Shopbot Max Dust Box : 7 Steps (with Pictures)

i had used the larger shopbots with no dust box. that's the easiest approach and works well in a commercial setting. just sweep up afterwards.

the people i talked with said that the plastic case that shopbot sold wasn't that effective. with the shopbot max in my garage - i couldn't just let the dust go everywhere. this approach is pretty effective, but of course if you are routing wood for hours on end - dust is going to get out.

this simple construction worked great. in a few seconds i can flip/pivot the ply from high to low and have access to the bed. and after i have the work secured and the router bit in etc, i just rotate the plywood panel and put a screw in.

while i put three 1/4-20 machine screws in each side to hold the wood to the steel frame, i found it better to just use two screws on the sides that i access; one in the center and one on a side. by removing one screw the whole panel rotates 360 degrees and is out of my way. i played around with just having a weight and a single screw in the center to pivot - but the two screw method works better.

2ea) 10' sticks of 2x2 (.125 thick) steel angle

12ea) 1/4-20 x an inch or so and a dozen washers the washers are important

1 ea) 54x48" 1 1/8" sturdy floor ply. get something solid that won't move around

2 ea) 54" x 12"; 2ea) 48 x 12" (rip down some 1/4" ply to 12" wide)

12 ea) sheet metal screws by 1" length (or drywall)

rattle can of ford blue spray paint

Step 1: Shopbot Max

Step 2: Construction - Sturdy Floor Ply and 2" Angle Iron

i picked up two ten foot pieces of 2x2 angle iron. cut to length:

2 ea) 54" ; 2 ea) 48

mounted them to a piece of 1 1/8" sturdy floor ply. drilled and tapped for 1/4 20 bolt. use 45 degree cuts on the corners and fasten to the plywood with 1" #10 sheet metal screws. then i secured this to my work bench which is 37" tall making the floor of this 38.5" tall. perfect for me - cause i'm tall!

no welding required.

Take a few minutes to file and smooth the steel. take the rough edges off. i happened to have a can of blue paint that matched what shopbot had.

Step 3: Sheet of 1/4" Ply - Rip to 12 - 14 Inches

i got a panel saw and ripped a bunch of 12" wide ply - cut to length

2ea ) 54"

2ea ) 48"

drilled holes with a forstner bit to match those that i tapped. do your self a favor and space the holes consistently. note that i located the holes about 3" from the edge of the ply. that's about the depth of the sturdy floor (1 1/8") and the workbench topping.

it's not important the the edges are tight. dust is going to get out. i left a 2" gap on one side for the power and usb. I later ran those cords to the ceiling. the 2" gap doesn't make much difference.

Step 4: Dust Box Operation

first picture you can see that i've lowered both panels. i do this by removing one screw and swinging the board down. i used phillips head screws because i use brass screws (phillips) for holding the work down. one tool - an impact wrench with #2 phillips bit. zip zip out/zip zip in. do use a washer - the wood will wear.

Step 5: Just Remove One Screw to Pivot

Step 6: Vacuum System

I used standard uni-strut and mounted an angle to my work bench. 2" black pipe and a support to keep it from popping off at the swivel elbow. hooked a generic shop vac to it - and ran the power to a light switch to turn on and off. i welded up a unistrut frame which i bolted to the table, used 2" EMT clamps to secure.