[a548402653]

One of the things that prevents me from building is the mess the sawdust does,and I don't have space for a shop vac,
so my question is,is there such a thing as a small hand held vacuum cleaner that could do the job?

 

[John Smith_]

that would depend on the projects you make and how often.
I would like to have an old Red Devil Dust Buster (a/k/a Dirt Devil) just for my workbench.

 

[a548402653]

usually small-medium things,the biggest ive done is a cubby shelf,I need just to pick up all the sawdust from cutting the boards and some minimal routing

 

[John Smith_]

me too - when I'm piddling at my little hobby desk.
did you click on the link to see what's available? handheld vacuum images - Google Search

 

[a548402653]

me too - when I'm piddling at my little hobby desk.
did you click on the link to see what's available? handheld vacuum images - Google Search

the question is,do i need a special vac shop (and then find one which is hand held if there is such a thing altogether) ? or any regular household hand held vacuum cleaner would do it?
wouldnt it get ruined because they are made for regular dust and not sawdust?

 

[DesertRatTom]

The problem will be that if you have more than a tiny amount of sawdust to clear, it will fill the machine very fast. If it has a filter, the filter will clog quickly and you won't have any suction.

Consider getting shop vac and having outside your shop. Again, you will clog it's filter very fast, so consider adding a cyclone in a setup like this. The cyclone will remove almost all the sawdust before it hits the vacuum. Here's a picture.
This is not an expensive setup, and it will work for most small shops really well.

 

[jw2170]

IMHO, a handheld dust buster will not cut it.

Some tools produce more dust/chips that you realise.

I use this Triton dust collector in Australia., with a small vacuum cleaner.

Triton Dust Collection Bucket 23 Litre

I would suggest a cyclone as suggested by Tom.

 

[a548402653]

Maybe one of you guys could give me links in amazon for the products to have such a setup? (if i understood correctly theres 2 products,the shop vac and also a dust collector wich is added on to it?)

and in conclusion, theres no such thing as being able to have a small hand held vacuum cleaner because it would ruin the filter (is there such a thing as removing the filter?)

 

[John Smith_]

One of the things that prevents me from building is the mess the sawdust does,and I don't have space for a shop vac,
so my question is,is there such a thing as a small hand held vacuum cleaner that could do the job?

Tell us a little about your work area and what projects you like to make. I'm assuming you are using a table saw, etc ?


I had the hand-held Dirt Devil back in the early '80s. And from what I remember, It had a removable foam filter that you could wash by hand, dry it, and put it back in. (you can also fabricate your own filter to suit your needs).
Again, as I indicated, it all depends on what you are working on and the amount of dust you produce and what material. MDF makes the worst mess ever. For me, I produce "chips" and very little dust as my hobby desk is inside my home in my den. So I'm limited to what I can sand and produce small particles. For larger projects that require mechanical sanding, I go outside. I use hand power carving tools that produce very little "fine" dust. So a hand-held vac would (and will) suit me just fine. Some more info about your tools and projects may shed some light on your issues.
YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).

 

[a548402653]

I usually just deal with some cross cuts (either in a mitre box by and or with a jigsaw) and in the near future maybe some occasional rip cuts with a circular saw I think i may want to buy.
My projects would usally involve just cutting some pine or plywood to correct size/length
and then the regular sanding with and orbital sander and doing some edge profiles with my palm router

all of that not on a daily basis,rather once a month or whenever I notice theres something I could build to improve storage or something pretty to add style to the kitchen or the living room

 

[DesertRatTom]

Maybe one of you guys could give me links in amazon for the products to have such a setup? (if i understood correctly theres 2 products,the shop vac and also a dust collector wich is added on to it?)

and in conclusion, theres no such thing as being able to have a small hand held vacuum cleaner because it would ruin the filter (is there such a thing as removing the filter?)

Here's Amazon's complete kit $99. https://www.amazon.com/Deputy-Deluxe-Cyclone-Separator-5-Gal/dp/B002GZLCHM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2UNCZDXM4Q6IJ&keywords=dust+deputy+deluxe+cyclone+separator+kit&qid=1654974130&sprefix=Dust+Deputy,aps,519&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A2ZBWTZC55WHJH&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNDU5MVY0Q01ZNlIyJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUExMDI1NzYyQkxSOVA1UE04UTFaJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzMTU1MTgxVFE1RU5SUFlIVzVQJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

If you remove the filter, the dust will clog and ruin the motor. The Cyclone dust collector separates the dust and chips and drops them into the bucket below. The air that goes to the vac. is almost dust free, so the filters last a long time. You can extend their life by removing, shaking out the filter bag and reusing it, but don't do it indoors or while standing downwind. As a throat cancer survivor, I don't think you want to be breathing in that ultra fine sawdust or the dust from woods that are carcinogenic.

Here is a picture of my shop dust collection system, which is in a sealed in space between my shop shed and my office shed, aq 4 x10 foot space. The "vacuum" is sold by Harbor Freight, and I bought it on sale for $162 with a cloth filter. I replaced the cloth filter with a drum filter. This is a 4 inch system. There is a tube running from the inside to the outside of the shop, with a 27 foot long hose in the shop that will reach every single power tool, even to the workbench.

Hardly a spec of dust makes it into the plastic bag, and if it does, it means the barrel is full. Finally, the filtered, clean air leaves the drum and passes through the last filter, (on the wall beside the drum) so I keep the summer AC air and winter heated air, in the shop.

The cyclone is the same company as the small one, but is a bit oversized. It cost about $200, th3 30 gallon fiber drum costs about $60. I spent far more than that messing with trying to find a home made solution and I recommend getting the best setup you can afford. It's your lungs.

 

[a548402653]

meaning,the link you posted is what I would add on to a shop vac?
both products would make it around 200$ or somewhere around that im correct?

I usually deal just with pine or plywood so I dont deal with hardwoods or such species which are known for causing cancer
Im realtively a beginner and a hobbiest,I dont do this daily at all, maybe once a month/2 months healthwise would you think is neccesary?

 

[DesertRatTom]

meaning,the link you posted is what I would add on to a shop vac?
both products would make it around 200$ or somewhere around that im correct?

I usually deal just with pine or plywood so I dont deal with hardwoods or such species which are known for causing cancer
Im realtively a beginner and a hobbiest,I dont do this daily at all, maybe once a month/2 months healthwise would you think is neccesary?

There are a few ifs. If you work outdoors, you could just wear a surgical style mask. If you are indoors and using power saws or a router, they put out massive amounts of dust. The bad dust are the microfine particles because once they get into your lungs, they don't come out. Ever notice how many carpenters wind up with breathing problems? If you wear a real dust mask in an indoor shop, you'll likely be OK. Pine and plywood both produce fine sawdust.

If your budget is tight, work on the driveway, wear a surgical mask every time (and eye protection) and you are probably going to be OK. The EPA did a study and found that amateur shops were way over safe sawdust levels, so if your hobby perks up, please do yourself a favor and get the sawdust under control.

Didn't mean to worry you unnecessariy.

 

[a548402653]

There are a few ifs. If you work outdoors, you could just wear a surgical style mask. If you are indoors and using power saws or a router, they put out massive amounts of dust. The bad dust are the microfine particles because once they get into your lungs, they don't come out. Ever notice how many carpenters wind up with breathing problems? If you wear a real dust mask in an indoor shop, you'll likely be OK. Pine and plywood both produce fine sawdust.

If your budget is tight, work on the driveway, wear a surgical mask every time (and eye protection) and you are probably going to be OK. The EPA did a study and found that amateur shops were way over safe sawdust levels, so if your hobby perks up, please do yourself a favor and get the sawdust under control.

Didn't mean to worry you unnecessariy.

thanks for the detailed answer.this is rather a surprise to me and Im not so sure I would have put so much input into woodworking and learning it and acquiring tools and all what comes with ith (clamps rotuer) had i known is so dangerous even as a hobby,but I cant really sell everything i have and I guessi have no other option than to enojy it safely

Would a balcony be considered outdoors? and then I would only need a surgical mask?
and about a real dust mask.to wear one indoor every single time I work, is it only an assessment or studies/experience show that it is really enough?
for how long do those particles float around if I work indoors? (for the sake of the members of the family)
Do you have a link to a real dust mask for indoor usage?

Or the other option would to buy a shop vac + the dust collector system and attach it to any power tool and then everything is just absorbed immediately and theres no need to a mask

 

[TenGees]

I put a shop vac in the middle of several tools with hoses that i can just swap at the vac one at a time. It's a major improvement to what I had. In my shop the biggest offenders are sanders. I have an old Delta disk sander that can completely coat my garage in fine dust with very little effort. I added a 'cover' over the bottom half of the disk with a hole to plug in a hose and what a difference. I find that I have to make the setup convenient or I'll do small operations without a vac. As Tom has stated the fine stuff is the worst, sometimes it's even invisible until it settles and it's in the air until then.

 

[mgmine]

They sell very small shop vacs. A regular vacuum cleaner will not work for long if you use it for picking up sawdust.

Hyper Tough 1.5 Gallon 2.0 Peak HP Utility Wet/Dry Vacuum - Walmart.com

 

[John Smith_]

after you guys get through with him, he will be in a full blown Haz-Mat suit just to scoop up a can of sawdust.

 

[TenGees]

I don't think that's necessary, John. ;-) But I think it doesn't hurt to be aware of it and try to reduce it, even for the hobbyist, like me.

 

[Biagio]

Tom, have you had personal experience with the small Dust Deputy, if so what did you think? They are very expensive here (shipping is the kicker, as you know) and I have been making do with a Thien separator, but I am not completely satisfied with it (Perhaps the fault is in my construction).
But there is a significant price differential.
For comparison, just the cyclone separator goes for US $100 here, the kit you show in your first post goes for US$ 180, and the Dust Deputy Bagger goes for US$ 185.
Has anybody had any experience with this last item? Seems like a neat idea, where you can just tie up the bag and dispose - no emptying/cleaning of the bucket.

 

[steveonmars]

I have a small Craftsman that I use all the time. I think it's 2 1/2 gallons and has the handle on the top. It's small enough to carry around for quick clean ups and picks up anything my big shop vac picks up. I love it. Sorry I don't have more info on it. I've had it for at least 15 years and it still works great.