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

[bill south]

Hey Guys;
This is a bad shot of my two piece dust shoe with laser for x-y zeroing. The top is lexan (I think) and the bottom is plywood. The bottom brush section (3") separates form the top for tool access. It's held together by 6 magnets embedded in the top and bottom and uses 2 each 1/4 inch dowels for alignment. It is serviced by a harbor freight dust collector and is on a XYZTech 1212 router. It's the best design I've built to date and I'll admit, not my idea. I saw a similar unit on this forum sometime in the past but just makes sense to use magnets for a quick change.
Hope this is helpful to someone.
Bill

[danhamm]

My DC is rather simple, it has a quick lock on the slides..works well, do a lot of 3D stuff.

[adam_m]

So how does it reference the laser cross hair for repositioning? I don't understand how it gets its feedback... cool setup.

Adam,

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the favorable comment.

Here is a link to the laser a friend of mine gave to me.

Focusable 650nm 5mW Red Laser Module 5V DC Cross for Industrial Lab | eBay

I purchased a multivoltage DC adapter at Radio Shack to power the laser.

My friend also wrote the macro and made the button on my 2010 Screen Set that automatically sets the datum position to the crosshair corner and resets the Mach 3 X and Y DRO's to Zero and moves the router to that new datum position.

Let me know if I can be of further help.

John

[bill south]

I use Ger21's 2010 screen set which is fantastic (thanks Gerry). The software has an laser button that allows an offset to the actual tool position. I turn the laser on (red button on the top) and move the router (laser dot) to the reference for the x - y zero and hit the laser button on the screen. The software zeros my dros to that offset. Kind of slick!
Hope my explanation is clear!
Bill

[adam_m]

Helicopter John's post seems to suggest self centering using a cross hair laser... manual repositioning makes sense since there's no feedback happening from the laser, etc.

Adam,

[the.sniper]

All,
here is my underway dust boot/shoe.
I intend on making 1 base mount and 3 shoes 1 each 3' 2" and a 1"
All from acrylic.

Link to Dust boot blog.
Polymath: Dust Boot Magnetic CnC Acrylic Cambam MechMate Updated** (Prototype #1)



-S

[FoxCNC1]

All,
here is my underway dust boot/shoe.
I intend on making 1 base mount and 3 shoes 1 each 3' 2" and a 1"
All from acrylic.

Link to Dust boot blog.
Polymath: Dust Boot Magnetic CnC Acrylic Cambam MechMate Updated** (Prototype #1)



-S

Nice design, are do you deal with have to mill both sides of the part (flipping them) that workflow is really holding me back at the moment.
nice design.

[FoxCNC1]

Okay this just a temporary setup...

MDF, scotch tape (lots of it) and zip-lock bags acting as brush. Works pretty decent for what is it.



Here the real part which I need to cut (top). Typical 2 part design with magnets.
I have a question: how is the brush attached?

[the.sniper]

Nice design, are do you deal with have to mill both sides of the part (flipping them) that workflow is really holding me back at the moment.
nice design.

Why is it holding you back?
pretty easy to do 2 sides or more. just need to register the part. if you notice the pins on my MDF board thats what they are their for. cut one side.... then flip part re run code the machine doesn't know you flipped the part. of course the g code will have the second side parts within.

I have a question: how is the brush attached?

I have yet to receive the brush of choice. So Im not sure I can answer that question just yet. I ordered brush material from 2 sources they were both kind enough to send me samples.
all big enough to complete at least 1 boot. But, I wasn't really happy with the material (at least for my application). So I set out looking for another supplier. Though I have yet to receive it. I have high hopes for whats coming. So much in fact I bought enough for 3 complete sets of boots 3 each 3" 2" 1" so 9 shoes in total. whan it gets here Ill make that decision. but If I had to guess?
Id say Ill make a groove like my 1st proto type and make the brush a press fit. but just befor hand some glue. perhaps some hot glue or similar I just dont know yet.
-S-

[FoxCNC1]

Why is it holding you back?
pretty easy to do 2 sides or more. just need to register the part. if you notice the pins on my MDF board thats what they are their for. cut one side.... then flip part re run code the machine doesn't know you flipped the part. of course the g code will have the second side parts within.


I have yet to receive the brush of choice. So Im not sure I can answer that question just yet. I ordered brush material from 2 sources they were both kind enough to send me samples.
all big enough to complete at least 1 boot. But, I wasn't really happy with the material (at least for my application). So I set out looking for another supplier. Though I have yet to receive it. I have high hopes for whats coming. So much in fact I bought enough for 3 complete sets of boots 3 each 3" 2" 1" so 9 shoes in total. whan it gets here Ill make that decision. but If I had to guess?
Id say Ill make a groove like my 1st proto type and make the brush a press fit. but just befor hand some glue. perhaps some hot glue or similar I just dont know yet.
-S-

thanks for your response !

[FoxCNC1]

Hey guys, last night I had some time so cut the bottom of my boot design in acrylics plexiglas.
The brush is from mccaster.com it is 3" long. I have yet to test how it works.
I used an amana tool 2 flute flat end for plastic.

I need to make a revision with a tighter slit for the brush. I am wondering what everyone uses to affix / glue their brushes?
I am currently using "superglue"

[the.sniper]

I intend on using hot glue. Hot glue and Duct tape are the 2 things I prob despise most....but for this/my application? Hot glue! its easy and allows for replacement of the material with minimal cleanup.
2¢.
-S
BTW: Nice job. What kind of cutter did you use and speed, feed and passes?

[HelicopterJohn]

Hi,

I haven't checked this thread in a long time and thought back on my design and how it has worked for me over the last several years. I did a lot of research at the time and checked out what I thought was the best features that others had implemented and incorporated them into my design along with my own ideas. Check out Post #74 and associated video.

When I cut the slots for the brushes I cut some sample widths on a piece of scrap Plexiglas to get the correct width slot for the brush material I chose. I made it a tight fit and didn't utilize any glue for the brushes. I pressed the brushes down into the slot with a straight blade screwdriver. So far I haven't had any issues with the brush material coming lose from the machined slot. I made 3 different bottom shoes each one with different length brushes. I made 1 1/2", 2" and 3" length brushes. I don't do a lot of 3D routing so I find that I use the 2" brush most of the time. The idea of making the brush 4" in diameter and having a plenum chamber from the 4" suction hose has worked quite well. Like I said in my original post by making the brush only 4" in diameter it allowed me to get closer to the edge of routed parts while losing the minimal amount of suction. Furthermore, holding the lower brush plate(s) in position with magnets has worked without any flaws making tool changes a breeze. Also, the cyclone chip collector and Harbor Freight Dust collector really put the icing on the cake.

Thanks again to everyone for sharing their ideas as it has helped me make a really nice dust collection system for my CNC router.

John

[FoxCNC1]

Hi,

I haven't checked this thread in a long time and thought back on my design and how it has worked for me over the last several years. I did a lot of research at the time and checked out what I thought was the best features that others had implemented and incorporated them into my design along with my own ideas. Check out Post #74 and associated video.

When I cut the slots for the brushes I cut some sample widths on a piece of scrap Plexiglas to get the correct width slot for the brush material I chose. I made it a tight fit and didn't utilize any glue for the brushes. I pressed the brushes down into the slot with a straight blade screwdriver. So far I haven't had any issues with the brush material coming lose from the machined slot. I made 3 different bottom shoes each one with different length brushes. I made 1 1/2", 2" and 3" length brushes. I don't do a lot of 3D routing so I find that I use the 2" brush most of the time. The idea of making the brush 4" in diameter and having a plenum chamber from the 4" suction hose has worked quite well. Like I said in my original post by making the brush only 4" in diameter it allowed me to get closer to the edge of routed parts while losing the minimal amount of suction. Furthermore, holding the lower brush plate(s) in position with magnets has worked without any flaws making tool changes a breeze. Also, the cyclone chip collector and Harbor Freight Dust collector really put the icing on the cake.

Thanks again to everyone for sharing their ideas as it has helped me make a really nice dust collection system for my CNC router.

John

Love all your gadgets !!
I have to say your ideas for the dust show are great. I like how you used the 1/4-20 screws as studs. I will have to borrow that idea sometime.

At first I was not understanding what you meant by the 4" dia meter of your pick up shoe, but I now see what you mean.

So how does the laser work and type is it?
I am guessing that you installed the laser at a known position from the point of the bit, let's say 1" X/Y and then when you hot the macro button, mach3 know to shift the x and Y 1" ect. (very much the way the Z touch off works).

Where are you grounding your touch off plates?, mine currently needs to be touching the bit and sometimes it doesn't work.

[FoxCNC1]

I intend on using hot glue. Hot glue and Duct tape are the 2 things I prob despise most....but for this/my application? Hot glue! its easy and allows for replacement of the material with minimal cleanup.
2¢.
-S
BTW: Nice job. What kind of cutter did you use and speed, feed and passes?

I used an AMANA TOOL Mirror finish O flute bit. #51411
Solid Carbide Spiral Plastic 'O' Flute -ToolsToday.com- Industrial Quality Solid Carbide Bits

54.0 IPM @ 20,000 rpm Conventional cut.

[HelicopterJohn]

Hi Profoxcg,

Yes, the 4" dust shoe works GREAT!. As I mentioned I made 3 of the brush plates. Then I made a top plate that had a 4" hole for the vacuum hose coming from the Cyclone Collector and a hole the slightly larger than the router base. Then I made some intermediate plates about 1/2" wide with 6/32 threaded rod holes drilled in several places around the plates. I made a couple extra plates in case I wanted a larger plenum chamber. Kind of like an erector set. I made an adjustable sliding vertical bracket from Plexiglas that allows the whole dust shoe assembly to slide up and down on the router base.

If you check out my post #76 you will find a link to the Laser I used and also purchased a multi-voltage power supply from Radio Shack to power it. Keep in mind that the laser is just a quick and dirty way to find the approximate X - Y corner as most of my stuff is cut with a little excess material on the outer edge. The laser has a movable lens and occasionally gets out of X - Y alignment. A quick twist of the lens easily corrects that. I could probably put some glue on it but haven't taken the time. I am currently utilizing Mach3 and Ger's 2010 Screen Set. My buddy modified my screen for me and also made the macro that moves the bit to the X - Y Zero location and resets the DRO's on Mach3 to Zero. One other thing that I did that makes setup a breeze was to write a program that drills holes on 4" centers in both the X and Y Axis, kind of like a peg board into the MDF table. Then I made some squaring blocks. I drilled a couple 1/4 inch holes in a scrap plywood that were offset from a squared edge in each piece. I place one on the Y Axis and one of the X axis about midway along the part and drop a couple of 1/4" bolts through the aligning holes and into the holes drilled into the MDF table. Then I slide the part in the corner. Then find the X - Y zero utilizing the laser and associated macro.

I setup the X -Y Zero macro by Zeroing the X - Y DRO's with a small bit in the chuck and made a pencil mark on the table where the laser mark was. Then I moved the small bit to the pencil mark and looked at the DRO's to get my offset numbers.

I grounded one wire to the router base and hooked the other wire to the brass offset Z plate. The router bit touches the brass offset Z plate. The ground and the touch off plate are wired to the break out board.

John

[FoxCNC1]

Thank for sharing that info.

Here i my design, as I call it v1.0

I also made some spacers that go on top of the top dust shoe plate. The idea is to make one out of 1/2" material and another of 1/4".
Here are the pictures. I am now waiting for the mini-cyclones to be back in stock to test it with MDF.

[HelicopterJohn]

Hi Profoxcg,

Looks like some nice machine work there. I think I spotted some magnets, I really like your inlet piece. Is it 4" pipe?

I looked at your top plate and wondered how you are holding the dust shoe to the router.

Hope you get to picking up dust real soon.

John

[FoxCNC1]

Hi Profoxcg,

Looks like some nice machine work there. I think I spotted some magnets, I really like your inlet piece. Is it 4" pipe?

I looked at your top plate and wondered how you are holding the dust shoe to the router.

Hope you get to picking up dust real soon.

John

Well the answer to your question is: it is press fit at the moment, but I will need to add a small clamp just in case.
The design was supposed to have an expansion or contraction slit see post #88 but I completely forgot to program it. (which is fine).
The will be another revision of this design. I need to make it slightly larger and add a magnet on the front somewhere.

Thank you for the compliments on the machining. it was really a learning experience working with that material. I had to run a rough pass, and then come back with a "finishing" pass at low feeds just to make sure it came out nice.

The hose port is 2 7/8". I do not have a 4" collector. I will be using a regular shop vac with a cyclone.

[HelicopterJohn]

Hi Profoxcg,

A press fit should work fine on the dust shoe if you have the height of the dust shoe figured correctly. No reason why the shop vacuum won't work properly.

I know what you mean by a learning experience. My whole CNC Router purchase, retrofit and machining has been a real learning experience. Ha Ha

FYI: Off topic a little but thought I would share. I do some engraving on LED Edge Lit Signs on Clear Plexiglas and Plexiglas Mirror (Back Side) on a DIY Vacuum Fixture Plate. One of my friends suggested that I use PLEDGE Furniture Polish on the surface to prevent build up of material on the router bit. I made a few signs last week and it seemed to work fine. Give it a try on some scrap material and see what you think.

John