I’m planning to start experimenting with my CNC module but I want to try and keep mess as maintained as possible. I’ve seen a variety of vacuum attachments for the module but I’m presuming people haven’t just got their Dyson hooked up to their SM the whole time they are running.
Can anyone recommend a relatively small and cheap option that I could hook up a flexible hose to as a saw dust extractor?
What’s your budget? Can you get a cheap shop vac with a hepa filter? Is this in a living room and you’re looking for something quiet?
This is for in my study at home (me when sat at my computer).
My fiancée works in the room below so the quieter the better ideally.
I haven’t got a specific budget in mind really, just thinking that it’s a thing to aid convenience rather than me trying to buy a whole other piece of kit.
Is this the sort of thing you were thinking? I’ve no idea if that would be strong enough or how loud it could be?
That one will work.
It’s always hard to tell until you actually get a vacuum home how loud it is and especially what type of noise it makes. The better ones like Fein or Festool will list the db’s. I’ve gotten a couple smaller one’s at Costco that weren’t that loud, but they had a high pitched whine that was unbearable. Took them straight back.
Some people have used a shoe attachment and then use smart plugs to turn them off and on every few minutes. I personally just use my shop vac with a nozzle every so often while it’s running.
Do you have an enclosure? The vac won’t get everything and the SM does give off a lot of fine dust.
-S
That exactly why I started when the budget question 
I think the Festool is tough to beat as an overall dust collecting package.
Ah ok cool thanks.
Fein and Festool look really good but as brent133 mentions, they are definitely a far sight more expensive. I may go for the more budget option for now and if/when I manage to get a better space for doing this and it becomes more financially viable I can get something like a Festool.
I do have an enclosure but I’m guessing I’d need to have at least one of the doors partially open to allow the vac tube to get in?
When you say you use your shop bac with a nozzle every so often, do you mean you just open it up and vac it by hand every X amount of time? That sounds like it may be a good option for me if that’d work because I can keep the enclosure doors completely closed whilst it’s working and pause the work to open them every now and then when I vac it out?
Yes. I don’t even bother to pause. Usually can do one side of workpiece then wait til head travels to other side then do that.
Most people who add a vac tube just cut a hole in the acrylic.
My SM vents to the outside. I built my own enclosure and have a 120mm high static pressure fan attached to a dryer vent hose. That helps suck out some of the airborne dust, but it’s not really necessary.
I also have a cyclone attachment between my the nozzle and the shop vac that keeps me from having to empty bags as often. Again, not necessary but I do a lot of cnc.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JP315K/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_WTFP5DJCJ7DJ3DTQPSYD?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
There are plans to print them on thingiverse, but I didn’t have the patience.
-S
Ah fantastic, thanks very much. I think I’ll just go for the cheap £60 jobby I found and start out by using it intermittently during jobs and I’ll take it from there. Thanks loads for your help!