The Air We Breathe...... Managing Workshop Dust and Air Quality

Being a small shop owner I realized one of the last things I considered when setting up my shop was how I was going to clear the air with all the sawdust and fumes I was creating.  I do have the luxury of a covered deck outside my shop so much of my staining, sealing and sanding takes place outside, weather permitting.  I also use a mask when working with chemicals, turning on my lathe, etc., but that still doesn't alleviate the inside problem where my most active power tools are: the table saw, miter saw and router to name a few.  

Like many others, my shop started small and slowly grew; and one of my first purchases was a shop vac from my local Big Box store.  The shop vac is a worthy helper, attaches to most of my power tools and also does a good job cleaning up either what I missed or what my friendly shop helper (Micah: the shepherd/husky dust magnet) brings in from outside.

 The problem with the shop vac is that dragging it around the shop is a pain and much of the fine dust gets blown right out the back side of the machine.  A better solution was in order.

I dropped about $400 in a HF 2 hp dust collection system, a number of blast gates and "Y" connectors, clamps, flex hose and finally a WEN model 3410 remote controlled air filtration system.  I read several reviews on all my purchases and deemed the system I put together the most appropriate for my size shop and budget.

I just completed all my installations and hook-ups and only time will tell (along with the amount of dust accumulating on my duct work) how effective my system is, but I can tell right away that for convenience, use of space and filtration I am more than pleased.  Check back with me in about 6 months and I'll followup on how it' s working  or any need for improvement.

Now........take a deep breath and  let's get to work:)