Dust :(

[Broadie]

I'm in the process of finishing my garage and can actually work in it and not just on it. This is my first garage (28 x30) and holy ****! The dust is terrible already. Mostly just from tracking dirt in from outside and what the vehicle brings in. It's got a heated slab and part of the reason I built it is a place to my animal mounts. Any tricks for keeping the dust down? Been trying to keep on top of the sweeping, but even gentle sweeping creates a cloud. Thanks!

WD

 

[Exceller8]

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say. I've given up trying to get rid of the dust. My shop has vents and all I have is dirt surrounding my shop so I get it daily. Almost impossible to keep up with it.

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

DUST
Is the reason why I don't do shelves anymore - its closed cabinets or nothing

Adam

 

[HMCFab9]

If you have pavement / grass outside, you shouldn't get too much tracked in.
Put a rug / mat to wipe your feet on outside.
If you have a gravel driveway, you are fighting a losing battle.
As far as cleaning up inside, use "sweeping compound" when you sweep. It keeps the dust created from sweeping down a little.
Menards has it. FF & home depot probably carry it also, although I've never seen it there.

 

[coljar]

DUST
Is the reason why I don't do shelves anymore - its closed cabinets or nothing

Adam

When the Pac-Sun store was closing in the mall near here, I bought all the shelving in the store and it is made from expanded metal. Heavy duty stuff.

 

[HTGTS350]

Ive given up worrying about dust, I live in the desert a block away from the biggest open cut mine in Australia so dust is a fact of life even with concrete and grass on every side of my shed.

 

[Torque1st]

Try a positive pressure HVAC system with good airflow and high efficiency filters. Seal the floor with a penetrating sealer. Use the floor compound when sweeping or use a good vacuum cleaner system.

 

[speed bump]

we finally gave up at work and bought a shop vac. Cut our dust down to almost nothing and is so much cleaner than a broom.

 

[santagary]

Out here in the land of oxygen deprivation and in-breeding and a gravel drive, I open the doors and start in the back of the garage and blow everything blowable out the doors with my B&D cordless leaf blower....works up in the barn with hay residue also...just remember to blow stuff with the wind if possible. g

 

[Daniel Dudley]

Painted/sealed/epoxied concrete is much easier to police.

 

[RobSmith]

An old bloke at work 'pressurized' his workshop with a small continuous rated fan sucking air from outside through a large filter. The slightly higher pressure in the room kept all the airborne dust out.

 

[BWS]

If I ain't makin dust....then there isn't any work being done.And to be honest...Its probably the #1 reason I sometimes get to the point of not wanting to work in shop!You get the place clean once a month or so....and dang if I want to mess it up?But the feeling passes as fast as it comes,and am right back to making messes.....duh.

I love our shopvac'S.Quick,painless....albeit a little loud.The rm,central air cleaner works very well also.

Agree with others......shelves are just an open invitation to dust settling.Yes,you've got to have them,keep them where they can get wiped off once in awhile.

Goodluck,just like basic shop-flow and equip location.....there dosen't seem to be an end-all solution for the "working shop".

 

[justanengineer]

Get a mop or squeegee and start using it at least once/wk.

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

3 things helped me.

1. as was mentioned, seal your floor! Concrete constantly sheds a layer of fine dust which is reduced with sealers.

2. Use sweeping compounds when you sweep.

3. I also use a shop dust filter. Mine is a Jet brand ceiling mount with a timer but there are tons of do-it-yourself plans for making your own on the net.

 

[Broadie]

Thanks for the info. Reminds me of getting in trouble in high school and having to sweep the shop with one of those big dust brooms. There was some liquid we put on the mop or floor that was intended to keep the dust down. I'll have to look into it and definitely seal the concrete. I sprayed some sort of sealer on the concrete the day after we poured it but you would never know by looking at it. Something else I'll have to research on here.

 

[Too_Many_Tools]

Seal the floor.

Tape a furnace filter to a box fan(s) and let it run 24/7.

Any dust generated by your work..capture it at the source.

Place a mat at the door...and changing shoes like some people take off their shoes as they enter the house will stop that source.

The cars...dirt or gravel drive?...then sweep it out regularly or hose it off outside.

 

[onewaydave]

Google on over to dust collection systems in the woodworking forums. If you don't make a lot of wood dust you won't need the cyclone systems but they have some very nifty DYI filter ideas. A good air handler with ducting to stacks of hepa filters would do wonders, 'till some one opens the door. You might find something useful.

Dave.

 

[Tarnished]

I'm with santagary on this one. I use my shop for woodworking and it is continuously filled with dust. I also live in the country where cultivating fields takes place 7 months out of the year. And, I have a gravel drive. Imposable to keep dust out of my old barn. When I can't stand it any longer it's time for a "********". I open all the doors and take the leaf blower and blow it all out. Blower works great and gets all the dust bunnies that a broom or mop won't. Works so good, my wife wants to use one in the house... Do have to be a little careful about blowing things off the wall, but it is well worth the time.
I originally started doing this with a gas powered backpack blower, but switched to an electric model due to the fumes. Call it my "lectric broom".

 

[Lotek]

I use a leaf blower at work, just blow the dirt out the front, sweep up what I can and then the wind blows more in.

Dust at home is a sore subject, why just last week my wife asked me what was on the TV, I said dust...


Doc says once the swelling goes down...