Any ideas for dust hood on DC-380 planer?

[Gordon Davis]

Finally finished base on the Planer and now looking to construct a dust hood/chute and was wondering if anyone made theirs. Would like some ideas,photos. Thanks

[Kent A Bathurst]

I have the std-issue OEM bolt-on version. Works perfectly.

You should be able to make one that works fine out of thin ply.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Mine has the OEM one. Somewhere (I think it was here) recently, there was a picture of a shop made (I hate the term home made) one where the exhaust was out the side.

[Lloyd McKinlay]

Do you have pictures of your existing configuration. I have an older 380 and made a quick and simple box out of 1/2" ply, put in a couple 1/4" baffles to direct the chips to the center and put a 4" hole in the top for chip collection. Not pretty but it works. I can get photos if you like.

[Peter Quinn]

I have the plastic version that delta used to sell for $35, abs, black plastic, complete POS. Well, not complete, it works but you have to baby it. I broke 2 beyond an damaged a 3rd before I got to reinforcing the flange that connects to the planer body and super glued on some fender washers to firm things up. A simple bobble with a piece of wood dropped on the hood......rigid plastic smashed. Its a wood shop not a yoga studio, no plastic for plastic chip hoods. I was told they used to make a cast iron version that sold very few copies due to cost, discontinued, I saw a 13" version once, real nice piece of casting. I always wished there was something in between uber built and uber garbage, a simple sheet metal hood. I imagine you could modify an HVAC register to work with a little tin knocking, you need a 5" outlet minimum or the thing plugs quick on anything over 8" IME. I found few images of a good metal fabrication in my searches but it seems the way to go.

[Gordon Davis]

Thats the problem the oem breaks so easy. I was looking at a 4'' drain T that measures 13 1/4" w x 4" h if I cut it in half lengthwise it might just work and its heavy duty.

[Peter Quinn]

I envisioned an hvac floor register that thurns in a wye, perhaps a heavier gauge than typical hvac fittings, might require a custom fab but a sheet metal shop might have the ability to make the basic shape easy enough. Have you checked Oneida?

[Michael Heffernan]

Here is my dust hood for my DC-380. It's the stock plastic hood with a 90 degree elbow. I hook it up to my Jet DC-1100 and it does a good job of getting most of the chips. I just got this planer and haven't used it much, so I can't attest to the durability of the hood. I am careful not to smack it though.
One thing I did find is that there were no screws to hold the top of the hood in place, even though there are cutouts on the plastic hood and holes in the steel shroud on the planer. I got it used, but there were no fasteners included. Doesn't show in the manual either.
So I got a couple of 10-24 thread knurl bolts, tapped the pre-existing holes and screwed them in with a couple of washers to hole the top of the hood in place. No flex and it holds fast.
I'd like to get a steel hood, preferrably one that exhausts to the side. I wonder if any of the other brand (Jet, Grizzly, etc.) hoods would fit this Delta. For now, this setup works for me.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I have the plastic version that delta used to sell for $35, abs, black plastic, complete POS. Well, not complete, it works but you have to baby it. I broke 2 beyond an damaged a 3rd ....

You sound snake bit. Mine is 14 years old. Zero problems. No complaints on collection capability. Of course, the way I am set up, it has only about 8' of 5" pipe from it to the 2hp impeller - half rigid and half flex.

It is also the only mobile machine in the shop. When I use it, I roll it out a few feet, power into overhead drop, flex with rigid end connect to the dust port.

It's really in the way where I use it, but I have no choice. So - it gets moved in and out a few times a day in a project of any size.

Maybe the age on mine means it was heavier gauge back in the day?

[Peter Quinn]

You sound snake bit. Mine is 14 years old. Zero problems. No complaints on collection capability. Of course, the way I am set up, it has only about 8' of 5" pipe from it to the 2hp impeller - half rigid and half flex.

It is also the only mobile machine in the shop. When I use it, I roll it out a few feet, power into overhead drop, flex with rigid end connect to the dust port.

It's really in the way where I use it, but I have no choice. So - it gets moved in and out a few times a day in a project of any size.

Maybe the age on mine means it was heavier gauge back in the day?

Mine is mobile, though I only move it a few feet to accommodate longer stock as needed. It's in a tight spot. There is a 5" flex hose, maybe 4', into an over head spiral duct, no pressure on the hood. When I reduced at the machine side to 4" it clogged all the time, with 5" pretty much never even full depth at full width. I broke two in as many months before adding re enforcement at the top bolts and around the flange of the third. Given the quality of the planer the hood is really a piece of garbage. All that ABS just hanging out in the breeze, I work with lots of 8' door stiles, occasional 14'-16' molding.... Occasionall bumps happen, doesn't take much to snap that thing off. Belongs on a bench top IMO. Take a look at the 15"and 20" iron planers of similar build today. All have stout sheet metal hoods as stock items. Breathing is no longer considered optional for wood workers! It's been 6-7 years on the present hood, so I must be more careful now, but for the cost of 3 pretty sure I could have bought a custom made sheet metal keeper made for life. I blame me for being stupid enough to buy 3.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Fair enough.

When you come to visit, you ain't using my planer - that''s all I can tell you.

Unless you bring a spare dust hood or 2.

[Peter Quinn]

Fair enough.

When you come to visit, you ain't using my planer - that''s all I can tell you.

Unless you bring a spare dust hood or 2.

Like most things delta...they are no longer available! Discontinued! Maybe there is a business opportunity here?

[Gordon Davis]

Here are some photos of new dust hood I had made.DC-380 005.jpgDC-380 006.jpgDC-380 007.jpgDC-380 008.jpgDC-380 009.jpgDC-380 010.jpg

[Kent A Bathurst]

Like most things delta...they are no longer available! Discontinued! Maybe there is a business opportunity here?

Yes there is - and my opinion is that Gordon has the market cornered.

Gordon - you should put out some ebay ad or whatever, put a ridiculous price on this, and when you get an order and the cash, have another made-to-order by whomever did yours.

You might sell 10 a year, but your gross profit should be astronomical.

[Peter Quinn]

Here are some photos of new dust hood I had made.DC-380 005.jpgDC-380 006.jpgDC-380 007.jpgDC-380 008.jpgDC-380 009.jpgDC-380 010.jpg

​I'm curious, what did this cost?