# dust collection for drill press



## jimmyjj (Nov 20, 2011)

I have built a dust collection box under my drill press table and was about to cut a hole in it for the port to attach to, when i thought i'd ask the experts here if they recommend a 4" or 2.5" for the under table tubing? Thoughts?


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

Are you hooking up to a DC or a shop vac? Doesn't seem to me a DP produces that much waste that you would need the DC and 4".


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## kizerpea (Dec 2, 2011)

yep i got one to..i use the shop vac…seams to work better.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

My DP is a floor model. Although very rarely I have been known to drop the table almost all the way to the base to drill out the end of something long. I'd be interested to see how you have attached a dust collection box under the table. Is it just an open box that hangs below the table? And how easy will it be to remove if you need to drill something longer?
Just curious


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## pmayer (Jan 3, 2010)

I would go 4" for sure if you have a dust collector that can take advantage of the 4" pipe. In my case, I have a 4" port at my drill press and I get roughly 600 CFM which is more than adequate for a drill press if the duct is positioned properly. Dropping to 2.5" will have a significant impact on your CFM performance, and I wouldn't do it unless there is a strong underlying reason to do so.


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## LeChuck (Jan 6, 2010)

What do you do about dust collection above the drill press? In my case, it seems to be where most of the chips are. How about going from a 4" and dividing it into a 2.5 for below and a 2.5 for above to attach somewhere close to the work?

That's what I'd like to do when I get around to connecting my drill press to the DC. Latest tool I connected is my Makita planer with the dust hood, and going to a 3" connection at the hood does drop the output quite a bit, so I'd try to keep the same opening as much as possible.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Here's a couple of shots of the one I built for my drill press about 12 years ago…I drilled a 2 1/2" hole, dropped down from a 4" to a 2 1/2".....The box has a divider to catch all the sawdust and chips, and a drawer for tools like spade bits, drills, clamps, etc…....One note: If you close off all the rest of the blast gates, it really does the job….It's all hooked up to a 1200 cfm d.c.


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## JesseTutt (Aug 15, 2012)

I have not gotten around to considering dust collection for the drill press. As I sit here I wonder about adding a series of holes on the top that would work like a down draft sanding table. Your thoughts?


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

Depends on what you do with the DP. If you use sanding sleeves and want a wide spread catch go with a four. 2 1/2 will suck as much stuff, but increase the velocity of the air as it sucks it in.


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Broom + dustpan = silent, free drill press dust collection and the bending and stretching exercise is a healthful bonus.

Kindly,

Lee


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

I'm with Lee. I find most of the stuff I do at the DP is non-through drilling, so dust collection from below won't be too helpful. I toyed with the idea of putting a router table style dust collection system on the fence, but the dust and chips seem to spit out of the top of the work anyway.

I keep my air hose handy, blow off the table, then sweep it up when I am done.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

That sweeping, blowing off the d.p, using a dustpan, and bending over is hell on a person with a bad back…I think I'll stick to my idea, and use the d.c. method…...Much easier, and I get enough stretching and bending as it is….You will, if you do anything in your shop…..!!!


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## sprucegum (Dec 6, 2012)

I really like your table and even if you are using it to drill with rather than sand it seems that it would be just as easy to sweep the shavings down the hole as it is to sweep them on the floor. I do a lot of Blum style pocket hinges on mine the shavings are a real pain. I have tried using my dust collector and shop vac nothing I have tried has worked well.


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

I use this from Lee Valley. 

Works like a charm, can be moved out of the way, clamped to a wooden surface or insert a rare earth magnet for it to lock to on a wooden table.

Also use one behind my blade on the bandsaw.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

@ sprucegum…..that's exactly what I do… I just lift up the piece I'm working on, and sweep the sawdust and shavings right into the hole….it sucks them right out into the d.c…...Very seldom, if any, do I use the d.p. to sand with….I keep a little brush (you can prolly see it in the pictures) to sweep those that get a little wild, but not a problem…...And thanks for the comment on the table…....

EDIT: It's a whole lot easier sweeping them down the hole, as opposed to sweeping them off the floor…


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I can't see using a DC on a DP unless you are using a drum sander. Even still, I would just use a shop vac to suck up the dust. Whatever falls to the floor is easy to pick up with the shop vac.


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