Greetings! First of all @gwilki if this question isn’t in the correct place, please feel free to move it.
I have a cyclone dust collector hooked up to a single stage jet dust collector. While “basic” to some, it is generally very effective. 100% better than the single stage alone. It collects 95% of the dust prior to hitting the collection bags. I couldn’t be happier with it. My question is what do I do with the sawdust in the barrel when it’s full? It is a 35 gallon barrel I believe. I originally wanted to use it as mulch around trees, but was told by our local extension office that walnut (most of what I carve, cut and sand) is harmful to vegetation including young trees. I tried to burn it, even used my “weed burner” connected to a 20# propane tank in an attempt to burn it and it does not burn well at all. If I take a handful and throw it on a fire, it’s almost like gun powder. But if I attempt to dump it on an established fire, it smothers it out. Putting it in garbage bags for the garbage man is a pain in the (blank).
So with that said, what do you do with the sawdust from your dust collection system?
@Jake I think this is as good a place as any, Jake. I don’t do much walnut at all. I empty my barrel into yard waste bags and put it out for the weekly pickup. That’s approved in my City, but may not be in others.
Thanks Grant I will have to locate some contractors bags wide enough for the drum, and heavy enough for the weight. I’m fortunate that my garbage collector will take just about anything I put out for them. Heck, I’ve even thought of trying some sawdust for ice in the driveway in the winter! I also think it maybe about time to buy a good bandsaw. Instead of planing down a piece of stock, resawing it to the size I want. Still will create sawdust, but on a much smaller scale, and I’d have more walnut or oak to use. I’ll leave that for another forum post. Thanks again Grant, I appreciate you!
This might be a good idea to get rid of chips/dust and used oil. It turns the dust into a bit more manageable fuel. even when only burning it off in a scrap burner. The guy has some great tutorials on building burners aswell.
My neighbors that transport livestock like getting free dry sawdust that comes from my Surface Planer so they can spread it in their stock trailers to “add biomass” that they then spread on their fields. The fine stuff from the Altmill I Compost in the North Pasture along with all the dust I collet off the floor. I also operate a Portable Sawmill and the wet fine sawdust from that machine I spread on my Hay Fields with a small Manure Spreader pulled with my Gator. Nothing gets burned or buried.
Im no expert in anything but looking into walnut dust recently gave a lot of remarks it being toxic when mixed with horse urine. It seems to be toxic to horses and is might be something to look into.
Can be urban myth, but better save than sorry, no?
Thanks to everyone who posted a potential solutions to my ongoing problem. It is exactly why I purchased my LongMill from Sienci in the first place. A forum that is not only friendly, but provides good solutions to issues without being demeaning or disrespectful.
With that said, I think I’m going to get some contractors trash bags when I go to my big box store today and dispose it in the local garbage. Although I could use some to fill the hole the groundhogs dug in my pasture over the last year. I “dispatched” the 6th one this year two days ago and while disposing of the carcass found the hole. Deep and big enough to swallow a small child, but it definitely would be an ankle breaker. I believe I got them all finally.
Once again, thanks! If anyone has any other suggestions, feel free to post. Enjoy your CNC!
This picture was taken burning about 50lbs (due to me letting the DC get way too full). I loaded the bottom of the barrel with cardboard and wood scraps. Took a minute to get going but eventually took off. I know better than to dump in while burning. I designed the burn barrel with sawdust in mind.
Oh wow! I made my bride a burn barrel with plenty of ventilation designed to sit on some fireplace bricks we got from my father in law. I never, ever thought of that Kerry! Shoot, I’ll give that a try. It even looks fun, just bring a lawn chair. Might be a good way to get rid of excess junk wood that I keep filling up boxes in the shop with too. Thanks sir!
The design was mostly about big vent holes in the bottom 12 inches and no further up the barrel. Once the fire gets burning it eventually starts a serous chimney draw pulling in tons of air through the vents. There are 1.25” holes in a star pattern on the bottom as well as the ones you can see. It is sitting on 3 cinder blocks.
