Why does nobody talk about how much MDF dust gets everywhere?

I was cleaning out my shop vac filter the other day and I swear I pulled out a full pound of fine grey dust. It got me thinking, we all know MDF is bad for you, but I never see anyone mention just how much more airborne it gets compared to plywood. Do you guys bother with a dedicated dust extractor for MDF or just run a regular shop vac and hope for the best?

3 comments

3 Comments

taraanderson1mo ago

Is a shop vac really living if it hasn't inhaled a whole board's worth of MDF?

the_susan1mo ago

The real question is how many times you can unclog it before the motor gives up. That MDF dust packs tighter than concrete.

angela6871mo ago

Oh man you gotta push it way past a board. I once had mine clogged so bad with MDF dust that I had to take the whole hose off and beat it against the driveway for 20 minutes. That stuff turns into a brick wall inside the vacuum if you don't empty it right away.