Louis Katz on tue 4 nov 03
Just some thoughts on the "do it yourself"vacuum system. I don't feel
like I know beans about this but here goes:
1. the vacuums ratings are measured in volume at a certain pressure
drop or sometimes increase. It is hard to compare one vacuum blower to
another, you generally need a chart rather than a single number. Delta
makes good wood shop dust collection blowers( it seems). We have one in
our school wood shop, I have another that I use for my flame throwing
pipe organ blower.( approximately 500 CFM at .5 inches pressure)
2. These systems can build up tremendous static charges. I remember one
hair raising experience (literal) sucking sand out of a large pot
through a flexible hose. When the charge dis'ed me it nearly blew me
away. Seems sand against plastic pipe moves some electrons. If you are
building a built in system It would be smart to read up on grounding
for static in the system. We eventually decided on metal pipe in our
shop as winding pvc with wire looked like too much money.
3. Harbor Freight sells systems that look like Delta's until you get
close. I decided on the Delta over JET.
4. If you are building a system vent youroutlet to the outside and make
sure it does not leak back into your studio.
Ellen Currans on tue 4 nov 03
Especially if you have Asthma, but even if not, a very good solution to
cleaning your studio is a built-in vacuum system. All of the dust goes outside the
room and is collected in a large container.
It can be expensive if you just order one put in, but we were fortunate to
find one being taken out of a high tech clean room (which was being upgraded)
for $50.
My husband bought plastic pipe and fittings and a 30ft hose and installed it
himself. The pipe goes around the ceiling and comes down to two outlets. The
30 ft. hose will reach all areas of the studio. It is light weight, works
with a soft brush to vacuum shelves, a tall wand to get the cobwebs off the
ceiling, and doesn't fall over or apart like my old shop vac (which pretty much
just spread the dust around again.) Nor does it scare the dog and cats. The
collection cannister hangs on the wall in the clay making area so the noise is
removed from the studio as well. We have used this for about 25 years with no
problems - just remember to empty the cannister a couple times a year.
Ellen, in Dundee, Oregon, where we've had a skiff of snow and the leaves are
still green on the trees. 10 days ago we had record high temperatures and two
days ago, record cold. Strange weather year for Oregon - but all nice.
Lee Love on wed 5 nov 03
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ellen Currans"
> Especially if you have Asthma, but even if not, a very good solution to
> cleaning your studio is a built-in vacuum system. All of the dust goes
outside the
> room and is collected in a large container.
I use a cheap shop vac with a long hose. I noticed this setup at
a little factory next to Continental Clay on Stinson Street. You put the
vac outside, venting in a "safe" area and only have the hose inside.
This is much better than a hepa vacuum, because you aren't taking any chance
of the filter not working properly or some other leak in the vacuum.
--
Lee In Mashiko, Japan Lee@Mashiko.org
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Jeremy McLeod on wed 5 nov 03
Some while back on this list some wise person talked about modifying a
standard shop vac to make it safe to vacuum clay dust.
The modification is simply to use pvc plastic pipe to extend the interior
end of the intake hose perpendicularly down to within a couple inches of the
bottom of the canister and then fill the canister about half way with water.
The vacuum then draws clay debris down immediately into the water and the
clay dust, of course, can't fly into the air. It's a really effective
system. Of course, the water in the cannister needs to be emptied pretty
frequently. That gunk gets prett foul very quickly. This drawback aside,
it means a well vacuumed space at minimum expense (barring the odd find of a
$50 laboratory clean room vacuum, to be sure!).
Jeremy McLeod
Nick Molatore on thu 6 nov 03
I placed my shopvac against an exterior wall and then plumbed the exhaust
with plastic pipe outside. (had to cut a 2" hole in the wall) Then I
bought a long enough hose to vacuum my entire shop. Sort of a poor man's
central vac system. Works great!
-Nick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeremy McLeod"
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 4:57 AM
Subject: Re: Studio Vacuum System
> Some while back on this list some wise person talked about modifying a
> standard shop vac to make it safe to vacuum clay dust.
>
> The modification is simply to use pvc plastic pipe to extend the interior
> end of the intake hose perpendicularly down to within a couple inches of
the
> bottom of the canister and then fill the canister about half way with
water.
>
> The vacuum then draws clay debris down immediately into the water and the
> clay dust, of course, can't fly into the air. It's a really effective
> system. Of course, the water in the cannister needs to be emptied pretty
> frequently. That gunk gets prett foul very quickly. This drawback aside,
> it means a well vacuumed space at minimum expense (barring the odd find of
a
> $50 laboratory clean room vacuum, to be sure!).
>
> Jeremy McLeod
>
Jeremy McLeod on fri 7 nov 03
I realized in reading about the juryriged 'central' vac systems what's been
nagging me in this discussion.
For folks who are using shop vacs and venting them outside somewhere...
Without the water filter arrangment in the shop vac canister, it was my
experience that clay dust would choke the vacuum's motor and it would
overheat and eventually burn out.
So, how are y'all dealing with the dust issue in the operation of the shop
vac itself, not just in the venting of the vac outside the studio space?
Jeremy McLeod
wayneinkeywest on fri 7 nov 03
Years ago, I lived in an area somewhat more
"population dense" than where I am currently.
Involved in woodwork and stained glass (both
of which I still do) I had to "invent" a system to filter
what i was "exhausting" from the shop (sawdust
and lead fumes)..or the neighbors would have
had my butt in a sling) I was in a 4th floor walkup.
Had the vacuum system on the fire escape :>)
I used something remarkably similar to what is
known today as a "plaster trap". Got the
idea from an oil bath air filter in an old VW bug.
In a 5 gallon plastic bucket, the hose from the
shop entered (tightly) through the lid, and
went almost all the way to the bottom. Cut
another (tight) hole in the top and attach the hose
from the vacuum
to it, and put water in the bucket, but not so
much that the vacuum sucked it up.
Empty the filthy water as needed. Cheap,
simple, and effective at not only
trapping the crap in the exhaust air, but also
keeping the vac motor clean.
We didn't have a fancy wet/dry shop vac
back then, just an old Hoover canister.
Worked just as well. Never remember having
to change the vacuum bag, either.
Wayne Seidl
> For folks who are using shop vacs and venting them outside somewhere...
>
> Without the water filter arrangment in the shop vac canister, it was my
> experience that clay dust would choke the vacuum's motor and it would
> overheat and eventually burn out.
>
> So, how are y'all dealing with the dust issue in the operation of the shop
> vac itself, not just in the venting of the vac outside the studio space?
>
> Jeremy McLeod
Lee Love on fri 7 nov 03
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeremy McLeod"
> So, how are y'all dealing with the dust issue in the operation of the shop
> vac itself, not just in the venting of the vac outside the studio space?
I clean mine after each use. Motor runs fine. With the long hose, it
is good to lift it high and give a shake time to time. If the hose
plugs, you reverse ends and suck the other way. Clears the clog. My
extension hose is made from hose that is used as flexible sink drain here.
Has a coiled wire running the length. Is actually stronger
cross-sectionally than the original hose.
I've tried the water trick, that makes a slimy mess that you have to
clean right away anyway, or else it stinks. Better just to clean it
without the mess.
--
Lee In Mashiko, Japan
http://Mashiko.org
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Ellen Currans on fri 7 nov 03
Dear Louis, and others who may be worried about a built-in vacuum--
I wouldn't presume to know what kind of industrial strength vacuum system is
needed for a university woodworking or ceramic studio where there may be a
great deal of crud to vacuum up. Probably OSHA has a lot to say about what is
needed and how it is installed, but I do think that an ordinary house built-in
vacuum system is all that is needed for a one potter studio. Mine has worked
very well for 25 years, with plastic pipe and fittings (the same as was used to
professionally install the one in our house). It is grounded. My mechanical
engineer husband (who also built the studio, MFT kiln, rewired an old 3 phase
dough mixer to work on 2 phase, and keeps all the equipment running for me)
installed it. The cannister hangs in the clay making and storage area, but it
is vented to the outside. Most of the debris is collected in the cannister
but a bit escapes. Before anyone starts in about environmental pollution, let
me say that there is very little dust in the air outside the building, but
what there is is absorbed by 50 acres of trees before it gets to anyone else. A
little silica doesn't hurt fir trees.
Before we vacuum the glaze area, we wet mop so that we're not walking through
the glaze drips and spreading that dust through the air. Mopping before
dusting seems backwards to me but for that area I think it is wisest.
We spend most of our time in the studio and it is important to me that it be
a clean and pleasant place to be. Customers to our showroom always want to
check out the studio. Friends and other potters always wind up in the studio.
I bake cookies and make tea in the studio and we sit around the wood stove
and visit when family and grandkids arrive. We have two recliners (that I
wouldn't have in the house) in the studio and we watch the news, have lunch and
catch a nap there also.
Ellen Currans, in Dundee Oregon, where I've been making and selling useful
stoneware pots for over 35 years.
John Rodgers on fri 7 nov 03
Years ago- back in the fifties, there was the RexAir Vacuum Cleaner that
did just exactly that. The moder day successor to it is the Rainbow Vac.
But it will cost you about $1250!!!!!
Regards,
John Rodgers
Chelsea, Al
Jeremy McLeod wrote:
>Some while back on this list some wise person talked about modifying a
>standard shop vac to make it safe to vacuum clay dust.
>
>The modification is simply to use pvc plastic pipe to extend the interior
>end of the intake hose perpendicularly down to within a couple inches of the
>bottom of the canister and then fill the canister about half way with water.
>
>The vacuum then draws clay debris down immediately into the water and the
>clay dust, of course, can't fly into the air. It's a really effective
>system. Of course, the water in the cannister needs to be emptied pretty
>frequently. That gunk gets prett foul very quickly. This drawback aside,
>it means a well vacuumed space at minimum expense (barring the odd find of a
>$50 laboratory clean room vacuum, to be sure!).
>
>Jeremy McLeod
>
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>
G.M. Schauer on sat 8 nov 03
Hi all,
I use a shop vac for woodworking, in the house for drywall sanding and in
the studio (laundryroom). I have installed a very fine filter (brand name
CleanStream) on it which is designed to catch these fine dusts and can be
wrinsed clean and reused. They are pricey but work great. There are some
things that cannot be sponged up. When I use them for drywall sanding on
the vacuum sanding gadget made for that purpose with sanding screens, no
dust at all gets on my hands or on the floor, which those of you who have
sanded wallboard compound will know is amazing. A Google search for
'CleanStream filter' will get you the details.
Galen Schauer
in crystalline cold Minnesota (6 degrees F overnight)
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