TS Dust Port Retrofit advice

[Jeff Cord]

I'm trying to figure out the best way to retrofit my saw dust port.
Currently it has a 4" port that should really (based on much research) be expanded to a 5" port.
I have a number of pictures here to show what I'm working with.

The first picture here is the existing port from the outside.
It's a 4" port that has a 2" hose on the inside as well as an opening at the bottom (may be hard to see in the picture but it does open into the saw) to the interior of the saw (GI 50-220).
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Here is the inside of the saw. You can see the hose attach to the hood.
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This last photo takes a bit of imagination (I've labeled various elements to make it easier to recognize. This picture was taken by placing the camera on the iside the saw at the bottom and shooting up.
You can see where the hose attaches to the hood as well as a thumb-screw that appears to remove one side of the hood.
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I haven't taken the thumb-screw off yet to see what is there but my guess is that it holds the side of the hood in place.
Any advice on how to retrofit a 5" port is appreciated.
thanks,
jeff

[Mike Cutler]

Hmm.... Interesting. Are you currently having problems with dust collection with your tablesaw? and what type of problem is it that is leading you to retrofitting the dust collection port?

I have the same TS that you have, GI 50-220, and it doesn't have that flexible hose, or that connection/baffle plate at the 4" opening. I have a straight 4" diameter hole into the cabinet base. Dust collection for me hasn't been too much of a problem. I think I am going to remove that dust hood though, because I have never used a saw that threw this much debris back up onto the table. The chute on the dust shroud clogs easily too, and I think the blade just pumps the debris back up from the chute. I use an overhead DC pickup also.

I don't know when you purchased your General, but I purchased mine in Febuary of this year, and they are definitely not the same with respect to dust collection. That connection plate for the 2" hose looks like a heck of a restrictor plate. Two flow orifices,side by side doesn't seem right to me. If they were thinking of using the 4" connection to educt the 2" hose. I would have put the 2" connection back down the piping.

The thumb screws do just hold a plastic plate in place. I originally thought it had to come of to change blades. I've even considered mounting a 4" pickup right on that plate. I haven't looked at it enough though. A 2" pickup is way too small.

[Jeff Cord]

in December of last year.
At the moment I'm not having a huge problem with the collection.
I do get a bit of dust on top of the saw but I figured the (future) addition of a dust pickup on top would solve that.
I believe I need to increase the size due to the amount of air-flow needed for a table saw (based on various sites recommendations).
I have considered removing the hood and the hose and just using the entire saw base as a hood as well and may give that a try.
Jeff

[Jim Becker]

Can we assume your drop is 5" or 6" with a reducer at the tool currently? If so, you may be getting benefit from "venturi" effect already. Given the nature of your dust port and its internals, if your performance is acceptable, it may be more of a pain to change than it may be worth. Your saw is "unique" given the blade shroud already in place.

[Ken Garlock]

I'm trying to figure out the best way to retrofit my saw dust port.
Currently it has a 4" port that should really (based on much research) be expanded to a 5" port.
thanks,
jeff

Jeff, enlarging the hole is no big problem. My Bridgewood 10 LTS came with a 4" hole. My duct system is 6" PVC. I bought a packet of Lenox Bi-Metal jig saw blades and had at it. I first I used the outside transition, like you have in your picture, to outline the new hole by running a pencil around its inside. Do pay attention to where the floor of the dust collection is within the the cabinet, you don't want your hole to end up too low. With the new opening marked, the jig saw cut the new hole in about one minute. I was surprised at how quickly I made the hole.

Don't be afraid to cut a new hole, just call it customizing to your needs. ;)

[Jeff Cord]

If I just remove the hose inside the saw and remove the hose mount from the port.
This way I would just be pulling air from the interior of the saw.
Any opinion on this?
jeff

[Jeff Cord]

Yes, it is a 5" drop down to the saw.
As I stated in a later post I'm considering just removing the hose from inside the saw and just pulling air from the entire saw.
jeff

[Chris Padilla]

Jeff,

Experiment a bit and see what you find out. MDF is always a good producer of fine, fine, fine, fine, fine dust and will tell you a thing or two about how well/poor your saw/DC does in sucking that stuff away.