Dust filtration systems

[beagles]

Amazon sent me a message regarding air filtration systems by Jet (708620B for $329) and Delta (50-875 for $370).

Does anyone have any comments on good systems out there? The space my shop is in is 25 x 30 (5300 cubic feet) although I get only about 1/3 of that floor space.

I already have a Jet dust collector working in the next room over.

Thanks...

[sawduster]

I've always wondered about the need for a dust filtration system. If you're just blowing the sawdust from your machines into the air, the filtration system will really offer nothing as far as protection from the dust in the air. If you're collecting the vast majority of the dust at the machines with a collection system, then you're probably as protected as you're gonna get without donning a filtration mask system since any dust that escapes collection is still gonna be in the air for some period of time. A big honkin fan blowing lots of air out of the shop will likely be a better protection than trying to filter the air through one of those filter systems.

About the only benefit I can come up with for the filtration system is to pull out the fine particles of dust from the air when you are not generating more, maybe in anticipation of going into finishing mode. Run the puppy a few hours between the last time you put dust into the air then you might see a benefit of less dust to settle on and screw up your finish before it dries.

[Ruffnek]

I haven't really come to grips with the need for an air cleaner, either...at least not for the general shop. If I had a dedicated finishing room, then I would probably put one in it.

My shop is only slightly larger than yours at 6000 CF and my cyclone moves 1500 cfm through a 0.5 - 2.0 micron filter. Theoretically, the shop air gets filtered every 4 minutes when the cyclone is running.

Perhaps since the air cleaner is quieter and consumes less power it is more desirable to run it than the cyclone. Maybe someone with real knowledge of the advantages can explain it. I can't.

When I clean my shop, which is at least once per month, I finish by opening the overhead door and the entrance door and blowing it out with a gas-powered leaf blower. It's amazing, after sweeping, vacuuming, etc. how much dust still remains even with the cyclone collector.

I think maybe an air cleaner with several oscillating fans placed around the shop might help. The fans would keep the dust airborne so the filter could collect it...at night when I've gone beddy-bye.

I'll be watching this thread for any significant revelations on filtering dust.

[sawduster]

One benefit of a shop sans air conditioning is that when it isn't too cold outside, I open the overhead door and run a couple of fans that blow out through the big door. I wear a respirator mask when sanding and use either a vac or a portable DC on the tailed tools. All the light small stuff gets blown out pretty quickly.