Woodworker's Journal 2008-32-2, страница 73

Locate your portable power tool table or sanding bench close to where the intake side of an air filtration device is placed.

Upgrade: Downdraft Sanding Tables

If you do a LOT of sanding, especially on materials that produce toxic or irritating dusts (glued laminates, synthetic finishes, exotic woods, etc.), even the best AFD isn't going to keep your shop air very clean and healthy. A downdraft sanding table is a primary collection device that can do a surprisingly good job of capturing fine dusts before they become airborne. The

device is basically a large, flat box or cabinet with a perforated surface on which you do your sanding. Dust is sucked down and away from you (it's still a good idea to wear a mask during heavy sanding). Freestanding models have their own built-in fan and filters (see photo below); benchtop units, like the Delta AP075, connect to a shop vacuum or collection system.

Dust Collection With a Shop Vacuum

If you have a small woodshop, there's a good chance that you use your shop vacuum for more than just shop cleanup (which is, by the way, much better for your respiratory health than blowing fine dust off benches and machines with compressed air). Modern shop vacuums have adequate power for collecting chips and dust from both portable power tools and small benchtop machines. The majority of modern woodworking power tools have built-in dust ports that are ready to connect to a shop vacuum's flexible hose. Other tools, including routers, angle grinders, etc., may be fitted

If you're tired of swapping hoses between benchtop machines, you can connect several machines to the same vac by setting up a small hose network. All it takes is some flexible 2V2¹¹ hose and a handful of plastic pipe fittings. To assure that you'll get good suction at each tool, it's best to keep all the machines in close proximity to each other and to the shop vacuum. For example, three of my benchtop sanders shown in the photo above are mounted to a worktable with the shop vacuum set nearby. Y-connec-tors join short lengths of hose coming from each machine to the main hose that goes to the vacuum. Plastic air gates (aka blast gates) attached at the port of each machine allow you to concentrate more suction at a particular machine if necessary. Not having to

with optional hoods that allow vacuum hose attachment. Portable power sanders — belt, random-orbit sanders, etc. — are real dust-spewing hogs that can only be tamed by connection to a shop vacuum, even if you work atop a downdraft sanding table. Shop vacuums with smaller-diameter hoses are best for portable tools, while models sporting larger diameter (IV2¹¹ to 2V2") hoses are better for benchtop machines that produce larger chips and shavings, such as portable table saws and thickness planers.

Create an effective collection system for a few benchtop machines using a shop vacuum, flexible hose and plastic connection fittings.

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A downdraft sanding table is an essential dust collection device for woodworkers who do a lot of hand or power sanding. This stand-alone device is built from a kit (available from Rockier).

Woodworker's Journal April 2008