Bud's dust collector and Ron's Rock Chuck

[Semper Fi]

I built Bud's dust collector from the plans in the store, but couldn't try it out until I replaced the QC with Ron's Rock Chuck. I finally got to use them together and WOW! No dust, very little vibration and noise. First time I ever carved and not had to blow out the dust during the carve....... in fact, there isn't enough dust in the machine after the carve to even bother with. Plus the flex shaft didn't even start to get warm. Two great products! I had been using a down draft table, but now it'll just be a stand with a hole in it. lol

[AskBud]

I built Bud's dust collector from the plans in the store, but couldn't try it out until I replaced the QC with Ron's Rock Chuck. I finally got to use them together and WOW! No dust, very little vibration and noise. First time I ever carved and not had to blow out the dust during the carve....... in fact, there isn't enough dust in the machine after the carve to even bother with. Plus the flex shaft didn't even start to get warm. Two great products! I had been using a down draft table, but now it'll just be a stand with a hole in it. lol

Thanks for the super review!
Remember that you could, now, reverse your DD system by connecting your muffler port to the old DD pipe. The air will come up through the bottom to give you added air-flow within the cutting area.
AskBud

[Digitalwoodshop]

Just so everyone is clear since there are pictures of the cut motor exhaust, he is not talking about blowing air into the cut motor exhaust but blowing air up through the bottom slit between the belts.

AL

[bjbethke]

Just so everyone is clear since there are pictures of the cut motor exhaust, he is not talking about blowing air into the cut motor exhaust but blowing air up through the bottom slit between the belts.

AL

Al - that could be a problem, blowing fine dust into the electronics section? Would be nice if that section was sealed from dust.

[Steven Alford]

I don't think he is talking about blowing it into the electronics section, just the DD slot on the bottom of the machine. If you have made your DD system correctly, you should have foam stripping around that slot to prevent any air or particles from getting to the electronics area.

[AskBud]

Everyone is correct.
The hose is connected to the Exhaust port, on the machine, and allows the air to flow into the old DownDraft pipe system.
That system should not include the vent slots for the electronics no matter how you design your vacuum system.
I have now included revised pictures to better show the concept.
AskBud

[bjbethke]

I don't think he is talking about blowing it into the electronics section, just the DD slot on the bottom of the machine. If you have made your DD system correctly, you should have foam stripping around that slot to prevent any air or particles from getting to the electronics area.
I think if you change your downdraft slot to an UPDRAFT - You will force lots of fine dust into the top of the CW unit. If the electronics section was sealed it may work.

[AskBud]

I think if you change your downdraft slot to an UPDRAFT - You will force lots of fine dust into the top of the CW unit. If the electronics section was sealed it may work.

You are correct.
It's not that you need to seal the electronics, but rather that you need to seal the draft port to the slot in your table. The vents for the electronics should get their air, completely, outside of the draft system no matter how you vent/vacuum.
AskBud

[PCW]

Bud,

You are correct in regards to the electronics. If the electronics vents where sealed without air circulation they would overheat and fail. The electronics depend on the airflow from the bottom vents to keep them cool.

You wouldn't think that the machines computer and power supply would get hot but they do.

Great idea to vent the exhaust into the DC and do away with the bag. By the way your updraft looks good to.:mrgreen:

[ddouglass]

I am not sure I want to modify my machine that way (cutting slot in clear plastic cover). Why not draw the sawdust down through the DC instead of picking it up from the top? It may not draw all of it out but should be enough to keep from having to blow it out during a carve.

[fwharris]

I am not sure I want to modify my machine that way (cutting slot in clear plastic cover). Why not draw the sawdust down through the DC instead of picking it up from the top? It may not draw all of it out but should be enough to keep from having to blow it out during a carve.

Yes having a down draft system is a big improvement for removing the dust during a carve. Problem is there is still plenty of dust left in the machine that the downdraft does not get. That dust will and does get into the roller bearing, switches, belts, gears, sensors and more places that most of are still trying to figure out how it could get there. What the top mount collector does is remove a great majority of that dust.

The modification to the door like Bud's or mine does not tamper with any of the built in safety switches and is fairly simple to do. I had second thoughts about cutting my door down when I made my first top mount collector. I actually made some shims for the door switches to keep from cutting the door. The cut down door does maybe change the look of the machine but keeping all that dust out is well worth it..

[Steven Alford]

From day one I had a downdraft system on my machine and thought it was the best way to go. There was less dust then not having a downdraft but I still had to blow dust out of the machine after every carve. It was in every nook and cranny you could think of. And EVERY problem I have had is because of the dust. Then FWHARRIS came out with his DC INSERT. What a difference!!! The dust is so minimal it is hardly worth mentioning. In all honesty, when I blow it out now (after every other carve) there is not enough dust to fill the cap on a tube of toothpaste. Yes, the bottom 1" of the cover door had to be cut off, but believe me, that is a small price to pay for the fact that I will now have fewer dust related problems.

In conjunction with the Rock Chuck, I now have very little vibration, less noise and better carves, and the DC Insert will now give me less breakdowns due to dust. I could not be happier. until the next breakdown!!!:roll: