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OK, pulling my hair out here and there ain’t much left to pull. I bought the fixed dust extractor and it works great except when it comes in contact with a hold down clamp. I know lots of you folks have made your own and I know there are lots of topics on this. I’m looking for a dust boot that will glide over the clamps if I’m using them but still able to see the bit doing its work. I’ve looked in the projects section of Easel but I’m having trouble locating something I can put together.
Saw your post asking for shared file, so if you like you can use this dust boot template I made. Works great for me! (It’s on the bottom of the picture)
Thanks Jeff very nice. I was working on my touch plate today and realized another limitation on the fixed dust extractor - like not being able to use it with this dust extractor.
Two thumb screws and it’s up out of the way to use your touch plate. I also use cam hold downs so there is nothing the dust shoe can run into. The main thing I like about fixed height is it is always the right distance from the work piece. With the boots that move up and down with the spindle, with a deep cut it will either drag on the surface or be so high up that nothing gets sucked up. Just my thoughts anyway. I prefer the fixed height ones.
Does your dust boot affect the belts and motors that move the X & Y - meaning does is create drag?
You mentioned in another post that you don’t have any enclosure whatsoever. Does this really control dust that well?
I own and operate a makerspace for kids and the xCarve is in a machine room that I can close off, but I also have 3D printers and a laser cutter that I am operating in that same room. Should I be concerned about dust with those machines, or is this dustboot that good?
I have files for a dust boot I designed that works pretty well. It’s free if you want it - I provide the vectors as well as a fusion 360 file that you can modify to fit any dimensions (or improve upon).
Also, here is a quick breakdown of how it goes together and a demo of with/without the boot to get an idea of how well it works. All of the materials are listed on the above page
Hope that helps. I’d say the biggest piece of this was the brush strip from mcmaster-carr… prior to that i tried so many awful materials including weather stripping rubber and the brush strip is really the piece that makes it magical.
Anyways, files are free, in several formats (dxf/vector, iges, step, fusion) so at the very least is a starting point.
My dust boot is that good. I get no dust what so ever other than an occasional speck or two when the boot goes off the edge of the board. There is no drag what so ever as the skirting material is very flexible and mostly doesn’t even have to touch the surface. Strong vacuum (6.5hp) is the key.
There are lots of very good dust collection post from other members and many ways to go, but mine works, is simple and I’m happy with it.
This was actually my first design. Here is the link to the latest post.
