Containing the Metal Shop Mess... Ideas?

[Vince@Meanstreets]

You just have to be mindful of which direction you are flinging stuff, use a vacuum cleaner instead of an air nozzle and sweep between jobs. Most of the mess I get is from foot traffic tracking particles around the shop. Also watch the airflow between the shop doors.

I use a fire curtain to minimize the airborne travel.

[Revved]

Originally Posted by Vince@MSperfab

You just have to be mindful of which direction you are flinging stuff, use a vacuum cleaner instead of an air nozzle and sweep between jobs. Most of the mess I get is from foot traffic tracking particles around the shop. Also watch the airflow between the shop doors.

I use a fire curtain to minimize the airborne travel.

Thanks for the pic Vince. Your setup is similar to what I've seen in the past. How well does it work for you? Drafts around the doors is a great point easily overlooked until it becomes an issue. My new building looks very similar to the structure you are working in. One thought was doing something similar with 3 sides of tall curtains and it looks like your tall curtain hangs about 3' ish down so that should give decent ventilation.

My biggest thought is to minimize the "float" that is inherent with shops and contain as much of the grinding dust as possible. In the little shop I kept all the shiny cars covered while in the shop but that can be problematic also.

[GregWeld]

I just installed a 1 1/2 hp - cyclonic vac system...http://www.grizzly.com/products/1-1-...-Series/G0703P

using this piping to run to each machine that makes "dust" or grinds.... using waste gates to maximize vacuum to each tool being used. (I have a couple Burr King grinders)


http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2014/Main/211



I built a table a couple years back that I'm now going to make a sheet metal collection area at the base - ala a downdraft table - and plumb a 6" straight to it in an effort to give me a place to grind or buff etc small parts.


Then I got a "big mouth" that I am going to put on flexible tubing -- and move that around to try to contain dust and contaminants as much as possible. And I'm thinking I should order another one and put it behind the buffer to catch all that debris.


http://www.grizzly.com/products/Big-...h-Stand/T10117

[Revved]

Interesting idea Greg that honestly I hadn't even thought of.... A Vac system combined with the curtains would probably do well. What is left gives my 10 year old practice with the broom!

Anyone else with shop pics for a metal area?

Originally Posted by GregWeld

I just installed a 1 1/2 hp - cyclonic vac system...http://www.grizzly.com/products/1-1-...-Series/G0703P

using this piping to run to each machine that makes "dust" or grinds.... using waste gates to maximize vacuum to each tool being used. (I have a couple Burr King grinders)


http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2014/Main/211



I built a table a couple years back that I'm now going to make a sheet metal collection area at the base - ala a downdraft table - and plumb a 6" straight to it in an effort to give me a place to grind or buff etc small parts.


Then I got a "big mouth" that I am going to put on flexible tubing -- and move that around to try to contain dust and contaminants as much as possible. And I'm thinking I should order another one and put it behind the buffer to catch all that debris.


http://www.grizzly.com/products/Big-...h-Stand/T10117

[LS1-IROC]

In our shop, we built a floor to ceiling partition wall (24' ceilings) to separate the fab shop from the machine shop. It works well. Both ends of the fab shop have large over head doors in an east/west orientation. When the weather is nice the doors are open and the cross breeze makes the shop much cleaner...lol

Other than that, there is no substitute for a strict cleaning regimen.

[Roarvette]

I have a smaller shop, 800S.F., and I built this, it works incredibly well.
It will change (filter) the entire shop every 5 minutes.
I built this because I have an air conditioned shop and just can't have all that humid air coming in.
I use it mainly when sanding, grinding and painting. With painting you have to remember that only the particles get filtered, but the fumes stay, so keep the respirator on.

[SuperB70]

I use to have a big cyclone fan (my shop 320m2, fan max 2000m2) that blown out trought the wall to the filter barrel out side. But since we have long and cold winter and I didnt want to blown warm air out I bought one of these:
http://www.nederman.com/products/por...ors/filtercart

Actually I still have the cyclone but dont need to use it. Maybe in a emergency to chance all air in the shop.

It can be next on the job but I connected to existing ducts. I have 6" duct network with close-out on every directions so I can turn the suction heve I need it. Plasmatable, postlift, grinding or frametable.

Now all the heat stays inside and all the dust stays in the filter. Even HEPA filter can be installed but thought that is overkill in the fabshop.

This been thinking to install the curtains like Vince show'd. But I thinked that would put them 3-5ft down from ceiling. My shop inside is 10.5ft high. That way they prevent most of the airborne transfer but dont mess moving stuff like long tubes around the shop.