Contractor table saw to a cabinet saw?

[Mike Willeson]

Has anyone taken the legs of a contractor table saw and built a cabinet underneath it?

I realize there is still the issue of the motor hanging out the back but a cabinet underneath would at least help contain some of the dust the falls straight down.

I'm not in a position to buy a different saw so looking at ways to improve what I have.

[George Bokros]

Some sort of enclosure will be helpful. I enclosed the bottom of my 1975 vintage Craftsman table saw and it does help with containment of the sawdust that falls downward.

[Frederick Skelly]

I did that. I put a drawer in the cabinet into which the sawdust falls. It works just fine and I'd say there's less dust.

I have not done it, but there are ways and plans for closing-up the back where the motor hangs off. I think I saw them in a back issue of WOOD magazine, but you can easily devise your own.

Another idea is a dust bag that hangs underneath your saw like this one. LINK (https://www.hartvilletool.com/product/5392/miscellaneous-dust-collection). I can't speak to how well it works but it always looked like a good idea. I noticed this one is out of stock but I've seen other brands.

[Simon MacGowen]

If you Googled it, you'd see tons of examples. Some even added a dust port for dust collection. American Woodworker had run an article in one of its old issues. It would help with dust collection a bit.

Simon

[Jim Becker]

Lots of folks have enclosed the bottoms of a Contractors' Style Saw. It can help a bit with dust containment, for example.

Please note that this does not make it a "cabinet saw" because the designation isn't about the base; it's about how and where the trunions are attached to the tool, etc.

[Mike Kees]

My jobsite saw is a delta contractor saw that I built a plywood cabinet under. Think box with a storage drawer on one side and sawdust compartment on the other. I have it on 6'' casters,it works very well on rough terrain outside.I think that if you closed the back where the motor is and put a Sharkguard on that you would get almost all of the dust created. Mike.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I have a "Big gulp" suspended under the top of my Rigid table saw. Between the expanse of the gulp and the 4" port leading to my dust collector, I get very little dust under the saw.

[Doug Garson]

I think what you are describing is very common. I have a direct drive Rockwell Beaver table saw with a cast iron top and the motor directly below the table so I don't have to deal with the motor hanging out the back. I replaced the metal legs with a plywood box and a dust collector connection and storage for blades and accessories. Search "Building a table saw base" on Youtube and you'll see lot's of examples.

[Michelle Rich]

there must be 25 videos on Youtube, and many images you can google up

[Lee Schierer]

I built a box into the base of my contractor saw with a 4" dust port at the bottom. I connected my dust collector to it. Then I added a sheet of magnetic air vent cover to the front of the saw to cover the arced opening for the tilt. The result was that I get far less dust on my floor. The only problem is if you drop the blade nut or the flange washer I have to disassemble part of the duct work to retrieve them.

[Scott Buehler]

I have done it, I will post pics in a few days, when im back from vacation. Dust collection is better and it fits into my work station

[Charles Lent]

My uncle had built a box/stand under his saw. He had added 2 wheels at the back that just touched the floor, and a heavy duty handle at floor level on the front of the box. The box had no bottom and sat flat against the floor. He could lift the front of the saw and move it easily on the rear wheels. Whenever it was moved, all of the collected sawdust was in a pile on the floor and could easily be shoveled and broomed into the trash. This was the saw that he took to jobs, so it never contained more than about a week's worth of saw dust before it was moved again.

Charley

[Mike Cutler]

Mike

What kind of saw do you have? It doesn't sound as if it has any provisions for dust collection at all.
I have an older Jet, blue, contractor saw and the dust port is in the bottom of it. To seal the back I have a 1/4" plywood back to seal off the rear of the saw that fits around the motor.
The biggest improvement came from jamming window insulation around the top of the body where it meets the underside of the table. I also have some magnetic sign material that goes over the slots that the tilt mechanism travels through. The DC pretty much picks up only at the blade insert, and a small section in the rear around the belt and motor frame.
It's pretty easy to seal up a contractor saw. If you don't use the tilt mechanism on it, which I don't, you could even put the motor inside the box.

[andy bessette]

Trading legs for a cabinet won't turn it into a cabinet saw, but would help with dust collection.

[Grant Wilkinson]

Keep in mind when sealing openings that you can seal too tightly. Your dust collector can only draw if it has an intake somewhere. I sealed my contractor saw too well and lost some dust collection. I ended up opening a few slots so that there was a better flow into the dust collector intake. I've seen some who drill holes in their zero clearance throat insert, but since that is covered by the board being cut, I can't see how that would work well.

[glenn bradley]

Did we scare him away with all the good responses? :) I was going this way but, veered off. It seemed to work better for me to use the saw as it was until I was ready to upgrade. My saws were 1970's Rockwell and a 1970's Craftsman/Emmerson. Neither would hold alignment at a bevel angle due to frame/trunnion flex under the stress of the motor weight. I still have Granpa's 1950's Emmerson that I plan to use as a 90* rip-only station and will undoubtedly build it into some sort of base if/when I do.

[Mike Kees]

Glen I have noticed a big improvement with my saw holding adjustments better since I mounted it on the "box". Really a big torsion box. However I am a carpenter using this saw for ripping plywood for framing and building stairs. I did however use it for woodwork for two years when I ripped down my old shop and was in the process of building my new shop. Very few bevels were cut however. Mike.