Climb cutting dust collection?

[Larry Edgerton]

How do you guys deal with dust collection when climb cutting.

I was running some Makore today with a 8" slotting cutter and even though I had a hose at the end of the fence it still polluted my whole shop. I tried a brush on the end of the fence but the dust started building up and pushing the workpiece away. Most times I don't mind but this wood is killing me. After finishing the parts I had to shut down for the day.

Thanks, Larry

[Kent A Bathurst]

How do you guys deal with dust collection when climb cutting.

I was running some Makore today with a 8" slotting cutter and even though I had a hose at the end of the fence it still polluted my whole shop. I tried a brush on the end of the fence but the dust started building up and pushing the workpiece away. Most times I don't mind but this wood is killing me. After finishing the parts I had to shut down for the day.

Thanks, Larry

And we are talking about which machine?

[Larry Edgerton]

Sorry, Shaper. I thought the 8" slotting cutter would give it away.;)

[Peter Quinn]

I put on a dust mask, I've put a garbage can on the outfeed side, I put a piece of plywood behind the garbage can, I've made cardboard funnel/tunnel type things that would make Rube Goldberg proud. No real solution, there is just so much pressure behind the chips and dust, just sucks that sometimes its the only way to get it done, and you're working with a nasty one. Can you install a gable vent and pull to outside, like a whole house fan or something? Or a very strong fan in an open window. Last shop I worked in had one shaper near a 30" whole house fan let into the gable end of the second floor shop, you open a sliding door, it sucks all the dust outside, I used to run reverse rotation so it shot towards the fan with nasty stuff like teak, ipe, walnut, cedar, etc., kept it livable.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Sorry, Shaper. I thought the 8" slotting cutter would give it away.;)


Yeah - assuming I had any knowledge about shapers..........Which I do not.

I like Peter's comment: Dust mask.

[Peter Quinn]

Another though is a panel raising hood that extends over the cutter and has a dust hose directly above the source, just enough clearance to let the wood pass , like the one in the old Lonnie Bird shaper book if you have a pic of that. Easy to make one if its a straight plow with a slot in it, its amazing how much more capture you can get with that hood hanging over the wood past the cutter. I did a bunch of MDF panels with a big cutter that was spraying dust everywhere, went to the panel hood, end of problem, though it wasn't a climb cut.

[Rod Sheridan]

How do you guys deal with dust collection when climb cutting.

I was running some Makore today with a 8" slotting cutter and even though I had a hose at the end of the fence it still polluted my whole shop. I tried a brush on the end of the fence but the dust started building up and pushing the workpiece away. Most times I don't mind but this wood is killing me. After finishing the parts I had to shut down for the day.

Thanks, Larry

I have never sucessfully captured the dust when climb cutting.

It shoots out of the groove a couple of metres into the shop and makes a horrendous mess........Rod.

[Larry Edgerton]

I put on a dust mask, I've put a garbage can on the outfeed side, I put a piece of plywood behind the garbage can,

Ha! That was my exact setup today. I'll try the funnel next time.

Actually you give me an idea, at the end of the outfeed fence I will make a box that goes all the way over the workpiece with an hose sucking toward the back of the machine. If it just gets the dust I will be happy, but the chips have so much velocity coming off that size cutter.

Thanks, as always.

[Jeff Duncan]

Have you tried avoiding climb cutting? Seriously, climb cutting is terrible in terms of dust collection, and I prefer to avoid it anyway whenever possible. For something as simple as a slot I'd run the stock twice. An initial shallow pass to get a nice clean edge profile, then a second pass to hog the material out. This will often, (though admittedly not always), eliminate the need for climb cutting.

good luck,
JeffD

[Peter Quinn]

Another scary though....run in traditional rotation, but start with a solid fence and back the fence into the cutter to hit the depth you need first, probably can do this on that big ole iron you have, so the sacrificial fence become a ZCI that backs up the cut edge. Its a maybe. Does the cutter have spurs like an insert cutter or is it solid/braised?

[Larry Edgerton]

No knickers, just a brazed head. I tried it first in the normal direction and was getting some tearout on the edge. Actually I could have done as Jeff suggested, and I do at times do a light climb cut and then reverse the cut to normal, but I am behind the gun on this job and, well, you know that old story....

[pat warner]

Not sure if Mr. Duncan has the same idea.
But the tear out from a slotter is at the top & bottom of the slot .
That is the worst of it in anti-climb.
But a shallow climb cut, say 5-10%, should yield a tear free slot in the consipicuous outside corners. And not much waste.
Now, given, flat, stress free square stock. the rest of the cut can be anti-climb with essential immunity. That is, any tearout should be buried in the slot and not a practical or visible problem. Chips now back where they should be.

[Brian W Smith]

Certainly a crutch to some applications but it does work on difficult DC hood,pickup,problems;

We use shop air,regulated down at the point of attack(mainly don't want to adj air for other duties in the shop),attatched to 1/4" copper,refrigerant lines.These are bent/directed at the problem areas to "bust up"(technical term)certain flow patterns.Get the angle right and you can then collect with either the machine's hoody or sometimes you'll need a "remote" pickup.

I've seen nice setups using "storebought" jets,but honestly,the ease at which the ice maker line bends....we'll continue to use them.Solder into brass fittings that interface with whatever your shop air needs(Q.D.'s).Works great on mortising machines for "digging" the chips out during the cut,basically anywhere you're having issues with chips/dust not behaving.Good luck.

[jack forsberg]

Certainly a crutch to some applications but it does work on difficult DC hood,pickup,problems;

We use shop air,regulated down at the point of attack(mainly don't want to adj air for other duties in the shop),attatched to 1/4" copper,refrigerant lines.These are bent/directed at the problem areas to "bust up"(technical term)certain flow patterns.Get the angle right and you can then collect with either the machine's hoody or sometimes you'll need a "remote" pickup.

I've seen nice setups using "storebought" jets,but honestly,the ease at which the ice maker line bends....we'll continue to use them.Solder into brass fittings that interface with whatever your shop air needs(Q.D.'s).Works great on mortising machines for "digging" the chips out during the cut,basically anywhere you're having issues with chips/dust not behaving.Good luck.

great idea with the copper line. Larry i work outside or by the big doors when its dusty and have moved out side in mid summer with the machines. hoping to do more machining outside when the mill shop is done. big 6 foot over hangs and no posts on two sides of the mill shop and lots a fresh air. be a bit cold right now though.

[Larry Edgerton]

Certainly a crutch to some applications but it does work on difficult DC hood,pickup,problems;

We use shop air,regulated down at the point of attack(mainly don't want to adj air for other duties in the shop),attatched to 1/4" copper,refrigerant lines.These are bent/directed at the problem areas to "bust up"(technical term)certain flow patterns.Get the angle right and you can then collect with either the machine's hoody or sometimes you'll need a "remote" pickup.

I've seen nice setups using "storebought" jets,but honestly,the ease at which the ice maker line bends....we'll continue to use them.Solder into brass fittings that interface with whatever your shop air needs(Q.D.'s).Works great on mortising machines for "digging" the chips out during the cut,basically anywhere you're having issues with chips/dust not behaving.Good luck.

Great idea Brian! There is a space between the table and the fence support on my hood and I can sneak a line in there to be directed at the cut and hold it in place with a magnet.

I drilled the collar that holds the chisel on my morticer and snuck a piece of brake line in there. It blows in the open side of the chisel and is hooked to a foot pedal, works well.

[Larry Edgerton]

Brian, I tried it this morning. I slipped a 2' Milton blow gun in there, has a bit of a hook on the end aimed right at the cut, secured it and taped the trigger down. Worked like a charm. I'd say 90% of it went out through the hood.

Thanks, Larry

[Mark Wooden]

I've used the air gun app also and was going to suggest it when I started reading this thread. Dust is the bitch you pay when climb cutting for sure.

[Peter Quinn]

Here's a recent climb cut I snapped a photo of, around 1000 lf two edges of ash to run, had to have perfect show faces, big ole pile of chips when done. Glad it was only ash. The garbage can was my half hearted attempt at chip collection....it was totally full by the end....as was the floor for about 10' past the shaper. The other guys really love me for this!