CNC Guide
CNC Dust Collection for Small Routers: Hoses, Boots, and Vacuums
A small-shop dust collection guide for desktop CNC routers, including hose size, shoe design, vacuums, separators, and noise tradeoffs.
The small-router dust path
A useful setup has four parts: a dust shoe close to the bit, a flexible hose that does not fight the gantry, a separator before the vacuum, and a filter that can handle fine MDF dust. The weak link is usually airflow at the cutter, not the vacuum label.
Setup tradeoffs
| Choice | Upside | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Shop vac | Cheap and compact | Loud; filter clogs quickly without separator |
| Dust deputy style separator | Keeps chips out of filter | Takes floor space |
| Magnetic brush shoe | Easy tool changes | Can block the view of small bits |
Amazon options to compare
FoxAlien owners
For machine-specific accessories, compare current FoxAlien CNC parts and routers through FoxAlien's CNC category. Match hose routing to your actual Z-axis travel before buying.
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