Question for woodworkers..

I have dust collection for bigger tools but have always been lazy with sanding dust. Want to build a downdraft table.

Most DIY plans (and even commercially available tables) have a pattern of circles/holes. Is there any reason some rows of 'slits' would be a bad idea for this versus the circles? i.e. is there a physics or a 'manhole-cover- are-round-for-a-reason' reason for this?

Most look like top, but I like the idea of the bottom:

redaszag99 said:

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The holes leave more material to create a stronger more rigid surface

Those long skinny pieces will possibly break

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good point. i suppose i could spread the slits out a bit and leave a couple inches between each.

A friend built one of these years ago. Did not work very well. You need a lot of CFM to create the downdraft necessary. Can't remember what vac he had hooked up to it, my guess was a middle sized one?

I use Festool sanders and their vac daily. It is virtually 100% suck-sessful. I know they are expensive but they last too. My 125 is approx 15 years old and was repaired only once for $40.

...sounds like i need to look into festool sanders.

started with rigid back in early 2000s and as stuff died recently i have replaced most with dewalt. not super keen on getting a different battery brand going, but open to a one off.

have a battery and corded sander with the standard little dust bags on them. plan to hook them up to a hose too so they'll suck more.

cj, not sure how much you sand, it's part of what I do for a living (cabinetmaker). Your lungs are not to be taken for granted. The Festool dust collection is incredible. I still use a mask at times with it, but not always. There is no bag or vac attachment that I know on another brand that comes close to good dust collection. Maybe the air driven sanders like Dynebrade where you need a big air compressor?

There will be dust in almost every operation of woodworking. Even metal working. Protect the lungs.

(secret intel: it's the world's best sales pitch to the wife in order to spend for the better tools)

1988PA-Aggie said:

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cj, not sure how much you sand, it's part of what I do for a living (cabinetmaker). Your lungs are not to be taken for granted. The Festool dust collection is incredible. I still use a mask at times with it, but not always. There is no bag or vac attachment that I know on another brand that comes close to good dust collection. Maybe the air driven sanders like Dynebrade where you need a big air compressor?

There will be dust in almost every operation of woodworking. Even metal working. Protect the lungs.

(secret intel: it's the world's best sales pitch to the wife in order to spend for the better tools)

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hobbyist, a few hours a week but 3 kiddos join me out there often too.

is it bad that i'm less concerned about the cost of the festool sander and more concerned with the green of it and the gold of the others looking too bearish in my garage?

if you wanna stick with yellow/black, check out Mirka sanders. Not cheap either, but they are nice.

javajaws said:

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Festool green is like Ferrari red - no man would be ashamed to have either in his garage.

Funny enough my favorite tool color in my garage is my huge Saylor-Beall air compressor in this old school blue-green color. Made in USA!

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touch

I picked up a used dewalt scroll saw a few days ago and the guy tried to upsell me his massive air compressor after I joked "did you paint that air compressor Aggie maroon?" His first response was "Aggies are blue" (I'm in Utah)…

I didn't need a 100+ gallon air compressor but it sure was pretty and would have looked nice with an aTm on it.

finally got around to this project - built it into a workbench.

went smaller than originally planned for but everything I read indicated what some of you said and that the big ones need a lot of power/cfms.

added some old tool magnets I've been dragging around for years to catch any screws/nails that fall through

did a few tests and it seems to catch a lot of the small stuff without whistling.. I'll provide an update after I work through a few projects

Nice job