Overhead Dust collector for table saw- how to?

[Josh Goldsmith]

Have any of you built an overhead dust collector for a table saw? I am thinking about building one since i am on the rampage of eliminating dust. I was curious about how you built it and does it move up and down to get out of the way? I was thinking about building it and then attaching a 4" flex hose and so on. Thanks

[Tom Hamilton]

Hey Josh:

When I wanted to build a overarm, a "google" revealed several links, sources and photos.

I ended up with this: 31388

The shop vac connects to the top and it is pretty effective at getting the big stuff. It won't pass muster for fine particles but does keep the table top and floor much cleaner than without.


Enjoy the Creek, Tom

[Dan Forman]

Josh---If you use the search feature in the uppermost blue bar, you will find a number of different solutions, some of which are quite unique.

Dan

[Bernie Schaner]

Hi Josh:

I did just that but to reduce the turns and ups and downs I mounted the suction of the dust removal blower about 6 feet off the floor. I did run duct work on the overhead to all of my machinery. It all works good and the design was good.

One major thing though with my system; I eliminited the bags and blow the sawdust directly to an outside shed structure. I live in Florida so I am not bothered with heat removal. If I lived in the north I would have done the same thing and totally enclosed the outside structure and put a bank of many filters between the shed and the garage workshop for the return air. That way I would not loose the winter heat. I did not like the idea of using the bags and reducing the efficienty of the blower hence the reason for not using them.


Take care,
Bernie

[Alan Burhop]

A little off topic here but I need to get this off my chest. And I am not blaming just Dan. I have seen this from others



Really, will that work? Here let me try. Oh boy that was great. I weeded through 35 threads and found only one that asks a similar question. It really doesn't answer this guys question though. But thanks for the comment.

<O:p</O:p

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=7552&highlight=overhead+dust+collector (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=7552&highlight=overhead+dust+collector)<O:p></O:p>
<O:p</O:p

Sorry, but this comment about using the search feature is extremely rude in my opinion. I see it often, but never any help on how to use it. Some people are not as computer literate as others of us and either do not know of the feature or can't find what they are looking for when they use it. Or maybe, they did search and did not find what they were looking for. Either way, pointing to the feature will not help them. <O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

My search used the words "Overhead Dust Collection" and all but one of the threads was about shop dust collection. I shudder to think what I would have found if I only used “Dust Collection.” The trick to using a search engine is knowing what words to search for.

[Ken Salisbury]

A little off topic here but I need to get this off my chest. And I am not blaming just Dan. I have seen this from others



Really, will that work? Here let me try. Oh boy that was great. I weeded through 35 threads and found only one that asks a similar question. It really doesn't answer this guys question though. But thanks for the comment.

<o>:p</o>:p

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=7552&highlight=overhead+dust+collector (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=7552&highlight=overhead+dust+collector)<o>:p></o>:p>
<o>:p</o>:p

Sorry, but this comment about using the search feature is extremely rude in my opinion. I see it often, but never any help on how to use it. Some people are not as computer literate as others of us and either do not know of the feature or can't find what they are looking for when they use it. Or maybe, they did search and did not find what they were looking for. Either way, pointing to the feature will not help them. <o>:p</o>:p
<o>:p</o>:p

My search used the words "Overhead Dust Collection" and all but one of the threads was about shop dust collection. I shudder to think what I would have found if I only used “Dust Collection.” The trick to using a search engine is knowing what words to search for.

A simple search provided this thread among others which give some answers to Josh's questions and should be helpful to him:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=7552&highlight=overhead+table+collector

The search engine is a very useful tool and should not be discounted. To say it is "rude" to suggest using the search engine for information is "rude" in itself

[Mike Monroe]

There's an article at Woodcentral by Gordon Sampson (?) that describes in detail how to go about building an overarm guard. I used the article as a reference to build mine. Mine is not complete but I can see the end in sight. I build the guard itself directly from the plan, but used 1/4 Lexan instead of the 3/8 in the plan and I epoxied vs. going the drill, tap, screw route.

[Noel Hegan]

Here's a bunch of sites that I read when doing some research on overhead guards sometime ago:
This is Gordon Sampson's article that Mike alluded to,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://members.aol.com/Alamaral/Guard.html
http://www.craftsman-furniture.com/Guard.html
http://www.woodisourart.com/tablesaw/bladecover.htm
And some articles discussing the merits of overhead guards:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip24.html
And lastly a rather excellent review of the Excalibur guard:
http://www.sawsndust.com/r-excaliburl.htm

Moderator note: Direct links to other publi forums were redacted. -- TOS violations.

Hope this helps

Noel

[Todd Hyman]

Noel,

Thanks for your contribution. So, the question is where can you but the steel or aluminum tubing?

[Joe Chritz]

Steel and Aluminum stock is available here at a steel and salvage yard. Lots of scrap yards also sell stock. A quick search of the yellow pages for steel should give a few options on who to call.

You can also buy short pieces at most home centers but end up paying a lot more ususally.

When I built a bunch of dog agility equipment I bought a few hundred feet of square tubing. Last I checked 1" AL tube was around a buck a foot. Steel was less than that.

I am also looking at building a guard/collector but am thinking seriously about saving up and buying the excaliber.

Hope this helps

Joe

[Dan Forman]

Just to clear the air, no rudeness was intended in my earlier post. Often I will do searches for people and post findinigs, but one doesn't always have time to do that. It might be noted that said post was entered at 2:10 AM. I was merely trying to point out the existance of the feature.

By clicking on the search function, and typing in "blade guard dust collection" (without the " "), I got 4 pages of threads to sort through, including some very interesting ones such as this http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=28981&highlight=blade+guard+dust+collection

I have learned a lot from searches, frequently more than I would have by having it done for me. So I would encourage everyone to start doing them for themselves, you won't be sorry. It may take some trial and error to learn how, and I'm sure that help can be found for anyone having trouble using the feature.

While it is certainly possible that the questioner might not be able to figure it out if new to computers, it is at least equally likely that one would have little difficulty, so that providing instructions at that point could be a waste of time. On the other hand, time spent in trying to figure out how something works is seldom wasted. The key is finding the best words to use in the search, which will come with trial and error.

Dan

[Dan Forman]

Josh---I love your enthusiasm for woodworking, so don't let this thread put you off in any way. Questions are still completely appropriate, so ask away, it's just that sometimes you can find things out yourself, and a lot faster than waiting for a thread to develope.

Dan

[Rob Blaustein]

Here are two more links to discussions on SMC of this topic:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=15004
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=10983

The first is a thread I started, asking pretty much the same question. The second is a link to Todd Franks's post about his design--you'd find it in his post in that first thread as well. There are lots of very creative homemade guards here at SMC, the trick is finding the threads.

In the end I bought the Excalibur and like it, though I only just recently finished mounting it. I was looking one day and Amazon had it for around $100 less than usual so I jumped at it. I had to build an extension table to the right to mount it since my saw had the shorter fence/rails (pics to follow soon).

Good luck. If you are anyone else gets an Excalibur, feel free to PM me--even with the newer instructions on their website (the original manual was next to useless) there are lots of little details left out.

[Richard Blaine]

Here's a bunch of sites that I read when doing some research on overhead guards sometime ago:
This is Gordon Sampson's article that Mike alluded to,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://members.aol.com/Alamaral/Guard.html
http://www.craftsman-furniture.com/Guard.html
http://www.woodisourart.com/tablesaw/bladecover.htm
And some articles discussing the merits of overhead guards:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip24.html
And lastly a rather excellent review of the Excalibur guard:
http://www.sawsndust.com/r-excaliburl.htm

Moderator note: Direct links to other publi forums were redacted. -- TOS violations.

Hope this helps

Noel

Noel,

I don't think it violates the TOS to just type the names of the sites without making them links. An example would be sawsndust.com/r-excaliburl.htm. By leaving out the http://www, you do not create a direct link, and one needs to use copy and paste to go to the website. (sorry moderators. It wouldn't let me prove the point without creating what appears to be a direct link.)

I'm not sure why the TOS prohibit direct links, but hey, it's not my forum. Therefore, I don't get to make the rules.

I know I'd sure appreciate knowing the web pages that you thought were valuable. So if you don't mind, could you edit your post to list the website names without making them direct links.

[Bill Fields]

Dan--

I'm with you 100 percent on the sarcasm toward ignoramuses. I love this forum; it has helped me get serious about a woodworking hobby, and I have spent $1000's getting stuff that the Creekers recommend.

I am, on a scale of 1-10 computer literate--perhaps a 5 or 6. I am (was 50 years ago) an electronics engineer specializing in satelllite antennas, RF and microwaves.

My (smart) wife is a 8 or 9 on computer literacy--she is a health professional--does not know impedance from impotence.

Example:

SO--I have asked (OK--more like HINTED) for step-by-step instructions on how to post photos in standard formats such as .jpg, .gif, etc.

STILL don't know--all the instructions ASSUME that I know a bit about file movement (copy/paste, etc.)

SO--Challenge:

Step-by-step instructions for posting a standard digital photo attached to/with a post.

Thanks for your help--I will post photos soon!

BILL FIELDS

[Mike Goetzke]

Go here, I've had one of these for three years and love it:

http://www.leestyron.com/sharkguard.php

[Vaughn McMillan]

...SO--Challenge:

Step-by-step instructions for posting a standard digital photo attached to/with a post...

Bill, sent you a PM...

- Vaughn

[Dan Forman]

Bill---Did Vaughn's instructions work for you?

Dan

[Vaughn McMillan]

Bill---Did Vaughn's instructions work for you?

Dan
Took me a while to get them written, but they're here:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=31106

- Vaughn

[Noel Hegan]

Noel,

I don't think it violates the TOS to just type the names of the sites without making them links. An example would be sawsndust.com/r-excaliburl.htm. By leaving out the http://www, you do not create a direct link, and one needs to use copy and paste to go to the website. (sorry moderators. It wouldn't let me prove the point without creating what appears to be a direct link.)


I'm not sure why the TOS prohibit direct links, but hey, it's not my forum. Therefore, I don't get to make the rules.

I know I'd sure appreciate knowing the web pages that you thought were valuable. So if you don't mind, could you edit your post to list the website names without making them direct links.
Only just got back to this thread. Sorry about that, I guess my enthusiasm got the better of me. Point taken.

Rgds

Noel

[Tony Falotico]

Josh, check out links from one of my previous posts, might give you some ideas.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=284566#post284566