Dust collection in train room

Ed,

My shop vacs (both Craftsman) have filters which greatly reduces the dust return. Just a thought, have you checked with your dealer?

 

Your use of compressed air is a novel approach to the problem.

My layout is in the garage, I use a pan cake air compressor and blow the dust off the trains , not 100 % but good enough to where the dust is not so visible. I do not recommend using a leaf blower

Brent

What about an overhead dust collector like what is used in wood shops?  You could put it on a timer, and run it every few hours to collect airborne dust.  

1) 2) I go over the entire layout with a shop vac maybe every six months.   I use a new filter when doing this and buy one of the expensive dense filters for it.  

 

2) I have a powered air cleaner with a two-stage filter set, one a HEPA filter, similar to that shown below (GermGuardian 28 inch)- mine is a slightly older model.  Cost about $150.  Makes a big difference although you have to change the filters, particularly at first use - it went through two sets in two weeks: turning on my ceiling fans and left them running, with the filter on, for two weeks and it "de-dusted" the room.  Now it uses one set ever couple of months.  I leave in running all the time on auto - it works harder if it detects dust, etc. , unless I am doing something particularly dusty in the workshop (through a doorway) and then set it on high. 

 

 

Is this a new hobby, collecting dust?!?!?!

 

I usually see dust on top of my buildings and rolling stock.  I put up some "curtains around the layout the other day:

 

 

 

hoping to cut down on the noise and maybe the dust.  The heater/AC vent is down at the end of the layout on the right (where the yellow truck is).  I haven't noticed any lack of heat so far and too early to tell about the dust.

 

Next is to add a 1" strip of molding around the top of the curtains to tidy up the appearance.

A good way to keep the dust down on the output side of the shop vacuum is to put a sock over the outlet with either a rubber band or tie wrap to keep it in place.

Using a filter is always good but sometimes the dust comes out the other end anyway.

Compressed air unless you can regulate the air pressure can blow things away and move stuff around.

FYI, ceiling fans don't keep the dust or dirt down, they just move it around.

 

Lee Fritz

Brent, it sounds like you might have an interesting story to tell.

I've always used a Rainbow home vacuum cleaner that has been around for many years. It's affectionately known as 'R2D2' as it is similar in appearance, on rollers and follows you around. The canister has a water bowl in the bottom and all air is pulled through the water - no dust out the rear end at all. Does a great job using a soft brush on the end.

 

The more recent models are made to run constantly on low, silently continuously filtering your air through the water.

I used an air cleaner, similar to what Lee shows, and could go years with out having to clean my trains.  The key was to shut off the air from the house's central heating system and to keep the door closed all the time.  In my new train room I have a room HVAC system with no connection to the house's central HVAC system. To clean the trains I take them out of the room and brush them off with a very soft paint brush.  To clean the layout I use a shop vac with a hose to the outside on the exhaust.

I dont have one of these in my "train room" because I dont have a train room.  But I use one of these in a shop area where I have to keep the air as dust free as possible. It's all about removing the dust and not just shuffling it around. So often, you clean and vacuum but also stir the dust up but it's just floating around, later it settles back down again and then it's just a cycle. I found that if you clear the dust up and turn one of these on, the more you run this, the less dust you end up with. Eventually you get to a pretty decent "dust free zone" generally.

 

The one in the link below might be overkill but I know they do have smaller units available. It's pretty quiet and I run it for a few hours before painting and after working with woodworking tools. After using this for a year or so I've found that I'm not all congested and stuffed up after sanding and other woodworking tasks so it's a healthier environment. Also, the quality of the finish in my painting and varnishing projects is much improved.

 

http://www.jettools.com/us/en/...mote-control/708620B

Putting part of pantyhose over the intake  between a brush and the hose of a vacuum will keep from sucking up any loose detail parts.

 

Fred

Gentlemen,

   No matter what you do sooner or later your layout will be dusty just from the static electricity, had my multi level layout up over 10 years and cleaned it many many times with a good industrial Vac.  Some Vacs are better than others, however none got rid of absolutely all the dust, even with an air purifier running 24/7.

PCRR/Dave

 

The 10th year even after many recleanings!

They have some pretty good filters for shop vacs these days. Mine is an actual 'Shop Vac' brand and it has good filters available as well as bags. I have recently been using the 'dry wall/sheet rock' bags and between those and the filter dust is pretty well contained.

 

If you want something better than that there are HEPA vacs available (there are many to choose from at man price levels). These are for use in so called 'clean enviroments' such as computer data centers. Had to use some similar to this in some data centers we worked in before retirement.

 

I think the shop vac with the good filters and bags would be all you would need though for your train room. Just make sure you change the filter and bag regularly and don't let them get too dirty before changing them.

I am trying to get a handle on dust collection in the train room.  It is in a 20x20 separate building from the house.

Can you describe the ceiling, wall and floor of that building?  There might be something that can be done to stop or slow the dust from being generated in the first place.

 

The first thing I would do is find the source of the dust problem, and start there.  If you have carpet  on the floor you will always have a problem.  Carpeting makes dust control impossible.  Shag carpets are the worst type for Train Rooms, remember all carpets trap dust. I recommend hardwood, tile, or linoleum floors.  With the right flooring  any of  the suggestions posted above will work just fine.

K.C.

Gentlemen,

   KC is absolutely correct however there have been some serious improvements made in air purifiers in the past 10 years also.  However if you want to eliminate most of the dust, eliminate the carpet for sure, install a very good modern air purifier with a cleanable screen and remove all pets from your train room.  Otherwise you are going to have a dusty layout over time.

PCRR/Dave

 

One thing mentioned in another thread was a simple box fan and a furnace filter taped to the inlet side of it. I've also heard of a spray you can use on the filter to make the fibers sticky and trap more air bourn particles. Whatever you use, be sure to check and change the filters often. You will be surprised how much you trap.

 

Chris

My floor covering is on the isles where you walk.  "Snap together" rubber pads from Harbor Freight.  Got them on special.  Pretty cheap. 

I use a pair of wood shop dust filtration units that hang below the tables. I pretty much run them all the time when I have filters. They work quite well and I know because I haven't run them in 6 months because the filters were clogged and the dust in the train Tom has gotten pretty bad

I can't speak to your question about how to keep it dust free, but I can also recommend using Drywall Dust bags when vacuuming.

 

I have a 8' x 15' layout in my train room (her ironing/excercise room).  It sat unused for about 15 years.  I retired in December, and I spent 3 weeks in January vacuuming, dusting, lubricating, adjusting, and finicking with the entire layout and all the display shelves.  

 

I bought a brand new Shop Vac for this so there was no existing dust in it's plumbing.  I used their Drywall Dust bags and was amazed that no dust got through it.  The rest of the room stayed clean.  I accidentally sucked-up the newspaper out of the hand on my newstand accessory so I had to cut it open to retrieve it.  I was amazed at how much dust it picked up.  

I model operations in and around a quarry so the dust adds realism.

 

 

 

 

What, me worry?

Thank you all for the many great ideas.

 

FYI - the room has concrete floors, plywood ceiling and T111 on the walls. There is no doubt in my mind that the T111 although it looks good has to be a dust magnet.   No shag carpet.  (I didn't think they made shag caera anymore) ��

 

Some years ago I made a dust collector for my woodworking shop.  Furnance fan and 2 filters going in and 1 going out. I know it worked well for the fine dust floating around the shop.   I did think about using it for the the train room but the unit weighs a bunch and thinking I needed to mount it to the ceiling made me discard that idea.  Hearing that someone put theirs under the layout changes the picture on using it.

 

I was not aware that there were drywall filters available.  I need to get some of those. Had I known about those a few months back I could have saved me a ton of vacuuming when I was doing some remodeling.

 

Lee's idea using an air purifier sounds like it works well.  I am thinking that the combo of an air purifier and my furnace fan unit should work pretty well.  And when it does get to where it needs vacuuming, drywall filters on my shop vac should do the trick.

 

Again, thank you all for taking the time to help me with all the good ideas/solutions. 

Ed

You probably already did for your wood shop, but get a good grade of pleated filters for your furnace fan unit (and your hvac system too). And get the good shop vac filters to go with your drywall bags in the shop vac.

Just make sure you get the right size for your vac.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_11931-...uct_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1%26page%3D1&facetInfo=In%20Store

 

Charles Griffin, now deceased, built the Misty Mountain RR in Blairsville GA used to use a spray that worked well keeping dust off.  When I visited the MMRR, I asked Mr Griffin what he used for dust control.  He said the spray worked well but the company that made/marketed it went out of business.  Does anyone know of a spray product like this? 

Dust collecting, a hobby much cheaper to participate in than O-gauge trains, can be wonderfully relaxing. You come into your hobby room from a stressful day of whatever (work, family, OGR forum surfing...) and sit back in the recliner and watch as the dust floats and settles through the late afternoon sunbeams coming through the windows. See the gentle landing of each spec of dust like some microscopic snow fall.

 

Nirvana.

 

How could anyone even think of vacuuming up or filtering out all of that "manna from Heaven" that falls so softly on everything in the room?

Andy,

 

Gee when you put it that way the dust seems down right inviting....

 

Ed

We have one of those HEPA filter things in the bedroom at night for allergen control as well as 'white noise' to help me sleep and keep my wife's allergies somewhat under control. Seems to keep the dust down in that room, more so than other rooms.

Probably going to get another one for the layout room once I'm getting into building scenery...

Yes, Andy - it falls as gentle rain from heaven, yielding a slow but inexorable (and cheap)

form of weathering. 

 

One could look at the trains as simply expensive things to hinder expanding your "Dust Collection" to all horizontal surfaces. 

D 500 said so eloquently.  I could not agree more. 

I just leave it and call it NATURAL WEATHERING!