Dust Extraction for Router Table

[DIY WoodWerx]

I purchased a kreg router table and I'm looking for dust extraction.  Can I use my Festool CT Midi with adapters or am I better off getting one of the wall mounted dust extraction units from rocker or grizzly?

 

[rst]

Your Midi will be excellent.  I use an older Fein vac for mine.  I do use an Oneida cyclones (four) with all my cutting stations.  I've yet to change a vac bag and most of these have been in use at least five years, some for ten.

 

[DIY WoodWerx]

Your Midi will be excellent.  I use an older Fein vac for mine.  I do use an Oneida cyclones (four) with all my cutting stations.  I've yet to change a vac bag and most of these have been in use at least five years, some for ten.

Should I get a specific size hose?  I have the hose the Midi came with.

 

[Sparktrician]

Should I get a specific size hose?  I have the hose the Midi came with.

I'm thinking that a 36mm hose would be best, especially if you're doing significant material removal, as in raised panels and the like. 

 

[Stone Message]

Hi Willy

I have made, bought and borrowed a number of router table setups over the years. In my experience the best regime for dust extraction is to use a two hose approach - one at the back of the fence and one on the router dust port below the table.

I have tried dust cabinets under the table and feel that they endanger the router as it gets absolutely covered in fine dust. I have tried just the one hose at the fence and that is certainly not enough.

There are some operations, like long grooves, where the dust has almost no option but to fly out across the table away from the sucky places. Those are unique situations and only need a permanent solution if you are doing loads of them.

Peter

 

[DIY WoodWerx]

Hi Willy

I have made, bought and borrowed a number of router table setups over the years. In my experience the best regime for dust extraction is to use a two hose approach - one at the back of the fence and one on the router dust port below the table.

I have tried dust cabinets under the table and feel that they endanger the router as it gets absolutely covered in fine dust. I have tried just the one hose at the fence and that is certainly not enough.

There are some operations, like long grooves, where the dust has almost no option but to fly out across the table away from the sucky places. Those are unique situations and only need a permanent solution if you are doing loads of them.

Peter

Do you use a Festool Dust Extractor with your setup?  The guy who sold me the Kreg router setup also provided the Incra Cleansweep cabinet but its' not installed yet. 

If you use a Festool extractor, what adapters do you use for the connections?

 

[Stone Message]

Now I have the Festool CMS-OF unit. The dust extraction is really good which makes up for the fence. I have the (brilliant) CT26 which has served me well for 5 years now.

With my previous router tables I have used all sorts of extractors including an old Dyson drag along. My very best dust extraction setup is with the current CMS-OF and CT26.

Peter

 

[Sparktrician]

Hi Willy

I have made, bought and borrowed a number of router table setups over the years. In my experience the best regime for dust extraction is to use a two hose approach - one at the back of the fence and one on the router dust port below the table.

I have tried dust cabinets under the table and feel that they endanger the router as it gets absolutely covered in fine dust. I have tried just the one hose at the fence and that is certainly not enough.

There are some operations, like long grooves, where the dust has almost no option but to fly out across the table away from the sucky places. Those are unique situations and only need a permanent solution if you are doing loads of them.

Peter

Hey, Peter,
    I use a CT 22 with my CMS and two hoses connected to a "Y" fitting; a 27mm hose that connects directly to the router of choice, and a 36mm hose directly to the back of the fence.  It's pretty much a standard Festool setup.  In the future, I'll be converting to two 36mm hoses on a "Y" for better extraction. 

    I've purchased a Woodpeckers Micro-Adjuster and have found a suitably-sized auto radiator hose that has the appropriate bend in it to clear the adjuster (when I get off my nether regions and complete the assembly). 
(Edit: Finally found the message in which I have more detail and photos.) 

Willy

 

[mark60]

I built my router table using an Incra top and the Incra under table box and used a CT26 with a Y. I thought it did a good job until I bought a dust collector and saw what the dust collector did. The CT couldn't hold a candle to the dust collector. I always had piles of dust in the corners of the box with the CT but the dust collector sucked everything clean as new.

 

[DIY WoodWerx]

I built my router table using an Incra top and the Incra under table box and used a CT26 with a Y. I thought it did a good job until I bought a dust collector and saw what the dust collector did. The CT couldn't hold a candle to the dust collector. I always had piles of dust in the corners of the box with the CT but the dust collector sucked everything clean as new.

What adapters did you use to connect the incra under table box to the CT?

 

[retfr8flyr]

I have the Incra table, Mast-R-Lift II and Wonder Fence setup mounted in my table saw, along with their clean sweep system. I hook the clean sweep box up to my normal dust collector, Jet 100VX-CK, with a 4 inch from the bottom and run a 2 1/2 hose, from an adapter, up to the end of the fence. With the clean sweep throat plates on my router there is almost zero dust that isn't extracted. The only time I have any dust left on the table is when I am free handing something without the fence close up, then there will be a little dust sprayed onto the table but that's the only time. The DC on this setup really amazes me and is the best I have ever had with a router table.

 

[Stone Message]

I built my router table using an Incra top and the Incra under table box and used a CT26 with a Y. I thought it did a good job until I bought a dust collector and saw what the dust collector did. The CT couldn't hold a candle to the dust collector. I always had piles of dust in the corners of the box with the CT but the dust collector sucked everything clean as new.

Yes, it needs a HVLP approach for the box underneath. I tried that with a 4" collector but still did not like it.

Peter

 

[ear3]

I have the Kreg table, and I recently upgraded to a wall mount 4" hose dust collector -- I find the wall mount does a better job than either the Ridgid 6.5hp shop vac or the CT26 I previously used for DC with the table.  The Midi, which has less suction than the 26, will certainly work, just not as well as these more powerful options.

 

[grbmds]

I have the Incra table, Mast-R-Lift II and Wonder Fence setup mounted in my table saw, along with their clean sweep system. I hook the clean sweep box up to my normal dust collector, Jet 100VX-CK, with a 4 inch from the bottom and run a 2 1/2 hose, from an adapter, up to the end of the fence. With the clean sweep throat plates on my router there is almost zero dust that isn't extracted. The only time I have any dust left on the table is when I am free handing something without the fence close up, then there will be a little dust sprayed onto the table but that's the only time. The DC on this setup really amazes me and is the best I have ever had with a router table.

The only time the hook up to the Incra fence improves dust collection is when the bit is buried in the fence. Otherwise the only real collection occurs from down below. It's still great dust collection, but I don't always go through the trouble of hooking up the fence based collection because it doesn't really help that much; like with dovetails or box joints.

 

[mark60]

I built my router table using an Incra top and the Incra under table box and used a CT26 with a Y. I thought it did a good job until I bought a dust collector and saw what the dust collector did. The CT couldn't hold a candle to the dust collector. I always had piles of dust in the corners of the box with the CT but the dust collector sucked everything clean as new.

What adapters did you use to connect the incra under table box to the CT?

I had adapters from Rockler and I had pvc fittings along with a fernco fitting in that arrangement. With the 4" I'm using now I just have a Y with a 2" hose to the fence and the full 4" in the box.