CNC router efficient dust remover.

grabcad

Hi all,I recently completed my CNC router build and in this context late in the process decided to make a "dust collector" that uses my vacuum cleaner to remove what is cut free during the milling. This "dust collector" has proved to be indeed very efficient - I would say that it removes ~ 99% of the cutter shavings (hope that is the right word) - and so I reckon it might be of use to others. It is basically made from a 3D printed PLA structure and then additionally a bit of plastic hose, a couple of short steel rods, some "window isolation brushes", a couple of bolts and nuts, two very small pieces of 1.5mm thick iron/steel, a bit of epoxy, and a bit of surplus glass. Using glass instead of a plastic of some kind prevents the glass from getting scratched by the cutter shavings (unless, I suppose, one is milling stone or something like that). And it makes it possible to look at what is happening in the milling process - unlike many other dust collectors I've seen e.g. on ebay. FYI I have attached a couple of pictures showing what it looks like. The vacuum cleaner "tube inlet" cylinder can be slid up and down so as to adjust to different end mill etc. lengths. On top of the glass section I use different 3D printed "lids" with different size holes so as to fit different milling motor nuts (ER20 in my case) & - again - end mills etc. When in need of changing the currently used end mill, the two "wing nuts" on the vacuum cleaner tube inlet cylinder, and a couple of short M3 nuts, can be loosened and the whole dust collector structure is rotated away from the spindle so as to make room for replacing the end mill used. It works very well I would say. Please note that additional to what is shown in the 3D model a 20mm (inner diameter) flexible hose is needed, as well as two 3mm (15-25 cm length each) steel rods going from the top vacuum cleaner "inlet cylinder" to the part placed at the milling motor nut & end mill. This can be seen on the attached picture. If you can use the 3D files/the idea please feel welcome to do so. Cheers,Jesper