Picking up screws in dust extraction

[Bob Eustace]

Thinking of hooking up a floor sweep attachment to our Jet Vortex DC1200. Could anyone tell me if screws were accidentally sucked up if that would cause grief to the dust collector impellor please.

Thanks

[Ajcoholic]

A few random screws shouldnt matter much, I mean the impeller should be able to handle some foreign matter passing through it.

You should invest in a decent cyclone, however. Placed before the DC, it will separate anything that gets sucked up. Much easier on the system in the long run, as well, a cyclone that is made to work with the system's specs will trap nearly all the shavings, and even dust before it even sees the impeller.

JMHO! :)

[Bob Eustace]

Hi Andrew

The cleaning lady says the problem wouldn't occur in the first place if the major worker picked up what he dropped!

Cheers
Cheeky Chrissy

[Ajcoholic]

Bob, I can give you tidying up lessons... I have a good handle on that as you probably know by now.. :)

AJC

[jerry_stanek]

If you add a Thien separator you wouldn't have to worry about screws, Easy to build with the bot

[CNYDWW]

Screws are too expensive to just drop.

http://www.harborfreight.com/17-inch-mini-magnetic-sweeper-98398.html

[shilala]

Bob, that's almost identical to my dust collector.
I gave thought to building a sweeper attachment and decided against it. I keep a shop vac under my table saw and use it constantly. It's just easier.
I thought about putting a box on the floor that I could sweep stuff into, and decided against that, too.

I do big cleanup with the shop vac and have one of those dyson digital slim cordless vacs for for just sweeping runner carpets, little messes, and regular floor sweeping duty.

Shop vacs are cheap. Dust collectors aren't. That was what finally made up my mind to not add any extra load or questionable duties to the dust collector. Last time the dust collector got plugged up I checked the impeller and its like brand new. I'm glad I decided against adding anything else to it.

[rb99]

Bob, that's almost identical to my dust collector.
I gave thought to building a sweeper attachment and decided against it. I keep a shop vac under my table saw and use it constantly. It's just easier.
I thought about putting a box on the floor that I could sweep stuff into, and decided against that, too.

I do big cleanup with the shop vac and have one of those dyson digital slim cordless vacs for for just sweeping runner carpets, little messes, and regular floor sweeping duty.

Shop vacs are cheap. Dust collectors aren't. That was what finally made up my mind to not add any extra load or questionable duties to the dust collector. Last time the dust collector got plugged up I checked the impeller and its like brand new. I'm glad I decided against adding anything else to it.

Your choice and I respect that. However for me, the dust collector is an industrial piece of equipment that is designed to pick up dust. I would use it to do just that. Not save it and use something else.

[gene]

you aint heard nothing until you suck up a tape measure

[Bob Eustace]

Thanks guys - the upshot is I aint gonna do it especially as Chrissy spotted the thread. You tend not to have pillow talk about dust extraction - funny that! We do have a good shopvac which we modified on the bot by making a neat cart and adding an Onedin vortex. We have only just finished an external dust extraction system and yes realise a cyclone is the absolute answer but it would be a nightmare to add it at this stage plus a marital disaster as the little lady has planted stuff all around it to hide it! I'm not tooooo brave!

[myxpykalix]

I very often just leave the sawdust under/around my table after i'm done cutting and then use my table for assembly and more times then i can remember i will drop screws and they get lost in the sawdust pile.

I have several round rare earth magnets that are very strong and i just take and run them thru the pile and pick up stray screws before i bag the stuff up.:)

[feinddj]

I second the notion of a cyclone separator. Screws and other bits hitting the fan makes a horrible noise and can chew the blades up over time. The other issue is that metal hitting metal can cause sparks. Sparks and fine dust equals not good.

[bcondon]

I have a separator between my tools and the dust collector mostly
to make cleanup and disposal easier.

One note on screws is that when they hit the impeller, they can spark
and cause a fire. I have heard the same issue with letting your shopbot run unattended for hours is had if it could accidently hit a screw and send sparks up your dust collection into a pile of dust.

I purchased a shopvac for cleaning the floors and blowing off the machine.

[JackM]

Thinking of hooking up a floor sweep attachment to our Jet Vortex DC1200. Could anyone tell me if screws were accidentally sucked up if that would cause grief to the dust collector impellor please.

Thanks

Would a magnetic "o-ring" near the mouth of the hose or some similar magnetic force field serve and protect?

[dana_swift]

A cyclone separator works so well and handles anything above dust. One is simple to construct if you are inclined that way, you can buy pre-built ones if that suits better.

The impeller lasts forever then-

D