Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: wizardgoat on April 09, 2017, 12:31:21 pm
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I work out of a little shed, small, dusty and not ideal but it's what I've got.
The last while I've really been feeling the effects of dust, probably the yew.
I always do my sanding and real messy stuff outside in front of a fan, but in this craft, dust is a reality.
I don't have the option of a big fancy dust filtration system, and my beard prevents
a tight fit with most respirators.
Any advice from bearded bowyers out there?
Is there any respirator out there that's still effective with a beard?
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Is there a full head one? Like hazmat gear but with just dust filters? Be a PITA but what are you going to do? Is it possibly other allergies? It is that season.
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Check out the resp-o-rator
https://ww w.amazon.com/Resp-O-Ratorhttps-Dust-Respirator-Model-JR-7/dp/B002KA0CMO
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There used to be a show on TV about a guy who made giant swords. He had a similar style respirator
(http://r.ddmcdn.com/s_f/o_1/DSC/uploads/2015/02/149330.020.01.197_20150217_144733-still.jpg)
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Beards and respirators don't mix. I have a beard too so no go unless like Don says there might be some type of full head gear. I don't know doesn't sound nice though haha like you say I try and keep any sanding even rasping outside. That fine dust gets everywhere though. Maybe make some custom filtered bandana? Cheers- Brendan
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Check out the resp-o-rator
https://ww w.amazon.com/Resp-O-Ratorhttps-Dust-Respirator-Model-JR-7/dp/B002KA0CMO
That looks pretty slick
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Goat, I gave up my pesticide license because the only breathing protection I could use was a full hood with air supply. It just wasn't worth it.
One thing I've done in my shop was to get an inexpensive box fan and attach an a/c filter over the intake side. This will still circulate air in the shop but traps some of the dust. It isn't a complete fix but it does help.
Yew dust is very toxic. Some folks react more to it than other folks.
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The smaller portable collection system from Lee Valley would likely be a great help.
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With your HVAC experience you could make a ceiling mounted air cleaner very easily. I made one for my workshop and it works pretty good. There isn't much to it, just a squirrel cage blower in a box with an air filter.
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I made one a few months ago. I just made a box the size of a filter and used the old squirrel cage fan out of our gas stove. I didn't think it was doing much but I just went and knocked the filter out. Got a surprising amount of crap out of it.
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See if you can get your hands on an old blower motor and fan from a forced air furnace. If you know any HVAC guys let them know you're looking for one. That's what I used in my homemade paint booth. It moves a ton of air. An effective filter is one of those real cheap wispy furnace filters, but load the side facing out toward the dust with spray adhesive. If you use a couple filter a few feet apart, you don't even need to vent to the outside and lose any heat, provided we're not talking about solvent fumes just plain dust.
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I use a couple shop vacs, one is attached to my bandsaw and the other is for multipurpose use. I have found that I have become a bit more sensitive to wood dust over the years. Some of them make my eyes itchy and irritate me in other ways as well.
I have watched wood dust particles in the sunlight and the stuff seems to like me, when it gets close it homes in on me
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I don't turn out many bows, but, I am really paranoid about making sawdust - the only stages I make dust particles fine enough to be airborne are sawing and end-stage sanding and I prefer gravity to take particles away - do you think the fan might be part of the problem by stirring fine particles into the air? I just kinda shake myself down when I'm done with the rasp/scraper/sanding mesh? Having said that there's lots of examples of home-made dust collection systems using vacuum cleaners and bins - a lot of builders put the motors outside to reduce the noise levels in the workshop
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I presume you are using powertools? I don't go above 50 grit with the belt sander anymore, 36 actually makes "shavings" when tillering. Have a makita orbital with a dust intregal dust collection bag that seems to help for finishing with the finer grits. Band saw makes more dust than you would think. I reserve some work for outside, when the wind is blowing good. Fans don't do much, especially inside. The dust masks with the better exhale valves work much better than the one without, especially with a beard.
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Thought I'd mention, have you tried one of those cycle filter bandanas, I've used one for my road bike and when I sand my carvings, they work pretty good and are roomy around the chin, or a dampened regular bandana, with maybe an extra tissue folded inside, be good enough say to keep the worst out...,(and look cool to boot.) :D,
Here's one off amazon.
R.D.
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Hate to be that guy but,
1. Cut beard
2. Get respirator
3. Get shop vac
That's definately the easiest way, but I do understand wanting to keep the beard.
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Hate to be that guy but,
1. Cut beard
2. Get respirator
3. Get shop vac
That's definately the easiest way, but I do understand wanting to keep the beard.
Ha! I'm going to bet #1 won't be happening.
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I've had my beard for almost 48 years and have been building bows for almost 30 so you can forget #1 and #2. I have a shop vac.
You get a lot of fine dust from scraping dry wood too.
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I work with a lot of yew and I've had the same issue. I don't have a beard, but I should have been wearing a respirator much sooner than when I started. I bought a box fan and put a air filter on the intake side and put that near where I work, it does a pretty decent job of pulling the fine particles away and catching them in the filter. Not nearly as effective as a real filtration system, but helps substantially, and its cheap.
Eric
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I work out of a little shed, small, dusty and not ideal but it's what I've got.
The last while I've really been feeling the effects of dust, probably the yew.
I always do my sanding and real messy stuff outside in front of a fan, but in this craft, dust is a reality.
I don't have the option of a big fancy dust filtration system, and my beard prevents
a tight fit with most respirators.
Any advice from bearded bowyers out there?
Is there any respirator out there that's still effective with a beard?
Sometimes I just have the fan blowing out the window or the door to suck the dust out. Well that's what I did when I was working in a small shed
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I have one of the furnace squirrel fans running on 110v with high cfm if you want you can have it.
G
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Use anything You can Gang. I sucked down a lot of bow dust (mostly Osage) over the years - now I have to deal with COPD. Yeah I smoked for many years, but I knew (felt) that Osage dust wasn't doing Me any favors. Doctors told Me it likely was a contributor along with the Smoking. So use even those cheap paper masks - gotta help ! My .02 - Bob.
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Thanks guys, lots of good suggestions I need to look into
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Beards and respirators don't mix.
One could make their beard/mustache work as the respirator, though ;D
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I put a $250 air filtration box on my ceiling, it made a massive difference. I still wear a mask full time.
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(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_20170410-092004_zpssvxtasom.png) (http://s623.photobucket.com/user/bubncheryl/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_20170410-092004_zpssvxtasom.png.html)
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I really got you thinking Ryan. Good post to bring to peoples attention. I work with mostly non toxic woods. I barley started to notice the effect of fine dust. We moved into a new house a few months ago and the garage is connected to the house. When the sun is shining through a window upstairs I can see the fine wood dust in the house. There is also a film on the window since last fall. That plus having a 3 and 4 year old in the house got me to spend whatever it costs to end the dust. I read all the revues and got a real dust sucker for the bandsaw for $150(My shop vac was not doing the job). I also got a powerful $380 air filtration system to end my worries. They should be arriving in the next couple days. I have always done most of my sanding outside and vacumed up as best I could, but I still have lots of dust from tillering with razor blades and 80 grit.
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I've drilled Haz-mat for years and even the facemask bubby showed you need to be clean shaven. I have the fan blowing in my face for dust and keeping mosquitoes at bay, windows open and wear a good paper mask. It's too hot here for face masks except when i cut and grind bamboo. The micro fibres is like breathing fibre glass and it plays hell on your eyes.
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I bought a hanging air filter from grizzly a few months back when they were on sale for $100. Makes a HUGE difference. I imagine that in a shed (my shop is in a 1200sqft basement) it would handle a lot of dust really fast.
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Trend Airshield Pro is what you are after my friend, it can be used with a beard. The only problem is they cost $350. But how much is your health worth? A lot more than $350 I would suggest.
All wood dust is harmful, add the toxicity of yew and you are getting into dangerous territory.
I had serious dust issues, and wouldn't wish it on the worst person in the world, went on for months without a break. I had no beard and was only using a simple paper, nuisance level dust mask. If you would have handed me a gun I would have shot myself in the head, it was that bad. Non stop sinus pain, headaches, post nasal drip that built up in my lungs, restricting my ability to breath, with pneumonia like symptoms. Dr said I was a hairs breath away from being hospitalised.
Better dust masks, and Nasal sinus rinse, and asthma puffer cleared up the problem. Alway careful now. You have to be careful with yew osage or tropical woods because you can build up a sensitivity to the toxins.
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I see a different types of these available, they look quite effective, these trap something like 99%impurities. Nasal filter plugs, definitely better than nothing.
R.D.
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Being alergic to living things and non-living things, I am sure I would sneeze that one out.
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I used to work in a paper mill cleaning sawdust and chip conveyors. A positive pressure face mask doesn't need to seal and keeps dust out of your lungs reasonably well. You may want to consider clothing contamination for extremely dusty activities, especially with kids.
Cost versus long term health is a tricky trade-off sometimes.
To deal with thousands of cubic yards of yellow cedar I'd still shave and seal though :).
Sebastian
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Thanks everyone for the input
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Make a choice, beard or lungs ;D ;D ;D
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This is the reason I hate using my belt sander. Lately I haven't been able to make any bows due to my back, but carpenters lung is nothing to laugh at. I have 3 shop vacs and they cut the dust abit. That reminds me I need to replace the bag.
The cold season also makes the symptoms worse. Even using a draw knife sends up some particles.
At least it isn't FG dust? Antler and bone dust is also very very bad for your lungs.