DC suction almost clamps works to router table

[Ben Rafael]

I made an enclosure for my router table that connects to a 4" hose to my DC. It completely encloses the router.
The problem is that there is so much suction that it is difficult to move whatever I am routing across the table. On the positive side, there is no dust. If I close the gate partially and reduce the suction enough where I can move the piece then the dust starts showing up all over the place. Basically, enough suction for good DC makes it very difficult to move the workpiece.
I cant believe I am the only one whoever had this issue.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[Brad Wood]

I think you need some holes in the front door of your enclosure to allow some air in.

[Prashun Patel]

You're choking yr dc. If you put some relief holes in the router enclosure, you'll create a 'river' of air that sweeps the dust from your piece as well.

Throttling the blastgate just chokes the DC upstream which won't improve anything.

You gotta let 'er BREATHE!

To that end, you'll get the best results (if you're dc is large enough) by increasing the duct size from yr dc to yr cabinet and increasing the relief vents in your cabinet... Wider river.

[Cole Dunlay]

You stated that your enclosure completely encloses the router. Brad made a good point that you should put some holes in the enclosure to allow airflow. This will decrease the suction on the workpiece and allow it to move. In addition, it will allow some airflow to your router to keep it from overheating so it's really a good idea. Finally, if you simply put in one hole about 2 1/2" diameter and install a blast gate in that hole you can control how much airflow goes through the enclosure and that should help keep the dust under control as well.

Let us know what you do and how it works.

Thanks,
Cole

[Ben Rafael]

Cole,
That's a good idea for controlling the airflow. I'll try that.
Thanks.

[Ed Hazel]

You may want to look in your cabinet you may find that saw dust is collecting in the corners. I had to drill some holes in the corners so all the dust would get sucked out.

It seems counter intuitive but increasing the area to let air in will increase dust collection, well until you get to big of a hole anyways it is just try it and see.

[Tom Veatch]

Ben, as the other's have said, you need more airflow through the enclosure. Contrary to intuition, without a good flow of air through the enclosure, you can't get good purging of dust/chips from the enclosure. It's the airflow, not the pressure differential (suction) that sweeps up, entrains, and carries the dust/chips away. I sized the inlet port(s) to the enclosure to have about the same free area as the 6" diameter outlet port. I get plenty of flow through the opening around the bit to keep the table top clean, and rarely see any leftover dust inside the enclosure.

Until I opened up the inlet area, I was seeing the same thing you are - suction pulling the workpiece against the table hard enough to make it difficult to move - and also was seeing poor purging of dust/chips from the enclosure. Now, it works fine both on top of the table and inside the enclosure, plus the router motor has plenty of cooling air. Here's what it looks like:

[Jules Dominguez]

Tom said it - it's air flow - quantity and velocity - that moves dust or leaves or any other solid material. Not vacuum.