Aerotech dust free

[Jim Carter]

Has any one tried the aerotech dust free routing ?
Any one have anhy thoughts on this tool
www.dustfreenesting.com

[Will Williamson]

Well if you decide to try one let us know how it works.

[Jim Carter]

I am looking for better ways to get rid of the dust, air born and heavier chips, and the dust/chips that packs in the kerf with a compresion bit.
Scratch out the kerfs and vacuum is good but is not quick and then I have to clean and empty the filters and then I have to blow off the table any way.
Blowing it off fills the air with dust and the heavier stuff I can sweep up of the floor a few times a day.
Its a little thing but the time adds up, just looking for a simple method to get rid of the dust/chips so lable stick and I maintain a good vacum seal.
What are you guys doing?

[Will Williamson]

Try a single flute up cut spiral or a slow helix up cut roughing spiral.
That is what I have been using they cut clean and the slightly serrated edge has never been a problem
I have been using the roughers on plywood, MDF and solid hardwood up to 4 inches thick. Active Machine Tool is the source but it looks like Vortec has them also
If that is not doing the job cleaning the dust I use DXF files to make an extra clean up pass and that cleans up most of dust and then I have a 3" by 25 foot hand held vacuum hose tied into the cnc machine dust collector
5 years cutting experience helps a lot A friend stopped in recently and the machine was running and he ask where was all the dust that he saw before? I said I don't know, I don't seam to have that problem any more

[Jim Carter]

Will:

Thats true problems of today will be gone ( one way or the other ) tomorow.
Using the up spiral would certainly take care of the dust problem and would be running cooler also.
I worried about parts moving and quality. but worth a try.

Are your parts ready for the edge bander, do you get good clean edges on both sides of melamine?
JIm

[Dave Burtchell]

Will,
What bits are you using to cut 4" thick hardwood?

Jim,
You might try blowing a stream of compressed air right on the bit. ENCO sells a unit with a magnetic base, a valve, and two flexible loc-line nozzles for about $25. The plate on our model 40 that holds the spindle motor is steel, so the magnet works there. you can cut a hole in the yellow dust shroud to pass the nozzles thru, and aim one on either side of the bit.
Not only helps clear the kerf, but cools the bit, too. You might even be able to tap into the compressed air supply at the top of the z axis. Ask Thermwood first.

Dave

Docket Legal pad; Eagle USA, HB, #2 pencil; Radio Shack C100 solar powered calculator.

[Jim Carter]

Dave
I have one I can take a closer look at, where it would mount, would it be in the way of some of the tooling.
JIm

[Jim Carter]

Can the stock dust hood be improved on? I have a 43 and have noticed a couple of things,
The specifications require a 6" vacuum pipe to be attached to the 4" lead pipe off the dust hood. Doesn't the difference in pipe sizes cause a reduction in velocity and capability of pulling debris through the flexible hose. And dosen't the reduction in size restrict the volume of air which would other avaioable through the 6 " pipe leading to the spindle.
I see on different models that the 6 " pipe conectect to a manifold which splits the 6" into (2) 4" pipes going to the dust hood.
The other thing is that the brushes do not touch the work surface with most of my tooling especially on dados or pockets. But longer brushes will get into the cutting area when cutting deeeper because the diamiter of the dust hood is less then twice the length of the tool.

Has any one tried to modify the stock dust hood ?
Jim

[Will Williamson]

3/4 dia. 4" LOC 3 flute rougher Active machine tool

[Will Williamson]

Those are 3 flute slow spiral roughers otherwise it is a finish cutter with teeth. Buy all sizes 1/8 " through 3/4" you will be surprised. It appears that they cut at a higher feed rate and with less uplifting and side pressure. If you need a better edge surface use the chip breaker style.
I,m sorry but I do not cut cabinet parts or apply edge banding to anything. So this information pertains to general,milling, shaping, mortising, pocketing, drilling
In mdf , Plywood, Solid Hardwoods I cut a lot of white Oak