Kitty Litter Router Table Dust Collection

[Bill Huber]

I had similar doubts, but then the DC suction may actually provide some air cooling.

I think it's a great idea and may try to experiment with it, but rather than connecting the DC hose to the bottom I'd think connecting it to a side, closer to the table top would make the dust extraction more direct and efficient.

This is what I did when I made my router table, its been like this for almost 2 years and has done very well. The only changes that I have made was to add a small cyclone to the shop vac.

Bosch has a problem with the power switch that was the first thing I was out to fix but also I just can help but thing that any saw dust in the motor can not be good.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=65058


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[Edwood Ferrari]

Do you have any concerned about filling your router motor full of dust. You are confining all your dust to a small area around the motor and it will suck in all that dust. This I would think would let heat build in the motor.

Bill,

Valid concerns so I made up an air flow probe with a piece of string tied to a dowel to probe the air flow with the DC running. As I would have expected the high velocty air flow seems to be swept from the top down and around the top of the motor mount flange on the lift, then down the edges of the tub finally exiting out the dust port. I would guess very little dust will actually hit the motor. So in effect there is a curtin of air sweeping the dust past the motor and down out to the dust port.

In fact after routing a few of my sliding dovetails I did an inspection. I found that there was a small pile of dust on either side of the bottom dust port in the corners of the tub which tells me the dust is flowing down the sides then out the dust port. I the motor it's self was clean as a whistle much cleaner than just letting the dust fall down with no DC.

All my routes were clean as well. I even noticed a few long splinters coming off the boards that were neatly being sucked down as well with no issues. I am liking how this is working.

As far as heating up the motor if what I think is happening then it should be getting sufficient clean air to keep it cool.

Ed

[Ben Galluzzo]

It's amazing to me how many uses I find for those kitty litter tubs. This is on of the neatest uses.

[Ben Hatcher]

I loved this idea so much that I copied it last night. I don't have any kitty litter tubs, but I did have an old trash can that did the trick. I even used a bungee cord to hold it in place. I'm kicking myself for not having done this before.

Thanks for the idea!

[David G Baker]

Ben,
I have a lot of empty kitty litter buckets, how about sharing some more uses for them? I am not too intuitive but am good at stealing other folks ideas and putting them to use.

[Ben Galluzzo]

Ben,
I have a lot of empty kitty litter buckets, how about sharing some more uses for them? I am not too intuitive but am good at stealing other folks ideas and putting them to use.

Well let's see...
-I keep a couple of them filled with sand and salt and place them at a couple of points on my drive at my house in the winter
-I've used them lay a board or small sheet of plywood on 2, 3, or 4 tubs for a quick platform
-I keep stay dry in them for oil spills
-I've used them for keeping items off of the ground when painting
-(don't do this one), I've used them for step stools (again, don't do this one)
-I use them for quick tool and parts buckets for when I need to go out and help someone that's got car trouble or needs some help at their house
-I use them for gardening
-I use them for collecting dog poop in the yard
-As a planter
-drums....yes, the tonka tonka tonk noise of the war drums makes the dogs go crazy. or so I hear
-I use them to tote chains for the tractor

Years ago I made a really nice filter for a decorative pond out back. I used filter media, stone, egg crate ceiling tiles, and a rubbermaid container with a tight fitting lid. If I was to do it again, I could certainly use one of these kitty litter tubs. Although, the container I had used was translucent and I could see from the outside how much material it would collect over time.

I'll post more if I can rememember any other uses I've had for them.

Now for uses I've seen other people have for them are:
-platforms to rest their truck caps off the ground
-bicycle saddlebags (that's pretty interesting)
-food and bird seed storage
-kitchen compost temporary containter (keeps the smell down until the next unload)

[David G Baker]

Thanks Ben, I have already done a few of the things mentioned but I use them for gardening mostly but I now have a few more options.
I am thinking about my Craftsman table saw and trying to use one of the containers for sawdust collection and hooking my shop vac to similar to the OP's setup.

[David Hostetler]

Ben,
I have a lot of empty kitty litter buckets, how about sharing some more uses for them? I am not too intuitive but am good at stealing other folks ideas and putting them to use.

I have a few...

#1. Living in a humid environment, it is important to keep charcoal dry. I store the large bags of charcoal in kitty litter tubs to keep the moisture out.
#2. Car wash buckets. My wife keeps swiping my regular car wash buckets for other house work, so I went to kitty litter tubs. won't touch them...
#3. Storage for small cutoffs / small bowl blanks waiting to be made...
#4. Storage for small gardening tools, gloves etc. Also storage for gardening supplies.

[Pete Janke]

I had actually seen this done once before and wanted to swipe the idea but I couldn't figure out a good way to mount the bucket to the table. And I could never find the post where I saw it the first time to ask the guy. Have any pointers?

I'm certainly not the first, but did post this to SC awhile ago. I mounted a Hitachi M12V2 in a Woodpecker UniLift with an Xtreme Xtension in a home-made table on the right side of my 22124. It larger than, and in place of, the original wood extension table on the right side. I used a large plastic container from Target (the kitty litter container was a little too small) and mounted it beneath the router table with a small bracket on one side and a piece of piano hinge on the other. I used two sided camper shell insulated tape to seal the container to the table. The large hole on the front side of the saw allows for air and gives access to the speed dial on the Hitachi. The enclosure and router/lift are easily removable if necessary. No problems so far with dust in the motor. I also collect dust from the top at the fence.