DIY Unisaw motor cover with dust collection

[Matt Timbs]

I recently bought and am rebuilding an '89 Unisaw (34-802). I've painted it, replaced arbor bearings, rewired it, checked the motor, cleaned and re-waxed all the cogs and gears, remounted the table and fence. one of the last things to do is add a motor cover and dust collection. This saw is the one with the sloped dust chute and the little 2"ish slot where the dust can slide out. All the DIY and stock motor covers I see cover the big upper hole but leave the slot open, which you have to make or buy another dust cover for (which looks like an HVAC register but longer and skinnier). Why do folks not build a taller motor cover with a dust port in the bottom, covering both holes?

I am on the verge of building one out of plywood, but wanted to ask in case there's some reason this isn't often done.

[Tom M King]

Mine was missing the cover when I bought it off CL. I built a wooden box for the motor cover, that takes a 12x12 slide in HVAC filter. The filter is just to keep stuff from getting thrown out. That's my portable saw, that I use inside houses. A 3HP DC gets all the dust. Every other little hole is taped up-no open to air holes anywhere else. Since this picture was taken, I've changed to a magnetic sheet that is easily moved over the tilt slot.

If you want to get all the dust, you have to move a lot of air. To move a lot of air, you have to provide a way for it to enter. I just figured that over the motor was a good place for more air flow, and needed another motor cover anyway. This saw has been used Way more than any hobbyist's saw, and the motor is still just fine.

[David Buchhauser]

That's my portable saw, that I use inside houses.

Tom,
Is the saw in the picture your portable saw, or are you talking about another smaller saw? The one shown looks like it might be hard to move around from job site to job site. I can't tell for sure, but it looks like it might have a frame under it with wheels? Then I suppose you could roll it onto a small flat bed trailer for transport.
David

[Tom M King]

That's portable with a front end loader. The old houses I work on, to a one, have double entry doors, interior doors are 42", with wide Passages (what we call halls today), so access is pretty easy. It will almost always roll right off the front porch, into the loader bucket. I once moved it a quarter mile, from one site to the other, just in the loader bucket. It's still dead on, after numerous such moves.

Our jobsite setups are typically for a year, or two, or more. Yes, that's an HTC mobile base, and you see the Masonite on the floor, which makes things roll easily, and protects the old, wooden floors.

The house that picture was taken in was built in 1828. We worked there for 2-1/2 years.

[Jack Frederick]

On my '48 Unisaw (same vintage as me), which I re-built, I made a 1x6 frame and covered it with 1/4" temp hard board. I cut I think it was a half dozen slots to facilitate air movement for the DC. I also made some brackets off the sides of the box to hand the fence and other accessories on when needed. Tom, that is a heck of a "job" saw, but it's nice having the best on the job.

[Charles Lent]

I bought a plastic cover for mine. It attaches with spring clips and has foam Weather stripping around the edge. I think they are still available online. A significant reduction in motor and blade noise, as well as dust containment was gained by using it.

If you will attaching a dust collector, a sheet of magnetic rubber can be trimmed to cover the curved slot behind the blade height adjustment wheel, and it will slide as you make blade angle adjustments. I used a smaller piece for the rear hole where the blade guard was connected. Holes between the ribs on the underside of the table were left open to allow air flow, so as not to restrict the flow to the dust collector. If you don't want this, I suggest using pieces of foam rubber stuffed into each space from underneath around the cabinet. Many Unisaws have a connection for a dust collector in the bottom trim of the cabinet on the back side of the saw. A special adapter was once available for connecting here, but you will likely need to make your own now. I would think that connecting here would be much easier than carving a hole in the metal cabinet.

Charley