# Dustless Workshop from the ground up



## Peteroo1 (Feb 28, 2017)

Hi 
I am planning a new purpose built woodwork workshop which will be as dustless as possible. It will be passive solar or having large glassed openings to the low winter sun.

The plan includes a central room which will be about 3Meters long x about 2Meters wide. This room will be the ventilation source for the workshop around it. Ventilation will be accomplished by an air purifier fan which will draw air into the central room from the external roof and or walls through sound baffled air vents into the central room and out again through an appropriate location to eradicate the effect on neighbours. 

The room will also house the dust extractors and be used for storage. The dust vacuums will serve workbenches around it. 

Is there anyone there at Router Forums who has ventilation and sound proofing experience who could help in making this basic design brief?

Regards
Peteroo


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Hey Peter how are you. I can't help you any but it sure sounds nice.

By the way welcome.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Depending on your climate, pulling outside air in is likely to cause heat to escape during cold weather, and AC air inside to leave when hot. Also, unless the shop is huge, placing all this in the middle means it will be in the way of practically everything. Consider moving the DC system to one side. I recall seeing a huge, shop built double filter column with a shop made box on top and bottom. The top to feed air into the double filter, the bottom to catch the sawdust. Have a cyclone system in front of that as a chip collector, and then the blower. This setup allows you to keep the cool/warm air inside the shop with the least possible heat or AC loss. 

If I were doing this, I'd use metal or pvc pipe running across the ceiling to each of the tools, with blast gates at every tool so you can close off tools not in use. 

Hang 2-3 WEN air filters so they create a flow of air. An hour or two will clear pretty much everything. I would also make certain you had DC atop the table saw as well as below. Every tool should have DC on the top surface.

For chop saws, consider hanging a shower curtain around it, gathered at the bottom into a DC port.

Use as few, short flexible hoses as you can.

Since you're building new, invest in an industrial, 220v DC unit. I like the Laguna commercial cyclone shop units, but there are many other good cyclone machines.

And, I'd still wear a positive ventilation dust mask and have a couple of spares for anyone else coming into the shop.

You might also consider adding a really strong vacuum port into which you can plug a long hose. No matter how carefully you do collection, some sawdust will wind up spraying around. 

Put doors and drawers on all stands and storage to help keep sawdust out. Put as many items as possible on casters so you can pull them out of the way when you vacuum the floor. The worst thing you can use are open shelves. The sawdust will get in there and you'll never get it completely sawdust free. 

Build a finishing area as far as possible from the cutting areas, or hang clear plastic sheeting over the opening to that area to block sawdust intrusion.

If you build on a concrete slab, have it sealed and finished, preferably in a light color or even white. Much easier to keep it clean. Get an oiled dust push broom and run it over the floor from time to time. 

I'm assuming that your budget is sufficient to cover new construction. If I were doing this, I'd construct the walls using 2x6 studs and put in R38 insulation in the walls along with radiant bubble style wrap. At least the same insulation in the ceiling. I'd drywall everything.

I'd run 220 and lots of 110v plugs all over the place. I'd color code plugs on each circuit so I could avoid too much load on any one circuit. Separate circuits for the AC, heat and lighting--which would be warm LEDs. I'd use recessed lighting fixtures to help seal the dust out and keep it from accumulating on fixtures.

I'd put a bathroom in there too, depending on the local construction regs. 

Always fun contemplating how you'd spend someone else's money on a shop.


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## jody495 (Sep 11, 2011)

Hi, desert rat. Would you have a picture of the dust collection collum you described?


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Do a Google Search for " Desoto Solar Heating Panels". They are passive panels that work without any power requirements. If I was building a new home or shop and could include this design I would go with it.

Charley


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## comp56 (Mar 30, 2017)

I agree, designing such a shop is nearly impossible dustless that is. I have been playing with my little shop for quite some time and although not perfect it is much healthier and cleaner than it ever was...
I'm using this 2HP with oversized after market blower blades.....


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

Good luck on having a dustless shop. I find that my shop is dustless until I go into it and start working.


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## Peteroo1 (Feb 28, 2017)

Hi Hawkeye Don
I'm reasonably well, and work at staying well with as dustless a workshop as possible. Thank you for the encouragement.
regards
Peteroo


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

jody495 said:


> Hi, desert rat. Would you have a picture of the dust collection collum you described?


This is the 3hp Laguna, $2500 with the heppa filter. This vents out inside the shop if you wish. There are many other brands and types, and sizes. This would be OK for a pretty serious shop, but a lightweight compared to the really big units.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Here is a picture showing the ducting (drops) going to each machine. Blast gates in the ducts at each machine will keep the air flow up.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Dust collection can work very effectively for the larger woodworking machinery, but the smaller powered hand tools are usually the worst offenders at letting dust get into the shop air and hand held routing is likely one of the worst offenders, even though some now have collection shrouds around the bit area. 

Noise control can also be difficult. Solid concrete or filled block walls will be very effective at blocking noise transmitted horizontally, but wood framed walls can be effective, if the wall is made double thick with no horizontal connection between them, and both walls are packed with Roxul or fiberglass bats and then sheathed with 1" + of sheetrock. A slotcut in the concrete floor between these two walls will stop noise transmission through the floor. Ceiling treatment will require several layers of solid sheet material, followed by thick layers of fiberglass or Roxul to stop the noise too. 

Even after doing all of this, you won't likely totally eliminate the noise penetration, but you will lower it significantly.

Charley


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I just re read your original post and noticed the size was pretty compact. So I'm going to change my suggestion about using drops. Use a 4 inch flex hose. I have a backyard shop that's about double that size, so let me show you one wall of that shed. Tightly packed, all tools on mobile bases, not stands with spread legs or space eating changable stands. The picture from left to right: 10 inche band saw, sander on stand with storage underneath, 10 inch sliding miter with plastic shower curtain, 2hp HF dust collector with drum filter, corner full of shelves to hold jigs and misc. stuff. Open area and high shelving for storage and my table saw jigs. Table saw placed so I can cut up to a 9 foot long piece. The wall next to the table saw is covered with pegboard and holds clamps and a variety of accessories. The other half of the shop is for assembly and finishing. 

In a smaller shop, I'd build a deck and put large casters on most things so I could drag it outside when the weather permitted. I seem to build a lot of outdoor stuff and picture frames, so outdoors for large and indoors for small projects works for me.

Just making adjustments based on your shop size. I posted on the notion that a budget was wide open.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Peteroo1 said:


> Hi
> I am planning a new purpose built woodwork workshop which will be as dustless as possible. It will be passive solar or having large glassed openings to the low winter sun.
> 
> The plan includes a central room which will be about 3Meters long x about 2Meters wide. This room will be the ventilation source for the workshop around it. Ventilation will be accomplished by an air purifier fan which will draw air into the central room from the external roof and or walls through sound baffled air vents into the central room and out again through an appropriate location to eradicate the effect on neighbours.
> ...


Sounds like you have a good plan . I put the cyclone and filters along with the aircompresrer in a sound proof room to keep the noise out of the work area.
I filled the stud spaces with Rock Wool Sound batt insulation and stapled moving blankets from Harbor freight over the face of the studs, and the ceiling in the room. I have a 3 hp. motor on a 12" fan with a Oneida Cyclone and 2 wynn filters. The air being sucked into the room has to be vented back out into the shop through as register, but the noise level is below conversation level. I also have an overhead air filter that is plugged into the light circuit ,so that the filter is on when the lights are on and off when I leave the shop.
I also built a 8" square box column with a 6" duct out the top and 6 ports with 2-6'diam. blast gates and 4-4" diam blast gate, and I configured a bandsaw, tablesaw, jointer, planer, and 2 router tables around this column.
Herb


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

A lot of ways to skin a cat, huh?


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Has anyone tried the new "mesh" type masks?

M2 Mesh Face Masks, Safety Green | Rockler Woodworking and Hardware


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## Lappa (Feb 5, 2015)

Comp56.
Where did you get the oversize blower blades from please?
Cheers


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