Workshop Dust Control Using Arduino

[Yorkie]

Those who do any woodworking or woodturning will know that getting rid of dust is an ever present problem and it’s all too easy to use your lungs as a non-renewable dust filter - quite a health hazard with dust from MDF and certain timbers used in woodturning which are known to pose serious health hazards, such as laburnum and iroko. My workshop is only 8ft x 10ft, and I have a woodturning lathe and small bandsaw in it. A ‘Little Henry’ type vac takes care of the dust from the bandsaw outlet, and I have a large woodturning drum vac for use with the lathe. I’ve recently fitted that with a footswitch so that I can turn it on and off easily while sanding on the lathe without having to stop to switch it on and off. Only a tenner post free on a slow boat from China, and excellent quality:
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171752898306?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
A couple of pics of my drum vac and footswitch are attached.

I also have a powered dust filter unit hanging in my workshop which comes on for two hours each evening to filter out any dust floating around, but it’s too noisy to have on when working in there. It’s surprising (or perhaps not), just how much dust it filters out.  I have a larger (6” capacity) bandsaw in the Garage, and the Little Henry fits onto the dust outlet of that when in use.
 
In larger workshops which have the space, and have several items of power equipment in use it makes sense to install a dust extraction system with ‘blast gates’ which can be opened and closed as required, for whichever machine is in use at the time. Blast gates are usually controlled manually, but there’s an interesting use of Arduino to control ‘blast gates’ on a home workshop dust extraction system here:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAMYaCIXXYU
 
I know that Arduinos are cheap and clones are even cheaper. It isn’t something I’m into or am ever likely to, but  I thought some forum members might be interested in the youtube video as an example of a practical application of Arduino in the workshop. No doubt there are countless other practical applications. The home-made dust extraction system on which the Arduino controls the blast gates is here:

http://www.iliketomakestuff.com/dust-collection/
 
Neat set-up eh?
 
 Hope that's of interest.

[pwdrive]

Very neat David, but one possible problem with the actuating mechanism on the Arduino based one, if the blast gate is not being pulled or pushed from the center (the connecting rod/wire is off center) there's a good chance it will jam up during use due to dust in the slots, on top of that blast gates used in sawdust extraction often don't shut properly due to sawdust/resin build up in the bottom of the slot.

My mates got a blast gate on his shavings extraction set up, that either jams up or won't shut properly unless regularly stripped and cleaned, if I can remember I'll take a photo next time I'm over at his place.

Lawrence.

[Yorkie]

 Thanks for reading the thread and for your comments Lawrence.

I'm a simple soul, and if ever I installed a piped system, I'm sure I could cope better with manually opened and closed blast gates than Arduino controlled ones

If the gates are manually controlled, each time they're opened and closed it acts as an inspection to ensure that the gates function properly.

Just though it was a neat approach to a small DIY workshop and an interesting application for the Arduino.

Amazing how cheap they are - I think  the clones are about a fiver. EPROMs were about my limit 25 years ago - never got into pics or microcontrollers, but I can see the fascination.

[pwdrive]

I never did Pic's or Arduino's either David, if I thought hard enough I might be able to figure them out, finding an application for them at our home or down our woods would be another challenge, KISS is in my constitution.

Lawrence.

[Refugee]

If I was that worried the gate could be ganged with the main power or safety cutout switch so that if it gets jammed the machine will also be made safe until the problem is fixed.

[Radio Fixer]

Interesting David and the foot switch is a great buy: could do with one on my router set up.  Not that I use it a lot,  It all needs getting out from the shed 'pile', putting together and setting up so unless its important I find another way.

I'm not surprised the hanging dust filter collects a lot of dust.  Cheap vac. cleaners like the Henry only catch the big stuff and the really fine passes out through the exhaust.  They maybe are worse than nothing at all as they give a sense of security which isn't there.  Most of the big stuff would be caught by nose hairs and certainly a face mask,  the better quality 3M ones are great and don't fog up glasses.  Through them you cant even smell cellulose lacquer but of course they are uncomfortable for any length of time.  Now if you can find a better quality vac. like a Miele say that is on its way to the tip and fix it that would be ideal.  The filters in those seem to work excellently, leastwise my throat says so.

One day I will have to have a play with these Arduino devices and PICs ... when I find some time 

Gary

[pwdrive]

Pics as promised at my mate's place, I'm not responsible for H&S....

A blast gate on the intake of the shavings lorry, the compacted shavings that can be seen would have extended back to the lorry's rear opening, what you see that's left is what I eventually mucked into the intake hose 'till they had all gone, these shavings come in the lorry from another wood yard, all together when it's full it will yield somewhere between 60 to 70 bales, the lorry has a fibre glass semi translucent roof, it get's very hot in there when shoveling, the shavings are packed tight, you have to pull them down to the floor with a fork then fork them into the intake hose when they are loose, just inside to the right you can see a 2" granite slab, it rests on top of the hose when the hose is stretched out to stop it springing back:

   

This shows the blower:

   

From the blower up to the 1st floor of the baling shed:

   

From there down the hopper to feed the baler, the hopper often jams up hence the stick poked up it:

   

The baler doing the compaction:

   

Filling a bale bag:

   

The balers main control panel:

   

Some bales stacked and ready for delivery:

   

More to follow in a bit...

Lawrence.

[pwdrive]

Part two:

The shavings extraction pipe from the six cutter:

   

The six cutter, it's a Weinig:

   

The electric panel for the six cutter:

   

Rural life eh?

Lawrence.

[Alan Douglas]

On a home-workshop scale, I have a small centrifugal blower on my belt sander to extract the dust, but rather than try to filter it I just blow it outdoors through a hole in the wall. Let the squirrels get the lung cancer.

[Refugee]

What are the shavings used for once they are shipped out to there end user?