The problem
The router's dust collection hose has to reach the spindle wherever the gantry travels. The goal was to carry the hose up and over the table so it follows the gantry on its own, which improves chip clearance and keeps the space around the table open.
Design
The arm is a box truss built from plywood, with triangular cutouts in the side walls that keep it light, and tab-and-slot joints that locate every part during assembly. Cross members tie the two walls together, and the hose runs through the middle.
- Pivot: the arm hinges on a steel plate mounted to wood cleats on the wall, so it can swing as the gantry moves.
- Cable stay: a steel cable runs from a D-ring above the pivot to a D-ring at the far end of the arm. A turnbuckle tensions it, so the cable carries the cantilever and keeps the arm from sagging.
- Mounting: the end block bolts through to the steel plate.
Making it
I modeled the arm in Fusion 360, then wrote the CAM program to cut the plywood parts on the CNC router. I assembled it on the router table, added the cable, turnbuckle, and hardware, and mounted it in the shop.
