Router table dust collection

[Keith Nordyke]

I recently was given a nice Bosch router and a router table. Because I am moving my shop soon, I am trying to lay out the new shop area and the dust collection. The current thinking is a cyclone of some variety. Having read DC threads here and elsewhere for several months, I am not sure I have seen any solutions/hoods/etc for a router table. Can anyone point me to methods that have worked, either commercially available or shopmade solutions? Thanks.

Keith

[keith ouellette]

Hi keith. Keith here;

I made my own router fence. it was made out of mdf and it was a hollow 4" square tube. one end was sealed and the other end had a 4" duct attached to it. for many types of cuts it removed most of the chips/dust. when I build my next router table I am going to have dust collection the same way but I am going to add a dc port inside the table cabinet so I can have dust collection from below the router as well.

There is a commercial router fence that had dc at the end.

It works very well for me. i will not pick up anything from a cut where the board covers the whole bit (for obvious reasons).

[Tom Veatch]

... Can anyone point me to methods that have worked, either commercially available or shopmade solutions?

Here's one solution (http://web.archive.org/web/20031207153555/home.pacbell.net/jdismuk/routertable.html)for "above the table" by modifying a Incra Jig as well as "below the table" with an enclosed cabinet around the router motor. It's similar to the method I use for below the table and I copied Dizzy's "above the table" approach. I'll try to remember to take a camera to my shop tomorrow and post some pictures.

[Dewey Torres]

Here is another solution (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=97776&highlight=router) in addition the the one Tom posted above.

[John Keeton]

And, yet another! (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=90392)

[George Lohnes]

Hey Tom... nice setup

I wish I had thought of putting a microwave under my router :)

[Tom Veatch]

Thanks, George, but that's not my table. It's a link to Dizzy's setup. Mine is similar in that I copied his over the table dust collection mod to the Incra Ultra, but mine isn't nearly as well appointed.

Incidentally, for the OP's original question, here's a link (http://www.google.com/search?q=router+table+dust+collection&sitesearch=www.sawmillcreek.org)to a search of SMC that should be full of router table dust collection ideas.

I promised in a earlier post that I'd show some pictures of my setup. Here they are:

The first picture is just a view of the table top with the Incra Ultra modified per Dizzy's design. It shows the square hole through the fence next to the bit that is the pickup point for the "over the top" dust collection (OTT). The second picture is the fence retracted showing the hole in the top that is the dust port for the OTT. The third picture is the box that is the duct for the OTT from the hole in the fence to the hole in the table top. Dust is pulled through the port in the fence shown in the first picture, through the duct shown in the third picture, and through the hole in the table top shown in the second picture. This is all a pretty close copy of Dizzy's design.

The fourth picture is the back of the table showing the connection to the cyclone ductwork. The grill under the dust port is the air entry grill for the under table (UTT) dust collection. The grill to the left is from a former incarnation and isn't operative. The white box on the right contains the disconnect switch for the router wiring and circuit board for the automatic blast gate control system. The fifth picture is the enclosed cavity for the router motor and lift. You can see the dust port at the top rear and the intake grill at the bottom rear. I did not clean out any dust prior to taking the picture. What you see is the way the dust collection system leaves the enclosure under normal operation. The horizontal baffle across the center of the enclosure is to separate the flow so that the router motor cooling air intake is in "clean" air. Air enters the enclosure at the bottom rear, flows over the router motor to the front of the enclosure, up through a gap between the baffle and the cabinet door, and back to the outlet past the opening around the bit and the port from the OTT.

Works quite well.

[Sonny Edmonds]

Well, shucks.
Mine is built for go, not show. Like everything in my shop.
Pretty is what comes out of my shop, not what one see's within it.

I have a booster blower under my central area where most of the waste takes place.
I boxed under my router stations, and built my through the fence collection on top connected to the plenum box underneath.
The end result is very, very nearly 100% collection. If I got the few little wisps from solid wood coaxed into the collection, it would be 100%.

[Anthony Whitesell]

The Bosch routers (especially the 1617) tend to have issues reported about dust getting into the switches and causing them to fail. I'm not sure if the problem has been entirely resolved, but I wasn't willing to take the chance. Luckily, Bill Huber posted his router table dust collection design (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=65058) for the Bosch router and I built one for myself. Due to the layout of my router table, the dust port is on the bottom and off to the left side. I don't think it is as efficient as Bill's design as a lot of chips fall through the cutout around the lift. I put in a shelf below the router and lift to act as a chip tray and allow for air flow. I still get some dust in the switches and used the air gun to blow it out occcasionally, but not nearly as bad as the enclosed designs shown above.

[Jim O'Dell]

I was in the middle of my router table build when Bill Huber posted his thread. It made enough sense to me that I modified my router chamber to be similar. Mine is a 6" inlet to a 3 X 6 furnace transition (actually a 4 X 6 but I blocked part of it off) that is mounted at the top of the chamber. (I also use a shop vac on the Incra LS Positioner fence port.) I have a 6" round hole at the bottom to let fresh air in, with a sliding gate to adjust the flow. Bottom works great. Bit still throws a lot of chips out that the fence pick up can't grab. Jim.

[Joel Earl]

Question for Tom V - looks like the table was a Norm's flavor-ish one somewhat. What size top do you have? I've got an INCRA that I want to toss on my new RT but I want to avoid if I can any overhang since I move things around alot. And bang everything in the way :o
I've in past used one that was from the Jointech plans and it was the cats meow. I'm thinking with a larger top and base that yours could accomodate it too. And just happens I got a set of the Norm'er in house at that so it's a serious thought too

I've got copies of Dizzy's original build off an older WN post and he did an incredible job - you did too. Nice work

[Thom Sturgill]

Here's another. The cabinet has a sloped bottom and wedges to feed dust back to the opening in the rear. I will admit that my small DC does not get all of the dust, but the cabinet does seem to contain most of it. The door is simply held in place with 4 magnets and pulls off to get out of the way.

[glenn bradley]

And another. . .

[Tom Veatch]

Question for Tom V ...

Thanks for the compliment. The table is based on the Delorie design from here (http://www.delorie.com/wood/projects/router/). Table top is about 26"x50" constructed of a double layer of 3/4" MDF covered by a Formica like laminate and edged with red oak scraps. Dust collection features are copied/stolen from the Dizzy design for above the table collection. The below the table setup is from my own thoughts modified by points picked up from various SMC posts.

The baffle in the enclosure is important to the overall function. I had a problem with the router switch and speed control becoming contaminated with dust and debris prior to installing the baffle. The baffle places that area of the router in dust free air and provides clean air to the router's cooling air intakes. Installing the baffle and moving the table's air intake to below the baffle has apparently solved that problem and has definitely improved the dust removal from the router enclosure. I've had no more problems since making that change.

[Joel Earl]

Thanks for info and the pics Tom. :)

[Justin McCarthy]

Hey all,
First post here - been lurking for awhile.

Anyway, I had heard that putting a dust port under the router table can be problematic if it is poorly placed because it will suck out all the cooling air the router uses to cool the motor. I'm not too sure of the details and would like to know more.

Anyone care to elaborate on this? What configuration would be a no-no?

Thanks
Justin

[Eric Gustafson]

Hey all,
First post here - been lurking for awhile.

Anyway, I had heard that putting a dust port under the router table can be problematic if it is poorly placed because it will suck out all the cooling air the router uses to cool the motor. I'm not too sure of the details and would like to know more.

Anyone care to elaborate on this? What configuration would be a no-no?

Thanks
Justin

I would think any heat the router makes would be sucked away with the cooling air! It should help the router run cooler. Perhaps dust could be a problem, since you are pulling it around that motor.

[Tom Veatch]

Hey all,
First post here - been lurking for awhile.

Anyway, I had heard that putting a dust port under the router table can be problematic if it is poorly placed because it will suck out all the cooling air the router uses to cool the motor. I'm not too sure of the details and would like to know more.

Anyone care to elaborate on this? What configuration would be a no-no?

Thanks
Justin

The air that is pulled out of the enclosure is replaced by air flowing in from outside the enclosure unless the enclosure is hermetically sealed. If there's enough flow to pick up and carry the dust away, there's plenty to supply the router motor with cooling air. Air inside the enclosure will be exchanged many times per minute.

If there's a problem with cooling, it's likely due to the router motor pulling dust laden air through it's cooling vents and, eventually, clogging it's insides with dust buildup. Plan your installation so that the air flowing past the router's air intake is relatively dust free and you should have no problems. For one approach to that solution see my previous post with pictures of my installation.

Hmmm, just saw Eric's post and seems I did little more than repeat what he said.

[glenn bradley]

As others have said; urban legend.

[George Lohnes]

Just adding my thoughts to the need for above table AND below table dust collection

http://picasaweb.google.com/geoloh/MiscJan2009?authkey=nI60kZCYYig#530728619579920557 0

http://picasaweb.google.com/geoloh/MiscJan2009?authkey=nI60kZCYYig#530728621362767968 2

Before I added the under table hole for my central DC to connect to I only had the top hooked up to the shop vac.... HUGE difference in dust in the air as well as on the workpiece once I added the under table cabinet collection.

Nothing new here (in fact done quite a bit worse than some of the other pics I saw here... but just confirming their statements.

George