SHOW YOUR DUST BOOT/PICK-UP SHOE...

[Mogal]

Put it in a .zip file and it will upload.

CarveOne

Thats what I tried, but I think the firewall(at work) is blocking it.
I'll try again when I get home tonight...

[Mountaincraft]

He is my shoe that I have been having GREAT success with.
No brissles. It leaves 'alittle' behind, but works REALLY good.
I have brushes to install... but haven't felt the need to really.
It utilizes 2 cam locks, and is supper easy to remove and re-attach.
The three pieces just sandwitch together with glue.

I have that shoe with a 1.5" hose attached to a generic shopvac
via a thien separator. Once I replace the paper filter for a hepa filter,
it'll be AWESOME!

I can't seem to upload the DXF for it right now.

Can you post some pictures of the 'cam lock' system? I'd like to see what others have done to deal with quick adjustment..

[PaulRowntree]

This is embarrassingly simple compared to the ones already posted, but my shoe is post#26 here

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/cnc_wo...diver_cnc.html

Cheers!

[Mogal]

Can you post some pictures of the 'cam lock' system? I'd like to see what others have done to deal with quick adjustment..

Yes, I can post pics, but I have to go take them first ;o)
I'll update later tonight after work.

[Mogal]

Here are the pics of the vacuum shoe/cam locks.
Is there enough info in the pics to you help out?
Just a simple spring loaded pushpin with a cam screwed to the bottom.

Also the Vacuum shoe DXF file is now uploaded(with toolpaths)
(Was the firewall at work!)

P.S. The only thing I would change, is to knurl the caps of the pushpins.
Which is on the to-do list!

[Mogal]

This is embarrassingly simple compared to the ones already posted, but my shoe is post#26 here

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/cnc_wo...diver_cnc.html

Cheers!

I saw your thread earlier... I really like the 'raised rail' design!

[Mountaincraft]

Here are the pics of the vacuum shoe/cam locks.
Is there enough info in the pics to you help out?
Just a simple spring loaded pushpin with a cam screwed to the bottom.

Also the Vacuum shoe DXF file is now uploaded(with toolpaths)
(Was the firewall at work!)

P.S. The only thing I would change, is to knurl the caps of the pushpins.
Which is on the to-do list!

Ahh I see.. It's not really gonna help me much.. I'm looking for some sort of quick adjustment system for my shoe... I have a fixed shoe that is attached to the Y>Z carriage and stays at the work surface while the router moves up and down to it...

Three threaded rods hold the thing in place with 6 wing nuts controlling the height... Would like something easier to adjust... It won't be a huge problem 'now', but later when I have different height material beds it will become a big PITA....

Nevermind the router not being centered in the hole.. LOL
(fixing that senior moment this very hour!)

[cnczane]

Questions for you with the Harbor Freight 4" dust collectors. "How strong is it?"

I'm struck by the asymmetry of many of the designs.

In KentCNC23's video demo of his "split shoe," he mentions adding a 1" "inner" brush to help keep the longer (3"?) brush from being "sucked in" itself.

My presumption is that it is adding stiffening, but it raises two questions:
1. Is the vacuum really strong enough to suck the brush bristles in? If so, what's the experience with leaving them off? (Wait. The router will blow most of the chips away?)
I'm thinking of the reverse of the "air curtain" that was so fashionable with grocery stores a few years ago. Could a "concentric vacuum" be set up around the router with enough CFM to take its exhaust and makeup air, so that nothing could escape in any direction?

2. Anyway, secondly, what if Kent's 1" strip was also continued athwart the shoe, between the router's exhaust and the vacuum's intake? Wouldn't that cause the air from the router to have to go down and under the 1" "curtain" (and pick up dust) instead of having much of that air short-circuiting the vacuum? I think I'd double the thickness of the brush on the side furthest from the vacuum too.

Oh. From google dictionary (I had to look it up to see what I meant).
adverb /əˈTHwôrt/ 

1. Across from side to side; transversely
* - one table running athwart was all the room would hold

[cnczane]

...and I could use some help seeing how to man-handle 4" dryer hose from the "oh-so-delicate, hanging-in-space" Z-axis to the collector on a (tallish) gantry machine.

Has anyone mounted rigid 4" PVC to the ceiling and put an elbow TDC above the table and "spidered" with flexible duct from there?

I'm sensing that "springy" ("normally-closed") hose would be preferred. (Now to wish that something perfect exists.)

[Mountaincraft]

I'm struck by the asymmetry of many of the designs.

Yeah.. makes it easy huh?

I've been wondering how effective it would be to make a 'catcher' around the perimeter of the whole work area of the table, with a second vacuum (or two) that would grab everything that got away from the router vac shoe setup...

[ger21]

Questions for you with the Harbor Freight 4" dust collectors. "How strong is it?"

Pretty strong At least twice as powerful as the 1HP craftsman I have.

1. Is the vacuum really strong enough to suck the brush bristles in?

Brushes come in different diameters. I'm sure it could suck the thinner ones in, but not the thicker ones.

Could a "concentric vacuum" be set up around the router with enough CFM to take its exhaust and makeup air, so that nothing could escape in any direction?

Imo, no. I work with large commercial routers, and I've seen thick "roostertails" of dust shoot 5 ft from the bit.
The sole purpose of the brush, is to contain the particles so that the vacuum can pick them up.

2. Anyway, secondly, what if Kent's 1" strip was also continued athwart the shoe, between the router's exhaust and the vacuum's intake? Wouldn't that cause the air from the router to have to go down and under the 1" "curtain" (and pick up dust) instead of having much of that air short-circuiting the vacuum?

It's always been my opinion that the router's exhaust shouldn't be an issue. If it is, you don't have enough vacuum, or you have a poorly designed shoe that doesn't contain the dust. Even with my weak 1HP dust collector, I get no airborne dust at all. A proper dust collector should pull far more cfm than the router's cooling air.

The key to the shoe working effectively, is to make sure the brushes are lower than the bit, so that the brush forms a seal when cutting that prevents chips and dust from escaping.

...and I could use some help seeing how to man-handle 4" dryer hose from the "oh-so-delicate, hanging-in-space" Z-axis to the collector on a (tallish) gantry machine.

1) Dryer hose won't last long at all.
2) Delicate shouldn't be used to describe your Z axis. Beef it up.

Has anyone mounted rigid 4" PVC to the ceiling and put an elbow TDC above the table and "spidered" with flexible duct from there?

That's usually how we do it with large commercial machines, just do to the long hose lengths required.

My next machine will be set up like this as well, mainly to minimize the length of flexible hose, and get it out of the way.

[Mountaincraft]

Do most of you with a fixed height shoe (like mine) size the hole where the router bit plunges to be as small as possible? or do you try and open it up a bit so that router fan air can be drawn in?

I guess what I'm asking is should I be trying to create a tight seal on the work surface, and drawing air in through the top of the shoe, or should I be trying to limit the air that comes in through the top, and allow a slight gap so that air can be drawn in through under the skirt?

Also, one of the problems I have is when some dust does escape out from the sides of the skirt (especially when cutting large pockets), the router fan blows it all over the place... Has anyone tried to create a shield to control the router fan air from blowing dust all over the place?

[PaulRowntree]

I see no advantage to letting the router cooling air hit the table, move the dust/chips, and then be pulled up into the vacuum, so I size the tool hole to the size of the collet nut. I would rather have the vac air come in past the briush (skirt in my case) so it is already moving the dust/chips in towards the centre of the shoe and the vacuum port. I am adding teflon deflectors to redirect the router air exactly as you suggested, with the rear deflector on the lower show piece and the side defectors on the fixed piece..

Air-tight would be a tough task unless your material thickness and cut depth are essentially constant (ie always cutting thin stock).

[cnczane]

[My wonder at the asymmetry of the boots. (beet?)]

Yeah.. makes it easy huh?

Oh! I get it. You mean like my first CNC design where I went with "positive-X-axis only" to make it easy to build... :^)

[My question about doing without a brush on the boot at all.]

...thick "roostertails" of dust shoot 5 ft from the bit.

I was finally able to picture it. And promptly passed out.

.
1) Dryer hose won't last long at all.
2) Delicate shouldn't be used to describe your Z axis. Beef it up.

I meant that Z is "delicate-er" than X and Y because it's not sitting on the ground.
Eager to see pictures of you standing on your Z-axis to reach a light bulb. :^)
[Backup smiley face: :^) just in case]

That's usually how we do it with large commercial machines, just do to the long hose lengths required.

My next machine will be set up like this as well, mainly to minimize the length of flexible hose, and get it out of the way.

I might give this a try, taking rigid pipe from an "ell" going from one side up and over the gantry to an ell above, and flex from there. The top ell could get extra support from a hook in the ceiling when mama wanted to use the living room for visitors. :^D

[LeeWay]

Your dust collector with thank you for that. Pipe is much better at flowing air than flex hose. Less resistance. That equals better suction.
Mine is hard piped right over the machine and then goes into flex to the machine.

[Mountaincraft]

I see no advantage to letting the router cooling air hit the table, move the dust/chips, and then be pulled up into the vacuum, so I size the tool hole to the size of the collet nut. I would rather have the vac air come in past the briush (skirt in my case) so it is already moving the dust/chips in towards the centre of the shoe and the vacuum port. I am adding teflon deflectors to redirect the router air exactly as you suggested, with the rear deflector on the lower show piece and the side defectors on the fixed piece..

Air-tight would be a tough task unless your material thickness and cut depth are essentially constant (ie always cutting thin stock).

While not 'air-tight' I use a gasket as a skirt.. (see picture below)..

My concern is if I lift it off of the material slightly to allow air to be drawn in, which would naturally draw materials toward the vacuum chamber, would that 'drawing in' of air be enough to overcome the velocity of flying chips that might be heading for that gap..

if that's the case, would it be better to try and allow air to come in through the router bit opening and keep a tighter seal on the material so that there is less gap for chips to fly out of...

Either way, there needs to be enough opening for 'make up' air to enter or else the vacuum will be ineffective..

OTOH, I have noticed that the air blowing down from the router is not uniform around the boot, and there are areas around the boot where sawdust is drawn back into and under the boot from 2 or 3 inches away.. Which leads me to think that the ideal solution is as you said.. Allow air to be drawn in from under/around the skirt, and redirect the router air away from the work..

But how to do that?

[PaulRowntree]

It really depends on how much Z motion you use in your cuts.

Most of the air flow from my router seems to be around the periphery of the exhaust, so a hole large enough for the router shaft+nut does not let much air pass down into the cutting area. The top surface of my detachable shoe serves to deflect the router away (mostly to the back, and soon slightly upwards).

Fell free to PM if you need more details.

[cnczane]

Disclaimer: I only made it; I haven't used it.

Reading all these inspired me to do something about dust collection (on a machine that hasn't even broken its first bit yet!).

Of what I imbibed, I value most:
-- transparency (show me my bit)
-- light weight (don't bend my Z)

"Effectiveness?" (I dunno...)
"Elegance?" (Sounds expensive.)

However, here's what I conjured from an old, er, beverage container. (Of Mother's...) For what it's worth.

I had to buy a 2-1/2" angled square-to-round (from Woodcraft walk-in store).

(It occurs to me where people worry about their vacuum sucking their bristles into the stream, I have to worry about my entire shoe being sucked inside-out.)

Yes, that IS a clothes-hanger tripod to support the hose. And yes more clothes-hanger to support the front (away) end, and Romex for the near. And yes!, I did nip the edges of the sq-to-rd with a bandsaw until only two small tabs remained. (My! we're observant.) (I didn't use the half-round btw which I thought I might.) Tip for copy-cattists: use a hacksaw to "thin" the bottom plastic of the bottle, but then use diagonal cutters/dykes/nippers to finish cutting through: THICK. My boot's a little shallower than I'd like because of where the "handle" was formed into the original bottle. (Mother's already working on another of a deeper shape now...)

Don't have any brush for it yet. Hope to get clear vinyl and affix with Magicnetism.

Oh yes: "I apologize to serious practitioners for trying this." :^)

[Mountaincraft]

Mother's um stuff came in a plastic bottle?

LOL.. I take it that was a 'generic' brand?

I approve of that post.....

[Mountaincraft]

What I ended up with... Will probably add a brush to the entire outside perimeter at some point as a secondary barrier...