# Quick and easy drill press dust/chip collection...



## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

This is the latest upgrade in my attempt to capture all the dust and chips I can at the source since I machine a lot of MDF these days. The mounting arm is made from an old clip on flexible lamp and I made the bracket from some UHMW plastic I had. This setup is very easy to reposition for different size bits/table heights etc and the 4" hose works much better than the 2 1/2" hose I had (you have to be careful when drilling smaller pieces as it will suck them right in if you let go!). Next up will be an over/under router table dust collection setup I came with that should perform pretty well based on the prototype testing.


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## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

nicely done. how was the UMHW mounted to the drill press?


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Thanks. The drill press already had 2 threaded holes in the side that were originally intended for a work light so I just counter bored holes in the UHMW to match and attached it using socket head cap screws (I tapped 1/4" 20 threads directly into the UHMW for the threaded knobs).


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 16, 2013)

Nice plan, nice execution!


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## Oakwerks (Mar 24, 2013)

Marv said:


> This is the latest upgrade in my attempt to capture all the dust and chips I can at the source since I machine a lot of MDF these days. The mounting arm is made from an old clip on flexible lamp and I made the bracket from some UHMW plastic I had. This setup is very easy to reposition for different size bits/table heights etc and the 4" hose works much better than the 2 1/2" hose I had (you have to be careful when drilling smaller pieces as it will suck them right in if you let go!). Next up will be an over/under router table dust collection setup I came with that should perform pretty well based on the prototype testing.
> 
> http://s29.photobucket.com/user/MrMarv/media/Stuff/IMG_20130422_183032_zps7f88663e.jpg.html


Nicely done.... You could put a screen over the end to keep large pieces from being sucked in....
Where did you get the thumbscrews ??


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Thanks guys. I was drilling small pieces of scrap while testing and let one go however most of what I typically drill is too large to get sucked in so hopefully it won't be a problem! Also, Reid Supply Company has the best selection of knobs/handles and other hardware I have found plus they have great service.
http://www.reidsupply.com/products/knobs-handles-hand-wheels/


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Nice job Marv, looks good. I need to do something like that.


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## Dodis (Feb 25, 2013)

Marv said:


> Thanks guys. I was drilling small pieces of scrap while testing and let one go however most of what I typically drill is too large to get sucked in so hopefully it won't be a problem! Also, Reid Supply Company has the best selection of knobs/handles and other hardware I have found plus they have great service.
> http://www.reidsupply.com/products/knobs-handles-hand-wheels/


Marv,

Why not just put a piece of 1/2" hardware cloth over the opening, that will stop anything to big to fit through a 1/2" square opening. Should catch most everything...

Mike "Dodis"


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Seems to work perfect! Nice clean install, almost looks like it was a factory option!

You seem to have some other DC work going on the background of one of your pictures. I think I can also see a Delta bandsaw in the background. Care to elaborate a little? I will be moving in the not so distant future, and plan on fully piping my next garage. I also plan to upgrade all the DC at each tool to make it a little better, and my Delta 14" bandsaw is at the top of my list!


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Shop Dad said:


> Nice job Marv, looks good. I need to do something like that.


Thanks Shop Dad and it's worth the time IMO!



Dodis said:


> Marv,
> 
> Why not just put a piece of 1/2" hardware cloth over the opening, that will stop anything to big to fit through a 1/2" square opening. Should catch most everything...
> 
> Mike "Dodis"


I would do something like that Mike however I use Forstner bits quite often and I have a feeling those chips may not pass through.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

captainawesome said:


> Seems to work perfect! Nice clean install, almost looks like it was a factory option!
> 
> You seem to have some other DC work going on the background of one of your pictures. I think I can also see a Delta bandsaw in the background. Care to elaborate a little? I will be moving in the not so distant future, and plan on fully piping my next garage. I also plan to upgrade all the DC at each tool to make it a little better, and my Delta 14" bandsaw is at the top of my list!


Thanks captainawesome! Here's a couple of threads on some of my other dust collection and I'll post a few pics of the band saw setup in a minute.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/shop-built-table-saw-overarm-dust-collection-hood-45394/

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f32/oneida-super-dust-deputy-thein-baffle-jet-vortex-cone-etc-49310/


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

*band saw dust collection...*

The biggest benefit with this setup was cutting the 2 1/2" fitting so that it actually fits over the lower guide and partially wraps around the blade. Also, I "choked" the 4" port on the bandsaw by covering 1/2 of the opening in order to get more suction at the 2 1/2" port under the table.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Thanks a bunch Marv! You are like the DC whisperer! My delta came with nothing but a 1 1/2" port under the table that does absolutely nothing. I plan to drill the bottom wheel door and putting a 4" port there. Now I just need to find a 2 1/2" port bracket like yours. Where do you get all of your fittings?


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

captainawesome said:


> Thanks a bunch Marv! You are like the DC whisperer! My delta came with nothing but a 1 1/2" port under the table that does absolutely nothing. I plan to drill the bottom wheel door and putting a 4" port there. Now I just need to find a 2 1/2" port bracket like yours. Where do you get all of your fittings?


You're welcome captain! I get most of my fittings from Rockler http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=16967&site=ROCKLER and Woodcraft http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2000899/9634/212-router-fence-dust-extraction-fitting.aspx however I purchased the hose as well as other fittings from Busy Bee tools. Also, my pipe is just 4" sewer and drain from Home Depot however once I get all the machines and dust collector permanently situated I will be upgrading to 5" metal pipe.


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## retired2 (Mar 14, 2013)

captainawesome said:


> Thanks a bunch Marv! You are like the DC whisperer! My delta came with nothing but a 1 1/2" port under the table that does absolutely nothing. I plan to drill the bottom wheel door and putting a 4" port there. Now I just need to find a 2 1/2" port bracket like yours. Where do you get all of your fittings?


A 4" port in the lwer door is the wy to go. Here's the story of my bandsaw DC. Once I worked up the nerve to burn a 4" hole in the door, most of the problems were solved. There is another chapter to the story that is not covered in the link. In the end, I removed the nearly worthless 2" port in the throat area and closed the hole with a piece of sheet metal. The 4" port in the door does just fine without the second port.

http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?topic=537.0


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

retired2 said:


> A 4" port in the lwer door is the wy to go. Here's the story of my bandsaw DC. Once I worked up the nerve to burn a 4" hole in the door, most of the problems were solved. There is another chapter to the story that is not covered in the link. In the end, I removed the nearly worthless 2" port in the throat area and closed the hole with a piece of sheet metal. The 4" port in the door does just fine without the second port.
> 
> http://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?topic=537.0


 It appears the lower compartment on your bandsaw is pretty well sealed up however the Delta's have a large gap around the door so the 4" port in the door alone doesn't work well (based on my experience with one of my old Delta's) which is what led me to this design on this one. The main problem I had was most of the dust piled on top of the lower guide and spilled out the front and sides before it got close enough for the port in the door to suck it in. The way I installed the 2 1/2" port above puts the vacuum opening right under the table and collects the dust right off the blade before it has a chance to go anywhere. In any case I have tried mine with only the 2 1/2" port connected and then only the 4" factory port connected. Interestingly enough the 2 1/2" port collected nearly all of the dust by itself however the 4" by itself allowed a bunch of dust to spew out from under the table, collect on the top of the lower guide and to collect in the cavities as well on the lip inside the lower door!


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## retired2 (Mar 14, 2013)

Marv said:


> It appears the lower compartment on your bandsaw is pretty well sealed up however the Delta's have a large gap around the door so the 4" port in the door alone doesn't work well (based on my experience with one of my old Delta's) which is what led me to this design on this one. The main problem I had was most of the dust piled on top of the lower guide and spilled out the front and sides before it got close enough for the port in the door to suck it in. The way I installed the 2 1/2" port above puts the vacuum opening right under the table and collects the dust right off the blade before it has a chance to go anywhere. In any case I have tried mine with only the 2 1/2" port connected and then only the 4" factory port connected. Interestingly enough the 2 1/2" port collected nearly all of the dust by itself however the 4" by itself allowed a bunch of dust to spew out from under the table, collect on the top of the lower guide and to collect in the cavities as well on the lip inside the lower door!


You are correct, my bandsaw is pretty tight and I could probably improve the dust collection more by giving it some additional air to breathe.

I'm surprised you are so successful with the port in the throat area. I came to the conclusion that my 2" port missed a lot because the gullets in the blade pulled the dirt right through the dust port. When the dirt hit the rubber tires, it dropped out into the housing.

I guess every band saw is a little different and we can all learn from one another, but in the end we each have to experiment to find what works best for our machine.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

*latest upgrade...*

This works a lot better especially with the adjustable circle cutters...


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Ever think about using a magnet instead of drilling holes. I use some pretty strong magnets, I think they would have worked nicely

Where did you get the flexible goose-neck?


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Leo G said:


> Ever think about using a magnet instead of drilling holes. I use some pretty strong magnets, I think they would have worked nicely
> 
> Where did you get the flexible goose-neck?


I hadn't thought about magnets (the holes were already in the drill press) however I think they would have worked well and the flexible goose neck came from a broken clip on lamp I had laying around (I knew I saved it for some reason!)


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

*one last modification...*

I cut the hood to make it a bit less intrusive...


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

That is one good set-up. What sorts of dust & crud are you pulling away?
If I'm standing in front of that, the "pick-up" horn, the DP is rotating on its front edge from right to left.
If I was using a sanding drum to shape abalone shell for inlay in a wood carving, 
the drum will throw the shell dust to the left, across the face of the pick-up. 
I'm not sure that I could use it. The dust doesn't wrap around.
All I have is a 2qt plastic milk jug (bottom cut out) on the end of the ShopVac hose. But, it's immediately to my left so the wheel/drum throws the dust straight into the opening. The chunks which are sand-grain size are no problem, it's the smoke-like dust that I want to control.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Robson Valley said:


> That is one good set-up. What sorts of dust & crud are you pulling away?
> If I'm standing in front of that, the "pick-up" horn, the DP is rotating on its front edge from right to left.
> If I was using a sanding drum to shape abalone shell for inlay in a wood carving,
> the drum will throw the shell dust to the left, across the face of the pick-up.
> ...


Thanks! Most of my drilling is in MDF and multi ply plywood (Baltic Birch etc) using standard twist bits, countersinks, Forstner bits and circle cutters. They all produce different size chips as well as dust which this setup easily grabs (even the stuff that tries to "get away" gets sucked right back in) however I don't use sanding drums so I'm not sure how well it would work with those.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Marv! I can't thank you enough for posting the pictures of your bandsaw and your advice on the best location to catch the dust. 

I was cutting out some ZCI's for my tablesaw out of MDF the other night, and figured I'd test your theory of a 2 1/2" port right below the table. I had a piece of ply with the right connection glued into it, and just clamped it directly above the tiny stock port that was there. Virtually no dust escaped the vac! Now I just have to make up a more permanent mount and I'll be in business. Thanks again!


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

You're welcome and glad it worked out for you!


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## Adrenolin (Mar 12, 2012)

Have you done any metal drilling with this setup? I have an odd upcoming project where I'll be drilling out quite a bit of aluminum. This will require several holes drilled using various sized bits and finishing with a 3/8 endmill bit. For this project I'm going to construct an enclosure around the drill press to contain the aluminium however I was also wondering if I could use the dust extractor and/or if it would be worth using at all.

Thanks


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

I don't drill any metal with this setup so unfortunately I don't know what would work best for your situation.


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