grinder woes...

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by robwilk37, Mar 22, 2012.

  1. robwilk37
    Joined: Nov 2010
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    Location: san diego

    robwilk37 Senior Member

    oh...the dust !

    does someone make an angle grinder with an effective vacuum attachment ? or any cleaver ideas for keeping the dust down. (misters / sprayers are not an option )

    thanks again
     
  2. iceboater
    Joined: Jan 2011
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    iceboater Junior Member

    I have not been able to get dust cover for my variable speed grinders. I have ended up making dust covers from the bottom of metal
    paint containers. I cut them level about 1" from the bottom, depending on grinder and then I punch hole trough the middle and fasten it
    to the grinder with hose clamp. Then I punch hole on the side for vacuum hose.

    Axel
     
  3. Petros
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    Petros Senior Member

    Use a large fan directed where you are working to blow it away. Your neigbor's will love you for this.

    Most commercial boat builders have employees in "space suit" with their own air supply in a sealed room. That is likely too hot where you are at to cover up. But a face covering dust mask with a fan is the best bet.

    One thing you might try if you are indoors, put a large fan in a window with a fabric bag tapped to the outside. this way the dust floating in the air gets drawn out at least.
     
  4. tunnels

    tunnels Previous Member

    :idea:Go check through the power tool listings and there are brands specially made with dust collectors and suction points built in to couple to a proper extractor system . just what you need ! most dont even need to wear a mask they are so good !!. :cool:
    http://www.helifix.co.nz/dust.html this is the first one i found in a couple of seconds !
    http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/18/dust-control-for-your-angle-grinder/ heres another one more like what you could be looking for
    One of the biggest problems with dust is finding a vac cleaner that will collect dust !! fine dust blocks up the bag in seconds normally Even industrial cleaners have a hard job couping with fine dust . A little trick !!used to be suck up saw dust first and then the fine dust after ! the saw dust helps keep the fine dust away from the material that the bag is made from . A cyclone chamber helps as well in the vac line so a good percentage of the dust is taken out of the air before getting to the vac machine !!
    Wet cutting , sanding and grinding saves all that hassle and there is no dust at all !!use air tool and a garden hose and run water continuously !
     
  5. sabahcat
    Joined: Dec 2008
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    Location: australia

    sabahcat Senior Member

    To right
    The old household vac my mother threw away and I grabbed for our home has a paper like bag and we have never had a problem sucking dust with this but the wife got annoyed at me using it so I had too buy a proper industrial barrel vac for the boat which has been next to useless.

    Now, the industrial barrel vac is in the house and the throw away household unit does the boat
     
  6. tunnels

    tunnels Previous Member

    GOOD SUCKER AND PICKERUPER we found is the small dust extracter unit used for the workshop has a motor/fan with a bag at the top and a collection bag at the bottom when the suck slows down just switch off shake the top bag to get the fines out of the poures of the bag and then turn on again !! all the heavyer grap falls into the bottom bag ! you can use the same thing for the saw and buzzer and you grinder just reduce the size of the hose . But the bigger the hose the better . when i arrived here in China there was 6 sitting alongside the store but no hose then i discovered the hoses in a big box no one had a clue to put one of the hoses on the extractor and suck up the dust . now they run all day long just they have realised when they are full they are surposed to empty the bag . Thats the job for the cleaning staff !!. Its a differant way of life thats for sure :(!!
    Possibly the best sucking and cleanest system i worked with is Festo tools and there vac cleaner specially for the job !!
    http://www.eparrphepavacuum.com/.not big just small and portable !!
     
  7. nimblemotors
    Joined: Jun 2009
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    nimblemotors Senior Member

    My tractor-loader-backhoe has an oil bath air filter,
    these are very effective in filtering fine dust and easy and cheap to clean and reuse. I'd suggest taking a look at them and think about fabbing up a big one up with dollar-store steel wool and oil.
     
  8. sabahcat
    Joined: Dec 2008
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    Location: australia

    sabahcat Senior Member

    Throw a bucket full of dust at it and see how it goes
    1/2 a second later it'll be clogged
     
  9. Jetboy
    Joined: Feb 2012
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    Jetboy Senior Member

    IMO the best option for fine dust is a water basin type pre-filter. You can make your own. Basically take a commercial canister vacuum and on the intake line before the vacuum, take a 5 gallon bucket with air tight lid, cut two holes in the lid. On the vacuum side you suck air from the top. On the intake side of the bucket, you need a pipe going near the bottom of the bucket so that the air coming in is sucked through the water. (Think of it just like a water bong). Anyway that's what most drywallers use to separate fine dust. Works great.[​IMG]
     
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  10. tomherrick
    Joined: Sep 2006
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    tomherrick Junior Member

    I've been using a 6" Bosch random-orbit sander with 36-grit hook and loop discs. The 3/4" I.D. dust collection hose Bosch provided was laughably ineffective. The port on the housing was fine, so I got a rubber plumbing fitting that clamped down on the oval port and then to a 2.5" shop-vac hose. It worked too well; I could pick up a 6-foot 2x6 with the suction from the pad. Had to drill some holes in the shop-vac hose for some make-up air and now it works well. It's not absolutely dust free, however. I also built a plywood box with wheels around a 2,000cfm squirrel-cage furnace fan. Three sides of the box hold 18x22 electrostatic furnace filters; the fourth side is the exhaust. I use this in the area where I'm working to pick up the fine airborne dust that gets away. And, I encase myself in a cheap Tyvek-like suit with a 3M full-face mask respirator and tape the sleeves tight over my gloves. So far, this has been working for me.
     
  11. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Attached Files:

  12. keith66
    Joined: Sep 2007
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    keith66 Senior Member

    Last year i purchased a Numatic NVD 750 vacumn extractor for a heavy grinding job, its basically a big shop vac that can take a 4" suction pipe.
    I wish i had bought one years ago as its the buisness, i now use it a hell of lot as it keeps the dust down so well.
     
  13. waikikin
    Joined: Jan 2006
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    waikikin Senior Member

    I'll second the dust bong as being effective, usually make from the setting compound pail used in gyprock work.Jeff.
     
  14. hoytedow
    Joined: Sep 2009
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    To this I will add place a large powerful exhaust fan at one end of the room to pull the dirty air outside. Louvers outside can direct the crap to the ground.
    Oh, and make sure the exhaust fan is leeward side of building of the prevailing wind. If wind normally blows from the west put the fan on the east end of the building.

    http://www.amazon.com/TPI-Direct-Drive-Exhaust-Fan/dp/B0026OSW12
    [​IMG]
     

  15. bntii
    Joined: Jun 2006
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    bntii Senior Member

    What grit you cutting at and what type of work?

    If you can manage it switch to one of the RO sanders like the Fein.
    The Fein has a very effective boot which will pick up most all of the dust in flat work. Buy a really decent vac. Again I use and suggest the Fein.

    If the work permits nothing goes like using a gel planer to cut down surfaces.
    I cheat and have been using one of the 3" power planes as the first cut after laying up.
    The work goes fast, it fairs the surface, and I hook up to a vac so the work is virtually dust free.

    My beater power planer is a Bosch:
    http://www.cpotools.com/factory-reconditioned-bosch-3365-46-3-1-4-in-planer/bshr3365-46,default,pd.html?ref=googaw&kw={keyword}&gclid=CMOUvtPTha8CFUio4AodDAsB3g&keyword=bosch+3365+46

    One of the keys to reducing grinding woes is to work so that there is not so much to grind at each stage.
    Virtually all of my glass work is done in one throw if at all possible and the bog goes on while green. What sanding remains is done on the fairing compound.
     
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