Buddy Dust Collection

[Erik Francey]

I have found the dust collection a bit of a pain to manage. I am working on something right now to try and get up and out of the way via the e-chain. Anyone else used the e-chain to manage their dust collection hose? Any great ideas out there?

[Art Botterell]

I tied up the hose section of the dust foot right behind the carriage... just used a couple of black tie-wraps in a chain attached at the upper end of the e-chain. Then I suspended the hose back to my d/c from a joist with a bit of chain.

Left enough slack in the chain to absorb the x-axis travel with a minimum of flexing the hose. And I can break into the d/c connection easily to run an extension hose to my less frequently used tools.

[Erik Francey]

I was thinking of doing the same thing...but my garage has 10 foot ceilings...but I guess if I used your chain idea I could hang it as low as I like. My first set up worked fine until I finished my vacuum hold down...and now the plumbing from that gets hung up on the dust collection. If its not one thing its another!

[Erik Francey]

ended up just hanging the hose over the rafter for now. Not really the ideal set up...but will work for now. Had just enough hose to get it done.

Hi Erik
I am really a new Buddy 48 person as I still not up and runningyet. But I have ran into this type of problem before and will most likely do it with my Buddy. I run 4" PVC on the cieling to a spot directly above the machine then using dryer hose connect it to my Buddy. Dryer is cheap and lighter weight than my dust collect hose and a whole lot mort flexible. The plastic dryer hose has a wire in it for grounding. I run a thin braided wire through the PVC and connect then together and then to ground. Yes I have already set this up for my Buddy Although I'm not running yet. Good Luck.

[Brady Watson]

Here's what I've done...Machine is FILTHY from very large run of parts. I've been using the Buddy as a secondary operation tool, where parts get grooved, drilled and other operations, allowing me to keep my setup on my big tool. It's a beautiful thing having multiple robots making you money at the same time! Even though I have a good DC setup, I don't always use it, as certain setups with clamps or low cycle times, make the DC foot self-defeating...or it simply gets in the way.

Here's my setup consisting of a Rigid brand vacuum hose, a 2 to 3" adapter for the foot, a 2 to 4" adapter for the DC to plug into. For a small tool such as the BT series, a 2" hose is more than adequate & it is self-managing, as it bends with the same contour as the energy chain.

The setup allows the Buddy to be completely portable, and is ideal for anybody with high or low ceilings, a powerstick and/or vacuum system like I made on my BT.






-B

[Erik Francey]

Nice work as usual sir. I was thinking along the same lines but just making the 4" DC run the whole way back. My workable shop area is pretty small, so keeping this in order keeps swearing to a minimum. I will try and take some pics when I get it squared away.

[Brady Watson]

Thanks Erik.

Not all ideas work out, but you usually learn something in the process...Here's an articulated arm that I made. It worked well as far as the arcticulation went...but a bit too bulky & complicated for dust collection. PVC elbows sandwich HDPE bearings with a sort of labyrinth seal to keep the air pressure, but allow for movement.

[dana swift]

Brady, my hat is off to you for experimentation!

Rube Goldberg would have been proud! But if it works that is the test of the "pudding".

D

[Art Botterell]

Here's my chain-up arrangement. (The square item down front is a wifi antenna.)