[Noisebridge-discuss] Shower current in front of the fab zone

[John Magolske]

* Albert Sweigart <asweigart at gmail.com> [110121 22:17]:
> I was thinking of ways we could keep sawdust from coming out of the
> dirty shop (aka Materials Fabrication Zone, aka Fab Zone), and how
> about putting some more plastic up over the top areas but also
> installing a shower curtain over the larger entrance? What are the
> pros and cons? Is it even worth the effort?

I'm not sure how much that will help. Sawdust ends up drifting
everywhere. Particularly when using higher speed circular saws and
when cutting materials like MDF. A curtain might keep the sawdust a
bit more localized...but curtains also become surfaces for sawdust to
collect on, and they end up behaving as time-release dust emitters
when ruffled by breezes.

And then there's the issue of the shop itself becoming a dustbowl.

I spent an evening cleaning up the shop a few weeks back & ended up
with an allergic reaction from the clouds of dust that arose whenever
moving something around (felt sick for a day & a half). A friend of
mine stopped by for 15-20 minutes, just standing in the shop area &
talking -- she felt an allergic reaction after leaving the space.

The solution to sawdust is to collect it at the source as it is
generated:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_collection
Small shop-vac sized units (with a HEPA filter) can be had for ~$400.
I'd like to set up some sort of funding to obtain a couple of these
and make it easy and clear for folks to use them whenever making
sawdust. The existing shop-vacs are not good candidates, as they are
somewhat leaky in terms of not hanging on to all the dust they pick
up, pumping fine dust into the air. And they are way too noisy.

Something else to consider: use tools like reciprocating sabre saws
which cut at somewhat slower speeds, tending to make courser dust and
not fling it so far. This makes it possible to sweep up a pile, rather
than seeing a gazillion surfaces nooks & crannies get coated with
layers of fine noxious dust.

I'm interested in helping sort out a strategy for acquiring the above
mentioned dust-collection units, as well as other needed items such
as a flammables cabinet, non-slip floor mats, and storage bins for
hardware and supplies. If anyone's interested in participating in such
strategizing, please let me know.

John

-- 
John Magolske
http://B79.net/contact