2nd Dust port on BS

[Doug Mason]

I'm am considering adding a second dust port to the bottom door of my MM16. I could simply drill a hole and hook it up relatively easily. I've also considered drilling into the frame oppisite the door--so as to avoid the hassle of having to play around with a dust hose everytime I open the door (I will have to check w/MM to see if there might be any structural problem drilling into the frame on the oppisate side of the door--but I can't see why there would be). Who has done this and what are your thoughts?

[Jim Becker]

Doug, I would not consider drilling into the backbone of the saw. Perhaps you can find a location on the back side below the motor somewhere to place the lower port if you want to do that and it would be less cumbersome from a drop standpoint as it would be on the same side that most folks would bring the hose in for the under-table port. Do speak with MM about this first...you don't want to void a warranty or anything like that.

[Mike Cutler]

Doug.

Dominic Greco built a box that enclosed the lower portion of the table on a 14" Jet bandsaw. The box just kinda hung off of the table saomehow, but it enclosed the area that the blade and guides were in under the table.
Other folks, like Terry Hatfield, have adapted furnace vents for DC pickups to get them as close to the blade, exiting the bottom of the table as possible. Food for thought hopefully.

One more thing to consider. I have a Bandsaw that has two DC ports. The one at the top, closest to the blade does most of the work. I have one at the bottom of the cabinet also. I tried to use a "Y" splitter at the saw, and it didn't work out as well. The flow was too restricted through a a single 4" port.

I'd hate to see ya' cut holes in a fine bandsaw like you have, before exploring all other options.

[Ken Garlock]

Doug, if you have a strong enough dust collector, that the MM16 dust port will work. I have my MM16 hooked up the about 4 ft of 4" PVC that transitions to my main 6" PVC ducting which in turn hooks to my Pentz designed cyclone. The only dust I collect in the MM16 bottom cabinet is in the very corners and along the fold on the door bottom. That is good enough for me.

If by chance you are using more than a foot of flex hose, get rid of it and put in PVC pipe. While flex hose is convenient, it introduces a lot of friction into the system.