Does anyone have recommendations on aftermarket dust shoes that work well? I have the Nighthawk Raptor from Solafide Designs. It is very efficient and the magnetic connections are great, but it rides very low and is very close to the project when using shorter 1/8 “ bits. Does anyone have a recommendation on others that work well?
I bought the Altmill dust shoe. It was cheap enough and seems like it would work well. (havent got my machine up and running yet) I also bought the Autodustboot from Francis Creations. Its pricey but what other dust boot comes with a motor installed? This is meant to be used with ATC systems and it raises and lowers the dust shoe when ever a bit change takes place on the ATC system. If you plan on upgrading to ATC, I would highly recommend FrancisCreation. AutoDustBoot - Alt Mill and a video of it in operation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jvo0tx4MSM&ab_channel=FrancisCreation
Thanks. I’ve been following progress on ATC’s. I mostly cut sheet goods, so I haven’t been willing to give up any cutting area. Nothing stopping me from just using the dust shoe boot though!
I am using the PrintNC dust shoe and love it. Design files are free. I printed 3 different length boots that attach with magnets for different bits. It’s night and day to the Sienci shoe unfortunately.
You’ll need a 3d printer though.
2 Likes
New ClearCut Dust Shoe with the ZeeSlide Modification works well
1 Like
I agree on the usefulness of a 3D Printer. I got a Bambu X1C last November and have almost 1,500 hours on it. Here is my AltMill with a ZeeSlide independent Z-axis bracket along with a Modular Dust Collection 4” Magnetic Locking Hose Connection and Sienci Lab’s 80mm Clear Cut Dust Shoe.
2 Likes
I wish I could get that clear dust shoe!
The Print NC looks ideal though a bit flimsy. Having the suction hose on the back is really the best as it’s vastly less likely to hit anything and is out of the way. Also doesn’t interfere with my laser mount.
How did you mount that thing to the z axis assembly?
The Shoe that holds the hose is attached to the two steel shafts that are clamped to the z axis. The whole this is quite rigid and has been working very well for me
Sorry I was referring to the PrintCNC build.
I did buy the ZeeSlide but then realized I need the Clear Dust Shoe which is not available atm.
The PrintCNC Dust Boot by GarageTimewithDavid at Printables.com does look a little “flexible” and I don’t know how it could be attached to the z-axis of an Altmill without drilling dedicated mounting holes in the z-axis frame. Having the Suction Hose in the back is a nice touch.
I think a “cleaver 3D Printer Designer” could come up with a Parametric Design that would allow for adjustments for different machines.
I have not been able to locate the 3D Print Files (colored red in the .step file) for his system, only the CNC files for the “flat parts”.
So I bought the ZeeSlide and printed in. I am actually very impressed with that guy’s CAD skills. The parts in PETG are rock solid. I always worry about 3d parts holding up but this thing seems really well designed. I’m currently trying to retrofit it to work with the PWN CNC version 7 dust boot since the Sienci boot is out of stock. I’ll post my frankenboot once I get it up and running. Some of the parts aren’t on Amazon prime…
I’m currently using the PWNCNC v12 which I had to modify to account for the cutouts Sienci made at the bottom of the spindle. It works great in terms of not interfering with my laser mount and not being so huge that it smashes into things like the original Sienci boot. However, it’s actually dust performance is a bit meh, especially with 1/4" cuts. It’s fine for finishing work.
