Not sure whether to put this in troubleshooting or wiki, but here goes.
I have a Maslow 4 on a horizontal setup, with a Wickes (UK hardware store) own brand dust extractor/workshop vacuum. It provides reasonable suction, and I 3D printed a suitable adaptor for the hose. When the router is off or up, the suction works as expected, but when the spinning bit is in the job, it seems to throw the sawdust away from the bit and under the sled. Hardly any goes up the vacuum tube. Moreover there seems to be positive pressure under the sled; sawdust comes up the open holes in the sled and collects on top. If there are any open slots in the job under the sled, again I see sawdust being blown outward.
It seems to me that a spinning router bit creates a wind which flows away from the tool in the plane of the board being cut, with fresh air being drawn down from above. The curved surface inside the cutter hole in the centre of the sled seems to assist with forcing the dust down and under, rather than up into the vacuum.
Things I’m thinking of trying
An infill grommet in the perspex shield around the router bit.
Should have gone with a Henry (joke - it’s rare to find another brit on here to appreciate my references, so I take every chance I can get!).
I find tape (50mm clear packing tape or something thicker) to reduce the diameter of the hole in the acrylic plate helps a lot with LVHP dust extractors like shop vacs. It’s easiest to stick it on top, but possibly with the router all the way down it might need to be on the bottom of the plate.
Also with the hose adaptor - check you’re getting a good seal to the sled and use some tape if not - the key is to make sure all the airflow is going into the vacuum.
I have a Maslow 4 on a horizontal setup, with a Wickes (UK hardware store) own brand dust extractor/workshop vacuum. It provides reasonable suction, and I 3D printed a suitable adaptor for the hose. When the router is off or up, the suction works as expected, but when the spinning bit is in the job, it seems to throw the sawdust away from the bit and under the sled. Hardly any goes up the vacuum tube. Moreover there seems to be positive pressure under the sled; sawdust comes up the open holes in the sled and collects on top. If there are any open slots in the job under the sled, again I see sawdust being blown outward.
It seems to me that a spinning router bit creates a wind which flows away from the tool in the plane of the board being cut, with fresh air being drawn down from above. The curved surface inside the cutter hole in the centre of the sled seems to assist with forcing the dust down and under, rather than up into the vacuum.
I would check the airflow through the router, is it blowing down or up? (if you
run the router without a bit, is the vaccuum port blowing air out or sucking it
in)
I would bet that the router is blowing air down (cooling itself and not sucking
sawdust into itself) and it’s airflow is higher than your dust collection
vaccuum
Thanks for the tip! I’ll try that before I waste time and effort on a 3D printed part. BTW I went through 2 Henrys in my shed before I bought the cheaper Wickes machine. I like the Henry brand, but they seem to suffer if run continuously for hours at a time with a constricted airflow.
I think you are right about the router fan - no way would you want to be sucking the dust up into the router motor and blowing hot air into the Maslow controller board.
(joke - it’s rare to find another brit on here to appreciate my references, so I take every chance I can get!).