Post #287781 by tikigap on Fri, Feb 23, 2007 6:55 PM

I just got out of the hospital with pneumonia - apparently caused by walnut dust.

I was occasionally wearing a mask and I even made a dust collection system. The dust collector uses a shop vac. The shop vac is sooo strong that it blows the finer dust particles thru the filter and back into the room. I verified this by

A) changing filters, then
B) putting a clean white t-shirt above the vac exhaust.

This was an eye opener (and a lung closer). I put a router control switch (reostat) on the shop vac to slow it down, and less dust came out, but some still does. Shop vacs are no good for this purpose I think.

But it all comes down to wearing a respirator. I got new filters and as soon as I shake this damned bug, I'm back on it. I'm going to wear the damned thing every time I go into the shop, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient.

I am also going to buy a nice dust collector. Not more goofin around - especially with pink fleshy things like lungs.

Consider yourself warned.