Created: March 2000
Updated: April 23, 2009

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Foreword

Summary

Applicability

Acknowledgements

Financial Help

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Foreword

Most small shop workers assume wrongly that fine dust poses no serious risk or that they use ample protection. My engineering background made me aware of fine dust risks, so I used the best rated dust collection equipment and still fine dust blindsided me. When I made fine dust I used a good dual cartridge mask faithfully, plus I used a ceiling mounted air cleaner and the magazine top rated cyclone. My cyclone vendor designed and supplied my ducting plus recommended my fine filter upgrade. That expensive dust collection system left a clean shop which created a bad false sense of security because it passed the fine invisible dust that causes the most health damage. An apparent heart attack hospitalized me. My doctors found my respiratory tissues held considerable fine wood dust. This trapped fine wood dust fueled a worsening allergic reaction that cut the oxygen my heart needed. Air quality tests three months after I stopped woodworking still showed dangerously high home and shop airborne wood dust levels. Not wanting to give up my wood working passion or tool collection I used my engineering background to figure out what went wrong and develop better dust collection.

My respiratory specialist saw my solutions and convinced me to share what I learned and my innovations. He said far too many small shop workers and their family members develop serious dust related health problems. We wrote a long Internet forum post article that addressed fine dust risks and shared my fine dust controls. Our article challenged most accepted dust collection information. It generated too many questions and lots of complaints. Vendors used their staff and paid posters including forum administrators to trigger spectacular Internet wood working forum wars. Ultimately, most reached a bad conclusion that fine wood dust poses little risk. We wrote two more long articles sharing why fine invisible dust reduces almost every small shop worker's respiratory capacity and fine invisible dust causes many other problems including COPD, asthma, serious allergies, poisoning, nerve damage, and even cancer. A good Wood Toxicity Table shares these risks. Our efforts only generated even more upset, questions and confusion which led to the creation of these pages.

My woodworking engineer and professor friends helped clear this confusion. We clarified that all small shop vendors advertize maximum air flows that more than double real use airflows. Also we examined existing magazine testing carefully to determine why their tests varied so much. The magazine tests surprised us. We discovered the magazine tests used oversized test pipe and they tested their top ranked cyclones and dust collectors omitting everything but the blower. These non-standard tests generated ridiculously high maximum airflows that burned up many blower motors. This makes sense because the more air a blower moves the harder a motor works. Also our magazine test examination found some fraud. Reputable vendors use restrictive blower inlets to avoid motor burn out. Conversely, the top magazine rated cyclone and top magazine rated dust collector vendors use oversized blower openings and larger impellers that create impressive test airflows that burn up blower motors quickly when ducts or hoses come loose. Also we discovered two top rated vendors submitted cyclones and dust collectors that contained larger blowers than they sell.

My woodworking engineer and professor friends then tested almost every brand, size and type small shop dust collector and cyclone. Our tests used calibrated Dwyer Instrument test meters, Dwyer recommended testing procedure, and Dwyer recommended test setup. Our tests showed all popular vendors except Delta Tools and WMH tools (Jet, Powermatic, and Wilton) advertized exaggerated maximum airflows. Also we found no 3 hp and smaller cyclone and no 2 hp and smaller dust collector moved the real air volume we need to provide good fine dust collection at most stationary tools. Worse, all small shop dust collector and cyclone filters passed the fine invisible dust that causes most health problems. Consistently, these filters passed particles ten to twenty times larger than advertized. Clearly the dust collectors and cyclones we buy to protect our health instead serve as dust pumps that quickly build dangerously unhealthy airborne invisible dust levels. Although our efforts inspired some vendor advertizing clean up, 2007 and 2008 air quality tests showed all main small shop vendors still sell dust collectors and cyclones that create dangerously high airborne dust levels if they vent indoors. At these measured exposure levels two hours small shop time creates more exposure than months working full time in a shop that vents the dust outside.

Summary

These Cyclone and Dust Collection Research web pages share fine invisible dust health risks, give the minimums that good fine dust collection requires, and share my own simple dust collection solutions that protect my family and me. These simple solutions incorporate the air engineering math, physics, fluid dynamics and practical experience that air engineering firms who guarantee customer air quality teach their design engineers. Large shops and small shops use many identical tools so we need the same solutions except when we design our ducts. Low pressure air compresses little so larger shops need ever larger branch and mains to carry the airflow from all machines working at once. Small shops use one tool at a time, so small shops use blast gates to direct airflow and we need the same sized main and down drops.

This site shares information to help you pick an appropriate collection strategy. Also it shares refined detailed tool modifications, duct design, blower sizing, separator options, and filter requirements. This site shares plans that help you make your own hoods, blower, muffler, downdraft table, duct system, air cleaner, and other fine dust collection required components. It shares how to test your system airflow and airborne dust levels. Also, it shares detailed scalable plans that let you build my unique cyclone design. Medical school testing shows my current cyclone design provides five times better fine dust separation than its nearest competitor, my earlier cyclone design. As an alternative to building your own cyclone, I recommend Clear Vue Cyclones. I authorize only Clear Vue Cyclones to make and sell my cyclone design.

Applicability

Although woodworking dust inspired this site creation, all fine airborne dusts endanger our health. Air quality experts recommend fiberglass workers, coffee roasters, granary storage workers and others who get fine dust exposure read these pages. Three large industrial dust collection providers who guarantee air quality require their air engineering and sales staff read this site and they recommend customers read these pages.

Acknowledgements

Many helped these web pages develop. They gave me the support and feedback that keeps this information accurate and useful. Jim Halbert, Dr. Rod Cole (Ducting Static), and many others provided books, articles, and Internet forum posts that got my education rolling. Jim Halbert shared his neutral vane upgrade, portable cyclone design, his automated blast gates, his air measurement pages, his DC remote controller and circuit diagram, and his cyclone vacuum. Jim looks over my shoulder and shares feedback that keeps my efforts accurate and understandable. The air engineer who started the Wood Magazine Dust Collection/Air Filtration forum, Don Beale, spent countless hours where he helped me get the CFM requirement tables, resistance calculator, hood designs, duct designs, and many other portions accurate, and complete. Also, Don sent me enough air engineering reading to earn another degree.

Also I give my thanks that so many other friends helped my cyclone, blower, motor, impeller, tool hoods, ducting, and web page efforts. I thank Bob Lemon, Dan Moening, Mike Worthan, Dale Critchlow, Glenn Paskaruk, Steve Knight, Steve Cater, Daryl Adams, Richard Winchester, Peter Hunt, Jack Diemer, Rodger Holland, and innumerable other local and Internet friends. Also I thank Larry Adcock who created WoodSucker, Chris O'Connor AAF sales manager, Paul Paton Sheldon's blower engineer, Allan Johanson who moderates the Wood Magazine Dust Collection/Air Filtration forum, Dick and Rick Wynn who run Wynn Environmental, Ed and Matt Morgano who run Clear Vue Cyclones, Lee Styron who runs Shark Guard, innumerable Cal-OSHA staff and contractors, plus many commercial dust collection firms. They help keep me stay focused and relevant, provide discounted components, plus show and share proper fine dust collection technique and components. Many others contributed time, expertise, and even a little money that assisted this effort. Terry Hatfield made me rewrite and add graphics. Linda Vanderwold, CSP shared the Vanwrite® tools that make this site more understandable. I appreciate Steve Hall who gave his time and web designer expertise that redesigned this site so it loads faster, reads better, and navigates easier. I thank each who contributed. Although we get no gold, we created and maintain an accurate information and education source that makes a difference. Clearly many hear our efforts. Our educational efforts helped small shop owners make better choices. Since 1999 when I began these pages the small shop vendor community improved their filters, dust collectors, cyclones and advertising claims. Still, almost all failed my recent air quality testing so this work needs continued. Meanwhile, I appreciate the prior efforts and help. I think we all deserve a well-earned hand, and my thanks to all who helped and keep helping!

Financial Help

Helping the many who view these pages daily and knowing thousands world wide use my cyclone design leaves a positive feeling, but positive feelings leave the bills unpaid. This research, tests and web page overhead costs me at least $10,000 yearly. Recent vendor complaints and harassment added another $4,000 in yearly legal expenses. I continue this effort voluntarily, but my respiratory issues forced retirement and left insufficient income to keep up this sharing level. The current poor economy cut donations and advertisement revenue severely. So if you find this information useful please help support these efforts with a small PayPal on-line contribution each time you visit these pages: