You have a dedicated routing area? Dust everywhere!

remagenman · Mar 12, 2026

So my shed is not only for woodworking but for all my ADHD hobbies. I needed to use the router and it was raining cats and dogs outside.

3 holes later there was dust everywhere! I could've arranged a hose but wanted to just get it done.

In hindsight, do ya'll have a router dust table or something?

I went from my router with the hole jig to the 18v router.

jar944 · Mar 12, 2026

Dedicated? Sure the whole shop is dedicated to being covered in dust.

Old tool guy · Mar 12, 2026

I use the garage when the queen allows me to move her car out. About 3 times a day i use the leaf blower to clean out most of the stuff.

lilredex · Mar 12, 2026

I do mine outside, at the end of my garage workbench with a foot switch, easy clean up.

FTWingRiders · Mar 12, 2026

I’ve accepted the fact that the router, even when used on its table with dust collection, let alone freehand, is the one that’s just going to get sawdust everywhere in the shop. I get out the big vac and hose after and just clean it up.

Jgaz · Mar 12, 2026

Unless it’s something on the router table that I want to leave set up overnight, most of my routing, sanding, and buffing is done on the 10’x20‘ paver pad out the side door of my garage.

Adding a 20amp outlet made things so much easier.

Sometimes I move the set up into the rocks to take advantage of any shade during the summer.

Also, the Workmate stays outside on the pad year round.

remagenman · Mar 12, 2026

Thanks, I might just have to build an addition to the shed. Rains too much out here to keep stuff outside.

paulsomlo · Mar 12, 2026

My router table has a 4" dust port that hooks up to a 2hp Oneida dust collector. I purposely leave a large throat around the bit to get airflow - things stay pretty clean. If I'm hand routing, I use a Festool router w/ a Fein dust extractor.

Old tool guy · Mar 12, 2026

Jgaz said:
Sometimes I move the set up into the rocks to take advantage of any shade during the summer.

.

Rocks? I thought that was piles of sawdust.

kyrbz · Mar 12, 2026

I have a Sand-Rite flap sander that puts a router to shame in terms of sending dust everywhere with no good way of collecting it. I set it up in my spray booth when I need to use it. At least that way the dust is contained in the spray booth instead of the whole shop. Another thing that helps to contribute to keeping the shop clean is my dust collection system is in a basement below the wood shop. All the dust is pulled down which I feels improves the efficiency of the dust collection system

mike93lx · Mar 12, 2026

remagenman said:
Thanks, I might just have to build an addition to the shed. Rains too much out here to keep stuff outside.

30x40 ought to do it

remagenman · Mar 12, 2026

mike93lx said:
30x40 ought to do it

M.Brane · Mar 12, 2026

Messy jobs outside on the patio behind the garage. That's why I paid $12K to have it redone from the horrible abomination it was.

jar944 · Mar 13, 2026

mike93lx said:
30x40 ought to do it

Feels too small, likely need to double the size 40x60. Op might be able to go up and make the 30x40 2 stories if short on buildable land.

Op, a box fan aimed out the door would help assuming you can open the door without getting wet.

mike93lx · Mar 13, 2026

jar944 said:
Feels too small, likely need to double the size 40x60. Op might be able to go up and make the 30x40 2 stories if short on buildable land.

Op, a box fan aimed out the door would help assuming you can open the door without getting wet.

Oh, you assumed I didn't mean 2 stories? That's silly.

Damon L. · Mar 13, 2026

This setup is extremely task specific, but it works very well.

3D printed adapter to get to shop vac hose, subsequent adapter that jumps to 4" dust collector. 3D printed zero clearance insert for the lift. I am cutting 1/4" deep on a 3/8" bit, so the bit is partially in the fence as well.

I have one job that I use this setup for, but I am cutting hundreds of boards with it at a time. When I have a quick setup, I just deal with cleanup afterward if I can't rig something quick. I also try to think ahead, so if I can print something to help, I do that ahead of time as well.

remagenman · Mar 13, 2026

I found my dust collector for my Milwaukee 18v router, what a difference.

Now why is it that only 1 company sells shop vac adapters for woodworking stuff (Rockler) and stupidly expensive?

mike93lx · Mar 13, 2026

remagenman said:
I found my dust collector for my Milwaukee 18v router, what a difference.

Now why is it that only 1 company sells shop vac adapters for woodworking stuff (Rockler) and stupidly expensive?

remagenman · Mar 13, 2026

mike93lx said:

I've been going down that rabbit hole of buying one, apparently Bambu labs mini is a great beginner 3d printer.

mike93lx · Mar 13, 2026

remagenman said:
I've been going down that rabbit hole of buying one, apparently Bambu labs mini is a great beginner 3d printer.

The mini is... Mini. May work OK, but I bet you hit it's size limit.

For $70 more, I'd get a A1

PCustoms · Mar 13, 2026

remagenman said:
Now why is it that only 1 company sells shop vac adapters for woodworking stuff (Rockler) and stupidly expensive?

Huh?

remagenman · Mar 13, 2026

PCustoms said:
Huh?

Rocklers vacuum adapters, flexi ports, are really the only ones you see. Found some after market types on Amazon but nothing really like the flexi ports.

PCustoms · Mar 13, 2026

remagenman said:
Rocklers vacuum adapters, flexi ports, are really the only ones you see. Found some after market types on Amazon but nothing really like the flexi ports.

Seems like some proprietary rubber hose / adapters.

Assuming you just need an adapter there's plenty of generic versions out there

Damon L. · Mar 13, 2026

I picked up a 4" dust right "starter kit" at a local auction for a song. It has hose, two 4" quick connect handles, as well as the bench and floor cleaning attachments. Rather than buy their machine-side adapters, I have been printing my own. This one is for my jointer. Please ignore the mess!

I buried magnets in the print, but they weren't strong enough. I ended up screwing it right to the machine base.

To take this thread further off-track, I designed and printed this adjustable-angle radius guide for a pattern bit on a router.

1" radius, parts assemble at around 170° inside angle. Designed around a 1/2" or smaller pattern bit, can adjust from 180° (straight across), down to around 45°. Everyone makes 90° guides, but what if your corner is 63°?

I will most likely complete the design with a "full set" and upload to a database or two.

RTM · Apr 2, 2026

remagenman said:
Now why is it that only 1 company sells shop vac adapters for woodworking stuff (Rockler) and stupidly expensive

Used to be that Peachtree, Lee Valley, Woodcraft, and Highland Hardware all had stuff for ShopVac to dust collector sizes. I have not looked in over 10 years, as I think I bought every combination I over the prior 15 yrs.

RTM · Apr 2, 2026

I will only do routing outside. In fact, most of my woodworking with power tools is done outside in the driveway. Just cuz it's way too messy in my garage to have to clean up the dust that gathers everywhere.

If it's raining and I work in the garage it's hand tools only. At least then I'm only getting the shavings down from the lights and the ceiling.

Codyboy · Apr 2, 2026

paulsomlo said:
My router table has a 4" dust port that hooks up to a 2hp Oneida dust collector. I purposely leave a large throat around the bit to get airflow - things stay pretty clean. If I'm hand routing, I use a Festool router w/ a Fein dust extractor.

Is that a dust port or do you have a toilet inside your router cabinet?

Codyboy · Apr 2, 2026

Damon L. said:
This setup is extremely task specific, but it works very well.

3D printed adapter to get to shop vac hose, subsequent adapter that jumps to 4" dust collector. 3D printed zero clearance insert for the lift. I am cutting 1/4" deep on a 3/8" bit, so the bit is partially in the fence as well.

I have one job that I use this setup for, but I am cutting hundreds of boards with it at a time. When I have a quick setup, I just deal with cleanup afterward if I can't rig something quick. I also try to think ahead, so if I can print something to help, I do that ahead of time as well.

My router cabinet is similar that has a port built to the fence. It also has a port in the space below the router.
I built it probably 20 something years ago from a plan in fine woodworking I think it was.
In that time I've tried using the shopvac but never had a real dust collector.
It's OK but not great.
Now that I have a shop , I need to get on board with a real DC system.

Codyboy · Apr 2, 2026

PCustoms said:
Seems like some proprietary rubber hose / adapters.

Assuming you just need an adapter there's plenty of generic versions out there

Pvc and a heat gun works too.

paulsomlo · Apr 4, 2026

Codyboy said:
Is that a dust port or do you have a toilet inside your router cabinet?

I'll have to look and get back to you. But yes, that is a toilet flange.

Ohio Andy · Apr 12, 2026

Router is in a housing with dust collection. I also have dust collection on the fence. Combined they do a great job.

gahrajmahal · Apr 28, 2026

I too usually take the router jobs out into the driveway to use. I made a cyclone box to separate the large chunks when using the shop vac and have this thread on it.

Cyclone Separator for Shop Vac, Compact Setup

This thread has been edited due to all of the original photos being lost from Photo Bucket. Some of the comments are out of sequence, but the photos are now on the GJ server. Hey all, I never was a fan of the typical round shop vac due to the unwieldy hose and wand that comes crashing down any...

www.garagejournal.com

In this thread I also built a dust containment box from a clear shoe box, for my Fein tool when grinding broken grout from floor tiles. Adding a battery lamp, velcrowed inside, makes it really useful. It cuts down the dust from this nasty job significantly. I’m considering making a big clear plastic tote box with the hole big enough for both arms so I can grind some cracks in our concrete garage floor. That will really create some dust on everything in the garage.

CoogarXR · Apr 28, 2026

I have a covered concrete carport on the side of my current garage. Anything super dusty I do out there, then just clean it with a leaf blower, lol.

I don't do a whole lot of woodworking, so it's fine to just move stuff out there when I need to.

You have a dedicated routing area? Dust everywhere!

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