Router / Dust shoe without vacuum or dust collector / Wind Deflector

Hi all,

I will be running a router for the time being instead of a spindle.

The wind blowing downstream is a serious problem; dust airborne and everywhere!

Would using a simple DIY deflector mounted in the bottom of the router help in this matter ? If "yes", how much of a difference would it make ? (I guess that the deflector need to have the minimum restriction because we don't want the router to overheat...)

What about using a dust shoe but without any dust collector attach ? Just a dust shoe to make the dust stay within the reach of the shoe.

Will this make a difference ?

Or maybe a combination of the two ? A deflector and a dust shoe combine ?

I don't mind vacuuming the table after a job (or even during...), but I don't want to vacuum all the shop after a job... (just the "table")

What are your thaughts on this matter ?

Thank you for your time!

AJ

Out of curiosity, why wouldn't you use a dust shoe and an extractor whether it's a router or a spindle?

A dust shoe with a router won't add anything to the heat generated, if anything the air displaced by the extractor will cool things down somewhat.

You need to clear the swarf otherwise your re-cutting and heating up the cutter.

cheers, Ian

Hi,

I'm sorry... I badly explained myself... I've mixe up two different questions...



Question #1

Using a standard router, the one that vent air down and that sends dust everywhere...

Would a simple DIY vent deflector (venting air on the side instead of downstream) help prevent dust flying eveywhere ?

I have seen a few treads about the subject, but nothing really convincing...



Question #2

Does using a dust shoe without a dust collector (or vacuum) help keeping the dust on the table ? (instead of flying everywhere)



Thanks!

AJ

The dust shoe with a vacuum will be your friend in several fronts.
The dust shoe without a vacuum will contain dust as well as the airflow trying to vent from your router. You will see heat problems and rougher cuts due to the build up.
If you decide to go that route, keep the dust skirt about 1" above the table and lay a 2x4 border around the perimeter of the table to stop the dust from clearing the table.

Best of luck, Phill Pittman
index

Hi Phill!

That is mostly what I thaught.

I'll try to design a simple dust shoe to use my little shopvac for the moment.

Thanks!

AJ

As has been commented, without dust extraction, the dust will billow everywhere, and if you use a shoe on it's own to try and contain the dust, you can really end up with a charred mess.

That's one of the many benefits of a spindle over a domestic wood router, if you get the water cooled version you have no additional fan making a racket, but also blowing the dust everywhere.

cheers, Ian

as Ian says a charred mess, this could also bring fire trust me a router on fire is not fun it's a extreme risk but it's there