Designing a dust extractor

Abstract

Many schools adapt the large face-plate on the woodworking lathe as a sanding disc. As with all forms of disc sanding a considerable amount of wood dust permeates the air in the workshop.

Realizing that for anyone working for a period of time in this dust-filled atmosphere there is a considerable health hazard, it was decided that a group of third form pupils following a design course would attempt to solve this dust problem.

As far as we are aware there is no dust extractor of a simple nature commercially produced. The type of dust extractor fitted to some workshops are very expensive and are not always suitable for adapting to a lathe.

Some examinations allow the use of a disc sander to be used in the practical examination - this means that the sanding disc could be in use for several hours - as was the case in the WJEC woodwork CSE Examination this year.