Protection from the dust

[campy]

I have spent a lot of money on a dustmask that filters up to 3 microns and dust googles that look like  ski goggles.

What do you do to protect your lungs and eyes from dust.

There must be a better and less expensive way to keep this dust out of eyes and lungs?

For a while I hooked up a remote control and a couple of long wires.
But on a windy day the dust seeks me out and finds me.

It is not that I mind blowing my nose and seeing loads of sawdust.  I just know of too many people that have cannot breathe the way they should after years of exposure.

[Chuck White]

Hi Campy;
Welcome to Forestry Forums.

Dig around on here and you'll find where some of the sawyers have installed a fan in the throat of their bandmills.

Don't know how well they really work, but it wouldn't cost much to find out.

Other than that, may just a conventional paper mask and goggles would work for you!

Chuck

[campy]

A fan in the throat wont work in windy conditions. 
It is like having a campfire and the smoke seems to follow you.

The goggles and papermask are too porous and don't seem to do the job.

Thanks

[OneWithWood]

I use a 3M respirator (Model 7500 I think) and a decent pair of safety glasses with side protection.  During these past few cold days the respirator has doubled as a face warmer.

[pineywoods]

This works well for me. I can't tolerate dry cedar sawdust...








The fan is a 12 volt automotive radiator fan mounted on a 1X4 that bolts to the top of the mill head. Blows directly on the back of the sawyers head..

[petefrom bearswamp]

I use a respirator and used to use a screen face shield attached to a hardhat when I rode the mill.
With the command control sawdust doesn't seem to be an issue as I am mostly stationary and have a SW prevailing wind. Piney woods has a decent idea there maybe keeping cooler on hot days.
pete

[WDH]

Do you use lube on the blade?  A good water flow wets the sawdust and keeps it from blowing around for me, but I have a manual mill, and that might not be as effective on a big hydraulic mill.

[campy]

I like the idea of the fan blowing on the back of the operators head.
It gets hot here in TN.

Yes, lots of water on the blade does take down a lot of dust.

Many Thanks

[bandmiller2]

Campy, are you feeding the mill fast enough ,too slow a feed and your make alot of fine dust.By trial and error you can usally locate a fan to keep the dust away or reduce it.Frank C.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Welcome to the forum Mate  ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D 8) 8)

Dust dosent bother me at all  on bands or circs ;) Lke the other Blokes said its just about finding the rite feed speed and using the rite amount of lube  ;) ;D Wth the feed speed i find that you can tell by either response through the motor sound , resonse thriough the feedworks asto wether the saw is working to its Optimum Abillity on any mill ive operated  ;) ;D ;D
Ive seen plenty of band mills under utelising their potesional bite ;) which is the main cause of of the fine dust  ;)

Reguards Chris

[Ironwood]

I have not yet done this, but in the spring when I get a roof over the mill, I will be installing a LARGE dust blower and evacuating the dust VERY far far away.

                Ironwood

[tcsmpsi]

Only on the rare occassion when the wind unusually blows in the 'wrong' direction does the dust become a problem.  The mill does a pretty good job of throwing dust away from the operator.  I have installed a couple fans that help when necessary, and certainly help in the cooling process of the operator in the summer.

[ErikC]

  I guess the swing mill makes less fine dust, but it usually doesn't bother me at all. On dry wood, especially cedar I wear a paper mask sometimes and it helps a lot. I bet being inside it's worse? Maybe that's the only thing better about not having a saw shed :