[FoxCNC1]

hey guys,

I recently finished my router build, designed and cut a dust shoe, and have killed the filter of my shop vac cutting MDF as I do not have an cyclone.
I have been waiting for the CM06 Cyclone Mini (clearvue I think) to be in stock and in the meantime I have bought a "particulate" bag for my Rigid shop vac.

My question is the following, Can the rigid bag replace the cyclone?
Will a cyclone capture MDF dust, better, so negate the use of the bag?
would it be a good idea to use both the bag and cyclone to make sure not dust escapes from the vac's exhaust port?

I have been doing a lot of reading, waiting, and thinking on the subject, and really no having a dust collection solution is holding up my workflow and some projects.

Thank you

[FoxCNC1]

no thoughts?

[Spk64]

Check out this post it sounds like something you are looking at.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpost.php?p=974791

Steve

[FoxCNC1]

thanks.

[ludite53]

Not sure what size machine you're running, how much cutting you do, or how long the machine runs for, but shop vacs are probably not ideal dust collection systems, with or without cyclones. I think there is a difference in the amount of airflow between a shop vac and a dust collector that is significant. The cyclones are nice enough (I use them where I work, running two different 4x8 machines) but they just seem to postpone the inevitable, which is emptying a 55 gal drum of mdf dust and whatever else we milled.

I run a small 24x48 machine in my own shop and have one of Rikon's small dust collector attached, no cyclone, just the 4" hose. It works really nicely, and even when it's full, it is very easy to empty.

Buy Rikon Portable Dust Extractor at Woodcraft.com

Good Luck.

Attachment 221972

[FoxCNC1]

I don't run a production but I am sure I will be cutting and using the machine. I tried the shopvac w the bag from rigid last night and of course a dust shoe while cutting blue foam. It sucked up the dust pretty well.

So in your machine all the dust does into the bucket correct? and you are saying that shopvacs lack suction power in your opinion?

[inventor83]

I use a craftex 1hp dust collection system. 4 inch hosing to my dust shoe. It has a large 'filter' bag on top and a collection bag on the bottom. I cut mdf all day long with this setup. Would recommend.

[ludite53]

All the dust goes in the green bucket, there is a filter bag inside that you just kind of brush off a little when you empty it. I have been pretty happy with it thus far.

I Think shop vacs have plenty of suction power, and are probably fine for short runs with minimal material removal, but I don't think they're ideal for long runs. I am pretty sure you'll burn out the motor on your shop vac if you have it running for hours on end, whereas I think dust collectors are designed more towards that end.

[FoxCNC1]

One time will tell..
I ordered a Dust deputy, I should arrive by this weekend so I can test it and see how "well" it works.

I don't intend to run jobs for hours, (can you run a machine for hours is that realistic?) But regardless I think any motor is bound to die sometime. I project having my run the machine and vac 10-15 mins at a time. I will report back.

[RicknBeachcrest]

Here is a video of my set-up using the dust deputy. Works good.

http://youtu.be/hl7eHItq9Zw

[FoxCNC1]

I like my DD also. Good money spent.

[Art Mann]

One time will tell..
I ordered a Dust deputy, I should arrive by this weekend so I can test it and see how "well" it works.

I don't intend to run jobs for hours, (can you run a machine for hours is that realistic?) But regardless I think any motor is bound to die sometime. I project having my run the machine and vac 10-15 mins at a time. I will report back.

I am not sure what kind of jobs you are planning to run, but some of the work I do requires the machine to run continuously for hours at a time. I think my usage is fairly typical. A job that only takes 10-15 minutes to cut is pretty unusual for me.

[FoxCNC1]

I have to update my post to say that I am very happy with my dust deputy. I have not run a job for hours. I rather run them for 10 to 20 mins (when my machine is actually running).

But yes I am liking it, virtually no dust in my 'shop'

[rdlohr]

Here is mine:

[FoxCNC1]

nice and clean

[rdlohr]

nice and clean

Thanks. I had an older wooden version and I just made this one to solve a number of problems.
1) I always had to use a flashlight to zero the Z axis so I made this one from Lexan to let the light through
2) The shroud was screwed into the last one, hard to clean and hard to replace. This one uses velcro so I can rip them off even just to change a bit.
3) My vacuum inlet was very close to the bit so it pulled the cut material to one side and sometimes it melted and stuck to the bit (I cut lots of Lexan). This version shifts the vacuum inlet far from my bit.
4) The hole for the router head was smaller and didn't let the wind stream from the router through. That wind helps to clear the bit of Lexan shreds.
5) The original would shift a little on the mount and rub against the chuck. For this one, I made a flat spot on the mounting hole so it can not rotate.
6) Since I milled this one I can change it easily. My wooden one was hand made. I'm getting a cold gun system soon and I'll have to modify the dust collector to accommodate it.

[rdlohr]

All the dust goes in the green bucket, there is a filter bag inside that you just kind of brush off a little when you empty it. I have been pretty happy with it thus far.

I Think shop vacs have plenty of suction power, and are probably fine for short runs with minimal material removal, but I don't think they're ideal for long runs. I am pretty sure you'll burn out the motor on your shop vac if you have it running for hours on end, whereas I think dust collectors are designed more towards that end.

Surprisingly enough, I run with a small Sears 5HP $90 shop vac. I often run it for hours at a time and I have been using it for over six years. The only down sides are it is very loud and it heats the room after a few hours. In the summer my small basement shop will be in the 80s as a result.

Your vac looks perfect. I may pick one up.

[rdlohr]

I turns out the wind stream from the router was not making a significant difference. I was cutting through too much Lexan at once and it was heating my bit. I changed my run to multiple passes at a higher speed and solved that problem. Since my vaccuum worked better with the smaller hole, I took the opportunity to make an a new version of the Dust Collector that optimizes the vacuum by making the collector as small as I could while making the router hole also small. This is the result:



Rick

[rdlohr]

I must have a sickness. I did yet another dust collector. I wasn't happy that the previous version did not collect when the mill was cutting parts clear to the left, so I made a new one with internal air channels. The smaller shroud also seems to collect better everywhere as a side benefit. Hopefully I am done now and will quit building these.

Attachment 256976

Attachment 256978

[FoxCNC1]

I think I know what you did but its hard to see ( because the parts are clear)