In an effort to improve workshop air quality and reduce the mess involved with freehand routing, Oneida Air Systems has engineered a new Universal Dust-Free Router Hood. The company says this accessory will capture nearly all of the dust, chips and shavings generated by portable routers, enabling a virtually dust-free routing experience.
The Universal Dust-Free Router Hood features a 7-in.-dia. base plate with a hole pattern that fits most popular makes of mid-size routers, plus an upper dust dome and lower chip cover that fully encapsulate the router bit. This design captures dust at two different collection points simultaneously. The hood installs with the router’s sub-base screws and includes a quick-release hose connection port. It is not suitable for router table use.
Molded from clear polycarbonate — the same material used in industrial safety glasses — Oneida’s Universal Dust-free Router Hood offers both see-through clarity and superior durability. Its upper dust dome and lower chip cover rotate freely as the router moves to help ensure unimpeded routing. The lower chip cover can be removed without tools for inner plunging operations. It also can be replaced with a shallower cover for tighter edge work.
The hood will accommodate up to 2-1/8-in.-dia. edge-profiling bits and up to 1-1/4-in. plunge style bits.
The development of the product initially began when Oneida Air Systems’ researchers asked woodworkers, “What is the dirtiest, dustiest tool in your shop?” The overwhelming response was “My portable router!” Company founder and owner, Robert Witter, comments, “The fact that the router was causing such a significant pain point for our customers ignited a firm resolve within our company to clean up the dust-laden routing process once and for all. Our R&D team listened carefully to the needs of our customer base and worked diligently to perfect a universal solution with a clear, competitive advantage in the marketplace.”
The Universal Dust-Free Router Hood is designed to work with most fixed-base and plunge style routers from major brands including Black & Decker, Bosch, Craftsman, DeWALT, Hitachi, Makita, Porter-Cable, Ridgid, Rockwell, Ryobi and more. (You can verify the compatibility of your router’s make and model using a downloadable paper template, available on Oneida’s website.) Made in the USA, Oneida’s Universal Dust-Free Router Hood (item AXH000001) sells for $29.99.
