Router Dust Collection

[Tom Hamilton]

Ugly! Cutting dados with hand held router in MDF; hooked shop vac hose to the edge guide rods but still had MDF dust everywhere.

What is the technique to collect the dust at the source when the panel won't fit on a router table?

Suggestions welcome. Thanks, Tom Hamilton

[David Rose]

Tom, I'm afraid about the only thing that will help much is a good respirator. At least it will protect you. My Dewalt gets maybe half of the MDF dust off a panel. And that is with a hard pulling vac too.

David

Ugly! Cutting dados with hand held router in MDF; hooked shop vac hose to the edge guide rods but still had MDF dust everywhere.

What is the technique to collect the dust at the source when the panel won't fit on a router table?

Suggestions welcome. Thanks, Tom Hamilton

[Byron Trantham]

Tom, I'm afraid about the only thing that will help much is a good respirator.David

David is absolutely right - wear a respirator! [Good] dust collection with a hand held router is almost impossible.

[Jim Becker]

For edge work, the Leigh dust hood works very well and is adaptable to most routers. It puts the collection right where the "splash" comes off the cutter. Unfortunately, you're at the mercy of your router's DC capablity for dados across the board and your choice of router will make a difference...some do better than others in this respect. The DW621, for example, reportedly has very good dust pickup compared to most routers. (The DW618 plunge base should have similar characteristics) Unfortunately, most routers were not made with dust collection in mind.

[Gene Collison]

Ugly! Cutting dados with hand held router in MDF; hooked shop vac hose to the edge guide rods but still had MDF dust everywhere.

What is the technique to collect the dust at the source when the panel won't fit on a router table?

Suggestions welcome. Thanks, Tom Hamilton

I have found that if you start a dado 1" in from the edge, DC is much more effective. You of course have to use a plunge router with built in DC such as a Dewalt 621 or 618. The Festool also works well using this proceedure. The mechanics of it are that the if you keep the cut closed at the edge, more dust ends up in the vac vs. shooting out the open dado. You can do that first inch after the main cut is finished. Try it!!

Gene

[Tom Hamilton]

Thanks to all for the info. I'll try the technique suggested and suggest to Santa a new router!