New Work Space - Designing Out Dust

[Ben Altman]

Hi Everyone,

Time to dream and do research - we've moved, and the new house has a big empty basement. So I'm planning my darkrooms, editing suite, scanner-room, framing shop, studio, etc., etc. (Budget realities will come soon.)

In my previous, improvised, work rooms, dust has been a plague and time-waster from the moment the original came out of the file. At every stage - scanning, peeling the OHP out of its package, printing the digineg, drying it, exposing it, coating the paper, keeping the vacuum frame clean, and so on.

A contractor I know suggested using studs and panel systems designed for medical or industrial cleanrooms as a way to get away from dusty old drywall. That got me thinking about how I could design dust out of my new set-up from the beginning.

So I'm looking for ideas! (Suggestions for anti-dust techniques during the hybrid process also most welcome.)

Hopefully this could be useful to others, too.

Thanks for any help.

Ben

 

[Derek Lofgreen]

I would start with having the air ducts cleaned and an electrostatic filter put in the furnace. Also, wood floors or anything else than carpet will cut the dust way down. and a nice heavy coat of paint on the walls and ceiling. Those would be the big things I would do. Otherwise just keep it as clean as you can.

D.

 

[SusanV]

Hey Ben,

I've been living here in Orange County, NY for 4 years now, and in the winter,
the humidity gets into the low teens. Very bad for my guitars, and very bad
for trying to keep dust to a minimum in my painting studio and darkroom (and
since last winter, my NuArc UV unit and outputting on OHP). The static
electricity plays havoc with keeping dust off all the films and scanner bed
and the rest of it. What I've learned to do is increase the humidity to cut
down on static. At least then I can pick up the dust with microfiber cloths
and anti-static cloths, etc.. I use humidifiers, Hepa filter air cleaners and
Hepa vacuums. There's even a cheesy little desk-size fountain sitting next
to my scanner. I swear it helps keep dust "down" when I'm scanning.

Target sells bundles of microfiber cloths in their "auto cleaning" supplies much
cheaper than they can be had in boutique housewares places. I use lots of
them.

Drywall isn't dusty after it's been installed and painted. The specialty stuff
must cost a fortune:eek:

Congrats on getting to design your space from scratch! Very cool.

Susan

 

[donbga]

Hi Everyone,

Time to dream and do research - we've moved, and the new house has a big empty basement. So I'm planning my darkrooms, editing suite, scanner-room, framing shop, studio, etc., etc. (Budget realities will come soon.)

In my previous, improvised, work rooms, dust has been a plague and time-waster from the moment the original came out of the file. At every stage - scanning, peeling the OHP out of its package, printing the digineg, drying it, exposing it, coating the paper, keeping the vacuum frame clean, and so on.

A contractor I know suggested using studs and panel systems designed for medical or industrial cleanrooms as a way to get away from dusty old drywall. That got me thinking about how I could design dust out of my new set-up from the beginning.

So I'm looking for ideas! (Suggestions for anti-dust techniques during the hybrid process also most welcome.)

Hopefully this could be useful to others, too.

Thanks for any help.

Ben

You can used plastic coated wall board. One of the commercial names for this material is Marlite. But in general don't worry about dust, you will always have dust no matter what you do. You just push it around from one place to another.

Don

 

[mkochsch]

Ctein covered all his walls with plastic sheets. I think it created an electrostatic effect which sucks the dust out of the air an onto the wall.
~m

 

[Ben Altman]

Thanks for the ideas. If I come up with anything interesting on the wall materials or other stuff as I go through this project, I'll post it.

Ben