# How much fine dust with the HF/Wynn/Thien combo?



## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

When I first got my router, I didn't use a mask and after about 30 seconds I realized that was insane. Working in the garage, I always have it open and I've got a decent fan on a stand nearby to blow some stuff out. Now, with a new table saw I figured I really need a dust collector. Gonna buy the HF one this week and modify it. With this situation, what's going to be left floating around in the garage that I don't see?


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## PLK (Feb 11, 2014)

As long as you have the garage door open and the back door open? You should have decent ventilation. I work in my basement in a very closed off section. I have a dc and a jet air filter that I run non stop. With a mask and both doors open I don't suspect you would have the need I do for a real filtration unit.

My jet air filter has a timer, when I leave the shop I let it run for 2 hours after I leave and it shuts off after the allotted time.

Paul


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

Only back door we have from the garage leads to the kitchen, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the wife wouldn't be a big fan of, say, tacos that taste like the smell of Home Depot.

Maybe I could add an air filter down the road. After that first router use, I used a hand blower to clean up the garage and thought it did a good job - until I looked in there the next day and was stunned at how much dust had still been in there and settled on every square inch of everything. This is why now with power tools I do what I can in the driveway. But moving a big TS out there, even with a mobile base, might be a challenge. Driveway slants down, and there's about a 2-inch drop from the edge of the garage to the driveway.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Because of the speed of the bit on a router you would do better to use close capture and a good shop vac with a HEPA filter. Table saw is best with a dust collector. Miter saw with everything you can connect to it.


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## vikingcape (Jan 3, 2013)

Hey Colonel Travis, I have a garage and a great dust collector but I still take my stuff outside on a workmate or work table of some sort to rout. I built a bench top router table that can go outside too. This is always the best option for me when routing, until I get that Festool 2200 router 500 years from now that is


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

Echoing some of the thoughts above, the DC isn't going to do squat with the router….though it will get a lot of the TS stuff. I've always been unable to catch dust from a miter saw so mine was moved out of the shop for home improvement projects.


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## woodchuckerNJ (Dec 4, 2013)

Vac on the router, and good suction top and bottom.

Don't enclose the router, it needs to breathe.
Instead build an enclosure around the bit and collet.



http://imgur.com/HA7eW


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## brtech (May 26, 2010)

Upgrade the filter on the HF to a cartridge .5 micron filter (Wynn Engineering is an excellent choice). Agree that a shop vac is going to do a better job on the router, but you need the DC for your larger tools.


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

Interesting, never thought the DC would not be a good match for the router. Actually, when I say "router" I'm talking about it in a table, not freehand - I figured that wouldn't work. But even so with a hookup behind the fence?


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

DC's work well with router tables, it's the hand held routines that are tough to manage.


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## CoachSchroeder (Jan 3, 2014)

ColonelTravis,

I also work in a garage. Finished my shop notes air filter last night (the kind that uses a furnace blower & a couple filters). Just purchased the Harbor Freight DC this afternoon.

I've seen the HF DC mods. Pretty cool stuff out there. I'm thinking of venting mine outside so I don't have to deal with the fine dust particles as much. Not sure how it will workout.


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

Thanks everyone.


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