As mentioned in previous posts, I purchased my Shapeoko 5 Pro about two years ago. I experienced a significant number of issues and ultimately rebuilt the machine using the PwnCNC conversion kit. I have been very happy with both the kit and the level of support I received.
As part of my overall upgrade, I wanted to automate the dust boot. This proved challenging, but with help from several people—most notably Woody Arnold and Peter Passuello from MASSO (CNCNutz)—I was able to develop a working solution.
I am sharing this as a brief instructional post for others interested in adding an automated dust boot to a Shapeoko 5 Pro. I am not an expert, just a hobbyist. These instructions apply specifically to a Shapeoko 5 Pro with the 80 mm spindle collar that uses the knurled adjustment screw on the left side.
The general mechanics and electronics, however, should be useful for other setups as well. A master parts list is included at the end to help locate the required components.
My dust boot mounts to the front of the spindle. Mounting it on the side created problems, including reduced X-axis travel when the boot contacted the right-side Y rail.
Woody originally designed a dust boot for his machine, and it worked perfectly for his application. I adapted his files for my setup, which was not a simple task due to my limited experience with Fusion 360 and similar CAD/CAM software. I am grateful to my friends at InterLink Engineering in Phoenix for their help with the Fusion files. Once modified, I converted the files to STL format and printed the parts on my 3D printer.
Woody and I exchanged ideas on air cylinder selection and mounting methods. I ultimately chose to use two air cylinders mounted toward the front and connected directly to the dust boot. His overall design was excellent, particularly when modeling airflow through the boot. However, the screw hole placement for attaching the cylinders did not align with my design and needed to be shifted significantly. I modified the dust boot so the piston rods would align correctly, using superglued M6 threaded inserts in the mounting holes.
Another challenge involved creating a holder for the air cylinders. The right side of the mount had only two M5 screw holes, while the left side used a triangular dovetail mount adjusted with a large knurled knob. I designed the holder to incorporate this triangular mount. At the time, I was not aware Carbide had released a DIY mount. Even knowing it exists now, I would likely still choose the approach I used.
The holder accommodates two air cylinders with a 16 mm bore and a 75 mm stroke. I initially planned to use 100 mm stroke cylinders, but testing showed the extra length caused the dust boot to drop too far below the spindle, which would create problems. Depending on spindle height, either a 75 mm or 100 mm cylinder may work for your setup.
I also designed the holder to mount a 24 V solenoid valve by adding two M4 screw holes and installing M4 threaded inserts. I placed the solenoid on the mount to minimize the number of air lines running through the drag chain. Keeping the solenoid close to the cylinders significantly reduces the amount of air tubing required.
Once the cylinders were mounted and the piston rods secured in the M6 inserts, I moved on to the air lines and wiring.
From the solenoid to the cylinders, I used 1/4-inch OD air tubing with the quick-connect fittings supplied with the solenoid, along with additional fittings. You can see the build in various stages in the photos below. Please note I switched from the Tailonz solenoid in the original build to the US Solid solenoid for the final version of the project.
I connected the B port to the top of each air cylinder and the A port to the bottom. Splitters on both ports ensured equal airflow to each cylinder. I also installed mufflers on the exhaust ports to slow the cylinder movement and smooth the motion. This prevents the cylinders from slamming into the spindle mount.
The picture below shows the final version of the configuration which includes the use of the quick connect fittings. The cylinders are attached using a nut below the mount. At this point, if you wanted to test the solenoid, you could hook up the air to it and press the blue button. The pistons will fire and the dust boot will move up and down.
For the wiring, I purchased a Weipu SA12 six-pin connector with a male cable-side plug and a female panel-side socket from PwnCNC. They were out of the two-pin version, which I would have preferred if it had been available.
I also purchased 18-gauge, two-conductor shielded wire for the male Weipu connector from Amazon. PwnCNC sells wire by the foot, and the quality is excellent. I would have preferred to use theirs, but I was in a time crunch and didn’t order it.
For the female connector that interfaces with the MASSO, I used a multi-color wire pack and selected black and yellow wires for ground and relay connections. Soldering the wires to the Weipu connector pins was somewhat difficult due to their small size. After soldering, I verified continuity and sealed the connections with heat-shrink tubing.
For the two wires connecting to the solenoid and the wires terminating at the MASSO, I used a ferrule crimper and installed ferrules. This made the connections easier to manage and improved electrical reliability.
I knocked out a hole in the back plate inlet panel and routed the two wires into the MASSO. In the picture below, you can see an earlier version using a 6 pin Weipu connector where I used a ground wire. I removed the ground wire and changed from a 6 pin to a 2 pin for the final build.
The yellow wire was connected to a relay. In my configuration, I used the fourth relay from the left because the first three are dedicated to the tower light. This relay corresponds to TTL Output 16, which is used later during MASSO configuration.
When making the relay connection, use the leftmost terminal opening, which is the Normally Closed contact. The center terminal is the Normally Open contact. The screwdriver points to the correct relay position.
The black wire was connected to ground at the top of the MASSO. The orange Wago connector near the relay was fully populated, so I used the open GND terminal next to the PWR terminal on the far-right, top side of the controller.
Wiring the solenoid itself is straightforward. I routed the cable through the drag chain to the X-axis and connected one wire to each solenoid terminal. According to the solenoid documentation, polarity does not matter, and a separate ground wire is not required. I also rotated the solenoid’s protective cover to face outward so the wiring would fit without interfering with the air tubing.
I use a 30-gallon air compressor with two output ports. One port supplies air to the PwnCNC pneumatic enclosure for the spindle. The second port feeds the solenoid. Based on recommendations from Woody and others, I reduced the air pressure to 25 PSI using an air filter regulator. This prevents over-pressurizing the tubing and solenoid mufflers.
I printed two dust hood adapter plates to support both 1-inch and 2-inch dust brushes. This accommodates different bit lengths and provides flexibility during use.
The final step is configuring the MASSO. Two documented approaches exist, but only one worked for me. For PwnCNC users, the only relevant setting is the Linear Type 2 tool changer.
MASSO documentation recommends configuring both an input and an output:
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Set Tool Changer – Input 3 for Dust Hood UP OK (high indicates hood up).
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Set Tool Changer – Output 1 to move the Dust Hood up or down (high moves the hood up).
When configured this way, the relay activated, but the air cylinders did not move. After consulting with others, including Woody, I was advised to configure only the output. This approach worked correctly. The working configuration is:
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Set Tool Changer – Output 1 to move the Dust Hood up or down (high moves the hood up). Ensure the correct output number matches the relay used. In my case, this was TTL Output 16. Other systems may use TTL Output 13 or another available output.
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DO NOT CONFIGURE ANY TOOL CHANGER INPUTS.
I contacted MASSO to understand why this configuration worked. Peter explained the controller ignores missing inputs and proceeds without error. After testing the system with a tool change command, everything functioned as expected.
Here is a video of me using the MASSO button to control the dust hood for an initial test.
And here is a video of the MASSO controlling a tool change and the dust boot working properly.
Here is the list of parts you may need for your build. I bought almost everything from Amazon.
Weipu Connector – Get these from PwnCNC as they have the best price and the correct ones usually in stock. Go here and select the Male Cable Side and the Female Panel Side. DO NOT BUY the Female Panel Side w/ Flange. If they don’t have the 2 pin in stock, buy whichever one they have a pair of and wire accordingly.
Air Cylinder - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CZ39Y42?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1
Solenoid Valve - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SGDDKL1?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1 or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VTULZTU?ref=fed_asin_title (I prefer the US Solid version)
Threaded Inserts (any variation that has the 4mm and 6mm should work) – This is what I bought.
Mufflers – you might get some with your tubing purchase or the air cylinders. If not, these work well.
Quick Connect fittings – These are what I eventually ended up using. You can open or close the valves to allow air through. Get them here.
Splitters – You don’t need a lot of these. For my install I used two. Get them here.
Bolts – You can buy sets that are socket heads or flat. It is up to you.
Tubing - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0989ZR168?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1
Wire 18g - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9JWWGKT?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1
Multi color wire - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0O1NXM?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1
Heat Shrink - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVVMCY86?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1
Air Filter Regulator - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TPCGWPY?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1
Magnets – These are used on the underside of the dust boot and the connector brush ring. They fit perfectly. Get them here.
Brush for dust boot – I bought the 1” and 2” versions from McMaster-Carr. DO NOT BUY FROM AMAZON as the ones they sell will NOT FIT.
DIY mount for Shapeoko mount - https://shop.carbide3d.com/products/diy-mount