# How do you collect dust from your portable sander?



## Tin man (Mar 4, 2012)

Interested in see and reading about better ways to collect the fine dust from _portable _sanders. I am attatching some pictures of what I have been using. I like to put down some anti-slip matting to help hold the project in place and it gives a nice cushion to protect the wood. 
My Ridgid and Montgomery Ward both have shop hose hookups that work very well, and I like to take some hoses from my central dust collector and just set them in the area where I am sanding. On my B&D mouse sander theres no hose hookup, so I only use that in tight areas, but really wish I had a better method along with a quieter better shop vac.
Questions: Does anyone make a shop vaccum thats quieter than standard shop vacs?
Anyone know of a small sander that will fit into tight areas like the mouse, but with a vaccum attatchment?
Anyone want to post pictures of a portable benchtop downdraft table you have built or purchased?


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Fine Woodworking did a tool test of shop vacs a couple of months ago. The one they voted best was Bosch's "airsweep". It moved the most cfm but it was also by far the loudest. The quietest was a Dewalt (one of 2 tested) but it also had the lowest cfm. It seems performance and noise go hand-in-hand.
I have a Porter Cable profile sander that has a mouse type attachment and it has a vac port.


----------



## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

If you find a solution for this I'll be very interested. I attach a vacuum hose to my sanders when using them at the bench and have never been happy with the results. I've been considering building a down draft sanding table from an old furnace blower to try to trap what the vacuum attachment on the sander fails to catch. Maybe using both methods at the same time will keep the dust out of the air? Does anybody do their sanding this way?

Another related question - How do you manage the vacuum hose and the power cord to your sander? I got frustrated with the hose and wire dragging across my work and decided to hang them from the ceiling. This improved the situation, but didn't solve it completely because the slack that was needed to be able to move the sander over the work sometimes caused them to drag anyway. My most recent improvement to this was to install one of those retractable clothes line units to the ceiling above my bench and then attach the end of the clothes line from it to the slack area of my vacuum hose and power cord using one of those velcro power tool cord straps (the long red one). The rewind spring in the clothes line unit maintains tension to hold up the slack part of the vacuum hose and power cord, keeping them off of my work area. I adjusted the spring tension in the clothes line to a level that held the hose and wire up, but didn't restrict the sander movement. This has worked out very well for me. The hose and wire still hang from the ceiling, but the slack loop is held up by the clothes line.

Charley


----------



## Big Steve (Feb 12, 2012)

My ROS is Porter Cable. I has a vacuum port. I have switched to Abranet Discs which permit much better dust collection and reduced loading.


----------



## Hsobel (Jan 25, 2012)

I have built the downdraft sanding table from the planes and plates available from Rockler. Total cost was about sixty dollars and took about an hour to make out of MDF. I use my regular dust collector hooked up to it. I found that the shop vac just didn't have enough CFM to handle the dust. It works pretty well for my needs as I primarily make freehand routed signs.


----------



## DeclanJustin (Mar 10, 2012)

I am looking for an orbital that works with a HEPA vac. Can you give me any leads on where to find something like this?


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*It Sucks*

Hey, Declan; try suppliers to the auto-body business...Assuming you have a compressor? This is typical of what's commonly used.
Chicago Pneumatic Random Orbital Sander, Central Vacuum - H and L Pad, CP3514, CP3515 CP Random Orbital

Random orbital air sanders are _very_ fast...something like 6,000 to 8,000 rpm
Mine's a rectangular pad style. You need a lot of air, (maybe 6cfm) or only use it for fairly short intervals...1/2 minute maybe, or until the speed starts dropping(?) then let the compressor finish its cycle.


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

ETS 125 EQ Random Orbital Sander - SANDERS - Festool
Random Orbital Sanders - Festool
Abrasives - Festoolproducts.com
RO 90 DX Rotex Multi Mode Sander - Festoolproducts.com

===


----------



## jlk103144 (Mar 26, 2012)

My older sanders are not set up for a vacuum, so I do all of my sanding outside.


----------



## RJM (Apr 11, 2010)

I use a broom to collect my sanding dust ...


----------



## Rebelwork Woodworking (Sep 11, 2004)

Sanders and health. I've seen where it irritates allergies but nothing else...

I have chronic hay fever and know this first hand...


----------



## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

As Hsobel said a downdraft table . Build one or buy one.
Dustless Sanding Table 24" x 48" - Woodtek - Vacuum And Dust Collector Ducts - Amazon.com


----------



## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Sorry Rebel but just plan very bad advice and inaccurate. Maybe Google health issue from sawdust and then rethink. Or talk to your doctor or let us know in another 20 years.......


----------



## Rebelwork Woodworking (Sep 11, 2004)

sreilly said:


> Sorry Rebel but just plan very bad advice and inaccurate. Maybe Google health issue from sawdust and then rethink. Or talk to your doctor or let us know in another 20 years.......


In 20 years? how about 37...

Have you read what I do for a living?

I know of one person in 37 years that had been effected by saw dust....


----------



## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Yes I have and respect that but MD is not in you title. That's just plain reckless. I know people who have smoked for 60 years and seem fine but is smoking safe? Come on man. Not going to carry this further but I can't believe you feel comfortable with that. I don't ask a lawyer, politician, or other non medical person for medical advice either. The dangers are clearly stated and documented. Do what you want for yourself.


----------



## Rebelwork Woodworking (Sep 11, 2004)

I smoked for 37 years. I have a small case of COPD. I quit three years ago im 55. . My mother smoked the same and recently died this thanksgiving from a bad case of COPD. She was 87.

If you have problems such as heavy smoking you don't want to enhance the problem with saw dust.

The typical normal woodworker, breathing in small amounts of saw dust here and there isn't going to be affected unless there's other issues..

At the furniture company the only ones wearing respirators Are the sanders and painters. There only sanding and painting 8 hrs a day. Makes complete sense...


----------



## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

not to address the dust removal systems:
but, if you have the bag attachment for your sanders, it would be a good idea
to collect the dust from different colored wood and store it in containers so you
can use it whenever you need matching dust to fill voids and defects with epoxy
or CA glue. I call it "wood flour".


----------

