FrankenVac I added a router table extension to my workshop during the winter of '05.  During the spring of '06 I added a used Inca 410 jointer/planer.  I was still relying on a 12-gallon shop vac for dust collection.  The bags were filling fast, and didn't have room for anything larger.  Last, but not least, moving the vac hose from tool to tool was becoming a pain. Few woodworking tools generate more chips than a jointer/planer.  The chips consume a tremendous volume of space.  I thought of getting one of those chip separators you stick on top of a five-gallon bucket (here), but I would still have to move the hose from one tool to another. I had some spare room underneath the table saw.  Using a plastic Rubbermaid storage box (sourced from Target), five blast gates (Rockler #63547), and a "universal dust port" (Rockler #92031), I was able to come up with a combination tool selector/chip separator. Frankenvac installed underneath the saw, with connections to router down-draft and shop vac. Rear of Frankenvac with connections to table saw and jointer/planer (not pictured). Operation is simple.  I connect the shop vac to the universal dust port and the individual machines to the blast gates.  I can do a tool change (via blast gates) in about 1/10 the time it took before.  I have spare blast gates on the front and back that I can connect a hose to for sanding or cleaning the shop. Building it was simple.  I drilled holes in the edges of the blast gates large enough for some #10 screws, making certain the holes didn't interfere with the operation of the gate.  I located the six large "gate" holes in the container nearly as high as I could.  I drilled a 3/16" pilot hole in the plastic using an old brad-point drill, and then used a carbide-tipped hole saw that I already had in my arsenal to cut the large hole.  Carbide-tipped was hardly necessary, just what I already had. I added a plywood "snorkel" on the inside of the universal dust port (see photo somewhere on this page) to make certain that it would suck its air from the very top of the container.  This would give the chips the best chance of settling to the bottom. I haven't had to empty it yet, and it has been in use for a couple of small projects and some (well, a lot of) testing of the Inca 410 for about a month now.  It has worked nearly perfectly, though, as only the very finest dust has been making it back to the shop vac bag. The project could be easily duplicated with just about any size container that is air-tight.  I even tried a cardboard box where all the joints were thoroughly taped.  It worked great.  Feel free to make one for your own use.  However, commercial rights are reserved. This is the plywood "snorkel."  It guarantees that the shop vac pulls air from the very top of the container.   This is the Frankenvac after a little testing.  You can see that even small dust particles tend to settle to the bottom.  This photo was taken after routing some MDF.  The fine dust even settles.  The dust on the side eventually falls to the bottom, too. After use for about a month.  The layers on the bottom tell a story of what I was doing to what type of wood.  Been playing with a lot of cherry and some exotics lately. --Phil phil@cgallery.com When E-Mailing, please include the word "SkipSpamFilter" in the body of your message if you intend to include links to any web sites (don't forget, links may be embedded in your signature). This page has been viewed times.