3D Elk cutting (video) #13 - Hagerman, New Mexico

[Gerald D]

It needs a very thick layer of sawdust to improve that picture.

[Greg J]

With the high volume cyclone DC sytem that I installed, I don't think you'll see any dust. In fact, I'm designing the DC foot that's around the router with an open front (makes changing bit easy). The crude foot currently installed has a huge open front and no dust excapes.

[ekdenton]

Greg,

good job on your MM and dust collector system, I don't have a foot on my collector yet but it seems to get it all with out the foot, but I haven't worked it too hard yet mostly small stuff. Let me know how your new foot works.

[Greg J]

Ed,

Working up the design tonight. McMaster order comes tomorrow (3/4 inch thick PVC, etc). I'll fab a DC Foot out of MDF first, then the final part this weekend.

[J.R. Hatcher]

Greg Home Depot or Lowes carries white plastic fascia board 3/4" X 7" I think, that's what mine is made of.

[Greg J]

Thanks J.R.,

Next time I'm at HD, I'll pick some up.

[Marc Shlaes]

The HD white plastic fascia board is made from expanded PVC. Sean, isn't that what Sintra is? Greg, you might be able to find a plastics supplier that will sell scrap (cutoff / drop) by the pound. Check it out.

[Greg J]

Originally Posted by Marc Shlaes

Greg, you might be able to find a plastics supplier that will sell scrap (cutoff / drop) by the pound. Check it out.

Marc,

You need to visit South East New Mexico (your welcome here any time. ) This is oil and gas country. The nearest plastics supplier is 3 to 4 hours driving time. McMaster Carr is my supplier of choice.

[Marc Shlaes]

I would love living there about 95% of the time. The other 5% for the reason you just mentioned. But 95% of heaven is pretty darn good! I might just drop by some time. Stranger things have happened. Right J.R.?

[ekdenton]

Originally Posted by Greg J

Marc,

You need to visit South East New Mexico (your welcome here any time. ) This is oil and gas country. The nearest plastics supplier is 3 to 4 hours driving time. McMaster Carr is my supplier of choice.

HAHA.... here in Alamogordo NM the local choice suppliers are Home depot, Lowes, Kmart and Wallmart and a few auto part stores, thats it.

Basically everything I used except for paint and nuts and bolts has been ordered online, and I couldn't find a gallon of good quality oil based blue paint here when I was ready to paint.(that is why I did the red paint). It's alot like living on an island.

[domino11]

ED,
Sounds like a good place to open up a good hardware store! Maybe a sideline for ya.

[Greg J]

Here's a pic of prototype (MDF) left and final version (PVC) on the right of my dust control foot. More pic's later when installed.

Prototype and Final.jpg

[Gerald D]

This is going to be interesting!

[sailfl]

Greg,

Gerald took the words out of my mouth. I will also be following this with interest.

[Greg J]

Works pretty good, but the skirting could be better.

With DC System operating,
Skirting Prototype 1.jpg

With DC System Off,
Skirting Prototype 2.jpg

[sailfl]

Greg,

I think a hair brush skirt will work better.

[smreish]

... I think somebody figured out how to Pocket a part!
Nice work, as always.

[Greg J]

Originally Posted by sailfl

Greg,

I think a hair brush skirt will work better.

Yea, I'm gonna play with an assortment of "things", and see what's best for my shop.

[Greg J]

Originally Posted by smreish

... I think somebody figured out how to Pocket a part!
Nice work, as always.

Yep, that VCarve Pro is nice to work with. Very user friendly.

Next is Cut3D. ... well, maybe after I make my wife something special.

[Gerald D]

Simplicty is a beautiful thing!

[J.R. Hatcher]

That's a good looking design job on the dust foot. Congrats are in order.

[Greg J]

Thanks J.R.,

That means allot, when a comment like that comes from you.

I read your posts, and you said that a thicker plastic skirt was better. I ordered the 0.040 inch thick Polyurethane, but with the high volume DC system, it's still not thick enough. The education is half the fun.

[J.R. Hatcher]

Greg I really got lucky when I went to see a friend about a vacuum pump. He owns a refrigeration company and has helped me out more than once. It wasn't looking to good this time, the pumps he had just wouldn't work for our application. He did however still save the day. Rolled up in a bucket was some of the vinyl/plastic strips used to kinda seal off the open door of a walk in freezer. It's about 1/8" thick, very flexible and must be antistatic (sawdust is not attracted to it). And, the price was right, anyway we had already tried a few other types of vinyl/plastic that didn't work so what did we have to loose. Well let me say this stuff is the ticket. We just made vertical cuts every 1/2" all the way up to the foot about 1 3/4" in the clear and screwed it on. It doesn't catch on anything, doesn't try to tear, and best of all it can handle almost all (98.37% more or less) of the chips and dust generated. The stuff has worked really good on my machine and I would highly recommend it. One last note, Lowes Building Supply stores uses it in their rear door and they drive their forklift through it carrying bundles of wood, so if it's tough for that it's tough enough for our use. If you can lay your hands on some give a try I think you will like it.

[Greg J]

Thanks J.R.,

1/8 inch thick ... would have taken me a long time to get there from 0.040 inch.

I'm going to try some thicker vinyl/plastic strips and some hair brush.

Stay tuned.

[Gerald D]

I've heard that some people cut up computer mouse pads for skirts.

[Kobus_Joubert]

Nice work Greg, will you share your G-code for that nice piece of work you did. I now need to get the dust under control on old BBB.

[Greg J]

Kobus,

Don't know how usefull my G code will be to you. I have a 6 inch DC system and a Milwaukee 5620 router. It's easier to design your own than to modify someone else's code.

Your (or anyone) are more than welcome to the G code if you really want it. I'll post it later this evening under the download thread.

[normand blais]

Hi Gerald and everyone I tried the mouse pad trick and find that too many wood sliver got caught in the sponge material I had to remove in the middle of a cut .Might work ok for mdf or hdu or plastic

[Greg J]

Here's are a couple of pic's showing a new skirt for the dust foot. Its works very good if cutting MDF. I haven't tried PVC yet, but I think it will have to be enclosed for that.

I have some 1/4 " vinyl to experiment with also. More pic's later.

brush dust foot and flags.jpg

brush dust foot and flags1.jpg

[Marc Shlaes]

You sir deserve the title "Craftsman". Congratulations.