Probably 10+ years back now, but I'm sure the plan is still available.)

And why does everyone see this as a major engineering effort? I honestly do not imagine it to be so.

Possibly one misunderstanding may be my use of the term, impeller, which is appropriate for a larger dust collection system. But in this case, collecting the fine sanding dust, a plastic fan blade should be sufficient.