Downdraft sanding table

[Dominic]

Couldn't seem to find these after the hack so I'll post some more pictures. Should be pretty self explanatory but happy to answer any questions you might have. Slats on top allow for any configeration you want depending on your work at the time. Have since added one deep drawer and two shallow drawers in each side.
Cheers
Dom

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[Pete Brown]

Great timing Dom - I was looking for your photos here the other day. Thanks!

[Kim]

That is so awesome Dom.....does it run direct to a cyclone?

I only ask because some I have seen are run via their own blower and filter which for me seems to defeat the whole idea behind proper dust control. Not that I am currently set up to do so myself, but the way I see it, the foundation of good dust control is a cyclone because it removes the majority of particulates including the fines. Therefore any filtration should be happening 'after' that point.

Cheers

Kim

[Dominic]

Cheers Kim, I don't have a large cyclone for my dust system (I do have a small one on my shop vac though) but the 2Hp extractor is behind the wall under the house and the table connects directly to that system. So any small dust that escapes is not in my workshop and it does not seem a problem under there because of all the vents. I don't see any fine dust so it must get stirred up and vent outside when the wind blows. Also means I don't have room taken up by the extractor, just the ducting which runs along the wall just under bench height.

I agree it seems to defeat the purpose putting a blower into one of these. Filters would get blocked pretty quickly with fine sanding dust or else let too much through to be much benefit. This thing is also pretty quiet with only the sound of the air movement but that has to compete with the sound of sanding and perhaps a nice relaxing System of a Down CD. Also, anything I drop into it does not get tangled up with the blower and is easy to retrieve.

Pete, as I said its pretty straight forward but happy to help with any tips based on my experience building it.

Cheers
Dom

[Dennis Leahy]

Nice job, Dominic! I wish I had seen your table before I built mine. I love the idea of the adjustability of suction area by installing the slotted plates.

Not competition for your idea, but if you don't mind I'll include the one I made to compare and mostly contrast.


Holes, lots of holes over 400 holes... I laid out a grid and hand drilled them. Then I very slightly reamed out the edges of every hole on the top, and every hole on the bottom, using a countersink, to get rid of any ragged edges.




I built a tapered box with a makeshift flange for the dust collector, made from galvanized ducting/stove pipe.

I used foam tape on the edges of the box to seal it to the underside of the table.




Bad photo of the downdraft (highlighting a fretting jig that has nothing to do with what I'm trying to show here), but this is the only shot I have at the moment showing the "hood" that I made. Open on front and bottom, with lexan panels on left, right, and top to let in light. The idea was to concentrate the dust collection capability and keep fine dust from drifting. You can also see the tapered box, in place beneath the table.

I found that I could place some very heavy paper over the holes not being used, concentrating all the suction to a small area, and it would hold a fingerboard in place to allow me to sand the radius. Should work for other things as well.

Dennis