search  current discussion  categories  safety - dust & fumes 

beam vacuum system for clay shop

updated sun 28 mar 04

 

David Beumee on tue 23 mar 04


3/23/04 - Vince wrote:
> Please move your shop vacs back to the garage workshop and get a BEAM system
> or something similar.

I would like to add to what Richard and Vince have said about the Beam vac system.
My unit has a bucket that attaches to the base that can be removed to dump out the chunks from the studio floor, but the really fine dust attaches itself to the non removable filter bag that hangs down inside the bucket. I put on a respirator when I remove the bucket to dump it out, and put a plastic bag around the bottom of the unit and filter bag and reach in from the outside of the plastic bag and shake out the filter bag. Most of the fine dust falls in the plastic bag and allows the vac to double it's power, that is to say, work like it's designed to work. When you do this operation, a whole bunch of the really harmful superfine dust is exausted outside the next time you turn the unit on, and I'm careful not to have the windows open on the side of the studio where the exhaust is located so the superfine dust isn't pulled back into the studio. Also, having vinyl tile on the floor of my studio instead of concrete means a much smoother surface to clean, meaning that when I mop I can really clean the floor. I always vac first and then mop. It's a dusty trade, and I encourage potters to take care of themselves. The "this place is too clean to be a pottery" comments bounce off me l

ike water off a ducks back. I'm just trying to stay healthy. I also have infloor heat, mainly because it means no fans blowing the dust around.

David Beumee
Earth Alchemy Pottery
Lafayette, CO
> > There are HEPAA filters for shop vacs thaat taake out the objectionable
> > paarticles. I got minee at Home Depot when I got the shop vac. Cost is
> > about $30. I clean it off from time to time--OUT OF DOORS!
>
> I gotta second what Richard Aerni said. There is no secondary filter
> available (HEPA or otherwise) for less than a few thousand bucks that is
> worth much when it comes to filtering out the very finest silica particles,
> and those are the ones that cause silicosis. Those particles cannot be
> expelled by the cilia on the surfaces of your lungs, and so the body builds
> scar tissue around them. There is simply no studio vacuum system that is
> worth much except for the Beam or other system that exhausts OUTSIDE the
> studio. Those of you who think you have HEPA filters removing all the
> finest silica particles are not facing the truth, and I really fear for you.
> Please move your shop vacs back to the garage workshop and get a BEAM system
> or something similar.
> Best wishes -
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
> Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
> vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
> http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
> http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.

Eleanora Eden on sat 27 mar 04


Hi David and all,

I got a Beam vac through Marc Ward here on clayart about 5-6 years
back now, and I was kind of consternated to notice on the warranty that it
was nullified if you use the vacuum in a workshop situation. I said to
myself, well, if I had bought this from just anybody, how would they know
if I had used it in my studio? But since I went to a clayart distributor,
whether I used it that way or not he could claim knowledge that I was a
studio potter and thus the warranty could conceivably not be worth anything
to me. I didn't take that up with Ward although perhaps I should have, and
I haven't used it in the studio, although that would be real convenient at
times. We still sweep and mop.

So I am somewhat surprised to see this conversation. Have you all
read your warranties? Did I misunderstand something? Can I use my Beam in
the studio without nullifying the warranty? If so, I'd really like to know
that.

Eleanora



At 03:24 PM 3/23/04 +0000, you wrote:
>3/23/04 - Vince wrote:
> > Please move your shop vacs back to the garage workshop and get a BEAM
> system
> > or something similar.
>
> I would like to add to what Richard and Vince have said about the Beam
> vac system.
> My unit has a bucket that attaches to the base that can be removed to
> dump out the chunks from the studio floor, but the really fine dust
> attaches itself to the non removable filter bag that hangs down inside
> the bucket. I put on a respirator when I remove the bucket to dump it
> out, and put a plastic bag around the bottom of the unit and filter bag
> and reach in from the outside of the plastic bag and shake out the filter
> bag. Most of the fine dust falls in the plastic bag and allows the vac to
> double it's power, that is to say, work like it's designed to work. When
> you do this operation, a whole bunch of the really harmful superfine dust
> is exausted outside the next time you turn the unit on, and I'm careful
> not to have the windows open on the side of the studio where the exhaust
> is located so the superfine dust isn't pulled back into the studio. Also,
> having vinyl tile on the floor of my studio instead of concrete means a
> much smoother surface to clean, meaning that when I mop I ca
>n really clean the floor. I always vac first and then mop. It's a dusty
>trade, and I encourage potters to take care of themselves. The "this place
>is too clean to be a pottery" comments bounce off me l
>ike water off a ducks back. I'm just trying to stay healthy. I also have
>infloor heat, mainly because it means no fans blowing the dust around.
>
> David Beumee
> Earth Alchemy Pottery
> Lafayette, CO
> > > There are HEPAA filters for shop vacs thaat taake out the objectionable
> > > paarticles. I got minee at Home Depot when I got the shop vac. Cost is
> > > about $30. I clean it off from time to time--OUT OF DOORS!
> >
> > I gotta second what Richard Aerni said. There is no secondary filter
> > available (HEPA or otherwise) for less than a few thousand bucks that is
> > worth much when it comes to filtering out the very finest silica particles,
> > and those are the ones that cause silicosis. Those particles cannot be
> > expelled by the cilia on the surfaces of your lungs, and so the body builds
> > scar tissue around them. There is simply no studio vacuum system that is
> > worth much except for the Beam or other system that exhausts OUTSIDE the
> > studio. Those of you who think you have HEPA filters removing all the
> > finest silica particles are not facing the truth, and I really fear for
> you.
> > Please move your shop vacs back to the garage workshop and get a BEAM
> system
> > or something similar.
> > Best wishes -
> > - Vince
> >
> > Vince Pitelka
> > Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
> > Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
> > vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
> > http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
> > http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
> >
> >
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> > Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> >
> > You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> > settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> >
> > Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.

Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003
Paradise Hill Road eeden@vermontel.net
Bellows Falls, VT 05101 www.eleanoraeden.com