Keeping the grinding wheel area clean

[RegeSullivan]

I keep a small 8" grinder in my basement wood shop for the convenience of not running to the garage for small grinding jobs. It's a pretty clean wood shop with overhead dust collection and dust collection ports or vacuums on the machines. The dust from the grinder causes stains on wood and is probably the hardest clean up in the shop. I am afraid to connect it to a vacuum for fear of fire. Anyone know of a way to collect the dust with reasonable safety and efficiency?

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[lakeroadster]

Does the grinder have a shroud around the wheel?

Lots of industrial down draft type work center concepts that utilize metal grates, metal containment shrouds, metal chutes etc.... but none would work very well in a basement workshop.

 

[kbs2244]

Switch to a water cooled, low speed machine.
It will be better for sharping as well.

 

[rsanter]

Get a 5 gal bucket.
Put some water in the bottom of the bucket.
Connect a pipe through the lid and slightly into the water.
That pipe goes to the grinder.
Then connect the vac system to to top of the lid.
Grindings will end up in the water, don't put so much water that the vac system picks it up. You might need an adjustable flow baffle

Bob

 

[Hornman]

Buy an all metal vacuum used to clean out fireplaces.

 

[WWheeler]

I've been looking at different ideas for this. For now I'm keeping it in the garage with wheels on two of the three feet of the grinder stand so it can be tilted and rolled outside to do my grinding - weather permitting - and then tucked out of the way when in use, but I am looking to do something a little cleaner to keep a pair of grinders in the shop.

Here are some other's bench grinder dust collection solutions I've found elsewhere (links below) that may give you some ideas. The first just vents to a coffee-can canister with stove hood exhaust filters, second a DIY downdraft out of a garbage can, and the third ducts to a can filled with sand...

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/abrasive-machining/dust-collector-bench-grinders-259532/
http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/threads/53516-Made-a-Grinding-Dust-Capture-Device
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f32/nuthin-fancy-bench-grinder-exhaust-32476/

 

[cajunfirehawk]

I feel your pain, like an idiot, cause I knew better, I needed to do some dremel work on a wilton swivel base and after 1/2 hr of grinding on it, my house 2 car garage was covered with steel dust, even had to take my car and wash it, its terrible, that dust. The lesson I learned was roll the bench grinder outside, then just blow it in the grass, YMMV

 

[matt_i]

A large magnet placed close-by.

Also an oil-bath is remarkably good at collecting grinding dust which should also be a warning to keep it away from sliding-way type machines.