Router Table Dust Collection

[Michael Lutz]

There appears to be a multitude of ways to provide dust collection for a router table. Which ways work the best?

I am planning to build a router table in the TS extension of my PM66. So the router will be housed in a box similar to Norm's RT. I am planning to provide dust collection at the cabinet and at a fence that I am currently designing. Since the TS/RT combo is mobile I will be running a 6" flex between it and the wall. With 6" ducting how would you split between cabinet and fence? 4" and 4" or 5" and 2.5"?

Does it work better to come off a duct wye to the two feeds or to run the 6" into the cabinet and run the fence collector from the cabinet (using a manifold arrangement or not)?

Thanks,

Mike

[glenn bradley]

I run 4" and 2.5" with good results. I currently run the gated 4" directly to the lower compartment and swing the hose from my overarm TS guard to the fence. I am planning on changing this to a 2.5" hose from the lower compartment to the fence relying on the lower compartment suction to do the job. I have seen others do this and will be interested in other posts on this. I have heard of folks doing without the fence DC but I like to keep my bit pretty well corralled. This leaves dust and chips above the table so I use the fence DC as well.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=54205&d=1167872143

[Mark Engel]

I have a 4" x 2.5" wye just behind the lower compartment with the 2.5" going up to the fence. The Incra fence I have is hollow with the 2.5" collection port at the end. I still get a lot of dust and chips that never get collected.

I had the thought to drill several holes, either in the router table or in the mounting plate to see if that would help, sort of like a down draft sanding table. Haven't quite worked up the nerve to do that yet. Maybe when I get a new mounting plate I can try it out on this one first.

[Rich Person]

I use a self made router encasement under the table, and don't actually use on on the fence. The under table DC seems to catch everything. I'm sure there are some applications that I have not run into that would require collection at the fence rather than around the bit--I just haven't seen them yet.

[Noah Katz]

I think a 2 1/2" hose is iffy unless you hook a shop vac to it (10X more vacuum than a DC).

Interesting thought to not even have the upper hose.

[Greg Cole]

I have the INCRA version of an RT & joinery package hanging off the left of my TS. I have a shop built DC box around the router motor which works well except when using a small insert.
I had planned on getting a 4" X 4" X 2.5" for hooking up the DC under the table and thru the fence, the local WW tool store didn't have one when I picked up the DC... so I tried using the shop vac on the 2.5" port on the fence and using the 4" hooked to the DC.
The Shop Vac brand shop vac noise drowns out the DC (or screams over) and the router is very quiet in the 1/2" MDF box..... BUT the combo of the 2 is fantastic!
I doubt I will hook the fence port into the DC system, but I just might have to donate the Shop Vac to the shoop at work and pick up the Ridgid brand with SNR or whatever it's called. Or if I slide on the Domino slope, I might see if the $ is there for the green & blue one.

[Hoa Dinh]

This (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/hoa_dinh@sbcglobal.net/album/576460762322157837) is an idea.

[Curt Harms]

I did something similar for a friend of mine. He wanted a benchtop router table but didn't have a CLUE how to build one. I helped him with a 3/4" plybox and top with an MLCS phenolic plate. I put a 4" PVC nipple into the base then put a 2 1/2" port at the top of the box opposite the 4" port. I put a blast gate where the 2 1/2" hose enters the RT base so the 2 1/2" port can be closed off when doing dados and non-edge work. It seems to work really well, virtually no dust escapes. The fence does of course have a provision to attach a 2 1/2" hose. I wish I had pics but I don't.

Curt