Full Auto Shop Dust Collection!

Dust generated by power tools is an issue for any woodworker, including Bob Claggett of the I Like To Make Stuff YouTube channel. Instead of dealing with it via some combination of Shop-Vacs and manually operated dust collectors, he decided to instead fully automate his system using an Arduino Uno for control.

Mechanically, the entire shop is plumbed with PVC sewer pipe, which while weaker than normal, is entirely appropriate for this kind of application and much cheaper. From this rigid pipe, flexible hose goes to each tool. In order to keep suction on the correct tool, a series of blast gates are opened with a high torque hobby servo and linkage system to only that particular device.

Rather than control dust collection manually with a keypad (as he did in a previous build), Claggett installed voltage sensors on each tool output, allowing the Arduino to sense this and control the gates and dust collection system automatically. With this in place, his shop should stay nice and clean, but if any dust does manage to find its way to the floor, he even has a vacuum dust collection area on the floor that he can sweep debris into!

Be sure to check out the build video below for lots more details!

[h/t: Make:]