Router Table Dust Collection

[Vince Shriver]

I have the metal Pro Lift router table that replaces a wing on the table saw. I am trying to find a "dust bucket" for dust collection to place under the table. I've call Rockler (where I purchased it), and they are unaware of anything made specifically for that table. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, Vince

[Robert Hayward]

Have no clue what the underside of you table looks like. However I was able to fit up the Woodpecker downdraft dust cabinet to the underside of my router table wing on a PM2000. Did not even have to remove the router to make the cabinet work.

The downdraft cabinet hooked up to the dust collector and with the fence dust pick up hooked to a shop vac gives me excellent chip/dust removal.
https://www.woodpeck.com/downdraft-dust-cabinet.html

[Jack Frederick]

Build your own. Pick up some of the metal angle brackets at the hardware store and some light AL or steel angle iron. Four pieces of sheet metal and a few pop rivets and Bob’s your Uncle. Small piece of Plexiglass for the front and a 4” flange for your DC and you just saved $100+. The bolt through the bottom is my lift

[Robert Hayward]

Build your own.

Yours looks good! What did you use for a dust hose connection?

[Jim Becker]

Yup...make your own!

[Justin Rapp]

I made my own also - cost me a few dollars for a dust collection port and used scrap ply sitting around my shop to build the box.

[Justin Rapp]

Yours looks good! What did you use for a dust hose connection?

i used a universal dust port collector into a 90 with a 4x4x2.5 wye. the 2.5 port goes up to the back of my fence.

https://www.amazon.com/4-in-Universa.../dp/B004UKNKSU

[Bob Jones 5443]

Yes, build your own! It will fit your system and you'll smile every time you use it.

Mine is an MDF box with 1 x 1 corner braces, screwed together, with a Rockler 4" port screwed to one side, screwed to the bracing under the table. Materials cost: scrap 1/4" MDF and about 6 feet of 1 x 1 pine ripped off a scrap piece (free, right?). A few screws and the port, probably $12 if I'm conservative. This does not need to be metal. I've had it for almost 20 years.

I built mine in the cross-section shape of home plate, pointed end down, to keep dust at the bottom to a minimum. There is never any dust there. I bored a couple of small holes on the side bottoms to allow a small air flow to come in and push the dust upward.

I added a little sliding door covering a 1.5" hole for the router's AC plug to come out: just a few MDF morsels and 2 inches of pine scrap. When I upgraded from the 1-3/4 HP to the 3-1/4 HP earlier this year I was delighted to find that the original box fit as well. I added another sliding door to allow me to reach in and adjust the speed.

I love that thing. Collecting dust like that under the table keeps the bit cool as well.

Be aware that you might pull the system vertically down a couple of thou when under suction. I try to remember to finish my bit height setup with the DC on. Trying (and failing, but trying anyway) to pull 1100 cfm through a 1-1/4" bit plate really creates a force.

[Jack Frederick]

As with most diy projects things progress as they progress. My collection box works really well using the 4 hole sq X 4" round DC fitting you can pick up at Rockler or WC. On my original post Jim gave some guidance on the amount of inlet holes in the box to maintain velocity of the dust. Jim, may I ask that you re-visit that? I brought the fitting out of the back and its is working well, but the idea of coming off the rt side can save you a 90, which reduces flow. I haven't finished the DC piping tying the 2" fence piping to the 4". I need to get to my local Rockler to pick up the 2" tubing I want to use but am kinda staying away from retail at this time. For my layout I will come off the back with the 90 to a 4x2 ABS Sanitary tee or wye and 45. My DC system is not hard piped so it is not critical. My other "to do" on this is to get the router plate anchored to the CI table. With my home made lift when I put the ratchet on the bolt and raise the router I lift the whole asembly. Currently I am just anchoring the fence to hold it down. The limited use and type of work I've done with it has been ok, but I have a project upcoming that will require finer adjustments. On my old Norm RT, which is now at a friends shop, I mounted the plexiglass front panel with thumb screws to threaded inserts. That was a mistake as I had to remove the screws to adjust the router. On the current version I put the small notched feet to set the plexiglass on and used some epoxy, washers and RE magnets. Quicker/better.

[Jim Becker]

Jack, thanks for bringing that up.

A 4" port has a certain geometric area for air to pass through. The principle I speak about (and I didn't invent this...I learned of it long ago from "something on TV" I suspect...is to accomplish two things: Generate the most air flow into the cabinet from both the opening surrounding the tooling as well as the pickup for the fence behind the tooling while at the same time directing air flow to keep the cabinet as clear as possible. The closer the "average" of the openings is to the area of the typical 4" port on the under table cabinet, the closer to the average optimal air flow will be. Toward the second goal, putting some openings in the cabinet sides near the bottom that allow air to be drawn in toward the big outlet will make air flow that keeps dust and chips from accumulating in a major way in the corners of the cabinet. Skewing the 4" port into a corner allows you to leverage these small holes in the other corners to pretty much keep things clean. The area of those holes count for the overall airflow inlet area. That said, we don't have to get crazy about this, either...A good estimate is just fine. Just keep in mind that the whole principle of dust collection is NOT "suction"...it's moving air. That air, in turn, moves the dust and chips. You can't collect effectively from a "sealed" container since you can't have air flowing out that can't come in first.