The dust Boot for the Piranha FX

[ElderlyGent]

Hi all

I have now been using the FX for a while and am very happy with it. That said I have found that when pocketting or similar operations where stock has to be removed, the chips really fly. I had to build a surround around the FX so that the chips were contained and I could run the shop vac to collect them.
This is all well and good but........

So I had a look at the dust boot for sale in the shop. I see that it has to be bolted to the spindle carrier and the same for the hose connection, It also looks as though the bristles are fixed in place. This means that with only 3 inches of Z travel it would be impossible to change the bits without taking the boot off every time. This would entail undoing the 4 bolts and replacing them every time.

So has anyone on this Forum actually used the boot and can tell me a simple way of using it.

Many others I have seen are held in a permanent frame and held in place with magnets so it can be removed for bit changs by just sliding it out, ,

Great Forum, so best to all out there

EG.,

[WNC_Ed]

Are you referring to the Next Wave dust boot? (pictured)
It is a two piece with the removable bottom for changing the bit and zero-ing.

I have the same boot on the Shark, it works adequately, I ordered it with the machine but to be honest I wouldn't buy it again.
You have a CNC and there a tons of videos on YouTube about making dust boots.
I would without question make my own.

For the record a new custom dust boot is on my list of 8,632 things to do.

[ElderlyGent]

Hi

Many thanks for the info on the dust boot. Yes I have the NWA Piranha FX. So the top bit is bolted to the spindle carrier and the lower bit either slides off forward or is on magnets. Can you please tell me which,

EG.

[WNC_Ed]

It's on magnets

[rtibbs]

Elderly Gent,

I didn't like the dust boot that came with my Shark because I'm one of those who likes to see what I'm cutting.

I laid up a fiberglass nozzle and cut the wood attaching pieces.
Fully adjustable and works great. Picks up about 90% of the chips and doesn't interfere with bit changing.

PS, just finishing one for my Shopbot

Ron

[ElderlyGent]

HI Ron

That's a neaat solution. I did try following the cutter as close as possible with the VAC nozzle, and it did work as you said, about 90%. I see you use the two front spiondle clamp bolt to hold the vac pipe. I will try to make that first and see if I can get it to work,.... It should.

thanks for the help

Best to all

EG

[rtibbs]

Actually EG, I tapped two additional holes into the spindle mounting plate and drilled a clearance hole for the spindle mount bolts so I didn’t disturb the existing bolts.

[WNC_Ed]

I would suggest that if you are adding Dust collection you should think about adding grounding for the dust collection. I am fairly certain that I have killed a Shark Control box due to an ungrounded dust collection system. It is grounded now.
Also, FYI on the water cooled spindles the case is not grounded, if you add a grounding wire to the case that ties into your power ground you no longer have to use the magnet on your zero plate. Nice bonus.

[TomGB]

Ed, how do you ground a plastic dust hose?

[dakotablue]

Ed, 8632 were your projects a couple of weeks ago. Only 8631 to go now...

[Samson]

Ed, how do you ground a plastic dust hose?

With a ground wire. It helps eliminate the static charge that causes havoc with some systems.

[Savannahdan]

Here's what I did to reduce/eliminate static. I used a terminal connector on a bare grounding wire and attached it to my dust shoe top plate. I did the same thing to the end dust collection attachment on my hose and ran the bare wire completely through the hose and terminated it at the dust collector by attaching it to the grounding screw on it. You might even want to consider running a grounding line through the wall of your house and secure it to a grounding rod driven into the ground outside. Look up videos on how folks drive the rods into the ground and you'll see a number use pvc pipe and water drive the 8' rod. Test your spindle/router dust boot for static. You can usually detect is easily by hair raising on your head or arm (for folks that don't have head hair). I even ran the bare wire through dust collection hose that has the metal grounding spring/wire in it. I know a fellow over in Alabama who runs a fair successful wood/lumber shop and he has a grounding wire on each piece of equipment and each runs to a grounding rod. I also use a cyclone and the bare grounding wire is run through it as well.

[TomGB]

My house is grounded to the rebar in the footing where a piece of the rebar sticks up in a wall, I have no idea where. I could drive a rod outside. If I ran the wire inside the hose and attached it to the ground wire on the vacuum, wouldn't the ground wire in three prong plug carry the ground to my house ground? Thanks for the advice.

[WNC_Ed]

Tom, in the "anything worth engineering is worth over engineering" department. I did actually use the aluminum tape at the end of the hose connection (plastic) where it goes into the dust shoe and that is where my dust collection ground wire terminates on the CNC end.

Grounding the dust collection system is a good idea - tons written on it in previous threads.

What I would highly recommend is to run a ground wire to the metal spindle housing attaching it to the housing with a large hose clamp or similar.
To be clear suggesting that for the H2O cooled spindle on the Next Wave machines.

Gary, Shhh don't tell the wife she will add another item to the list