Sidetrack #2 - Dust Collection

I decided I needed a better way of dust collection than the good-ole shop vac.  It does what I need but is not a pleasure to clean and looses suction as the filter gets clogged.  I read reviews and specs and decided that:
1. I am too cheap to buy a real dust collector
2. The cheap ones will not do much more than the shop vac.

Then I found this contraption, which is designed to be inserted upstream from a shop vac and collects most (they claim 99%) of the dust and chips.  Of course I got the DIY version and added it to my shop vac:

I basically thru-bolted it to the lid of a paint bucket.  Notice the plywood washers on the base, I figured they will protect the plastic better than metal washers.  The way it is connected to the shop vac is from what I found on their web site and brochure.  The bucket with the thingie attached sits inside a second bucket that is again through-bolted to the side of the shop vac:

There is a foam block between the bucket and the shop vac to even out the irregular surfaces and reduce some vibration:

Sidetrack #1 - The Router Table

After mixed success routing edges by hand, I decided to build a router table.  I found this "easy as it gets" design which seemed simple enough and not take too long to build.  I upgraded the fence with a fixed face using melamine-covered shelving and added a box for dust collection.  Here it is:

 

Update: added top and bottom dust pickup.  On the bottom I installed the dust cover that came with the router.  I joined the two collection ports with a Y connector (with the fence port getting the "straight" path.

Plywood Located

Plywood located, only 96mi away (South Jersey Lumberman's, Mays Landing NJ) and middle of the mail-order pricing for 6mm BS1088 Okoume.  I'll strap some 2x4's to the roof rack and drive down later this week.  I used Woodfinder ("Marine Plywood", zip code, nearest 10, easy as pie) and started calling from the nearest (ok, the nearest is 96mi away but driving 4hrs round trip much better than paying $225 S&H (my hourly rates are very reasonable :^)

Plans arrived

The plans arrived today. 

First order of business, I ran out and made a set of copies.  I know that I will make too many notes on them and then spill coffee, water, epoxy and other stuff on them.  I need clean originals.

Second order of business, I asked my first stupid question on the forum (about changing the design; already!).  Let's see how badly I get put in my place.

Now I have to clean the garage and move my workshop to the basement, as I have been threatening to do for a year so I have room to work.

The beginning

After 8-9 months of research, lurking in forums, reading about boat designs and general procrastination, I ordered plans for a Spindrift 11 sloop designed by B&B Yachts.  I hope to keep track of the build here.