Z-Independent vs Router Mounted

There are two main types of dust boots and which one you choose greatly depends on a few factors.

• Z-Independent boots hover over your stock allowing your 65/69mm Palm Router (or even our 65mm or 80mm Spindle Motor) to move freely in the Z direction.  These types of boots are perfect for 2.5d carving like simple signs but can also be utilized for 3d carving if certain requirements are satisfied, more on this later.
• Spindle / Router mounted boots attach directly to your Spindle or Palm Router and moves in the Z direction.  These types of boots are perfect for 3d carving.

Is Z-Independent Bracketing Required?  Yes... you will need bracketing with your Z-Independent dust boot (V3, V9).  Bracketing is used to mount the boot directly onto the X carriage avoiding contact with the Z that is moving up/down.  We have the perfect z-independent bracketing system for your Shapeoko 4 whether you have the stock Z-Plus, or upgraded HDZ regardless of which spindle/router your using:  65mm or 80mm.

Front or Back Loading

PwnCNC revolutionized the CNC dust collection market by releasing the first of its kind "under-the-gantry" or "rear-loading" dust boot design.  

• Rear Loading (our v3/v9 designs) gives you the greatest visibility and access to your router, but these features come at a cost... reduced Z capacity.  The boot itself has been optimized to take as little of your machines Z capacity as possible... roughly 1.75".  But for today's modern hobby CNC machines that isn't really a problem since most have capacities upwards of 6".  This means you can easily carve 3/4" or even 2-3" thick stock and our rear loading dust boot designs.
• Alternatively, our v5 / v7 design offers a Spindle/Router Mounted boot that also takes up no Z capacity and will work great no matter which configuration your Shapeoko 4 is in.