Replies

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Mar 26, 2008 09:14pm | #1

   Johhny,

   Can ya give us a rundown on what you have for power tools/dust generators?  That would help to get started anyway.

   I have the Delta 1½ HP single stage DC that works really good for me.  See The Woodworking Life blog off the home page here in FWW to maybe get some ideas.

   Regards,

   Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   achome | Mar 26, 2008 09:36pm | #2

   Bob-

   I have an old Inca table saw with a rectangular dust chute, and miscellaneous power tools..the old router, etc.  The router is the real dust generator.  I assume I can use a tabletop box-shaped dust fitting for that.

   thanks

   John

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Mar 26, 2008 10:22pm | #3

   John,

   Couple of things here, at least these are my views not to be construed as gospel by any means.

   Router:  I would make a router table and purchase/make a fence mechanism that will allow connection of some form of DC.  Trying to capture dust/debris from a handheld router is like truing to chase a wild horse.  Not likely that you'll catch 'em.

   For sanders etc. it makes sense to me that a downdraft table is the best solution in most cases.  I use a shopvac connected to my ROS for freehand sanding that works very well.  For hand sanding and the occasional ROS quick sand I use the downdraft table.

   Tablesaw:  Another candidate for connection to a DC.

   Shopvacs just don't move enough air volume to be effective for large dust generating machines like a tablesaw, joiner, planer, bandsaw, etc.; but work ok for a ROS for example.

   Another good investment would be an overhead air filter to get a lot of the small stuff that might get past the DC.  Another good investment would be a good respirator.  Thees items are not just one timers as you will use them no matter what else you do for dust control.

   From what you said in your initial post, I would concentrate on the TS and the router and work from there.  If you do a search in here for dust collection you will literally find TONS of good information and suggestions.  I've not even skimmed the surface here.

   Regards,

    Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

2. 
   JohnWW | Mar 26, 2008 10:57pm | #4

   With the machines you have you will get better dust pick up with a shop vac, which excels at moving air through small hoses and tight shrouds. Jointers and planers need a full sized dust collector because of the much larger volume of shavings generated.

   I buy small Ridgid vacs, with hepa filters and dedicate each vac to a single machine. Some machines, like your old Makita aren't well designed for dust catching you may want to invest in newer tools with decent dust ports.

   The Oneida works great but it's primary advantage is that it is easier to clean out than a vac, it doesn't actually improve the dust pick up. You can use it with any mid size or larger shop vac.

   John White

1. 
   zolton | Mar 27, 2008 03:32pm | #6

   John,

   Agreed. Your point about the older Makita router is a good one. I own (and like) the Bosch plunge/fixed base router "kit" I've got now in large part because of its dust collection abilities. At a little over $200, it's a pretty good value, too.

   It's got a clear plastic shroud that completely surrounds the bit and mounts inside the plunge base . When hooked up to a Shop Vac it captures just about every chip. This is pretty amazing to me, as I was used to getting showered with dust and debris before I purchased this router. I probably don't even need to wear a mask when I plunge-rout now - but still do out of force of habit.

   There is also an optional dust collection guard that is used for edge routing. It, too, hooks up to a Shop Vac, and does a decent job of chip and dust collection, though it's a bit of a hassle to set up. The results are worth it though.

   So, between plunge and edge routing, this router has it pretty well covered. As Bob from Kidderville said, too, it's relatively easy to hook up dust collection by using a dust port on a fence in a router table.

   Bob also mentioned hooking a Shop Vac up to a sander, and that's something I'm going to do as well. Bosch has just come out with a transitional hose fitting that replaces the dust collection filter on its random orbit and square pad sanders. I've got some ordered and expect them in the mail any day now. $3.95 from a place called CPO: http://bosch.cpotools.com/attachments/sander_dust_collection/rs006.html. Shipping costs $7.95 though!

   Interesting to hear how you're using small Rigid shop vacs to do your dust collection duties. That's something I've been doing for years, but am now upgrading to a cyclone to (finally!) do some comprehensive collection of my Makita 2030 combination planer/jointer...

   Zolton If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon

3. 
   WoodRivWW | Mar 27, 2008 06:36am | #5

   I've got a small shop with a very low ceiling so I went with the Jet 708630 DC-650TS 2-Stage 1 HP 650 CFM Dust Collector. You can read about it on Amazon. I mounted it on a 30 gal plastic trash bin that has casters on the bottom from Home Depot so I can move it around as needed. Since my shop is so small, however, I keep the DC next to my table saw and keep my band saw, jointer and planer on mobile stands and move them as needed into my one open space to connect with the DC. I've had it a couple of years now and it has been working great. I use a Rigid vacuum for my router table, but usually end up sweeping up lots of chips every time I use it.