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A Contentious Issue?

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MarkBeckett:
Hi,
I'm a professional turner and I happily use an airline to clear shavings from the many vessels I hollow. It's quicker and more efficient than using a vacuum to clear out. I have a dust filter running all day over my lathe and I wear a versaflow system whenever I'm turning. Yes it throws out more dust using one of these air-lines, but I don't work in a surgical sterile environment, I work in a woodturning workshop, dust just exists and I work around it. I don't earn money for sweeping up....

Bill21:
Amateur turners probably outnumber professionals by many thousands to one. And whilst not excluding professionals I thought this forum was largely for hobbyists, perhaps I’m wrong? The average hobbyist doesn’t need to turn anything quickly and doesn’t need to worry about efficiency either as you put it. Safety is, or should be far more important. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all afford a Versaflow. It sounds like you workshop is a mess and I do understand why, it’s not something anyone should boast about though. My workshop does get dusty but as it’s at my residence I try to keep it reasonably clean so I don’t carry too much dirt or dust into the house. Like many others I also do other hobbies in my shed so I normally try to clean up after myself. I suggest the “surgical sterile environment” is a rather puerile comment from someone that perhaps doesn’t understand the circumstances under which the average hobbyist enjoys their wood turning?

Paul Hannaby:
As far as I know, the HSE advice is not to use an airline to blow wood shavings/dust around because it puts more dust in the air and also could result in having a foreign object in the eye. No doubt wearing suitable PPE addresses both these but there are other (safer) ways of removing shavings from a hollow form without having to resort to using an airline so why promote what is considered a dubious practice?

Wood spinner:
I do not use an air line to blow out shaving and dust , also never sweep my workshop floor, I allways use a vacuum , Lots safer and better for your health .

Bill21:
I was fortunate enough to receive comprehensive H&S advice about compressed air safety many years ago. Even in workplaces where wood isn’t used the practice of “cleaning” down equipment etc with a blow gun is frowned upon.

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