air particulate meters

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  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20913
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    air particulate meters

    Last year or so we had a group deal buying air particulate meters for monitoring their dust collections. I haven't heard anything from those of you who bought them... how has it worked out? are you using them, has it helped, should I get one? anyone have one for sale now?
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions
  • cgallery
    Veteran Member
    • Sep 2004
    • 4503
    • Milwaukee, WI
    • BT3K

    #2
    I've used mine (I have two, so I can count at four different sizes) in my own shop.

    I've done very limited testing in other shops w/ actual DC setups. I use a shop vac based system in my own shop.

    In my own shop I learned that having collection above the blade on the table saw dramatically reduces air pollution. It is probably the single best thing you can do in your shop to reduce airborne dust. I don't have my saw configured like this normally, though, as it just isn't convenient in my tiny shop.

    In my shop I've learned that "recovery" comes fairly quickly.

    I define "recovery" as the point at which the counter's readings return to approximately where they were before I started using any machines.

    This could be due to the Honeywell electronic air cleaner I have, and the HVAC duct right above my table saw.

    Within five minutes of taking the edge off 24" pieces of MDF, my #'s return to pretty much where they started.

    I've also learned that my new (used) bandsaw is much more effective in the DC area than my older one. While they are both 10" saws, the newer unit has a single plastic door that covers the entire front of the saw. The older saw had separate doors for top/bottom wheels (and there were lots of gaps).

    My old bandsaw was almost as bad as the table saw when it came to air pollution. Of course, you didn't need a particle counter to figure that out, there was dust everywhere around the saw while using it.

    The new bandsaw reduces the readings by a a factor of five.

    It is impossible to do anything in the shop that doesn't cause the #'s to jump somewhat. Just entering the shop causes the #'s to start climbing. Sweeping the floors can be as bad as running the table saw.

    I could go on and on.

    I primarily got my own units and organized the group buy (I think well over 100 were sold) to disprove the notion that our shops were filled with ultra fine dust that never settles.

    Before the particle counter group buy, the marketers of cyclone DC's were getting a little bold (IMHO) in some of their claims in regards to how much fine dust we were being exposed to. They really made it seem like our shops were toxic waste dumps.

    My shop isn't, and I only use shop vac.

    Comment

    • dbhost
      Slow and steady
      • Apr 2008
      • 9209
      • League City, Texas
      • Ryobi BT3100

      #3
      Phil,

      How do you handle the dust that gets missed by the blade shroud on the bottom end of the BT? Mine is collected with a belly pan, and the blade shroud / belly pan are ducted to the DC. I tried doing this with the shop vac and could not get enough air flow to clear either effectively.
      Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

      Comment

      • cgallery
        Veteran Member
        • Sep 2004
        • 4503
        • Milwaukee, WI
        • BT3K

        #4
        Originally posted by dbhost
        Phil,

        How do you handle the dust that gets missed by the blade shroud on the bottom end of the BT? Mine is collected with a belly pan, and the blade shroud / belly pan are ducted to the DC. I tried doing this with the shop vac and could not get enough air flow to clear either effectively.
        In two words, I don't.

        I have the bottom of the BT3K closed-off, and dust certainly falls there. But not as much as one might think. Far less than I've seen on most cabinet saws w/o shrouds.

        But this was all the driving reason to get the particle counter in the first place.

        Everyone I spoke to told me I was likely killing myself w/ my current setup. "That sub-micron dust never settles" is what I was told.

        But it does. It settles pretty fast. So I live w/ what I've got and from time to time vac up the floor and anything that looks dusty and call it a day. The particle counters have allowed me to live w/o fear that the dust is everywhere and is killing me and my family. On many (most?) days, the particle counters show more dust outside than in my home/shop.

        And don't get me wrong. Someday I will have a DC-based system, and a shop-vac based system in my shop, with a belly pan connection, etc., like you and Loring. I'm not saying it isn't the way to go. But right now I can't swing it in my shop.

        Comment

        • dbhost
          Slow and steady
          • Apr 2008
          • 9209
          • League City, Texas
          • Ryobi BT3100

          #5
          Cool... Yeah when I had my BT hooked just to the blade shroud / shop vac, and I had capped off the port in the belly pan, I would literally fill the belly pan with shavings when using the dado set for a bunch of cuts. I have had it so bad that the shavings / dust were up to the slot in the saw where the shroud port goes through...

          I whole heartedly agree on the above the table collection. The Shark Guard I have does a GREAT job of collecting from above the table, and considering I usually run with a ZCTP, above the table collection is VERY important...

          I would also love to get my hands on one of those meters. They are a bit spendy though....
          Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

          Comment

          • cgallery
            Veteran Member
            • Sep 2004
            • 4503
            • Milwaukee, WI
            • BT3K

            #6
            Originally posted by dbhost
            I would literally fill the belly pan with shavings when using the dado set for a bunch of cuts. I have had it so bad that the shavings / dust were up to the slot in the saw where the shroud port goes through...
            That is another important point: I don't use the dado head I have, I do all my dados on the router table. I just can't stand changing blades and shimming the dado stack, etc. In fact, I had once decided to see the [gasp! Forrest] 6" dado stack on eBay, but decided to keep it because I knew that if I did sell it, I would find a use for it.

            One of these days I'll have to give it a shot and see how quickly it "swamps" the saw's cabinet.

            Comment

            • Garasaki
              Senior Member
              • Sep 2006
              • 550

              #7
              I wish I had one of those meters...

              How much were they?
              -John

              "Look, I can't surrender without orders. I mean they emphasized that to me particularly. I don't know exactly why. The guy said "Blake, never surrender without checking"
              -Henry Blake

              Comment

              • cgallery
                Veteran Member
                • Sep 2004
                • 4503
                • Milwaukee, WI
                • BT3K

                #8
                Originally posted by Garasaki
                I wish I had one of those meters...

                How much were they?
                The 1/5-micron version was $103.

                The .5/2.5-micron version was $142.

                If you purchased both, you can count at .5, 1, 2.5, and 5-microns.

                There were more expensive options of both that had data logging features (via serial port). I think they ran another $70 on top of the prices quoted above.

                I believe we sold about 95 of the units, and then another 5 or 10 added after the deadline (of course).

                Comment

                • MilDoc

                  #9
                  Originally posted by cgallery
                  The 1/5-micron version was $103.

                  The .5/2.5-micron version was $142.

                  If you purchased both, you can count at .5, 1, 2.5, and 5-microns.

                  There were more expensive options of both that had data logging features (via serial port). I think they ran another $70 on top of the prices quoted above.

                  I believe we sold about 95 of the units, and then another 5 or 10 added after the deadline (of course).
                  darn! Missed that one! Any chance of a re-do? Else, where are they available?

                  Comment

                  • LCHIEN
                    Internet Fact Checker
                    • Dec 2002
                    • 20913
                    • Katy, TX, USA.
                    • BT3000 vintage 1999

                    #10
                    Originally posted by MilDoc
                    darn! Missed that one! Any chance of a re-do? Else, where are they available?
                    www.dylosproducts.com look at the DC1100 meters

                    the cheapest is $199 now. $103 was a bargain.
                    Loring in Katy, TX USA
                    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                    Comment

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