as surely it happened to everyone. Noise and dust began to be a problem. I’m thinking of a solution that could mitigate both problems without adding more things to the cnc. And on without adding more watts.
I am using a makita 3709. I think that the airflow that this tool has is similar to most small vacuum cleaners. The noise generated is mostly due to this air flow and the turbine. I am thinking if it can work to run the air inlet of the router as a vacuum cleaner, placing in the middle a cyclone collector so that the dust does not reach the router. And in this way silence the router a bit and delimit the dust. Of course there must be a dust collector too.
I should create a piece that fits the top of the router, that has some barriers that do not limit the air flow too much, that is, that they work as a silencer. This part must have a hose connector. The hose that comes out of this air intake must go to a cyclone collector. and from the cyclonic connector another hose to the collector foot. The collector foot, must move the air of the turbine of the router to some side, not down.
My biggest concerns would be reduced airflow through the router which could cause it to overheat, and that the collector will still pass some material without a filter and that would in turn be sucked into the router internals. If you put a filter on the collector, then there may be even more reduced airflow to the router (see problem #1).
Also, attaching another hose to the router would create more opportunity for misaligninment of the Z axis because of the added torque.
Cyclones do reduce the airflow, by quite a bit. I’m not sure it will matter, because I am sure they are over engineered, and if you were keeping it cleaner than in a router table, it’s probably going to be much more efficient.
I think it’s a fun idea. I’m not sure I exactly understand it, but you’re making a sort of air tight seal to the top of the router, which will pull air in, through a cyclone, through a vac hose, with the end connected to collect the dust at the bit? Hopefully most of the dust will be separated out, and you’re hoping this will reduce the noise, and avoid the need for a vac.
I agree with Mike’s concerns. But they are not problems for sure, just possible trouble areas. I think you have to get the air moving pretty fast for the cyclones to work, and if it doesn’t work, then you will be choking the router.
Sounds really good. Please try this, and post plenty of pics and notes so we can all watch.
Stuff also still gets past the cyclone, usually not big stuff, but it still does. Running dust through the motor housing won’t be good for it, but hey, if it works, cool!
Using the router normally, without a vacumm, even outside a cnc in a closed room too many dust come back inside the router. I think this tool was designed to support that. But, with the cyclonic collector I think most of dust will still into the collector. I will try it soon.
Something else I thought of is airflow (CFM). The purpose of the fan in the router is primarily cooling of the motor. Before you get too far into it, you should duct tape a hose onto the intake side of the router and hook that to the collector and see if you can actually pick anything up using it as a vacuum.
