Router Table Dust Collection

[ssmith1627]

Looking at a lot of different router tables for the dust collection setup as I decide how best to build the fence for my table.

Several seem to have the dust port & hose connected right at the gap in the fence where the bit sits. That seems great for edge routing and would probably cover most applications. But if you're routing a dado, it seems like all that dust is going to shoot right out the left side and none would be captured by the dust port.

The guys on the Router Workshop show have a hole in their table top with the hose connected to the underside......it seemed to do a good job in some of the work they've done and a not so great job in others.

There's also the issue of the dust that falls down into the compartment where the router itself sits.

So what's the best answer ? I thought about something like this -- slightly different type mounted at the bit itself....and a Y splitter to a piece like this mounted on the left edge of the table:

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...DADBDB&filter=

That piece on the left could be on a hinge so it is moved out of the way for longer workpieces.

Any thoughts ?

Thanks,
Steve

[Tom Miller]

I collect most of my router dust through the router compartment into a 4" DC port; even the stuff the could be collected from the fence. I still have a fence-mounted DC port, which provides the source of air that is pulled past the bit and into the router compartment. There are pros and cons to doing it this way.

I also have a sliding door "supply vent" for air on the door to my router compartment, so that the chips/dust from routing a dado will have enough air flow to make it through the DC. Works very well for dado DC.



Regards,
Tom

[Pappy]

I use a 'Y' splitter on the back of mine. One goes directly into the router area and a flex hose runs to the fence port. It works fair, but the bottom port should have been bigger. Probably collects about 80% so I have to clean out the inside when I am through.



Routing dados, a lot still shoots out the end.

[ssmith1627]

Thanks guys for the feedback. Gives me plenty to think about. And now I have a 4 day weekend to get some kind of solution put together !

Steve

[cgallery]

One more possible solution is a custom router table extension with a down-draft box. The down-draft works for dados and edge routing. One solution does it all.

I did experiment, BTW, with putting a hole in my previous (V1) table similar to the Router Workshop table. I found that it worked great for dados, but I was moving the hose to the fence for edge cuts. And through cuts in the middle of a piece were another problem. The down-draft gets it all.

[Knottscott]

In additoin to what's been suggest, some routers have dust chute attachments that help alot.

[meika123]

I'm doing the same thing as Pappy.

Dave in NC

[ssmith1627]

Built a simple fence for my router table and installed a dust port there in the middle at the bit opening. WOW, what a difference. Even with just a shop vac doing the work it's a tremendous improvement.

A few new pics here:

http://ssmith1627.myphotoalbum.com/v...album01&page=7

I still need to cut slots into the table top for the fence to travel on but I'm pretty close to done now and the table is certainly functional.

Steve

[bigsteel15]

Regarding the dust collection, I saw someone else here doing what Bill Hylton does in Router Magic (I think) and that is the sealed box with "venturi action" inside. Looks to me like the way to go and it is fairly simple.

[ssmith1627]

Yes, it sounds like there are three options and they're not each exclusive of the other. You could really go crazy and do all three at once. Enclosing and sucking air out of the compartment the router is hanging in, collecting dust at the gap in the fence where the bit is (above the table) and collecting dust to the left of the bit either with a hole in the table top or a "scoop" of some sort on the left side of the table.

Now that I think about it......seeing the pic in this thread of the inlet "door" that let you control the air flow into the router compartment......I wonder if a hole in the table top would serve that purpose and another at the same time. What if that hole in the table top left of the bit would allow you to catch the dust from dados and such that shoots out to the left......that dust being sucked into the router compartment and then out the back to a hose to your dust collector. Or would that just draw in even MORE dust to your router that you don't want in there clogging things up ?

Mine is the simplest option so far -- collecting it on the top at the gap in the fence. But I was still very happy with the results.

Steve