Disappointed = Grizzly bandsaw dust problem

[Kevin Gregoire]

i have a Grizzly G0555 and im kinda disappointed on how it handles saw
dust! i fired mine up today for the first time and made only two cuts on a
6 inch wide board and i had dust everywhere!
the most dust was coming up from the bottom wheel through the door
and covering the on/off switch.

i have to say i really liked the door on my Ridgid saw how it funneled dust
right under the table.

and my Grizzly also did not have any kind of brushes to wipe dust off both
wheels like my Ridgid had. i thought that was standard on most all band saws?

i have not yet hooked up a DC system to my saw and im sure it would suck
away all the dust but i shouldnt have to turn it on each time i use my saw.

has anyone made any mods to there saw to correct this problem?

[glenn bradley]

There's a fair amount of thread space here on Bandsaw DC improvements. I use the DC every time I use the saw.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=111755

[michael case]

I have a Powermatic and it definitely needs the dust collector running or dust settles on the lower wheel.

[Leo Graywacz]

Use dust collection

[Steven Hsieh]

Mine does the same thing


In the manual it says:

DO NOT turn on bandsaw without dust collection

[Will Overton]

... i shouldnt have to turn it on each time i use my saw.


Yes you should ... and why wouldn't you?

[Dan Karachio]

Kevin, with all due respect I think you are making a completely unreasonable demand here. To use a power tool, any power tool, without dust collection running and expect dust to be controlled is illogical. Even Festool can't do that. My Rikon bandsaw certainly doesn't do this, but with the DC on (yes, every time), it does a very good job. While your Rigid may have funneled some dust away, even without dust collection, it certainly wasn't catching the finer stuff and bandsaws produce some of the finest dust of any tool and that is the dust you want to collect in a DC and not your nose and lungs. Why not try your saw with dust collection and let us know how it works?

[Sean Troy]

I get very little dust with my setup.

[Prashun Patel]

I have a G0555. I notice the same thing when I run without DC. I don't think it's a problem. The wheel cabinet is very small compared to that of a tablesaw, yet it generates about as much dust per operation. It's a tall order for any bandsaw to contain it. I humbly suspect that you were misinterpreting your last saw's ability to somehow contain this dust...?

[Stephen Cherry]

If the dust isn't going into a dust collector, where is it supposed to go?

It's just like putting on the seat belts when you drive; why wait until it's too late?

[Neil Brooks]

You got your due, already, so I won't pile on :p

I got my 0555X before I got my proper DC.

During that (what I call the Age of Dust) period, I got a 2-1/2" to 4" converter, and ran my ShopVac for dust collection, on the Grizzly.

Not AS good, of course, but surely better than nothing.

And ... yes ... the bandsaw does seem to be inherently weaker, in dust collection (maybe the breed, not the model/maker) than other tools.

When boredom finally hits, I'll almost surely create a second port, and try to increase the % of dust captured.

Meanwhile, even THAT really isn't a bother. It's more a pseudo problem that might be fun to solve ;)

[James Arvanetakis]

Glenn - if you have the time I wouldn't mind seeing a little bit more about what you've built around the lower guides. I assume its just 3-sided?

Thanks~

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=163272&d=1286158279

[Callan Campbell]

I run my DC everytime I have my 14" Rikon in use. Depending on the project, there may be little, or lots of dust, but since I'm making the dust via whatever machine/tool I'm using, it's up to me to catch it and contain it to protect myself and my family's health. As a bonus, you get cleaner guts of your bandsaw if the dust port from the factory works well. For that missing brush, plan on adding it as needed. They're cheap, and usually easy to add inside the lower wheel housing via a shop-made bracket if needed. I was greatful my Rikon came with one, one less "mod" to perform on a bandsaw..

[David Hostetler]

Where on earth did you get the impression that you shouldn't need to use your dust collector when you use dust producing tools?

[Don Alexander]

there is something that will work 100% ................at least as far as controlling the dust ................ unfortunately you won't get any wood cut that way :D:D:D

[Kevin Gregoire]

for one i don't have room for a DC and have not used one for the past year or so that
i have been into woodworking. i use a mask when its bad but i do want to get some
adapters for my shop vac.

but besides the dust problem why doesn't the saw come with the wheel brushes?
i had the saw on less then a minute and both bands on the wheels had a bunch of
dust ground into them.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Kevin,

The saw wasn't designed to function without a DC.

Page 29 of the manual for the G0555 states:


DO NOT operate the Model G0555 without
an adequate dust collection system.

While using a DC won't eliminate the problem, neither will a wheel brush. If a brush is that important to you, add one.

[glenn bradley]

but besides the dust problem why doesn't the saw come with the wheel brushes? i had the saw on less then a minute and both bands on the wheels had a bunch of dust ground into them.

I'm sorry if it sounds lke you are getting beat up on this Kevin but, the manual states not to operate the saw without a DC running. Grizzly makes their manuals available online and I read them studiously while making my purchasing decisions. I imagine the design decision on the brushes took that into account.

In my previous post you can see where I hack-sawed off a cheap brush head and hot glued it to something that would position it correctly. I put a bit of wire around it as well just in case the glue failed. I didn't want to lose a blade or a tire by capturing the brush head between blade and wheel should it come loose. A very cheap, quick fix.

[Mike Cruz]

I have to conquer...yes, you do have to run a DC with a BS. Not only that, I've found that one 4" port is not enough. One in the lower unit is/may be enough to not allow the dust to accumulate in the lower cabinet, but that is all it will do. If you want to keep your shop free of airborne dust and from sawdust all over the table, the floor and all the nooks and crannies of your BS, you need two 4" ports...one above the table and one below. Just my experience...that's what I did on one of mine, and still need to do on the other.