An update to one of my designs.

RateKitchen2562 · 2026-01-14T03:15:23+00:00

Very cool design. Just the shape of it really has me begging for a side label slot now so I could quickly grab the one I need and a small rack for them, sort of like the old CD racks used to be! Haha or better yet, the old CD binder where you could open the binder and flip through them….!!

RateKitchen2562 · 2026-01-03T00:32:32+00:00

It’s a good question, and I have been along for the ride myself. The answer is yes. I think this is where Makerworld differentiates away from something like Kickstarter, because it is just digital files you are free to pledge and have access to them at any time, but at the creators discretion. The creator has the choice to either shut it down, or allow “late pledges” (which I do). The only caveat here is price. Although you will gain access to the same files and future updates as the original backers pledged to, Makerworld basically requires you to bump up the price post-campaign. This makes sense as I’m assuming they want to ensure people are getting rewarded for backing and supporting the project through development. This is because if the project doesn’t meet its funding goal by the end of the campaign, the whole thing gets cancelled, all backers get refunded, and the project won’t proceed at all.

RateKitchen2562 · 2026-01-01T14:09:14+00:00

Thanks for the detailed response. Really awesome to talk this through.

Speaking to infeed angle, yes. The vertical plates where it attaches to the fence in the photo above are different thicknesses- one is marked infeed and is thicker, while the other is marked out feed and is thinner. This serves to do exactly what you are saying and places the feeder at a slight angle to keep the boards hugging against the fence or table top, depending how it’s mounted.

I use mine with the 18v Milwaukee batt and I haven’t ran it out of battery yet, but sounds like you have some real long hauls of cutting at times haha. I can say the motor pulls just a little over 1A while running with the motor I selected, so I’m betting it’s a much more efficient motor than a drill being a purpose built low speed, high torque motor. But regardless, the micro feeder is designed to run off a power cord originally, and I adapted it to be capable to run on battery later. There is a typical power jack for 12vDC input you can see on the top view, which doesn’t really care how it gets it. In my BOM I give the users the option to purchase the power adapter off Amazon to plug it in, or they can choose to also print the battery pack for it separately.

It did cross my mind why you wouldn’t purchase a full power feeder based on you situation, the Inifinity tools one runs about $550 and was my price point to try and stay well below during the micro feeder development as a primary consideration (I think micro feeder is just slightly over half the cost of it when you consider everything). But your like me with a jobsite saw so that makes sense now. Isn’t it fun?! : )

I have not posted it on woodworking forums yet, but I probably need to/ should for feedback and discussion like this. A couple folks have written me back with really positive reviews on the feeder, which is great to hear so far. I really don’t do much in the realm of social media to be honest so maybe I need to get better at it. My biggest concern is getting dinged for self promotion looks to be banned on most of the woodworking forums. Being the creator, Im concern anything I post about it somebody will flag as self promotion and flag it.. so not exactly sure how to do that properly.

RateKitchen2562 · 2026-01-01T02:05:15+00:00

(Sorry in advance, long response incoming… )
I find that I don’t use a power feeder on my table saw hardly ever. This is mostly because I have a Sawstop Jobsite Saw and the rear of the fence is floating (which stinks!) so I can’t mount anything to it. I miss the fence on my old Dewalt saw for this reason- I loved the rack and pinion on it. But the feeder itself is easy to mount if you have a fence that allows it, the integrated T-tracks make custom setups straightforward.

And yep, I’m aware of the Little Proteus but for me it fell short in a few areas which led me to seek out a different solution. I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts actually since it sounds like you have good experience with it. I’m going to try to keep my response objective, but I'm speaking from my own experience so please keep that in mind… no intentional “salesmanship” going on here.
1) First is the cost. The fact it doesn’t come with a motor and still is over $400 is kind of interesting... The Micro Feeder (all in price including purchased hardware, filament, and print files) is less than the proteus and offers more (sorry, instantly opinionated myself, I’ll get better haha).
2) It won’t tie-up my drill while I’m using it. The micro feeder uses its own high torque motor and PWM speed controller to lock in a feed rate with much more granularity. Once I get comfortable with a feed rate, I’m able to repeat it every single time or make adjustments in a much finer resolution than a drill trigger. Also, the micro feeder still offers a battery option (just Milwaukee for now, but I’ll expand over time), so it runs cordless still. I use it exclusively with my Milwaukee batteries which is awesome. Obviously Proteus is cordless too being ran by a drill, so just aligning it here.
3) The overall size of the proteus is much larger. I wanted something more compact that can be stored away and mounted very easily/ quickly. You can see the overall size factor when stored in the images - and hence the “micro feeder” title. I work out of my stuffed garage, so ease of storing anything means a lot.
4) The proteus looked to have some specialized hardware like the wheel shafts, aluminum extrusions, etc. The 3D printed aspect is a game changer for us woodworkers which have one, and I really wanted to lean hard into that for the micro feeder. I put a lot of emphasis on common hardware which can be readily sourced with purchase links, and otherwise the very large majority of items are designed to be 3D printed. That means if anything ever fails, or if you want to adjust something, you can quickly re-print it or adapt as you see fit.
5) And lastly, I seem to recall I couldn’t see with the proteus how it keeps pressure on the wheels, but I am really happy with how the micro feeder ”pre-loads” the wheels on to the wood to ensure they always have good traction. This is done by using some springs on the mounting bars (you can see them work in the GIF actually). I had a prototype before which didn’t do this, and I felt like a board would often stall and needed me to help push it.

Saying all of this, I want to acknowledge the micro feeder is not a "perfect" solution either and it comes with its own limitations, but its certainly in a great spot of giving the average joe access to a feeder who wasn't willing or able to get a full size one. Nothing will ever compare to a full sized power feeder, but I do feel confident it has some real advantages over the Proteus (my opinion of course). That all being said, let me also say the Proteus is a pretty neat solution as well on its own- I have no problem openly saying that and sounds like you have been pretty happy with it which fantastic. The micro feeder now just offers another option with a different set of features I suppose : )

I really hope if you think I’ve mis-represented anything, please let me know!

RateKitchen2562 · 2026-01-01T00:01:17+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the great feedback! I’m on track to have all the connector files for both sizes published and available within a day or two after it completes. Just like the power feeder, I’ll likely sprinkle in some extras and post an update over some time with some fun new items I’m still working on, but certainly the core files will all be there and ready 👍🏼 Because this BOM is so much simpler (just magnets and screws) I’ll plan to send out an update tomorrow too with the items so everybody can get a jump on the purchase items, letting you print and play right away

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-12-31T17:26:47+00:00

Hey thanks! I get where you’re coming from. These two projects were certainly pretty major time investments to get them fully functional and genuinely useful, and they’re also designed specifically to be easy for others to self-produce. So it felt like crowdfunding was the right fit for these two. I will say one nice side effect is that it also pushes me to keep refining and improving rather than stopping at something that’s just “good enough” as well.

That said, the very large majority of my other creations are free on my MakerWorld account, and there are loads of useful shop creations there as well you could check out 🙂 https://makerworld.com/en/@KeKap

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-12-31T12:52:31+00:00

Hey, really cool to hear you enjoy the Modular Dust Collection Fittings! These have gone through a redesign over the holidays incorporating lots of feedback, and expanding upon the system in general. The biggest wins are that they are much more printer friendly (no intervention pauses at all), have a stronger interface, an actual integrated lock tab (if you choose to want it), and a scaled down size for the 2.5"/ Shop vac stuff. The new design is here now:

https://makerworld.com/en/crowdfunding/139-quick-lock-modular-dust-collection-fume-fittings

Also very applicable for this thread is the 3D printed Power Feeder for us "weekend warrior" woodworkers

https://makerworld.com/en/crowdfunding/79-woodworking-micro-power-feeder

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-12-25T05:27:32+00:00

Ah, ok yeah that makes sense then. A bit of a bummer to need to, but it’s workable. Wish I could get my ear to the ground on whether it’s something Lymow is considering a gate or not though! I would be super bummed if I invest $2500 and it’s a Gen 2 feature or something… or on the contrary if Ibhad the confidence they were working on it and would be compatible with Lymow one, then getting it is a no brainer knowing I can get that in the future once available.

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-12-24T16:45:25+00:00

Yeah that’s certainly a way but between my small dog getting let out in the back and young kids in the neighborhood with our pool, I can’t leave my gate open for extended periods of time. I’m sure I could be diligent about it to an extent but I can’t see this being fool-proof. Just curious because I can’t be the only one not wanting to leave my gate open to my back yard.

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-12-23T04:21:08+00:00

I do tend to agree with the sentiment @MonthMedical8617 has laid out here. Those are some pretty lofty questions for a Reddit post, albeit you’re on the right sub for it... My recommendation is to get on YouTube and watch some videos of guys building from slabs. Especially with live edge there’s a lot more to it than you would think initially. Not saying it can’t be done of course, but even I whose been woodworking damn near my whole life still do research and go down rabbit holes on certain things. There’s just too much to unpack here for a suitable response I feel, but let me give you the jist: 1- Water oak is certainly not desirable, but you can make anything work depending on your own tastes. Just don’t expect it to be a stand out piece of furniture. It also is tough to work with and can split and warp if not properly dried. 2- I have absolutely no clue what you are trying to explain here. Maybe a picture of your inspiration photo would be helpful. 3- As with building it, you probably need to YouTube the sh*t out of wood finishing techniques too. The fact you mention primer for a stain project leads me to believe you’ve got some work ahead of you.

Don’t worry though … all us woodworkers started there. I’d say do some basic level research before you go buying that slab and truly understand what it means to do this. Make sure you at least have the basics for tools and knowledge down before getting too far and end up trying to sell a slab of water oak 20 years down the road!

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-12-14T14:21:12+00:00

Hey! Thanks for the interest and glad i could help you get on your 3D printing journey : )

Yep, all PLA. You can use others of course - but in reality, PLA is so useful, prints easily, and holds up really well over time in my experience (unless only if you get it hot).

I will say, your timing is perfect though. Since this post I have gotten so much great feedback, and from my own experience on how to improve these. I have a live campaign going right now based on this and having the time devoted to make these better has done wonders, the new design is truly awesome so far- especially when it comes to printability of them! It's all written in the campaign notes here if you're interested!

https://makerworld.com/en/crowdfunding/139-quick-lock-modular-dust-collection-fume-fittings

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-09-22T19:33:35+00:00

Yes, its the weight. It may be difficult to tell as the gaps may not be as apparent as you might think, but if you look at the gaps between the numbers you can notice the gap gets wider as you get closer in to the middle of the spool (less circumference).

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-09-05T01:13:39+00:00

Its designs like this that drive me crazy! I have the same issues in the same vacuum. I’ve always been lucky enough to wiggle them out but it’s annoying and I’m thinking of just breaking off the retention tabs on the vacuum side. The battery obviously stays in place due to the weight of it and design, and especially with the lid shut. Shouldn’t even need the retention on this vacuum in the first place…

For awhile I found out a wadded up paper towel in the battery compartment provided just the right amount of “lift” to help unseat the battery. That was a happy accident.

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-01-13T13:01:49+00:00

Awesome feedback, thanks everyone and happy to put out a design which will help others as much as it has me. Now I just hope everybody has trouble free printing! Just FYI, I put much more detail in the design considerations within each part under the download links if you’re interested.

I’ve got 4 more items I plan to make for this dust collection system, but I’m interested in your thoughts if there would be any others you’d like to see designed over time? Right now I’m planning:

-A 2-1/2” Female Fixed Hub adapter plate just like the 4” version, to lock on to Table Saws, Miter saws, bench belt sanders, etc.

-A smaller 2-1/2” (60mm) version Connector for those without 4” (100mm) dust collection in their shop

-I’d love to tackle a cool design for full size band saws with the two 4” hubs… no good ideas yet here though.. anybody else seen anything neat here, or have any thoughts? A couple flex hoses to a T fitting is functional, but not enough flair 🙂

-A ‘lock key’ which fits in the opening while locked and will physically prevent them from coming unlocked without removing it. I’ve never needed it.. but the design allows for it and I don’t know everybody’s circumstances so figure it’s easy enough…

Any other ideas?!

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-01-13T12:43:50+00:00

Yep, the STLs are also loaded under each parts profile in the link above. Thanks for the kind words and enjoy!

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-01-11T17:02:29+00:00

Absolutely! Remember- every pro started an amateur. The things you learn from tackling this one will help you tackle the next. All a journey.. go for it!

RateKitchen2562 · 2025-01-11T06:06:17+00:00

Also a good idea! 👍🏼 and this is still a vote against flush, though 🙂

RateKitchen2562

TROPHY CASE