Dust Problems?

[budprine]

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I just abandoned my garage workshop for the basement.  The only space down there is the furnace room.  And to that I wonder about the wisdom of scroll saw dust next to the gas furnace.
Is there a problem from an explosion point of view.  And what will this do to the home's ductwork.  Is mama going to be screaming at me?
The furnace does have a pretty good filter system on it.
Your thoughts?

[scrollgirl]

I suppose it depends on how much you saw and what you saw.  I wouldn't do a lot of MDF there, but for the most part, just run the shop vac when you are done and you should be fine.  Also, it wouldn't hurt to check the furnace filter more often than usual.  I keep my scroll saw on the side of my kitchen.  I just keep it neat and clean and really there is not a layer of dust like with other tools.  I don't do lots of 'production' work, but there are days when I am there for several hours.  I just run the vacuum when I am done and you wouldn't know.  (Besides - we all need a little more fiber in our diets anyway!)

I don't think it should be a big problem.   Happy sawing!

Sheila

[dunk]

I think to cut down on the sawdust in the air I'd rig up a filter system to trap it.  I prefer to er on the side of caution, especially around an open flame like gas heat and then pushing it throughout the house via the duct work.

Something as simple as this.  I have upgraded since this photo was taken  to the pleated filters they work much better.  Just something to consider.

[dunk]

I guess the pic was too big so I need to upload the 2nd in this post sorry for any confusion.  I have mine placed to the right of my saw and the blower on the table pointed that direction.  I vacuum off the filter each day after I'm done.  If you are careful the filter will last 6 months or more.

[Bill P]

This might sound silly, but I'd call the local fire department and have their inspector come down and look at what you have in mind.  I'm sure they'd be more than happy do to that.

Bill

[budprine]

Thanx to all who responded.  I'll not be doing any MDF cutting and probably rig up an additional filter to prevent the dust from traveling too far.
Thanks again for your thoughts.

[Marcellarius]

I don't think it matters what kind of wood you saw.
I know that flour dust can explode as easy as wood dust.
try to avoid blowing the dust around in a big cloud.
it's the mixture dust air ratio that makes it dangerous.
sawing wouldn't be a problem i think,
with sanding you should be a little careful(dust cloud), just vacuum a lot and I think it will be OK.

and if not, you have the record on this forum for the most explosive scrollsaw project

[jimbo]

Get some sort of dust extraction system any one that has not got one is a bit silly in my opinion, you can do it cheap with a simple vacuum cleaner as I have for my saw, they have to be cleaned out on a regular basis and you will be surprised what comes out of them after only a couple of days
Jimbo

[Russ C]

I would defiantly add some sort of extra air filtering. My concern would be dust getting by the furnace filter and into the house duct work and building up. 

[Rightarm]

    Hey Bud. As long as you keep your dust to a minimal, you should be safe. Try not to blow it around. Keep it out of the air as much as possible. My uncle found out how combustible wood dust could be, when he was refinishing his hardwood floors, and decided to throw the dust into the fireplace. It's a good idea to have a working smoke detector, and fire extinguisher on hand. dave

[Terry Jackson]

Rat at Seyco sells a metal filter and a bottle of dust adhesive.  Put it on the intake side of a 20" box fan.  I use one next to my winter sanding station and it gets virtually all the dust.  Will also work with the saw.  With sanding there will be a lot of dust on the filter, and none on the fan blade or rear grill, so it is effective.  Wash it off, let the metal filter dry, spray it with the dust adhesive and you are good to go.

Paper and fiber filters also work, but most are not cleanable like the metal. 

Got a 20" box fan at WalMart for $10 in late September.

Net of everything, a fan and filter material will really reduce the dust issue when used in close proximity to the dust source.  Doesn't matter if it is a spendy dedicated dust collection system or a simple fan and filter, as long as it is moving a lot of dusty air thru the filter before it spreads out thru the whole room.
Terry