Router Table Intake Air

[John Kananis]

I've never considered removing material from the back of the insert ring. I'm going to have to set some time aside (good luck lol) and do a side by side with modified vs normal. Thanks for the idea.

[Chris Parks]

Getting rid of the insert ring is key to the whole thing. I have some photos somewhere of a table that first used the concept and I will try to find them. You need a hole for the debris to fall into not a ring that prevents that happening. This approach goes against everything the manufacturers have been trying to ram down our throats for many years so it does require a reset in our thinking.

[Chris Parks]

Getting rid of the insert ring is key to the whole thing. I have some photos somewhere of a table that first used the concept and I will try to find them. You need a hole for the debris to fall into not a ring that prevents that happening. This approach goes against everything the manufacturers have been trying to ram down our throats for many years so it does require a reset in our thinking.

This will clear 99% of the debris if not all of them. The more I think about concentric rings the more they annoy me as the idea simply can't work.

[Tom M King]

My single use router tops work great with dust collection only from the top. There is a hole only big enough for the 1/2" shank that the bit comes up through, only ever so slightly enlarged to prevent rubbing. There is a slight depression under the bit to allow a little clearance there too. No dust exits around the shank to get to the motor. The motors all still look like new, having been bought new just for this purpose.

Fence is made at the same time as the parts run so it's the same thickness. The top serves as holddown as well. A piece of paper folded once is put under the infeed side of the top to give a bit of clearance to get the part under to start it.

I prefer no dust gets to the motor.

The disadvantage of this, of course, is that the bit has to be installed from under the top, but it's not a problem with these portable ones.

[Chris Parks]

I prefer no dust gets to the motor.

Using a water cooled spindle fixes that problem but that would not be practical for site work. My site RT is a flat sheet of MDF clamped to a saw horse, the fence is the nearest bit of straight timber and two clamps. Needs must when time and money become issues on the job.

[derek labian]

I am not worried about fresh air in the dust box if the material isn't building up. My problem with most (square) dust boxes is build-up in the corners of the box. I recently switched to the Harvey box because it has a cylindrical bottom to collect and move material out and the dust port splits the 4" for the upper collection, not just a Y. It's also only $99 and comes as a solid piece of metal, not bolted together like most boxes.

harvey dust.png

[Chris Parks]

The build up can be thought of as an annoyance and it should not happen or ignored and when it reaches a certain size it won't get any bigger. These photos shows a spindle sitting in the air stream and because it is water cooled dust in the motor is not an issue.

Dust Chute & Showing Spindle Placement In It.jpg Duct Through Shot.jpg Duct Entry End.jpg

Water cooled spindles solve just about every problem RT's have and are generally cheaper to put together.