Dust extractor

[Fretnot]

It's me again. I shall be ordering my dust extractor in less than two weeks now along with some other items for the new workshop. It is like a large vacuum cleaner for wood chips as well as dust. The extractor will be used on several machines including the scroll saws. At the moment there is dust everywhere in the workshop from the scroll saw. I will also be getting an air filter.

I shall be ordering a variable height nozzle on a stand and the mouth of the nozzle measures 12 x 2. I was thinking of positioning this behind the scroll saw blade at the back of the table with the idea that the blower on the scroll saw will blow the dust towards the extractor nozzle. I was wondering if this would collect the majority of the sawdust or would I be better off positioning it underneath the saw table. I would appreciate your advice. Many thanks.

[Hawaiilad]

I have tried the same thing except I used a large shop vac. It did help with the dust, but not as well as I thought it would. I unhooked it because of the loud noise from the shop vac, but I am thinking of hooking it up again after I store the shop vac in a small building outside of my shop. You may have better results with a better vac system than I was using.

[ROBaUSA]

If you place a small box fan next to your scroll saw with a furnace filter on the front it will pull most of the saw dust into the filter. Stop once in a while and clean the filter off. Much quieter than a shop vac. Make sure the fan is turned to pull away from your saw.

Rob

[opa64]

Scrollsaw dust collection - YouTube
Works perfect for me.
Use cardboard tubes at the ends of tubing (those black tubes), so the noise level drops significantly.

Shop vac silencer - YouTube
If the vac noise is too loud.

[Max]

I have a box fan with a furnace filter sitting about 12" to the right of the scroll saw table. I'm guessing that it picks up about 90% of the dust (maybe more). Before I used the fan, I had saw dust all over the basement; it was bad. Now, all I have is a little on the floor below the saw; this is due to the dust that falls below the opening where the blade goes through the table. Most of the time I run the fan on medium speed.

[Catlyn]

I have a box fan with a furnace filter sitting about 12" to the right of the scroll saw table. I'm guessing that it picks up about 90% of the dust (maybe more). Before I used the fan, I had saw dust all over the basement; it was bad. Now, all I have is a little on the floor below the saw; this is due to the dust that falls below the opening where the blade goes through the table. Most of the time I run the fan on medium speed.

I'm going to to try that when I get my shop in working order.
How do you keep from making so much dust around the other tools such as the miter saw, drill press, router?
That router can really sling the dust.

[Max]

Well, Catlyn, all my other tools are in the garage. My wife thinks we have concrete under all the wood chips. But, when I work in the garage, I usually hook up the shop vac to the bandsaw, sanders, and planer. I don't do much routing, so when I do, I have to clean up when I'm done. When the market gets better, we plan to move. After that, I will invest in a good dust collector.

[ROBaUSA]

I have a dust collector that is on most of my tools. I don't bother with the tools that make very little saw dust. It's a waste of money to run a 5 horse power dust collector for a scroll saw or drill press. Besides, I need a little saw dust around so people think I'm working!

Rob

[Fretnot]

Thanks to all you lovely people who replied. The problem has been on my mind for some time, especially as I am using a spare room in the house. Thanks especially to Max and Rob. I am making a box filter so hopefully I can cut down the use of the shop vac.