I don’t think there is a wrong choice to be honest.
yeah buddy! looks almost exactly like my setup! I highly recommend doing the x-Axis stiffening mod, and getting/making a dust shoe, but one that attaches to the vertically stationary Z carriage portion. These two threads over at inventables have two nice designs:
This sidewall covering is pretty great as well, because at some point you will have to cut something without your dust shoe on, and itll keep your rails clean:
2 Likes
The kickstarter XCarve dust shoe campaign only has a couple days left for delivery in June.
1 Like
Its a good design, I will say that much, but I wouldnt want @henryhbk to have to wait until june to use his CNC =). If he has the impetus it could be made pretty easily. The same goes for the new brit workshop dust boot which is a very similar concept.
I have my CNC in my office with all my electronics and all types of stuff. I commonly cut MDF which would wreak havoc on everything if I didnt have a dust boot. I purchased one before I got my x-carve, so I didnt have to deal with that whole catch-22.
Have you got yours up and running? Have a dust solution?
Yeah, the 1000mm XCarve is running just fine. Fully stiffened, aligned and never drops a step. Cut something the wife needed just a few minutes ago but honestly I’m still in the learning phase. Created some test panels, inlays, cutouts, etc. Still trying to get comfortable with Fusion 360 and the end-to-end process. Modeled some stuff but haven’t pushed out the Gcode. Everything so far has been in Easel. Ordered the Suckit at the beginning of the kickstarter. Have to wait until May but my shop already looked like a wood chipper’s nightmare so a little extra dust for a month isn’t a big deal. I just get the leaf blower and dust mask out every once in awhile with the garage doors open. BTW: the Glowforge will go in the basement studio, not in the dusty greasy shop.
1 Like
Only thing holding up my dust boot install (x-carriage mounted) is just the backlog of things on the printer. Finishing a 30 hour print tonight, and then have an 18 hour finger/arm splint for my cousin in T-Lyne which I’ve been designing in OnShape.
2 Likes
To anyone who is thinking about standing near a continuously running router: I highly recommend some hearing protection! I see @jdodds has some. 
I have these and they’re great! Made in Colorado, I think.
2 Likes
Inner-ear headphones are also quite effective, if you can stand wearing them for long periods of time.
Personally, I go for bluetooth ones as I don’t like wires hanging off me when I’m in the shop. I mostly find them to be annoying, but they’re conceivably dangerous as well.
… like… it wouldn’t take a router spinning at 20,000 RPM very long to wind up 6’ of headphone cord.
3 Likes
I have to admit I have quite a headphone problem. I easily have 30 pairs. My Shop and my office are in the same room, so I will always be wearing headphones in there. I’ll take the over the ear cans while I’m at my desk, but I also have a few pairs of Bluetooth earbuds for when I’m moving around in the shop or the yard. No way I’d let my thx-00s near that router table though!
1 Like
I have the same problem.
I have two pairs of bluetooth ear bud headphones, 3 pairs of the Bob Marley branded in-ear headphones, some sony in-ear headphones I use when I’m at the anvil, two or three pairs of under 50 dollar noise cancelling ones (that don’t cancel noise very well) and another larger over the ear wireless set.
Every time I’m out near an electronics store I have to remind myself to not buy any more
Yes, router and chain saw are my two always require headphones.
2 Likes
Hahaha… funny you should mention that.
Making the dragon where I am grinding the “scales” on the surface - I have the apple ear buds on under the sound attenuators (Micky mouse ears) jamming away. I had the 3 feet of slack running down my back to keep it out of my way.
Yep. As I’m bent over, the slack fell forward. Took about 0.003 for the grinder yank the buds out of my skull and wind them up.
A short piece of white wire wound around the grinder shaft was all that remained.
The ear buds evidently were removed from the realm of baryonic matter and were never seen again.
After giving thanks that nothing was embedded in me I went straight to best buy and secured a pair of Bluetooth ear buds with only enough wire to span the distance between my ears.
I usually anticipate circumstances that might do me harm, but every now and then I am reminded that this is earth, and Murphy will excert his influence given the opportunity. 
6 Likes
My router makes almost zero noise. Also noticed the jets and helicopters I work with have gotten a lot quieter over the years. Isn’t technology wonderful?
6 Likes
Ive walked away from my laptop with my headphones/earbuds still in and that was a painful experience. I cant imagine it being caught in some kind of equipment. Ive always been really careful with that after seeing that one scene in temple of doom when I was little.
1 Like
Ha! This leads me to encourage you to post a thread about who uses the biggest tools. We’ve had all kinds of questions about what digital tools, CNCs, lasers and whatnot. How about the big guns. Wondering if anyone works at the National Ignition Facility or CERN. My biggest tool is my tractor and six foot brush hog. Love working that thing.
2 Likes
Yes, decibles take their toll.
An engine mechanic in the Navy, I know what it sounds/feels like to be standing next to a jet engine turning 100% on a test stand.
Bone conduction, the sound goes through you.
5 Likes
I always run my headphones down my back. Before I did that I had a metal cut off disk explode on me and cut the wire for the cheap headphones that came with my roku in half.
I found the missing piece of the cut off wheel 30 meters away in my neighbour’s front yard
4 Likes
That’s right. Protect the headphone cords. First thing I think about when working with potentially deadly projectiles.
8 Likes