Suggestions for Sanding Table

[jhicks]

I can't wait to see it.

[phil_o]

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/Downdraft.html
Take a look at this design. It may help. The author provides a lot of info on dust collection.

[mikek]

Bret, I used pegboard for the top of my downdraft table (30 x 48) and hooked up a 4" pipe to my DC. It saves drilling a bunch of holes. Seems to work ok. It is only about 6" thick so I can take it off the table when I am not using it. Maybe I got the idea from the Bill Pentz article above.....

[mikejohn]

Does anyone have a solution to my problem.
A rocking horse is about 1m(39") tall, 90cm(36") long and 35cm(14") wide.
It is assembled in a 'raw; form, then shaped using all sorts of powered hand tools, grinder and sanders.
The dust has to be imagined!
I can make a 'box' that contains the horse and me, with sufficient room to work comfortably, but little waste space, but how can I remove the majority of the dust and chips?
At the moment its a full face airflow dust mask jobby, and a shower clogged with sawdust at the end of each day!
Any ideas for reducing this amount of dust would be appreciated.

..........Mike

[bleeth]

Mike: I would make my box 5 sided like a paint booth and exhaust the top. Put my object on a turntable so I'm always standing in the right spot. The key is going to be a strong enough exhaust fan and the right filters cleaned regularly. I worked in a boat plant that had such a good system you could throw a handful of dust in the air and none of it would hit the ground.

Dave

[mikejohn]

Thanks for that Dave
Any ideas what to 'Google' To get more info?

.........Mike

[gerald_d]

Mike, you've seen pics of our box around our original SB.... For messy jobs, we stand inside the box with the job on the SB table and work with the airflow coming from behind us through the open flap/slot. All the dust moves away from us. Basically, get a 450mm diam fan and rig ducting so that it sucks clean air past you and then to the dirty job. Maybe it is too cold for you to work like that. link
You want to get a high air velocity around yourself (leading & trailing edges), so don't make the "doorway" too big. With your figure, this shouldn't be a problem - just don't block the doorway completely.

[pfulghum]

I going to have to agree with Wayne Locke here.
If you have a fein vacuum.
Use the fein sander.

http://www.feinus.com/p/NEWdustfree/New-6ros.htm

This SANDER eats the dust 98% of it.
Some of the best money I have spent.

-- pat

[knight_toolworks]

slots are better then holes. but there is no way your vacuum will more enough air. it takes a fair amount to catch the fine sawdust. a blower would be a better source of air or a regular dc.