Thread: Home built router with feed

I am used to running a 2400x1200 autotool changing commercial CNC in the kitchen game. Our machine had 2 x 10HP blowers for table vacuum, and another for dust extraction. It was fairly effective at collecting cuttings etc, but never had to cope with a chipload like that, and an open ended cut. Most of our cuts were well confined, typically 9.5mm wide max 16mm deep throughcut, or multiple cuts for thicker materials.

We used a co ax shoe for all cutters, built in, never changed. Cavity was about 25mm high 150mm wide, 200mm long.
The shoe had holes about 65mm dia top and bottom that the spindle and mounted bit fitted through near one end , and a 100mm openening and tube near the other end to accept the vacuum line. The entire shoe assembly mounted to the spindle with a pair of ground steel bars. An air ram worked on one bar to fully draw the shoe up for bit changes, and release it for cutting, and an adjustable stop ring operated from the other to set the shoe to float about 0.5 -1mm above the sheet surface.

In use, the vast majority of wast was ejected from the bit into the chamber of the shoe, and air was drawn through the upper and lower bit openings, swirling in the shoe cavity to collect the waste, then drawn out of the shoe into the vacuum line.

In this configuration, the unit collected about 95% of particle board waste, and 85% of MDF waste during normal cutting/drilling operations and around 95% in spoilboard skimming (50mm wide by 0.5mm deep). I think something similar with a short bristled brush, floating around 4-5 mm above the job would help your collection. The brush would be needed because of the unprotected area in the finished cut.

Thanks for your reply and the drawing malb,
Looking at that co ax shoe and from the dimensions you provided it is obvious that I need to open mine up to allow a much greater air flow, and add some sort of brushes around the outer edge.
No doubt the el cheepo dust extractor is not up to task either.
I didn't know whether the chip load was high, low or in some way.......normal ?
You say "but never had to cope with a chipload like that," That makes me think that I will somehow have to make a larger diameter extraction nozzle and get a bigger dust extractor, aaand try to squeeze it in there somehow ?
I'll try the air and brushes first and maybe slow the feed rate, if no joy there then back to the drawing board.

john