I need to do loads of work to a trailer I have, but it needs lots of steel cutting, lots of grinding/welding etc.

Whenever I have done a tiny bit in the past I end up with that black dust ALL over my garage and my bikes.

I'm also humming and harring over getting a small lathe, as I would love to learn to use one and make the odd small part.

So - my question, how do you guys manage the metalworking/spannering in one garage. Doing the metalwork outside will pee the neighbours right off(and I cant use a lathe outside), but I have so many projects on the go at the moment I can't really let that black stuff settle everywhere on/in everything!

How do you keep on top of it? Your own hoover? sheet up EVERYTHING?

Thanks

That's a great question - I've been wondering about this myself

I moved all the delicate stuff (2 bikes, new parts etc) into the back bedroom.

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Originally posted by coozer
I moved all the delicate stuff (2 bikes, new parts etc) into the back bedroom.

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I'm currently using a hacksaw to chop up my chassis metal, and I'm already concerned about the amount of muck that's going everywhere. My one concern is the motorbike that's in the garage as well, I don't have anywhere else to keep it.

One thing that I might do is retrieve my bike cover from wherever it ended up over Christmas, and use that. At least then it won't get on the bike as much as it is. And because it's a proper cover it's a bit easier to fit and remove than just throwing a sheet over it.

This is a real problem.

The motorcycle(s) live indoors out of the way, the house just looks like it's occupied by wheelchair users because of the ramps. I'm blessed with spare bedrooms (no kids). Cutting, grinding and all that stuff goes on outside, or it works around the needs of anything else. I'll empty the garage before I do it in there, and then there's a massive clean up afterwards.

In an ideal world, I'd site one of those big steel containers, but the undead are bound to complain to the Council if I do.

My workshop has pillar drills, mills, lathes welding equipment. Add in bench vices for hacking and filling and a host of power tools. Then at weekends or quiet work days, my WLR moves in and gets spannered, painted etc. Answer to the conundrum industrial and a standard Henry vac cleaners and some 20 meters of 3 inch flexible ducting. Oh and don't forget a couple of good dust covers / car covers.
VAC exhaust is also ducted out of the workshop.
Henry's were car boot finds and ducting was CBS purchase. Locost style extraction system

The only solution is to cover everything that you want to keep dust free.
My workshop/garage is filthy with dust. Its the power sanding/rotary wire brush/pillar mounted polishing machine and spraying that cause all the airborne dust and I've just got too much in there and work on to clean it regularly. I just have to be satisfied with keeping what floor I can see swept so at least it's reasonably safe!

My cars engine is all taped up. And everything I want to keep decent is in plastic crates. The dust I live with for a while, then it gets hoovered up.



Not ideal but I dont have any other option.

Cover up as much as you can an hoover as you go!

I'm now fortunate to have the luxury of a 'clean' garage and a 'dirty' workshop which makes life much easier.

Covers, Lidl had some cheap covers for cars a while ago. perfect for protecting from dust

At home I have same problems-bikes bits of spare furniture stored by wife so best solution I have found is to take it to work over the years it has saved me a fortune and lots of grief about noise, fumes and dust- seperate rooms for computers ( nice and warm and dust free - ideal for those painting and sticker jobs ), you can turn the heating right up after hours so stuff dries nice and hard bythe next day. There's a big wood work room with nice long benches, daily cleaner and brushes/vacs galore ( perfect for wire brushing/ rubbing down tasks, also a huge 3 phase wood work lathe with some 8" mule skinners (for polishing/cleaning up rusty bits) metal work room with lathes, some of you know about these!) Miller, buffer wheels, grinder, MIG with locost argoshield, brazing hearth, oven for powdercoating, air line, also another room full of wood woking machinery, bandsaws with dust extractuion to every machine etc
It's a bit of a bugger having loads of kids sharing the facilities and not very good during all those holidays also the doors not big enoughto drive through (got alocost chassis in once on its side with a bit of child labour!) but I'm working on it and as they say complaining gets you no where , I'm hoping to get an outside welding bay built outside this summer which should solve a few problems;D
I'd recommend teaching as a career for anybody on here
atb
Mike

Trouble is even if you cover everything up the dust settles in the rafters, on the walls infant everywhere so once dirty everything stays dirty.

I drag my stuff outside if using any grinding tools.

Lathes are drills are fine, just use lubricants.

This is also where TIG welding rocks, no mess like MIG

cover up all the precision bits like lathe etc, then grind/weld away. sweep up when finished, open the garage door then airline blast it out from bench to opening for mother nature to take care of...................few nice brown spots on my drive when it rains though
adds to the character of the rustic look

[Edited on 10/2/13 by clanger]

I cleaned one of my strip lights tonight as very grubby, it's gots bits of grinding wheel and metal stuck in it.

Says it all really, must have got hit when cleaning ends before welding

I'll second the use of a henry vac for cleaning up after anything messy, I got one as spares/repairs for free, washed the filter in the sink, bought a new set of pipes off ebay for £15... Now we can't actually use it to hoover, as the head holds itself to the floor when you try. bloody brilliant though.

looks like I'm getting me a HENRY!

Cheers guys

I Have split my garage in two. Big sliding door across he middle. Nice and clean on one side so all the stuff to be kept clean goes in there. I also put covers on things and try to use a shield of some sort, close to the grinding, to take the brunt of grinding sparks. I also try and cut in one direction. So the sparks go to an area where they wont damage anything.

Its a pain though.

Most of the dust in mine is caused by angry grinding.
Whether it's done indoors or outdoors you need to make sure the direction the sparks are flying in aren't headed towards any kind of paint-work.
It took me sometime to work out why the tin-top's bonnet had suddenly developed tiny rust spots and once it's in it's in!
The bike I have in the garage is covered by a sheet then an old blanket.
Also be aware that smoke alarms don't like the iron particles associated with angry grinding - mine is now FUBAR as a result.
Cheers, Pewe10

The same goes for glass.

My old mini's windows all ended up a little lumpy because of grinding in the car and garage.

Garage is 'clean', bikes are under covers. mechanical work goes on in there, but the shed is the place I have welder, lathe, pillar driller, grinder etc- paint in there too. It's way down the garden, can run the compressor and lathe at midnight and it bothers no one. Grinding metal is the killer really in a garge, it gets everywhere, get hot sparks on paint/gell cost and it eats into the surface and then goes rusty when it gets wet.
Have a lathe in your garage won't cause an issue really. Welding and grinding do much more damage/mess as does painting and using airtools such as die grinders and cut off saws etc
If you can stretch to a decent shed in the garden it's a much better option

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Originally posted by DIY Si
The same goes for glass.

My old mini's windows all ended up a little lumpy because of grinding in the car and garage.

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I have to keep converting from metalwork, to woodwork, to GRP work and back again. It's a real pain. "Hot" work is out while the garage is configured for GRP work. I blow the place out with an air nozzle or a leaf blower from time to time.

Cheers

Fred