[KentonLynne]

Newbie to this forum, but here goes.

I just replaced the router in my router table. Changed out my old DeWalt 621F Plunge router with a new Bosch 1617EVS (the Bosch is more powerful, quieter, and with a fixed base has an easier way to adjust the height from above the table). Where the Bosch falls down though is in dust collection. The DeWalt had a very nice system built into it for extracting the dust from the collet chamber. The Bosch lacks that, so now I get a lot of dust and chips flying out the the front of the router underneath the table top.

I attached a picture of my router table. Please don't laugh; it's my homemade one using parts salvaged from an old cheapie Craftsman table. It has a dust collection port behind the fence that gets some of the dust. When the DeWalt was attached I attached the DeWalt's built-in port to a shopvac and it worked very well. Can't do that with the Bosch. I had ordered the RA1173AT dust extraction kit which is made explicitly for the DeWalt, but it really only works if the router is outside the table being used by hand. The hood in the kit fits perfectly over the opening in the router, but the port tube extrudes horizontally so it can't fit under the router table. If the port tube were angled down it might work, but that would involve sawing off the old port tube and gluing or taping an angled one. Am hoping Bosch might make something like that, but so far no luck. Anyone else have a good idea or have already solved this problem? Unfortunately I have a very small shop, so no room for an actual free-standing router table: my router table is portable and when I need it, I just pull if off the shelf and clamp it to my workbench.


Thanks for any help!

 

[Semipro]

Hello and welcome to the router forum,Kenton

 

[Stick486]

welcome Kenton...
I believe this is what you are looking for...
https://www.cpotools.com/bosch-ra11...default,pd.html?cgid=bosch-router-attachments
.

 

[hawkeye10]

Hey Kenton;

Here is a picture of my old router table. You will notice the sides are cheap luane from the HD and they are held in place with Velcro so I could remove them at any time I needed to. I bought the Velcro at a hardware store where they have it in rolls. I hooked up my big dust collector for below and the shop vac for the fence. Even if you don't have a big dust collector having sides on the table will keep the dust that goes down in one place. Just open up one of the sides and suck it out with your shop vac.

 

[chessnut2]

Laugh? Don't make me laugh. You should have seen my first 2. I euthanized them pretty quickly after getting better ideas here on the forum. Welcome, Kenton!

 

[DesertRatTom]

Welcome Kenton, glad you joined the fun. The DC gear Stick posted works pretty well. Add to that a strong suction behind the fince and pulling sawdust up and out can help a lot. If you look at the pictures of fancy tables, you'll see most have a chamber the router sits in, with dust extraction at the rear, and a door for access to the router. The dust collector needs to be pretty powerful to pull all that sawdust out, although you can get a lot done with a hefty shop vac at first. You are wise to pay attention to this serious health hazard!