Microclene MC1000

[Groggy]

Introduction.
I figured it was about time to get serious about dust collection and filtration. I looked out the door into the sunlight the a while ago and the amount of suspended dust I could see gave me cause to think.

The dust sizes that woodworkers typically have to worry about are from 0.4 microns to about 8 to 10 microns. There are a number of sites that give some excellent information on dust collection, perhaps the best is run by Bill Pentz. If you have only a little time to read today, I suggest you leave this review now and read Bill Pentz's introduction instead - it may lengthen your life.

Generally, hand tool users have little risk to dust in the workshop. It mostly comes from machines. Blunt blades will create more dust than sharp ones. Table saws, routers, jig saws, drills, morticers, jointers, thicknessers etc all eject massive amounts of fine dust - Bill Pentz says nearly 5% of dust created is the fine invisible dust (the 'bad' dust). A note for hand tool users though, shavings and other timber pieces laying on the floor are slowly ground to dust and kicked into the air as you walk on them. If you like a workshop with 'atmosphere' you may want to consider the ramifications for your health.

There is no single solution to the dust problem, it needs a staged approach to minimise the risks to the woodworker. First you have dust extractors, then air filters and finally dust masks. Note that the single best way to avoid dust is to get it at the source, use a good extractor and eject the air outside the workshop (but away from neighbors please) and to also wear a suitable dust mask capable of capturing down to 0.4 micron particles. Unfortunately, once you take off your dust mask you immediately begin to inhale the fine dust you have tried so hard to avoid; this is where the air filters come in.

Despite your best efforts, fine dust will escape the dust collector and become airborne in the workshop. You cannot see this dust and it floats on the air currents. When you inhale it goes into your lungs. If it is larger than 0.4 microns it cannot pass through the lung wall and be ejected by normal bodily functions, therefor it sits in your lung.

A good air filter will rapidly process large volumes of air, removing particulates down to 0.4 micron. The key is to get a filter that will remove the smaller particles and that can also process the air in your shop quickly enough to minimise the exposure you have to the fine dust.

Selection.
I only looked at two styles in detail, these were the large rectangular roof mounted units from Jet and Carba-Tec and the Microclene MC1000 (click on the pictures to go to the websites).



My workshop is 5.6 x 6.0 x 2.7m. The primary requirement was to filter the 90 cubic metres of air about 10 times per hour. Secondary needs were for it to be small (2.7m ceiling and I am 188cm), mobile and relatively cheap to run. The reasons I chose the Microclene MC1000 were:

• It removes 65% of particles down to 0.5 microns and 95% of 1 micron particles.
• It can filter the air in the workshop over 10 times per hour,
• It is small and easily moved,
• It is a 100W motor so is efficient to run.

Even though the Jet and Carba-Tec units had better flow rates their filtration is not as good. The Jet and CT units each claimed 98% of 5.0 micron particles and 85% of 1.0 micron particles. The Microclene started at 95% of 1.0 micron particles and went down to 65% of 0.5 micron particles, the only one to concentrate on the really fine particles.

Flow rates
Microclene MC1000 = 1000 cubic meters per hour
Carba-Tec 650cfm = 1104 cubic meters per hour
Carba-Tec 1700cfm = 2888 cubic meters per hour

Price.
The Microclene was not cheap at $765 (it shipped with a complimentary $27 spare filter), but since the other units did not remove the damaging dust below 1 micron they did not meet the required specification and were (arguably) more expensive in the long term health-wise. The smaller CT unit was $459, the larger was $899.

MC1000 Review
Finally, on to the review. The unit was ordered as a Christmas present and shipped on time. Dealing with the company was easy and very helpful indeed (according to my son).

Shipping. The parcel was shipped in a well protected and very clearly labelled box and arrived in plenty of time for Santa to wrap.

Instructions. These were clear and concise, they are also downloadable from the web in PDF format. There are some very minor issues with the manual: it uses the term "mcfb" repeatedly without explaining what it is. I assume it is micro-clene filter box or similar. There are typos e.g. "sgrew" (screw) and they do not explain the filter cleaning at all. Is it possible to wash or clean the filters, or should they be replaced? I have read elsewhere there are people who are vacuuming the filter and continuing to use it. It would be nice to know whether this is a safe practice or not. I suspect it isn't, as the filters will load up with small particles and become less efficient. In addition, the vacuum used to clean the filter is unlikely to have a filter as good as the Microclene, therefore it will simply pump it all back into the air for you to breathe, which obviates the reason you bought the unit for in the first place. EDIT: Regarding the cleaning of filters; the distributer advises that used filters should be replaced (for the reasons mentioned) rather than cleaned. Vacuuming or blowing with compressed airis not endorsed. Filters should not be washed. Replacement of filter is easy to do and is much safer to simply discard used filter in sealed plastic bag.

Installation. Setup was very simple, initially I hooked the unit onto an existing ceiling hook, plugged it in then turned it on. Later I welded up a few overhead bars near the lathe and tablesaw for it to hang from. EDIT: The correct way to install is via TWO suspension points or using the mcfb bracket available from the supplier. I have included a photo of my installation below.

Attachment 100030

Functional test. On startup you can see the torque twist the unit to the left as the motor spins up to operating RPM. There is a warning in the manual that the unit can unscrew a twist-style hook after multiple starts due to this torque effect.

It appears to work just as advertised. At the tablesaw I can feel the air being drawn from behind me, picking up the dust and then cleaner air blowing across the roof over my head. Unfortunately I cannot measure the size of particulates are being sucked up and will have to accept their claims to meeting the standards in that regard. The unit is a little noisy but it is air noise, not mechanical noise, and to be expected.

The unit hangs from my low ceiling and doesn't hit my head, so that is a plus . It is only 22.5 cm high and 30 cm in diameter so it takes very little room. I noticed the cable is the same as a computer monitor cable so loss or damage will be easily and cheaply replaceable.

At the end of a day of using the tablesaw, thicknesser, sander, jointer and dust collector the air felt clean. For once I was not blowing home made dowels into my hanky and that indicated my lungs were also clean (er).

Hidden benefit.
I have found that in use the unit doesn't just filter the air, it also cools my workshop. Most other units suck in air at one end of a box and pump it out the other so the air remains in the same plane. The MC1000 sucks air in the bottom then blows it out the sides near the top of the unit, creating a rising column of air. This sucks cool air from the floor and blows it across the roof, forcing the hot air out of the shed. It is so comfortable that I find I turn the unit on just for its cooling effect and no longer use my other fan; therefore offsetting the air filter operating cost with fan running costs.

Likes:

• Filters down to 0.4 micron.
• Cools the workshop
• Small size
• Cheap to run
• Simple, no fuss unit.

Dislikes:

• Cost, this unit is expensive at $765. To be fair though, the other units I looked at did not filter to the same degree so a direct comparison on cost is unfair to the Microclene.
• Minor omission from the manual about cleaning the filters.

Summary.
Once I get over the cost (ouch) it does everything I wanted it to do and more. The cooling of the workshop is a big plus for me, I have a low metal roof and I get a large amount of heated air from the shoulders up. This unit solves that problem and also means I do not have to run the other cooling fan that I normally run, so there are cost savings too. Its portability means I can easily move it to be overhead my lathe, workbench or tablesaw with very little fuss.

Bottom line - a well designed machine that will get a lot of use in my workshop.

[Kev Y.]

Thanks Groggy, a timely post, I am in the process of setting up a new workshop and had thought of installing a filter system.

Do you really have to relocate the unit when you change machines?

[BobL]

Hidden benefit.
I have found that in use the unit doesn't just filter the air, it also cools the workshop. Most other units suck in air at one end of a box and pump it out the other so the air remains in the same plane. The MC1000 sucks air in the bottom then blows it out the sides near the top of the unit, creating a rising column of air. This sucks cool air from the floor and blows it across the roof, forcing the hot air out of the shed. It is so comfortable that I find I turn the unit on just for its cooling effect and no longer use my other fan; therefore offsetting the air filter operating cost with reduced cooling costs.

Sorry Goggy this situation doesn't stack up physically. If the microclene sucks cool (dirty) air up from the floor and blows warm (clean) across the roof and out of the shed you are losing all your newly cleaned air out of the shed. If this warm clean air goes out of the shed new air has to come into the shed from somewhere and that is of course outside. All the Microclene seems to be doing is getting rid of warm clean air from your shed and bringing fresh (cooler) air from the outside. If this really is the case you could have saved yourself a lot of money by simply installing an exhaust fan.

Fans alone cannot cool air anyway, what you might be feeling is just evaporative cooling because of the moving air. If all the (warmed clean) air stays inside the shed any initially cool air at floor level will soon be mixed in with the rest of the air in the shed anyway.

Fresh air from outside will still have a bazillion particles of all sizes but there will be far fewer of the potentially nastier wood fibres. If you need a low particle count for say glossy finishing surfaces then your shed will need to be airtight to retain the cleaned air inside the shed, but then the 100W has used has to go somewhere and it will then eventually heat up a shed. I have worked in a shop where several microclene type units were in used. The shop was relatively airtight, so relatively clean air but the overall effect was to heat up the shop - good in winter, not so good in summer.

[Groggy]

Do you really have to relocate the unit when you change machines?

No, but it is better to capture the dust at its source before it spreads itself around. It also sets the airflow away from your face if you position it correctly.

[Groggy]

Sorry Goggy this situation doesn't stack up physically. If the microclene sucks cool (dirty) air up from the floor and blows warm (clean) across the roof and out of the shed you are losing all your newly cleaned air out of the shed.

Not all, less than 25%, mostly displaced hot air through the garage door, the walls of the shed retain most of the rest of the clean air.

If this warm clean air goes out of the shed new air has to come into the shed from somewhere and that is of course outside. All the Microclene seems to be doing is getting rid of warm clean air from your shed and bringing fresh (cooler) air from the outside. If this really is the case you could have saved yourself a lot of money by simply installing an exhaust fan.

...and blowing unfiltered air and dust all over the neighbors and the wife's washing while still breathing airborne dust in the workshop after removing my dust mask? I like my life, such as it is, so I will pass on that idea thank you .

I cannot work in my shop with the doors closed, it is simply too hot and dusty. Bringing in some fresh air to exchange with the hot air in the shop is not something I want to stop, I like it . I have had another forumite here and he also agreed the unit helped to keep the workshop cooler. It is more easily accepted when demonstrated than explained.

Fans alone cannot cool air anyway, what you might be feeling is just evaporative cooling because of the moving air. If all the (warmed clean) air stays inside the shed any initially cool air at floor level will soon be mixed in with the rest of the air in the shed anyway.

This would raise the average air temp in the workshop significantly. By expelling the high layer of hot air near the metal roof and drawing in cooler air it reduces the average temperature.

Fresh air from outside will still have a bazillion particles of all sizes but there will be far fewer of the potentially nastier wood fibres. If you need a low particle count for say glossy finishing surfaces then your shed will need to be airtight to retain the cleaned air inside the shed, but then the 100W has used has to go somewhere and it will then eventually heat up a shed. I have worked in a shop where several microclene type units were in used. The shop was relatively airtight, so relatively clean air but the overall effect was to heat up the shop - good in winter, not so good in summer.

The low particle count is something I want for my health rather than for finishing, however it certainly removes the fine dust that usually floats around, so finishing should benefit too. Mind you, I would not be running the unit when spraying or using thinners as the electric motor sucking all the fumes up in an enclosed area is not the best idea.

The bottom line with this discussion is that it does not relate to the MC1000 specifically but is rather a side topic related to selection, positioning and use of filters in general.

[Slashbot_427]

Introduction.
I figured it was about time to get serious about dust collection and filtration. .....

.....Bottom line - a well designed machine that will get a lot of use in my workshop.

Hi all

I'm a bit new to this woodworking game, and a little disturbed to find that almost all wood dust is carcinogenic. However, I have recently had a moment with my (cheap-???? Kmart/BigW/Target) vacuum cleaner where I went into the vacuum cleaner store and asked for a replecment filter, only to be told

"Well the model you have no longer has filters produced for it"
" but I only bought it 5 months ago"
"well they no longer make the filters for it"

After 3 Vacuum cleaners u think I wooda lerned...

So I cracked it and bought an expensive vacuum cleaner with washable HEPA filters, and cyclonic action etc.

So... How do I buy a shop Vac where I either have washable/cleanable filters, or get a reputable brand where they produce consumables for it over the expected life of the unit ie 5-7 years.

[Waldo]

...I get a large amount of heated air from the shoulders up.

You get that too?

A very good review, this sort of comparison is something I needed back when I was looking at the usual suspects air filtration units. However it's been done and I have the larger H&F unit.

[joez]

Just about to pull the pin and purchase one, just had a look on Microclenes website, the units now worth $866!

Jeeze are they twice as good as the carbatec/jet units? Its was hard enough getting the ok from the minister of finance at the old price!

joez

[Groggy]

Just about to pull the pin and purchase one, just had a look on Microclenes website, the units now worth $866!

Jeeze are they twice as good as the carbatec/jet units? Its was hard enough getting the ok from the minister of finance at the old price!

joez

Thankfully I got mine before any price rise (for once yay!). These are not 'twice as good' however they do remove the smaller particles. Have a read of BobL's comments and my responses to him. You should find a bit of both worlds there. My *opinion* is that this is one of the better air filters around because it removes the finer particles that can harm you. A filter that only captures 'most' of the dangerous stuff is like a boat that doesn't leak - much. Either it works or it doesn't. However, there are other ways to manage dust and BobL and others have found ways to do this using airflow, fans, venting outside etc. I suggest you look at all opportunities available to your situation and go from there.

I too am interested in this filter and wondering whether they are worth it. My workshop is 7m by 5m with a 2.2m ceiling height. Do you have to clean the often and is it noisy? Have you found the ideal place to position the unit. I like the omnidirectional concept of design, especially when compared to the traditional box versions.

I don't regret getting the microclene for a second. Now the initial outlay is a fading scar I enjoy having it running. It IS a bit noisy, but not in a bad way. As I said earlier, it is wind noise, not mechanical noise. It works very well in my workshop with a low roof and blows the filtered air to all corners of the shop.

I have not yet had to replace the air filter and it would have at least 50-60 hours of use on it, it doesn't even seem close to getting full. Because it sits over the tablesaw I do want to move it to sit over the lathe on occasion. This is because the lathe is currently in the 'dead air' corner of the workshop and although the filtered air gets in that corner my body blocks the airflow. I will be moving the lathe sometime this year and working on the dust extraction and filtering for it.

Overall, have a look at all the options including exhausting air away from the workspace. Each works and suits a different situation. I like the Microclene because exhausting dusty air outside is not an option. It lets me work in a mostly enclosed space with much cleaner air. I still use an air hood with the lathe, a dust mask with sanders etc but when I remove the mask I know the rest of the bad stuff is being quickly removed from the air. Otherwise I'd have to leave the mask or hood on for a lot longer.

[joez]

Thanks for the feedback Groggy. I gave them a call yesterday and boy did the guy on the phone know his stuff.

Also noticed the mc1200 is only about $60 more than the mc1000 now.

joez

[zelk]

Thanks for the feedback Groggy. I gave them a call yesterday and boy did the guy on the phone know his stuff.

Also noticed the mc1200 is only about $60 more than the mc1000 now.

joez

Hi Joez,

I wonder if they will at the Working with Wood Show, if so, there could be some discounting. Do you have a preference for the mc1000 or the mc1200?
Zelk

[joez]

Hi Joez,

I wonder if they will at the Working with Wood Show, if so, there could be some discounting. Do you have a preference for the mc1000 or the mc1200?
Zelk

Just called them again, yes they are going to be at the wood shows, no discounting or stock available just demoing the units and taking orders.

You can get a demo unit for 2 weeks (just leave your credit card details) if your serious about getting a unit.

My workshop is about 105m3 so either unit will work, for the $60 i'd be inclined to go for the mc1200 as the extra height isnt an issue for me.

Joez

[zelk]

Just called them again, yes they are going to be at the wood shows, no discounting or stock available just demoing the units and taking orders.

You can get a demo unit for 2 weeks (just leave your credit card details) if your serious about getting a unit.

My workshop is about 105m3 so either unit will work, for the $60 i'd be inclined to go for the mc1200 as the extra height isnt an issue for me.

Joez

The Microclene claims to filter smaller particles more effectively than the competition. I wonder if this is the result of using more efficient filters or how the return air is dispersed within the room. If it is due to the filter type, why can't the opposition use such filters?
Zelk

[joez]

The Microclene claims to filter smaller particles more effectively than the competition. I wonder if this is the result of using more efficient filters or how the return air is dispersed within the room. If it is due to the filter type, why can't the opposition use such filters?
Zelk

Not sure Zelk, but its probably a bit of both

joez

[Tim the Timber Turner]

I had a Microclean 1200 (I think) when they first came out 10 years or more ago.

I only kept it for a few months then sold it. I didn't like the way it exhausted the filtered air in a rotary action.

It probably filtered ok but in a high dust level enviroment, like power sanding bowls, the circular action of the exhausted air blew dust all over the workshop.

So while it caught some of the dust it also sprayed plenty around the workshop.

I suspect this type of unit works best in a low level of floating dust.

I replaced it with a Carba-tec mid size unit. Now I have some control over the direction of the exhausted air flow. It helps create an airflow direction from one end of the workshop to the other end where there are 2 x 12" extractor fans in the wall.

With all this running there is a gentle breeze flowing through the workshop.

Unless the different units are all tested by the same independant authority I would take any claims about filteration figures with a grain of salt (or dust).

Then you could really compare apples with apples.

I think a good approach for the fine dust is to use a Negitive Ion Generator. I have one on all the time the power is on (dead man power switch). Again I can't make any claims about this as it would need independant testing.

My main line of attack is a power respirator and a ducted dust extractor to catch most of the dust at the source.

Finally one of the most important things, is good house keeping. No point in having all the above equipment, if your tools on your bench are covered in dust. Pick them up, or move them and you create a dust cloud just under your nose.

For what it's worth that's my experience.

Cheers

Tim