Hidden asset

The whole point of hiding shop utilities is so they’re unseen and out of the way. That’s great, except when you forget they’re there.

A typical shop goal in most woodshops is dust collection where it’s not seen and, more importantly, not heard. At least, not so loudly. I’ve achieved this goal in my current shop, enjoying a quieter work experience for the first time in decades.

My dust collector lives in a closet designed just for it; I literally laid out the framing expressly to squirrel my DC away where I didn’t have to think about it. The arrangement works well; maybe too well.

The DC closet has extra room on each side, perfect for things I don’t use often. Namely, a step ladder – my basement shop has a typical 7-1/2-foot ceiling, so I don’t need a ladder often. But I did a few days ago, and opened the closet for the first time in what must have been weeks.

What I found was a bulging dust bag filled to the top. Actually, a bit past the top, with dust actually reaching up into the metal collar separating the bag from the canister filter. The good news was that it somehow managed to contain everything. The bad news was that it was nearly impossible to empty.

Once detached, there wasn’t enough free bag at the top to tie closed. The bag itself bulged so badly I couldn’t get it out of the support legs. I had to scoop copious amounts of dust into another container before I could wiggle the bag out. Naturally, dust went everywhere.

Lesson learned. Out-of-sight (and earshot) is great on a day-to-day basis. But you have to remember to check the stupid bag every once in a while.