Why do they do that ?

[Graham]

I watch many many Youtube videos of hollowing out hollow forms. Some are by really good turners with years of experience, others are perhaps 'questionable' but all of them seem to blow out the shavings from  inside the form with an air compressor. It looks really pretty with this big cloud of shavings and dust billowing out in their  face but......
Why don't they vacuum (suck) it out ?

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

No idea why they do that Graham because I do it the way you have suggested.

[edbanger]

I blow them out because I don't have a vacuum in the workshop, maybe I should rigger up a flexible pipe to the extraction system

Ed

[Graham]

I blow them out because I don't have a vacuum in the workshop, maybe I should rigger up a flexible pipe to the extraction system

Ed

That is what I have done. Works brilliantly.

[GBF]

A vacuum only works if you have a big hole and small shavings where as I tend to have a small hole and large shavings.
I hook them out with a bent wire and blow them out with compressed air.
I have a dust extractor pipe very close to the hole and hold my hand in front of the form to guide the dust into the extractor pipe as I blow the fine dust out this gets most of it

Regards George

[Mark Sanger]

Never understand why they do it perhaps its because they are stupid   or just ignorant to the dangers of breathing in dust.

I have a small section of 15 mm copper pipe that fits into an elbow adapter which in-turn fits into my shop vac.  

here is the HSE video for dust. video it covers brushing up wood shaving, blowing out and vacuum

[bodrighywood]

I find that rotating the piece by hand as you apply the vac works. Also I have learnt to do it often and not wait until the thing is so clogged up the tool gets stuck LOL.

Pete

[Graham]

I think you have to be really careful of this stuff. I have emphysema from months of breathing in fine sawdust before I fitted the extraction system. It isn't nice.

Smoking for fifty plus years may also have been a contributing factor.

[Eric Harvey]

Always used a vacuum here and a stick with a half round flap screwed to the end at around a 45 deg angle for the big bits first

[TWiG]

Most of my work is hollow vessels and mostly I use a bent teaspoon gaffer taped to a stick ( high tech !!) to drag out the shavings , The wood is always green / unseasoned so not really dusty , when I have completed the hollowing I remove it from the lathe and shake out the residual shavings and then blow out the finer bits I usually paint the interiors afterwards .  Often my vessels have holes / voids and this can also be an exit for the shavings .  I really do not see the point of extraction equipment as there will always be airborne dust so you need to wear PPE / dust protection anyway , it could save on clearing up I suppose .   From the HSE point of view I know of 2 recent cases of joinery / woodworking shops who have full dust extraction at all machines yet were told by HSE this is of no consequence ALL operators MUST wear a dust mask , even more stringent measures are required when using MDF  In another workshop  the guy only rents it so fitting full dust extraction would be costly and so always wears a dust mask and the HSE are OK with this . I take great care of my lungs and always have done and have had no probs , also my main summer hobby is spearfishing  / freediving  so good lung health is very important !  Terry ..

[Mark Sanger]

I here you ref green wood, but I will always hoover out as I don;t want the dust settling on the shelves and being displaced into the air when I disturb it. Of course people should wear PPE goes without saying, people should wear seat belts too even if they don't intend to have a road collision.  Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.  As you say Terry there will always be airborne dust and PPE should be worn, perhaps less dust on shelves etc though when sucked out than blown.

Note in the linked HSE document information sheet about keeping shelves etc clean from dust and the hazards of not doing so. It indeed includes the consideration if it is green or seasoned wood as well as fungal spores, also note that the process of turning is listed as a process contributed to high wood dust exposure also the issue of fire/ignition of dust as a fire risk as well as the specific mention of using compressed air to blow out dust.

Worth having a read for all HSE

[TWiG]

My point was that no matter what dust extraction there is in a workshop there will still be dust , so  people could be lulled in to believing they are dust free , not wear PPE and therefore unwittingly exposing themselves to dust, as in the workshops I  mentioned , and yes turning is generally a very dusty activity and usually in a small workshop .  Photos occaisionaly posted on here show what I consider very cluttered workshops .  I was wondering how do people get on whilst demonstrating ?  because if they wear PPE how do they talk etc , and what about the audience ? ( I have not been to a demo for a very long time !!)   Terry   

[Mark Sanger]

My point was that no matter what dust extraction there is in a workshop there will still be dust , so  people could be lulled in to believing they are dust free , not wear PPE and therefore unwittingly exposing themselves to dust, as in the workshops I  mentioned , and yes turning is generally a very dusty activity and usually in a small workshop .  Photos occaisionaly posted on here show what I consider very cluttered workshops .  I was wondering how do people get on whilst demonstrating ?  because if they wear PPE how do they talk etc , and what about the audience ? ( I have not been to a demo for a very long time !!)   Terry   

Totally agree Terry, as we both know exposure to dust and the dangers of it are a long term problem. I am no doctor but if I breathe in something that is not in agreement with my lungs then my body's natural defense will generally tell me to get the hell out of the environment by coughing etc. 

In relation to Demo's again this is a valid point you have raised and I have seen too often plumes of dust at demo's which should not be occurring, the use of aerosol sprays for finishing (what if someone has asthma) of course this will be covered in the risk assessment.

Risk assessments will take all the points into consideration you mention based on the length of exposure people are in contact with it. Just like you will take into consideration how long your lungs can go without you breathing underwater, I am sure you know when to surface for air.