PSI Pen Makers Dust Trap

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Alright, lets have a discussion.

I am looking at the PSI Pen Makers Dust Trap as an attachment for making pens, specifically resin pens. Those shavings go everywhere and make quite the mess. This is specically about those resin shavings.

Has anyone used this dust trap and can report on it? Does it do well in collecting the resin shavings and ribbons that can get quite long while spreading far and wide around the greater lathe area? What are your thoughts on this particular dust collecting tool? With the trap mostly encircling the blank it seems that it would catch the shavings fairly well?

Rockler has their own version called the Dust Right Lathe Dust Collection System but that seems better for larger general spindle projects. It doesn't seem like it would catch as much of the resin because the suction is just below the lathe.

Does anyone have a product they bought or designed for collecting the resin that shoots everywhere while turning? If you designed, a picture would be helpful for understanding.
 
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grebmar

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I have the Rockler version. It's made primarily for longer works, so for pen making it fits a mandrel. Single barrel pens are bit too short. However, you can take off the scoop part and the hose itself will work pretty well for short pieces. I've noticed that it does better with acryilics/alumilite, and the long streams go right into the tube. The mess on the lathe is significantly less with acrylics. It doesn't work as well for rounding square blanks, and chips from wood blanks scatter everywhere, so it doesn't seem to work as well for that.
 

Painfullyslow

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Interesting as I had not seen this before but I don't seem to have much trouble with shavings when turning. I am simply clamping a hose from my shop-vac about 1" behind the piece. There is still an occasional bit of shavings/dust that escapes though so I will absolutely be watching this for more information.
 

DaveTas

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I made my own out of a stormwater T fitting. I just cut an opening down the side. It works well. I can butt the bottom side under my blank & hard up to my tool rest.. to try to capture as much as possible.
 

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howsitwork

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Dave

thats a really neat idea. I might try it for the acrylics ( plastics) !

I use a flexi 3" hose currently but still get those damn ribbons everywhere
 

Pen_man_ship

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I noticed the rotation of the lathe propels most of the acrylic shavings towards me. So I fashioned the Rockler collector on a roller stand in front of the lathe connected to Dust Right separator then to the dust collector. Works great.
 

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howsitwork

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Thanks for that David, it's a good point.

With my current set up that would hit my gut ( expanding concern 🤫) so i'll stick with jerry rigging the hose etc behind the lathe where my stomach is not a factor.
 

Csteck00

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Jan 24, 2016
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Arkansas
Alright, lets have a discussion.

I am looking at the PSI Pen Makers Dust Trap as an attachment for making pens, specifically resin pens. Those shavings go everywhere and make quite the mess. This is specically about those resin shavings.

Has anyone used this dust trap and can report on it? Does it do well in collecting the resin shavings and ribbons that can get quite long while spreading far and wide around the greater lathe area? What are your thoughts on this particular dust collecting tool? With the trap mostly encircling the blank it seems that it would catch the shavings fairly well?

Rockler has their own version called the Dust Right Lathe Dust Collection System but that seems better for larger general spindle projects. It doesn't seem like it would catch as much of the resin because the suction is just below the lathe.

Does anyone have a product they bought or designed for collecting the resin that shoots everywhere while turning? If you designed, a picture would be helpful for understanding.
Hello Bunny,

I was gifted one of these at Christmas...and left a comment with Penn State about my experiences. I guess the good folks at PS didn't care for my review and left their own comments. I would personally not buy one of these, as I believe they are way over priced for what you get, and I just don't find them to be that effective...particularly when rounding resin blanks. It does however catch the ribbons pretty well. My original review and PS response:
Not as robust as I would have expected
I received one of these as a Christmas Gift. I am really disappointed. This just doesn't meet the quality standards that I have come to expect from my other purchases. While there are many adjustable points so it will fit a multitude of lathes, It is quite flimsy and does not accept a 4 inch dust collection hose without an adapter. For the price, I just don?t see how this is a good buy.
Csteck00
Jan 2, 2023

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Most of the added value is in the light and magnification attachments. If you just want the dust collection, there is the Dust Trap without the light and other attachments that is more economical. Yes, it also accepts a 2-1/2in. hose, not a 4 inch. It does state that in the description, although you were not there to read it when yours was bought. Now, one important thing to remember is all of the woodturners here have a version of this on our lathes, with an adapter hose to go from 4in to 2-1/2" and we use it successfully every day.
PSI Pen TechSTAFFJan 3, 2023
 

dogcatcher

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I use a gallon milk jug that I cut the top and bottom out and the top part is connected to the vacuum. The bottom opening acts as the collector. Remember it is a dust collector not a shavings collector.
 

KMCloonan

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Why not just stick a screen in front of the dust collector?? Cost 0.
John, I actually had the same idea last week. I used 1/4" hardware cloth, and fashioned a screen over the front of my Rockler dust collection contraption. It was a brilliant idea. And it caught every single thread and resin chip, and was completely clogged within about 30 seconds. The chips came from me being too lazy to round off the corners on the blank with my sander first.

And, the amount of resin threads a blank throws off is astounding. Without the screen, the dust collector just swallows all the threads, so I never really have to deal with them, until I need to empty the dust collector. Some of the threads got together inside the 4" piping and made some pretty impressive clogs, but I was able to pull them out pretty easily. My screen idea was intended to catch the threads, and not have clogs in the piping. It worked, because the screen clogged almost immediately so nothing went in the pipes.
 

Todd in PA

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Port Matilda, PA
I made my own out of a stormwater T fitting. I just cut an opening down the side. It works well. I can butt the bottom side under my blank & hard up to my tool rest.. to try to capture as much as possible.
Ok.
I just use a shop vac for dust collection, so I decided to fabricate a makeshift scoop after reading this. I just used a yogurt container.

5DA59459-6B7E-4D39-A119-6E8F5BCA7098.jpeg


Without a scoop, my shop vac collected maybe 30-50% of my chips, and then about 75% once I got it round and throwing ribbons.

With the scoop, it was 75%+ the whole way through. I will make a better one out of a clear water bottle to
Improve visibility.

Thanks for the suggestion.
 

InkyMike

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Jun 28, 2016
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Maple Valley, WA
Ok.
I just use a shop vac for dust collection, so I decided to fabricate a makeshift scoop after reading this. I just used a yogurt container.

View attachment 349338

Without a scoop, my shop vac collected maybe 30-50% of my chips, and then about 75% once I got it round and throwing ribbons.

With the scoop, it was 75%+ the whole way through. I will make a better one out of a clear water bottle to
Improve visibility.

Thanks for the suggestion.
I tried using a large cut down funnel but it blocked the light too much for my liking. I have my collection hose and a light mounted to an old drill press stand that I can move around as needed. I still get a few chips thrown at my during initial cuts in acrylic but this works really well for me

Edit: I usually turn one piece at a time so not having a wider collection port isn't really an issue for me.
 

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Last edited:
Joined
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Messages
545
Location
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Ok.
I just use a shop vac for dust collection, so I decided to fabricate a makeshift scoop after reading this. I just used a yogurt container.

View attachment 349338

Without a scoop, my shop vac collected maybe 30-50% of my chips, and then about 75% once I got it round and throwing ribbons.

With the scoop, it was 75%+ the whole way through. I will make a better one out of a clear water bottle to
Improve visibility.

Thanks for the suggestion.

For little turnings like, stoppers, calls, etc I use a shopvac as well. Some great ideas coming out of this thread but I like the small container concept but maybe a harder plastic. How do you secure your dust collection to the lathe so it stays in the location you desire?
 
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These make great dust collector mounts.

Check out 360 Clip On Cell Phone Holder Mount Car Bed Table Desk Long Arm Flexible Stand on eBay!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2919836640...id=uqlgL5HZSJO&widget_ver=artemis&media=EMAIL

Interesting concept for this mount, how well does it handle the vibration or movement from turning? Does it have a lot of flex or play and how does that affect actual collection? How do you secure the clip to the lathe as it seems fairly small?
 

dogcatcher

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Interesting concept for this mount, how well does it handle the vibration or movement from turning? Does it have a lot of flex or play and how does that affect actual collection? How do you secure the clip to the lathe as it seems fairly small?
The cell phone flex arm is solid. It takes quite a bit of effort to move it around. I have one for dust collector and another for lights.
 

SteveG

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Dec 21, 2009
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Location
Eugene, Oregon 97404
I incorporated a TV wall mount device as part of my dust collector system. (Sorry,no pics.) The smaller ones are inexpensive, yet have plenty of adjustment range.
 
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