Dust control on a contractor's saw?

[Deck Reagan]

I've seen posts before on enclosing the case on a contractors saw. Does anyone have photos of what they have done with their saws. I have the Delta 36-680. The saw is great but as we all know, very messy. I don't have a dust collector but have been considering enlosing the legs with a door to scoop out the accumulated saw dust. It seems like when I use the saw the dust just collects on the floor between the legs.

I have also seen the canvas bags. Does anyone use one of these? Who sells one that would work good with the 36-680?

When it's nice out I just move the saw out on the driveway with my mobile base and then just sweep up under it. Now that the weather is changing here in Nebraska I'll be cutting in the garage for the next 5 months.

Thanks,

Deck

[Bob Dodge]

Deck,

I simply added a square-mouthed "funnel" under my old contractor-saw. That unit's mouth, was equal in size to the bottom opening of the saw, then tapered to roughly 4" wide across the bottom. Overall, it probably hung down maybe 15". Near the bottom of that unit, I made a hole slightly smaller than my shop-vac's nozzle (2 1/4"), then gradually increased the size of that hole using sandpaper, until I had a friction-fit. It literally took seconds to hook up the vac, and worked very well. Mind you, I had a fairly powerful shop-vac with a variable-speed blower. I also closed-up the back of the saw-cabinet.

If you don't have a shop-vac, you can still make a similar unit, but you can add a trap-door of somekind (sliding, spring-loaded,hinged, etc). That will contain your chips. When you're ready to empty it, slide a box underneath, and open your trap.

To fasten the hood under the saw, I used the highly advanced "Red" Green method,,,,,,(ready for this?),,,,,,,,Duct-Tape :D

Good luck.

Bob

[Dell Littlefield]

I bought the canvas bag from Harbor Freight for about $5. It comes with snaps and should fit your saw. I really like it until I drop the arbor nut or washer but I suppose you would have the same problem with any of the other methods. Ive used it a couple of years and am well satisfied with it.

[Deck Reagan]

Dell,
Do you get much blow out from the back of the saw?

Thanks,

Deck

[Steven Wilson]

I had a Jet CS and I installed a sloped plate to a 4" DC fitting underneath the saw. In back I cut up a piece of hard board to fill in the gaps (just leave an opening for the drive belt, mounting bracket) and then use magnets to hold it on. It worked fairly well but a contractor saw is just not designed for proper dust collection.

[glenn bradley]

I'm assuming from the thread that you have no dust collector so bagging from the bottom is probably your best bet. I also took a piece of thin panel and cut slots in it to clear the belt and rails. Some hot glue and a couple magnets to hold it in place at the rear of the saw and; no worries.

This setup only works with the blade at 90* but I've seen some plans for ones with gaps that would allow the tilt. Both these methods count on there being suction drawing air in around the gaps so this may have limited benefit for you but, it's cheap and easy to try.

Here's a guy who tried a variation:

http://home.pacbell.net/jdismuk/sawdust.html

And a commercial version:

http://www.amazon.com/Monkey-DM100-Collection-Contractors-Table/dp/B0006U67UQ

[Don Stanley]

Deck -- I understand your problem. I solved this problem on my Powermatic Model 64A Contractor table saw. Here's what I did:

1) Designed a two piece back assembly out of 1/8" hardboard to enclose the back. Two wing nuts are used to hold it in place.

2) Enclosed the top-half of the leg assembly to create a box to collect the sawdust. Relocated the dust collector panel from the bottom of the saw to the bottom of the box. I also made a stopper for the dust collector port. The box is made from scraps, that are screwed to the legs using existing bolts; no drilling! One side of the box has a removable door for cleaning.

The project took a few evenings to complete, but was well worth the effort; 90% of the sawdust goes in the box.

The only negative to the fact you need to remove the back panels to change the angle of the blade. This takes a couple of minutes, not a big deal in my case.

I recently acquired a dust collector. It was a simple task to remove the stopper and connect the DC hose.

I have some good pictures, however I don't have them uploaded for viewing on the Internet. I could send them to you in an e-mail if your interested.

-Don

[Jim O'Dell]

I have the Ridgid 3612, and the factory dust collection that pops into the bottom of the saw. 2 1/2" shop vac plugs right in. I need to build som sloped pieces for the sides to fit on the ledge, cause a lot of dust collects there and won't go to the pick up. Doesn't move enough air to be good, but better than all over the floor. I recently cut out the 2 1/2" hook up with a dremel. then filed to shape and siliconed in a piece of 6" PVC pipe. I now have it hooked up to my cyclone. Electricity should be turned on 11/15. I still need to make an exhaust before I run it to see how it works. I have a back panel for the motor end in the design stage that will allow me to tilt the blade without removing anything. I'll be working on that tomorrow. Pictures to follow, if it works, on my Coolmeadow Creations Rehab thread. If it doesn't work, this post will self distruct!:D :D Jim.

[Bob Childress]

. . . a contractor saw is just not designed for proper dust collection.

That's generally true, but my Hitachi CS came with a completely enclosed bottom (including the motor) and a 4 inch dust port. Works very well. :)

[Dell Littlefield]

I did have some blowout at the back of the saw. Like the others, I blocked the back with a piece of plywood leaving plenty of room for the belt and tilting. I still get some blowout there but since I only use the saw near the open garage door, I can live with that. I also get quite a bit of dust thrown out on top of the saw when I use a zero clearance insert. I wear a dust mask and accept that as part of the operation.

[Greg Narozniak]

This may be a liitle more than you are looking for but I was very happy with the Shop Notes #50 CS station that I built. The only change would have been to make the dust port 6" instead of 4". In the beginning I used a 4" to 2 1/2" adaptor connected to a shopvac while not Ideal it worked just fine.

I sold it to a friend who is very happy with it when I bought my Uni.

[Jim O'Dell]

OK, it worked!! I took pictures along the way. Note that this is a Ridgid 3612. The motor assembly mounts on two 5/8's inch steel shafts, with set screws locking them down. There is also an arm coming off the back end that the factory splitter and guard mount to via a thumb screw on the splitter mechanism. All of this of course pivots with the saw blade. I'll have to split this to two posts to show all the pictures. Hopefully others can adapt it to their saws.

49913 This is the before picture

49914 This is the cardboard template I made. It is in two pieces and taped together. I taped it to the saw and moved the mechanism around to verify nothing would hit that shouldn't. Oops, they are mirror images. This is the view that fits on the back of the saw.

49917 This is the ABS version after cutting out with a jig saw. I had this sheet left over from my stereo installing days back in the 80's. I had used some once before when I was building an HO train layout.

49916This next piece was scavanged from a control board, thus the three 1/4" holes and painted lines. The two 11/16's holes are for the motor mount bars. Don't look at the springs for very long:eek: - sorry it's out of focus.

continued on the next post.

[Jim O'Dell]

(continued)

49920 This picture shows the long springs and washers mounted on the 5/8's " mounting bars.

49918 This shows the plate and the short springs and washers on the bars.

49919 The final picture shows it on the saw. Note it does leave openings. I'm sure there is a way to close down some more of it, but I'm running a 6" pick up, so it will need quite a bit of air to keep it from starving the system. I also have the opening for the blade tilt mechanism at the front. Don't know if I'll attempt to close any of that off or not.

The springs and washers came from Home depot, even though the toolman, who I trust-he's very knowledgeable-said they didn't have anything like this. They were in the hardware section with the door knobs and hinges.

Hope this gives someone else some ideas for their contractor saw. Jim.

[Matt Meiser]

My Delta contractor's saw has a sloped pan built into the base. I enclosed the three sides of that with 1/4" ply. The back of the saw is still open, but with a 6" dust pickup at the bottom of the sloped pan, there's plenty of air movement to caputure the dust down there. Whatever you do, you want to make sure you don't seal it up too much and limit the airflow.

[Russ Massery]

I don't own the saw anymore. But this what I did with mine.http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=31274

[Chuck Lenz]

I'm sorry but I'd have to disagree with the myth that a contractors saw is just not designed for proper dust collection. They may not come that way from the factory, but the challenge can be over come if aproached correctly.

[Mike Null]

The apparatus I have to enclose the base catches the sawdust ok. The dust collector is only fair at keeping it partly empty but the real mess is on the top of the table when using a zero clearance insert. It is a nuisance.

I'm considering making an overhead sawdust collector but it's not on the top of my list. I have a Delta.

[Chuck Lenz]

This is the setup I came up with. http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c89/Woodchuck_/100_0059_2.jpg

[Chuck Lenz]

Setup pic #2 http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c89/Woodchuck_/100_0045.jpg

[Al Wasser]

I catch about 95% of the saw dust on my old Delta contractors saw and I doubt it cost 50cents. I used some scrap plywood to make a shelf under the saw on the cross pieces. I found a cardboard box that fills the space between the shelf and the bottom of the saw. A little blows out but not much.... It is easy to slide the box out and dump it as needed

[Chuck Lenz]

Al, you may be geting 95% of the dust, but it's the other 5% thats gonna get you in the end. The fine stuff. Basically what you have is a chip collector, not a dust collector.

[Fred Voorhees]

I thought I had a better picture, but here is what I had done to my contractor saw.

[Chuck Lenz]

(continued)

49920 This picture shows the long springs and washers mounted on the 5/8's " mounting bars.

49918 This shows the plate and the short springs and washers on the bars.

49919 The final picture shows it on the saw. Note it does leave openings. I'm sure there is a way to close down some more of it, but I'm running a 6" pick up, so it will need quite a bit of air to keep it from starving the system. I also have the opening for the blade tilt mechanism at the front. Don't know if I'll attempt to close any of that off or not.

The springs and washers came from Home depot, even though the toolman, who I trust-he's very knowledgeable-said they didn't have anything like this. They were in the hardware section with the door knobs and hinges.

Hope this gives someone else some ideas for their contractor saw. Jim.
Good job Jim.