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Dang sawdust...

Started by D6c, November 02, 2017, 09:06:42 AM

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D6c

Maybe we get a lot more wind in the midwest that some other places, but it seems that no matter where I set up my mill I get sawdust blowing right in my face....every time.  I wear a dust mask, but still get a lot of sawdust in my eyes. 

Short of putting in an big expensive blower to suck the dust away, how do most of you control the dust so it isn't a constant irritant?

Magicman

Just be glad that you are not sawing ERC.  On occasions I have had to stop and walk away from the sawmill until the dust blew away, and then go back for more.   :-\  I do carry a Stihl gas blower to at least occasionally blow away the accumulated dust which may not help but it gives me a breather.

For that reason, a Command Control would be nice.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Kbeitz

I see a lot of people complaining about that. My mill shoots the dust out the back.
I'm set up in a valley and maybe 1 out of 20 time do I get any dust blowing back on me.
As you can see in this picture there is very little dust on my working side.



 

Now what a difference in the back of the mill.



 
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Magicman

I only portable saw and I rarely have a choice on where I set up and never a choice on which way the wind will blow from/to.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

D6c

Quote from: Magicman on November 02, 2017, 09:26:54 AM
Just be glad that you are not sawing ERC.  On occasions I have had to stop and walk away from the sawmill until the dust blew away, and then go back for more.   :-\  I do carry a Stihl gas blower to at least occasionally blow away the accumulated dust which may not help but it gives me a breather.

For that reason, a Command Control would be nice.

Unfortunately that's what I was sawing yesterday.  Had to step away from the mill while cutting and hope I didn't need to stop quick for something.

Magicman

I'm sorry.  There is nothing more dusty then ERC.   :-\
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Chuck White

I've gotten to where I'll ask the customers to stack their logs so that the hitch of the mill is pointing WEST and the loader points towards the stack!

Most times the prevailing winds work in my favor, but not exactly 100%.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

drobertson

I had the command control, set up to prevailing winds, forecast winds and the such,, in these hills, there is still swirling, I ended up buying a few pair of those cheap clear goggles with the elastic adjustable bands, It can be a chore at times,,not a bout a doubt it. Sawmilling,  dusty, and either hot or cold, wet or dry ;D
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

Coltbodi

I have a big fan behind me that keeps it off of me. I also added a piece of 4" plastic drain pipe to my disharge to get the discharged dust closer to the ground when it comes out. It made a huge difference. I have a little Honda generator I run the fan with if there is no power where I am set up.

If I can't fix it, I don't want it.
Timberking 1600 with lots of mods, a 65hp mahindra with a front end loader, a welding shop, and sugarcane mill from 1890 for making syrup

Kbeitz

Quote from: Coltbodi on November 02, 2017, 05:47:10 PM
I have a big fan behind me that keeps it off of me. I also added a piece of 4" plastic drain pipe to my disharge to get the discharged dust closer to the ground when it comes out. It made a huge difference. I have a little Honda generator I run the fan with if there is no power where I am set up.



You got the best setup I have seen so far... All you'r sawdust runs down hill...
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

YellowHammer

I also use fans.  A big barrell fan behind me in the summer to blow dust away and keep me and the offbearers cool.

However, I also have mounted a 30" fan over and behind my console so that it won't blow on me when it's cold, but will go over my head and put a good breeze on the mill.  No more sawdust in the air surrounding me, in my eyes or nose. 
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

irvi00

I have a dust collection system but that doesn't catch it all. There have been times I had to stop and walk away for a minute. My shed is set west to east. And most times the wind comes from the west. But when it swirls there's nothing I can do but stop and let the wind settle.

kelLOGg

I have a tethered controller so I walk away upwind. A wireless controller would be even better.
Bob
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

YellowHammer

I forgot to mention we have a 5hp blower for the sawdust which hooks up the mill and blows into a dump truck, but there is a lot of light, fine dust and mold in the air it doesn't catch, and I don't like breathing it.  Having a fan blowing over my back is a great help for nasty species such as walnut and cedar.  Since it blows over my head, and not directly on me but washes over the sawmill, I sometimes forget it's working and then I see a cloud of crud and dust coming my way from the prevailing wind and then reverse direction and go out the end of the barn away from me.

The more I talk to older woodworkers the more I hear them complain about lung and sinus issues caused by sawdust.  Having a fan blowing means I'm not breathing that stuff.  I don't like to wear a mask when I saw, so this seems the best option.   



YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

btulloh

Don't know if it's age, but I've had three bad episodes from moldy sawdust in the last year. Twice from the sawmill and once from the shop. I try to use the maskbut sometimes - well...  Fans look like a good solution at the mill.  Hard to believe how much it affected me.  Don't need to repeat that.  Good discussion.
HM126

Magicman

I believe that the affects of dust is cumulative, for me anyway.  My dust exposure goes all of the way back to being a 12 year old riding a combine and tying filled oat, wheat, & rye sacks.  Later years found me in my woodworking shop breathing sanding dust.  Now I am very content wearing an N95 dust mask with an exhalation valve while sawing, bushhogging, grass mowing, and any other activity where I am exposed to dust.

I needed one two weeks ago while Elk hunting because the wind/dust was really bad.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

YellowHammer

Quote from: btulloh on November 03, 2017, 03:15:24 PM
Don't know if it's age, but I've had three bad episodes from moldy sawdust in the last year. Twice from the sawmill and once from the shop. I try to use the maskbut sometimes - well...  Fans look like a good solution at the mill.  Hard to believe how much it affected me.  Don't need to repeat that.  Good discussion.
I liked it so much over the mill, I mounted one in the shop, also.  It washes over my groups of tools.  The one that really gets me is the jointer, seems there is always particles of dust being thrown my way even hooked up to the dust collector, and this certainly helps. 
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

btulloh

My shop seems difficult to use fans since the dust producers are all over the place.  Dust collection helps, but as we all know there's still plenty that gets in the air.  The radial arm saw is my biggest offender.  It just doesn't work well with the dust collector.

I know people with the those air scrubbers and they like them, but there's still a lot of dust floating around until the scrubber can make a couple air changes.  I'm going to rethink the fan thing for the shop and maybe try a few small ones at certain locations.  By the time I get my ears, cap, and glasses on, the masks tend to annoy me.   Tried every type of mask there is and the one common denominator is that they all are annoying.  I change glasses, safety glass, no glasses a lot.  Too many things.  I looked at those high end forced-air shields as a possibility.  They run about 400-500 bucks.  I would call that a good value if it really did the job and didn't annoy me.  Not a good value if I leave it in drawer with all my respirators and what not.

I think MM is right about the cumulative effect of dust.  Some of that mold doesn't have to accumulate much more than a couple minutes though. 
HM126

4x4American

I thought it was only me...seems that sawdust is always in my face, eyes, back and underbritches.  I use the dust bee gone mask when its real bad but that dont help my eyeballs, but it has helped lower my headaches i wud get from breathing in sawdust too much
Boy, back in my day..

Andries

Quote from: Magicman on November 03, 2017, 04:10:12 PM
I believe that the affects of dust is cumulative, for me anyway. . . .
We have a crew of five guys - two have come down with 'occupational asthma' since we switched to cedar.

Alex is the guy in charge of cleaning up the logs before use in log building. He only wore the nuisance dust masks. Now he's having to use a P100 mask and an asthma puffer to stay on the job.
Quote from: 4x4American on November 03, 2017, 06:26:39 PM
. . . . I use the dust bee gone mask when its real bad but that dont help my eyeballs, but it has helped lower my headaches i wud get from breathing in sawdust too much
Here's some friendly advice from a coffin dodger to all the younger dudes out there. If you want to play the game long term - take care of yourself.
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

longtime lurker

The scraper chain broke right after lunch. That door way mid picture is 6'6'' high.

.

 

Now if y'all will excuse me I've got a date with a shovel.
The quickest way to make a million dollars with a sawmill is to start with two million.

4x4American

Good advice Andries..kinda like my old boss used to call me a bruiser..ive been getting better about it sorta kinda:  Should see the guys down the rd at the pallet shop, them guys are double bruisers..you know the kind I'm sure.


Longtime Lurker, I don't envy your shovel date.  I hope its a shiela shovel at least lol
Boy, back in my day..

D6c

Dust is definitely a hazard.  Around here they talk about "farmer's lung" from working around dust....tillage work in dusty conditions, grain dust, mold, hog dust, etc.  It's all dangerous and cumulative.  My  brother got a bunch of corn mold dust cleaning out a bin a few years ago and had a cough for over a year.

It was basically what killed my dad after a life time of farming.  Went in for hip surgery and his lungs failed....nurses asked how many years he'd smoked....but he never had.

I wear a mask a lot, whether it's sawing, grinding steel, or any other dusty work.

Dave Shepard

I know it's not much help to the portable guys but a 42 inch barn fan at your back does wonders it's the only way I could saw black locust.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Darrel

My favorite wood to saw is western juniper but because of the dust, I also hate sawing it. In my lungs in my eyes in my pockets, boots and underwear. I can wear goggles and mask but that doesn't help with all the other places it gets. Last week I cut juniper again and ran the water almost wide open and at last the dust was not too bad. Mill didn't need water neither did the band but this sawyer sure appreciated it.
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

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