Cutting bowl blanks?

I'm a newly retired math professor, getting interested in making bowls. I just got a JET bandsaw. My question: I have a beard, so I want to get enough protection from the powdery sawdust when using the bandsaw! Any recommendations? Do you think the battery-powered positive pressure unit would keep me safe? I attached a shop-vac to the 4" outlet below the bandsaw table, but that didn't seem good enough.


I have really enjoyed your excellent book on bandsaws!


- Keith K.

Chagrin Falls, OH

Our Expert

Woodworking machines can create a lot of dust which becomes airborne and settles on every available surface in your shop. Besides being a fire hazard it is a
health hazard as well. I have never tried the positive pressure units but I've heard that they work well. Of course any dust mask or respirator requires a snug fit against your face to achieve the full effectiveness. I doubt that these devices work as well with a beard.


Here are a few more suggestions which may help to minimize the hazard:


1. Start with a good dust collection system. The unit must have enough power to provide the necessary CFM at each machine. The ductwork must be designed to minimize friction and reduce the CFM. Also, keep in mind that many dust collectors push the fine, hazardous dust back into the room. To be effective the filter must be fine enough to trap the smallest of the dust particles. And the filter will need cleaning often to prevent backpressure and a loss of CFM. Don't stop with just one dust hood at each machine. With machines that produce fine dust, I've had the most success at dust collection by using two hoods. On the tablesaw I have a second hood in the basket guard. On the bandsaw I have one hood in the cabinet and a second hood mounted under the table.


2. Trap the airborne duct with an air cleaner. No dust collection system will trap 100 percent of the dust at the source; some of the dust always manages to bypass the system. I have several air cleaners mounted in the ceiling of the shop which filter the shop air several times each hour.


3. Wear a dust mask or respirator. Although I don't wear a dust mask continually I have one that I use when the conditions become really dusty. Some tasks, such as sanding at the lathe or cleaning the filter on the dust collector, can be extremely dusty. However, some woodworkers wear a dust mask whenever they are in the shop.

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