was: A call to the left handed
effective method of avoiding the dust in your face!
I was doing a demo for some friends interested in silversmithing and
they freaked out when I was using my flex shaft. They said the dust
was going straight into my face. They nagged me about it every time I
saw them. I began referring to them as Mr. and Mrs. OSHA. I tried to
use a dust mask but found it annoying and would fog my glasses as I
exhaled.
Anyway, I finally did some research on dust removal and purchased a
Red Wing dust collector from Rio Grande. It is one designed for
dental use because it also has a charcoal filter to filter out
plastic fumes. I placed the machine on the right side of my bench and
with a hole saw cut a hole in the back of my bench the size of the
vacuum hose. I mounted the fish mouth collector to the right side of
the bench pin.
The on/off switch is located right next to where my flex shaft hangs
so it’s a simple flip of the switch while I’m reaching for the flex
shaft. I found the fish mouth really wasn’t in my way it was a
visual/mental thing to get over.
Here is a picture of me at my bench showing the location of the fish
mouth.
http://rockymountainwonders.com/images/Me%20at%20Bench%201.JPG
Rick Copeland
Silversmith and Lapidary Artisan
Rocky Mountain Wonders
Colorado Springs, Colorado
http://rockymountainwonders.com