Getting Rid of Dust Accumulation – Tips from Sticks in the Mud – November 2017 – Tip #1

Welcome to “Tips From Sticks-In-The-Mud Woodshop.” I am a hobbyist who loves woodworking and writing for those who also love the craft. I have found some ways to accomplish tasks in the workshop that might be helpful to you, and I enjoy hearing your own problem-solving ideas. Please share them in the COMMENTS section of each tip.  If, in the process, I can also make you laugh, I have achieved 100% of my goals.

Few power tools can take off more material in less time than a belt sander. Prior to Katrina, I had a Craftsman 4″, and it was a beast. The Porter-Cable I replaced the flooded one with is its equal.

Of course, sanding dust accumulation goes hand-in-hand with material removal. The Porter-Cable came with a dust collection bag, and the Festool Dust Extractor Hose fits its exhaust port.

However, if you, like me, get tired of filling that little dust bag and the constant emptying, and you don’t yet have your first Festool Dust Extractor (Betcha’ can’t stop with just one!), you can do what I did back in the day. I discovered that a piece of under-sink plumbing pipe fits the exhaust perfectly if you bush it with a little electrical tape. Now, the dust is directed away from you.

I would commonly use the powerful fan I salvaged from my neighbor’s greenhouse to pull the dust away from my work area.

A bit of electrical tape, a piece of sink plumbing and sanding dust is on its way to the fan.

My neighbor threw out this three-speed, two-directional fan when he did away with his greenhouse. A little cleaning, a lot of Rust-OLeum and a frame made from scraps, and I had a nice, rolling fan to cool me off or suck away sanding dust.

Of course, there is no substitute for a proper dust-filtering mask, and I always use my Elipse P100 Dust Mask, along with the fan.

Your spouse will appreciate the shower you take after sanding.

Jim Randolph is a veterinarian in Long Beach, Mississippi. His earlier careers as lawn mower, dairy farmer, automobile mechanic, microwave communications electronics instructor and journeyman carpenter all influence his approach to woodworking. His favorite projects are furniture built for his wife, Brenda, and for their children and grandchildren. His and Brenda’s home, nicknamed Sticks-In-The-Mud, is built on pilings (sticks) near the wetlands (mud) on a bayou off Jourdan River. His shop is in the lower level of their home.Questions and comments on woodworking may be written below in the comments section. Questions about pet care should be directed to his blog on pet care, www.MyPetsDoctor.com. We regret that, because of high volume, not all inquiries can be answered personally.