Thread: Collecting and extractinng surfboard foam dust

Originally Posted by johknee

Thank you to those who have contributed ideas so far. I appreciate it!

I'll try and address some of the questions from above.

This is a one-man operation, so time and money are limited. I'm motivated to find a solution purely because I'm convinced, thanks to this very forum, the dust collection and extraction could be improved. Well, something has to be better than nothing! Also, he's a mate, so I'd like to help make his work easier/safer/healthier.

The major problem before anyone gets any more excited than what they already with stuff that does not need addressing yet is that taming the beast so to speak will not be cheap and by the sounds of it that is the first hurdle. I applaud your efforts to help a mate so let's see where it goes.

johknee in the first picture there is a framework with polished steel bars. Is it part of a CNC or manual board shaping machine using a router/motor driven cutter?

Pete

I didn't realize there was a second page to their thread and that jonknee has already answered my question. Bob you can delete this post as it adds nothing to the thread.

Greg, don't worry about calling me an engineer, I'm not insulted by it.
I've been called a lot worse and done way worse jobs, like cleaning septic tanks.
FWIW I have 3 BILS/Brothers that are engineers and 2 are scientists and when we get together we occasionally have engineers versus scientist arguments. One of teh engineers has recently become more of a scientists so this has tipped the balance otherwise its all good fun.

Originally Posted by QC Inspector

johknee in the first picture there is a framework with polished steel bars. Is it part of a CNC or manual board shaping machine using a router/motor driven cutter?

Pete

Hi Pete,

Yes, that's the framework for the CNC. It's one of these machines AkuShaper CNC Machines — AkuShaper

Originally Posted by johknee

... AkuShaper CNC Machines — AkuShaper

I didn't imagine that big cutter. So clever and obvious, the offsets between tool paths can be relatively huge. Is all the CNC for the top and rails done in one go or is there a fine cut? Is the bottom cut first then you flip it over?

There should be some good ideas come up for the DC. My immediate thoughts may be the obvious beginning points... The machine could be in a small enclosed space. Is there an intake hood that could allow the cutter its contact range...When the CNC stops the flow could switch to purging the floor and maybe the suspended particles.

Cheers.

Thanks for the video. I thought at first the cutter was a wire wheel but now wonder if it is a skeletonized saw blade.

It will be a horrible thing to collect the dust from. How about a double sloped floor with a grate over to walk on? At the bottom of the sloped floor an auger dragging the waste to another auger to lift and dump it in a bag or bin.

Pete

Originally Posted by GreggMacPherson

I didn't imagine that big cutter. So clever and obvious, the offsets between tool paths can be relatively huge.

Spot on!

Originally Posted by GreggMacPherson

Is all the CNC for the top and rails done in one go or is there a fine cut? Is the bottom cut first then you flip it over?

Typically cut the deck/top first, all the way around the rails with the top edge of the circular blade. Then, flip the board over to cut the bottom. The boards needs to be finish-sanded with a sanding pad because the machine leaves narrow, shallow channels running the length of the board, like this...
Screen Shot 2022-06-25 at 3.38.46 pm.png

Originally Posted by GreggMacPherson

There should be some good ideas come up for the DC. My immediate thoughts may be the obvious beginning points... The machine could be in a small enclosed space. Is there an intake hood that could allow the cutter its contact range...When the CNC stops the flow could switch to purging the floor and maybe the suspended particles.

It's a tough one. I'm not sure there is a solution to collect the dust at the source. I'll try and record a video of the machine in action to show why I call it the snow thrower!

Originally Posted by QC Inspector

Thanks for the video. I thought at first the cutter was a wire wheel but now wonder if it is a skeletonized saw blade.

It will be a horrible thing to collect the dust from. How about a double sloped floor with a grate over to walk on? At the bottom of the sloped floor an auger dragging the waste to another auger to lift and dump it in a bag or bin.

Pete

Yes, I agree, collecting dust at the blade will be difficult, but the double sloped floor sounds like a good idea. We could construct a floor in the CNC bay. The auger idea is great too, but probably out of our budget. Here is the type of blade the machine uses Surfboard CNC Machine Cutting Wheel 8" – Structured Coat - Shapers Manufacturers Co


Thanks again!

Lets keep The discussion on topic without the name calling.

If anyone receives Private Messages that they don’t like, please use the report button.

DJ

ADMIN

My initial thought was a gridded floor and the foam in that could be collected by a dust collection/vacuum of some sort with something like a 100mm hose without disturbing the dust too much and sending it into the air at longer intervals. Avoiding walking around in the foam will lower the dust floating around in the air.

I was thinking along the lines of the augers used in agriculture along these lines. Using A Sweep Auger To Empty Out A Grain Bin - YouTube

Pete

Originally Posted by johknee

...It's one of these machines ,,,Akushaper

I didn't twig at first that the video was a promo, not showing your workshop. We don't know what your CNC enclosure/room looks like The dust problems for your CNC bay and finish sanding bay will be distinct, different. Are those bays already sealed and separate? Useful to know what those existing enclosures or partial enclosures are/look like.

In the promo video the CNC process is enclosed at one end, open at the other for access. In one of Akushapes pics the "open" end is enclosed with enough space for access. If half the rail length can be in a tunnel, with the cutter at the doorway, the tunnel might work as an intake device. I still think that DC intake at source is worth trying to solve, and at floor level. I keep wondering, if the cutter stops, all the available flow could be used for tunnel and or floor. maybe a purge can happen quickly, which would suit the tempo of the workflow.

Johknee, a scale drawing or dimensioned sketch, and photos of your CNC enclosure/ bay might help.

What's the derivation of Johknee...are you a George Greenough fan?

I need to have a chat with my mate to see what he would like to do. Thanks for the help everyone!


@ Gregg - Nope, not a nod to Greenough. My username is a pseudonym.