to make my routing work environment more enjoyable i added a few different dust collection systems to my router table. as well as showing the fence that i made for it. first I’ll start off with the fence. it has a 2” opening that goes up high about 3 1/2” to allow for higher bits. so the fence is about 6 inches high for maximum support. and about 2 inches longer than the router table on both sides for maximum work piece support on both the infeed and outfeed sides. so here is a picture of the fence.
and then for dust collection in between the two back supports closest to the bits i added a piece of mdf. i haven’t hooked up an adapter so i can use my shop vac yet but i can tell that its going to work. the second and third pictures are what got trapped in that cavity. and after that cavity was filled it started blowing dust out of the cavity. this is while routing edge profiles so i would guess about 90% of the dust would be sucked up during edge routing operations just by this system.
then some dust of course will fall down and be under the router table and no one likes to get down there and vacuum so i made a box to encapsulate the router. it allows for full room to change the router and a hole for the bit. i have found that it doesn’t collect much maybe 5% of the dust but that 5% is what is ussually on the floor under the router table and i have to get down and vacuum it up. so here is the box.
so thats all my dust collection systems. next time i will update when i have the t-tracks with the fence attached and the dust collection completed. after that last i will add some sort of storage. maybe some drawers and some french cleats for storage of the fence, jigs, push sticks, and other things. so thanks for looking and have a good day!
10 comments so far
Karson
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12734 posts in 849 days
posted 66 days ago
Two points. the fence looks great.
I have put a replaceable MDF insert in the fence that I can cut to fit the router bit profile. that allows a little bit of a zero clearence concept. You have to cut out where the bolt is because the blade won’t cut the place. Also when you rails or lower the bit that has a profile is makes the insert a little bit bigger.
On the box below the router. Some router bits have a greater rake to the cutting edge. Panel cutting bits are of that type. They might put over 50 % of the wood chips below the table and 50 % through the back. So I agree it is needed.
Nice job.
By the way. Ian Kirby has a great article in the June 2007 Woodorkers Journal on making Torsion Boxes and some rules that he uses. You might try to get a copy of that magazine. I believe that they have electronic copies and cd’s of a whole years worth of magazines.
I’m a little behind in reading my subscriptions.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
lew
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945 posts in 204 days
posted 66 days ago
Nice fence, Denis!
Karson has some good advice about the clearance around the bits.
Lew
teenagewoodworker
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1947 posts in 217 days
posted 66 days ago
thanks for the advice karson. i might look into making a fence like that. thats what i like about making my own fence. its cheap and i can make multiple fences to fit my needs or change things as i find what i like and what works best.
Lee A. Jesberger
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2593 posts in 428 days
posted 66 days ago
Denis;
I am about to post a blog on a fence system we used in the shop for over twenty years. It has all the same adjustments as a shaper, as well as captures about 90% of the dust.
Using this fence we made hundreds of doors, as well as thousands of feet of molding.
Lee
-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com
teenagewoodworker
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1947 posts in 217 days
posted 66 days ago
sounds cool Lee! can’t wait. my fence is very basic. looking to upgrade sometime in the future and i can;t wait to see yours!
Karson
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12734 posts in 849 days
posted 66 days ago
I saw Lee’s at the picnic at his place last week. It’s a great design. I saw it move but not in action.
Looks like a great design.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
Beginningwoodworker
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365 posts in 122 days
posted 65 days ago
Thats a nice looking router table, Dennis.
-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker
VicH
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13 posts in 388 days
posted 65 days ago
Looks like you’re doing a great job Denis! I’ve got the Bench Dog router lift, but need to make a permanent table. I’ve been using a so-so fence and just a top for ever.
-- Vic in Pasco, Washington "It is what it is"-unknown author
Sac
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183 posts in 82 days
posted 64 days ago
Great pictures of your fence and dust collection. I’fe not even thought about a way to collect dust from the router yet. Thanks to you I noiw have an idea.
-- Jerry, Measure 10 times cut once. Set in the foothills of the Smokey's
Woodshopfreak
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329 posts in 191 days
posted 64 days ago
Great job. The router table is a lot nicer to use when there is good dust collection because then you don’t have to spend about ten minuets when your done sweeping and vacuuming up the mess!!
-- Tyler, Illinois