[Greenbuilding] ventilating a tiny shop space

[Thomas Lewis]

I have a air cleaner hanging from my shop ceiling and I use it all the time.  but I also have loud music and ear protection on so I don't really notice it.  when I'm sketching or laying out stuff I just use the remote and turn it off.  I've never found it to be more annoying than blowing various wood species out of my nose.

the problem with relying on a shop vac or dust collection system hooked up to your tools is it only gets the majority of the dust.  those fines don't get past the filter, they are just propelled into your work space willy nilly, so having an air cleaner that can do lots of air changes rapidly takes up the dust collection slack.  with a small shop like you propose, you will rarely, if ever, notice any dust in the air while running a circulating air filter. 

If you have a shop vac hooked up to your tool then I'd bet you wouldn't need a respirator until you apply finishes.

It would be nice to have a voc filter for the unit.


"Time makes more converts than reason."  Thomas Paine, Common Sense

--- On Fri, 10/22/10, Clarke Olsen <colsen at fairpoint.net> wrote:

From: Clarke Olsen <colsen at fairpoint.net>
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] ventilating a tiny shop space
To: "Brian Milani" <bmilani at web.ca>
Cc: greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org
Date: Friday, October 22, 2010, 4:00 PM

One of those air cleaners has been hanging from the ceiling in my shop for 8 years - I haven't used it because although it is not
particularly noisy, it's enough to be annoying, annoying, annoying, annoy....
Exhausting the shop vac to the outside is a way of losing those fines that get past the filter, and pulling air in - preferably through
some semi-conditioned space.
Clarke Olsen
373 route 203
Spencertown, NY 12165
USA
518-392-4640
colsen at fairpoint.net




On Oct 22, 2010, at 1:12 PM, Brian Milani wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> In our almost complete reno of an old semi in Toronto, I am converting an old basement Cold Room into a small workshop, for mainly woodworking.  The basement is now well-insulated, and has a new radiant floor.
> I am having trouble finding reliable information on ventilation for the shop.
> 
> The proposed shop is very small---8 feet by 10 or 11 feet--and has no windows.  I want to be able to close the door and keep dust out of the rest of the house.  I'll be using mainly small tools, and a small table saw and perhaps a compound miter saw.  So a shop vac (along with whatever comes with the tools) will be my main dust collection system, and I'll be using a respirator when doing my cuts, routing and sanding.  But intuitively, one would think that bringing in some fresh air would be a good idea too.
> 
> Some people have proposed a simple larger-capacity bathroom exhaust fan.  Others on the web seem to say that a second fan, to draw in supply air, is necessary.  A fellow from a local industrial supply store has told me that we don't need fresh air, just a slick air cleaner like this
> http://www.general.ca/site_general/g_produits/dust_collector/10-550.html
> which is recirculating, and doesn't require makeup air or change the room temperature.
> 
> I've seen advice for larger home workshops, but, much of it doesn't seem relevant to my situation.  Especially after finishing the reno, building some storage, etc., the shop will be for occasional use.  And I haven't seen much advice for such small shops, except for Bob Villa recommending an exhaust fan, without elaborating about size, makeup air, etc.
> 
> Besides the new radiant floor, we have a new heating system---rads with a little radiant flooring--along with a new HRV and ventilation system.
> 
> Any suggestions for inexpensive ventilation measures that would work for this small workshop?
> 
>                            Brian M., Toronto
> 
> --Brian Milani
> www.GreenEconomics.net
> 
> 
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