# Power Carving Dust?



## GrumpyGolfGuy (Apr 29, 2020)

For those of you who do power carving, how do you deal with dust control?

Chris


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

Best method I've found is to make a DC hood from a cardboard box and place that next to the work. That only works well if the carving tool is throwing dust into the hood.

The alternative of using a downdraft table isn't as good at catching the dust but it does help pull the fine down and away from a worker's face.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

I built a sanding station running off my dust collector. It has a back, sides and top. You can fire up the Foredom with a 3/4" carbide burr and watch the dust drop and do a 90 off into the 24" deep, 30" wide station. I do all my sanding there, alleviating the need for a mask.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> I built a sanding station running off my dust collector. It has a back, sides and top. You can fire up the Foredom with a 3/4" carbide burr and watch the dust drop and do a 90 off into the 24" deep, 30" wide station. I do all my sanding there, alleviating the need for a mask.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thats pretty slick. I may need to do something like this as I am starting to dabble in a power/hand carving blend


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

The nylon over the top was just tossed there and is temporary, as it's been for five years. I use the flex covering because I can stick long boards through and still take advantage of the dust collection, as I sand the part in the station.

Clear plastic, like painters plastic, would be good enough. The main thing is, force the air to be drawn from where you are sitting.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I have my dust collector hooked to a bell mouth hood which is pointed at where I am carving. It does a great job of sucking the dust. I also have a wire mesh inside it to prevent it sucking the wrong things up.

I tried a down draft table but did not work as well.

Note: I am using a 5 hp dust collector so have very good signage and flow


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I do it outside, preferably on a fairly windy day.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

My wife's Aunt does power carving in her home down in Florida. She has a set up that uses something that looks like a Dremel and there is a dust catcher that looks to be about the size of what we used to call a Boom Box. That sits on the table top something like this. but I have no idea what brand. Her home was clean a a whistle and she does beautiful carvings of birds and such.


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

Duct tape a furnace filter to a box fan. It works


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I usually just position a fan to blow the dust away from my face, though if you are looking for a way to actually capture the dust, Controlfreak or Hairy's approaches may be better.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

I also use a fan to pull dust away. I have a open air shop


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## jjmg (May 13, 2020)

I use this. It works well.
https://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworking-DC725-Portable-Collector/dp/B000REX1UU/ref=sr_1_2?crid=BYBTW69G5CWA&dchild=1&keywords=table+top+dust+collector&qid=1631215494&sr=8-2


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

Don't click the above link^^^^^jjmg first post


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Kind of interesting, when I consider that people in our carving class/club do power carving without regard for the rest of the people's safety. They don't sit at my table, but still…


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Combo of a downdraft table, and a wide mouth chute above get's a good amount of it.



> I use this. It works well.
> https://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworking-DC725-Portable-Collector/dp/B000REX1UU/ref=sr_1_2?crid=BYBTW69G5CWA&dchild=1&keywords=table+top+dust+collector&qid=1631215494&sr=8-2
> 
> - jjmg


It's actually a link to an Amazon tabletop, dust collector, filtration unit. Griz has one just like it


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## jjmg (May 13, 2020)

> Don t click the above link^^^^^jjmg first post
> 
> - controlfreak


I see you live up to your name. And it would be jjmg's first post.


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## newwoodbutcher (Aug 6, 2010)

My shop is a two car garage. When I'm power carving, I open both garage doors and place a window fan blowing pat the work out the door, works great


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I use a bell mouth hood connected to my dust collector ( 5 hp Oneida) along with a small downdraft table. If I am doing a lot of sanding will use a N100 mask.


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## ClaudeF (Sep 22, 2013)

I use the 3M 7502 Respirator mask, with the 3M 2091 P100 dust filters. I also have the 3M 6001 vapor filter that keeps me from breathing things such as acetone… I got the whole set from Amazon. You can find the three items here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=3m+7502+r...ref=nb_sb_noss Attached photo shows me power carving: dust mask, shop vac, leather apron, ear protectors, plastic safety glasses.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

At my wood carving class, we have people using power carving equipment right next to people using electric chisels. I quit going, not only for those reasons.


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## Deanr (Sep 24, 2018)

Above is a picture of my setup. I started with a downdraft table that I had built but didn't use. Then I made the top part which has plexiglass. On the top and the front angle. I made the curtain
And put fishing sinkers in the bottom of each strip. I have it hooked up to my dust collector with hoses to both the side and bottom.
It works rally good at containing and removing the dust. The only thing I would do differently is not put plexiglass on the top horizontal as I never have a need to view from that angle. The other thing is on the curtain. I made all the slits the same width. I would make wider ones on the two ends and a wider one in the middle


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## ClaudeF (Sep 22, 2013)

@Deanr Nice setup!

Claude


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## kiaweron (6 mo ago)

I might be to late on this one, but maybe it will help. I have power carving for over 20 yrs. with a dremel, and every where I have moved to I found a good system for power carving dust. You get a box fan that cost about 25 or 30 dollars and put it at a window facing outwards. Then get a cardboard box and tape it to the fan so as to make a tunnel. Use a box that is about 12 to 20 inches deep and tape that down to what ever you have it sitting on. Then all you have to do is sit down and carve and the dust is pulled outside. The box causes the air to travel down the tunnel to the fan and out the window. This set up has worked in the house, and my garage, and even outside on the porch. If you are outside just tape the box to a table or something stable. I hope that this helps someone. KiaweRon


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