I'm in the process of designing a dust hood for my CNC router, and I'm working on a idea made from clear acrylic plates (so I can see what's going on!)

I've been looking at conveyor brush strip to go around the plate, but it's occurred to me that it would be much better to have something clear to form the dust skirt.

I saw a thread a while back where someone mentioned the use of a soft clear 'rubbery' plastic - similar to what's used on the front of chillers in grocery stores.

Does anyone know where you can get this material, and if it's actually any good for stopping dust?

You can make a skirt like this out of floor runner. I did and it works really well. I bought 1' of it at Lowes for .98. Had to get manager over-ride at the register to only buy 1'. Guess the system is set up to catch people working with cashiers to shoplift.....that or to catch people with 1' hallways.

Anyway, Lowes only had black in stock, but I saw some at True Value the other day that was clear for $1.25/ft.

I'm also going to make a clear shoe for my machine. Trying to come up with a slick design.

Interesting... though I'm not familiar with the term; what is floor runner usually used for? (it might be called something different here in the UK).

Cheers!

It's laid down to protect carpet in high traffic areas.

Ah yes! I know the stuff, thanks!

Also Look at McMastercarr.com or someone in the UK like them they have lots of different MRO supplies.

I would love to find someone in the UK like McMaster. In fact, I'd give my right nut... well... someone else's right nut... to find someone like them in the UK. I spend a huge amount of my time simply trying to source suppliers of stuff you US guys can buy easily.

I did try the carpet covering plastic - very cheap, and easy to find. However, it doesn't work!

If you live somewhere nice and warm, and cut something a couple of layers deep it might be OK, but in a cool climate the plastic is too stiff, and is simply deflected out of the way, thus leaving huge gaps for the dust to pass through.

I'm currently working out if I can butcher some paint brushes, as brush strip is pretty expensive. I've had to give up on my idea for a transparent brush... ah well...

Instead of Trying to cut up a paint brush Try what is called a dooe sweep it is a long brush that goes along the bottom of a door to help stop drafts. Look at Mcmastercarr.com for door sweeps that will give you a good look at them. you usually can find them at home improvement stores or some hardware stores.

I did try the carpet covering plastic - very cheap, and easy to find. However, it doesn't work!



Works well for me. Maybe yours was too thick. I just went and took a pic in the shop of it in action. You can even see the flexibility by the way it bends inward toward the dust collector air stream. Part of that can be accredited to the powerful 1600 cfm gated collector.

After thinking about it, I don't care if the skirt is clear. It wouldn't be transparent enough to see through to do any meaningful set up anyway.

Still trying to come up with a swing away design using clear plexi.

Instead of Trying to cut up a paint brush Try what is called a dooe sweep it is a long brush that goes along the bottom of a door to help stop drafts.

Yea, that was my first idea, but the brush trim is usually only an inch or so long (at least on the one's I've found in stores). I'm looking for a strip with a 3" brush, and I've not seen that in any outlets here in the UK.


Works well for me. Maybe yours was too thick. I just went and took a pic in the shop of it in action. You can even see the flexibility by the way it bends inward toward the dust collector air stream. Part of that can be accredited to the powerful 1600 cfm gated collector.

With my extractor on it does bend the strips in, but I found that the plastic splays out and leaves gaps as soon as the the dust hood drops onto the table.

You're right about the transparency stuff though, I've pretty much decided it's not worth worrying about. I'm going to try to find some decent brush strip - but I'm trying to do it on the cheap at the moment!

I was down at my local plastic supplier last week and they showed me some very flexible plastic. This weekend I realized that I need it from my vacuum head and I am headed down to get it with some other plastics. Will post you on my findings when I done implementing it.

I dropped by and picked some of the rather soft plastic up. I still have to install it but it sure looks like this stuff is going to work. It is floppy like a thin piece of card board and it is see through. In order to get what I need I had to buy a full 4' * 8' sheet (going to have lots left over). Will post pictures tonight/tomorrow of it install.

Here's a video of a setup similar to mine on a shopbot:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gcoOTqha8N8"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gcoOTqha8N8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Does a great job as long as your air flow is good enough.

Gotta love the speed of this router!

And another one:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9tzebShLXTY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9tzebShLXTY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

I don't know what this skirt material is:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCJ5iHeA_9E"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCJ5iHeA_9E" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Looks like they use 2 rows. Thought of that...maybe even 3.

looks like the type of plastic old people use to cover dining room tables and such

looks like the type of plastic old people use to cover dining room tables and such

Never thought of that. The stuff anal's used to put on their furniture. Do they still sell that stuff?

its probably at walmart

Never thought of that. The stuff anal's used to put on their furniture. Do they still sell that stuff?

Dear Madclicker,

I don't know about putting it on furniture (honest!) but you can get glass-clear semi-rigid, flexible and supple PVC in a range of thicknesses from people who bind up documents for presentations.

Here in the UK, a company called Wardle Storeys produces (or at least produced) a PVC sheet range called Velbex in their "stationary range". I bought a 4ft 6" wide roll to make a very large vacuum bag, but you could probably get page-sized sheets from your local photo-copy shop.

Hope this helps somebody..

Best wishes

Martin

Although I'd use brushes, how about a 20-30mil vinyl? I use it for my vacuum veneer bag, and if cut into strips, it's very flexible. http://www.joewoodworker.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=44_67&products_id=833

Although I'd use brushes, how about a 20-30mil vinyl? I use it for my vacuum veneer bag, and if cut into strips, it's very flexible. http://www.joewoodworker.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=44_67&products_id=833

I will use strip brushes in my final design. Not that expensive except if you are just experimenting like I still am. My floor runner plastic is dirt cheap and works amazingly well.

I want an articulated dust shoe like you described.

Ok here is where it stands as of now, I,ll work on it a little later and give my conclusion.Thanks to those before me who gave me the idea, cheers.

It may sound just too easy but I use a round vacume cleaner brush for my spring loaded dust collector. $7.00 at the local vacume cleaner store.
Dennis

Hi all, here is my dust shoe as of today. Will mount it and take it for a test drive and post pics later. The only thing I was not sure of was how long to leave the brushes. What I did was chuck a bit in the router and brought the bit down just touching the table surface and allowed a 1/4 inch extra. Trial by error I suppose. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Another one.

The problem i had with the carpet runner, is when it gets cold it gets harder, but is still a cheap alternative.

Joe