router table advice needed

[Dave Anthony]

I purchased a Benchdog 40-120 router table extension wing for a contractors table saw. I'm planning to build a cabinet under it to provide support as well as dust collection, and, hopefully, some sound insulation. Is there an optimal size for the box that will enclose the router? Any guidelines about how much/where to let in air? Do I need to drill slots to allow air flow, or is the opening in the plate sufficient? Any suggesstions for sound insulation? I'll be running a 4" port to the box & 2.5" to the fence, connected to a 1.5 hp Delta dust collector. Any advice/suggestions, pics would be greatly appreciated.

[david paul miller]

BEST THING I FOUND THAT WORKS; " KEEN DUST COLLECTION", , STOPS ABOUT 95% OF ALL DUST, I TRIED WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT, NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU GET THE AIR FLOW (INTAKE) YOUR STILL DUMPING THE DUST ON THE MOTOR, NOT WITH THE KEEN SET UP. http://www.keen-products.com/

[johnny means]

I use a 4 " port in the back back of my RT cabinet. The cabinet feeds a 2" port to my fence. This set up catches almost 100% of any dust I create. I don't worry about dropping dust on the motor because routers are designed to pump air out of the collet end of the motor. I never see chips left on my router motors. The cabinet solution also allows for the lower static pressure of a DC to be effective.

[Bruce Darrow]

Dave,

I built my box to the dimensions offered by the underside of the table - mine hangs. I left it a bit deep (height) in case I ever get a different router - lesson learned the hard way from the router table cabinet I built in my shop at work.

I also learned the hard way about dust collection with the table at work - it has a 4" port at the rear, and a door at the front, and simply doesn't suck. I tried boring a bunch of 3/4 (1" ?) holes through the door with no joy. I'll be reworking the duct work in that shop soon (I hope!) aiming toward better suction after having learned a lot ducting my own shop, and will make a new door like what I did at home - see below.

I am getting great collection from a simple MDF box with a waxed floor, 4" port at the rear fed by a 6" drop reduced to 4" as near as practical, and a simple panel held in place by magnets 1" above the floor. The panel is about 12" wide, giving me 12 square inches of make up air sweeping across the box floor to the port. Match your make up air volume to the size of the port and position it to sweep the floor - I think you'll be pleased.

[Jim O'Dell]

I changed my design mid build after Bill Huber here posted his design. Instead of pulling air down the bottom, he pulled it out the top side. It makes perfect sense. The router is trying to push air up when in a table, and if the DC is pulling it down, which one is going to win? This top side draft with a hole at the bottom to pull air in also brings cleaner air to the router to cool, not air that has dust and chips in it. You might have to make your bottom air adjustable so it will still pull well from the top. I built a blast gate at the bottom of my router chamber, that is opened by turning a threaded rod. that way I can adjust how much intake I get very easily. 201745 201746 Jim.

[Myk Rian]

I use a 4 " port in the back back of my RT cabinet. The cabinet feeds a 2" port to my fence. This set up catches almost 100% of any dust I create. I don't worry about dropping dust on the motor because routers are designed to pump air out of the collet end of the motor. I never see chips left on my router motors. The cabinet solution also allows for the lower static pressure of a DC to be effective.
Same thing I do. The box area of the cabinet is about an 18" cube.

[Pete Janke]

My router table is the right end of my Grizzly 691. A plastic bin from Target encloses a Hitachi M12V2. A 4" hose enters one side through a blast gate. A large hole is on the opposite side, providing incoming air and access to the router speed switch in the router's handle. Another 4" hose is plumbed into the fence above. This set-up works well for me.201770201772201771
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/pencil.png
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/pencil.png

[Kevin Stricker]

Incra has some free plans on their website for a nice downdraft cabinet. I have a metal one from Rockler that works well and does not cost much.

[johnny means]

Pete, I love the Target bin. So often we can over think and over build to accomplish a simple task.

[glenn bradley]

Mine is built into a cabinet but, the enclosed area around the motor is about the size of the "Target" bin ;-) I have the exit port at the bottom of the enclosure and openings in the door directly across from it. Along with draw from the throat plate, this gets all the dust that makes it to below the table. The fence port grabs 90% of the dust but, that is not always in use; during starter pin work or when doing non-through cuts for example. I have run this setup almost daily for 6 years and have never experienced any dust buildup in the motor or switch trouble that some folks report. The 5625 is designed to be table mounted though so, that may have something to do with it. Then again, I may just have enough airflow. I did spend quite awhile tuning the opening size on a temporary door before making the openings on the permanent door. I didn't use much science; I just kept making the opening bigger till all the dust disappeared during use.