Sawstop dust collection

[Jim Barstow]

I'm setting up a new shop and finally have the dust collector duct work. The first thing I tried was my new sawstop and I was disappointed at the amount of sawdust that wasn't caught. The dust collector is a 3HP dust gorilla with 6" main under the floor. I transition to 5" with a wye then go into a 90 elbow through the floor. I transition down to 4" right at the saw.

If I disconnect the dust collector from the saw, there is enough flow that I'm concerned my arm will get sucked in.

When I connect to the saw, there is very suction at the table top. When I cut a board, I get a reasonable amount of sawdust as the cut is completed.

I expected this setup to be almost dust free outside of the saw. Did I expect too much?

[Jim Becker]

The dust collector can only move as much air as is available to it, up to it's CFM limit. On the SawStop, you have an internal hood around the blade which helps direct the air flow. But you still need make-up air to come from somewhere. Most of that comes into the cabinet just under the table top or through other openings. If you are using a ZCI (zero clearance insert), then there is little air flow around it and that means stuff coming off the top of the blade end up on the table and on you. It needs to be captured with an overarm guard/pickup...it will never get taken below the saw top and into the hood, even with a standard table insert, rather than a ZCI. This is the nature of table saws...

[glenn bradley]

Even if your in cabinet airflow is great, there will still be chips carried to the top of your material by the blade. If you are expecting no dust outside the cabinet without an over arm, you may be expecting too much.

I got an over arm and am glad I have it but, I do much less sheet-goods work now and that is where it really shines. It is swung out of the way during sled cuts, most miter gauge cuts, pretty much anything other than large panel cuts or long ripping.

I'm still glad I have it but had I known, I might have settled for a fox tail brush and a floor sweep DC outlet near the saw.

[Joe Mioux]

Is this a stealth gloat sans pictures? :confused::eek:

[Don Bullock]

Is this a stealth gloat sans pictures? :confused::eek:

Joe, it sure looks like one.;)


...
I expected this setup to be almost dust free outside of the saw. Did I expect too much?

Jim, when it comes to DC a SawStop is no different than other table saws. Jim and Glenn are correct. DC works on airflow. Just make sure that the internal hood around the blade that Jim mentioned isn't plugged up. I've found with my SawStop that if I don't use my DC this area can easily and quickly clog with sawdust. If it's not clogged even my 1 hp Jet DC works well at picking up most of the sawdust. No DC system will without a DC hooked into the blade guard, i.e. Shark Guard, will collect the stuff above the table.

[Scott Rollins]

I bought the felder saw guard:


420-708
FELDER Saw Guard EURO II $49.84
02.0.305
Standard dust hose $11.70
(the port on top of the guard is metric 50mm and the hose fits perfectly into a 2-1/4" blast gate)


Almost no dust escapes now unless I am trimming the side of a board less than the blade width. I used to have to stand in a pile of dust infront of the saw all day. The best add on I have besides my shop built sliding table. The guard attaches without modifications to the standard blade guard.

[Joe Jensen]

I bought the felder saw guard:


420-708
FELDER Saw Guard EURO II $49.84
02.0.305
Standard dust hose $11.70
(the port on top of the guard is metric 50mm and the hose fits perfectly into a 2-1/4" blast gate)


Almost no dust escapes now unless I am trimming the side of a board less than the blade width. I used to have to stand in a pile of dust infront of the saw all day. The best add on I have besides my shop built sliding table. The guard attaches without modifications to the standard blade guard.

Scott, where did you order the Felder guard? I bought a shark guard, but I don't like the wide guard as I got used to the narrow SawStop guard and the Felder looks the same...joe

[Scott Rollins]

Joe I bought it at this website:
http://usa.felder-gruppe.at/?page=shop_node&node=1538&PHPSESSID=d436075e45b8c4587482ed8d1d263427

It took about 2 weeks to arrive, but it is worth the wait. It is 1-3/16" wide probably more narrow than the shark guard (I have only seen pics) and a little wider than the standard guard but it is very ridgid while the sawstop guard floats all over the place and you cut it a lot during angled cuts. I have never cut into the felder guard during any angled cut.

[Joe Jensen]

Joe I bought it at this website:
http://usa.felder-gruppe.at/?page=shop_node&node=1538&PHPSESSID=d436075e45b8c4587482ed8d1d263427

It took about 2 weeks to arrive, but it is worth the wait. It is 1-3/16" wide probably more narrow than the shark guard (I have only seen pics) and a little wider than the standard guard but it is very ridgid while the sawstop guard floats all over the place and you cut it a lot during angled cuts. I have never cut into the felder guard during any angled cut.

Thanks, ordered...joe

[Walt Caza]

Hi Jim,
It looks like you have been nailed by the pic police.
You have already received good responses.
Here is a link to my Felder solution for my SawStop cabinet saw. (link)
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=83691

Like Glenn, I find I am using more real hardwood, and less sheetgoods...
but it is still worth having overblade d/c.

Good luck with it,
Walt

[David Giles]

Jim,
I found the same problem with my Sawstop. Increasing the port size to a 6" solved the problem even with a little 1.5Hp DC. I'm convinced that many DC problems stem from 4" port sizes.

Here's a thread on my modification if you are interested.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=72133

[Shawn Walker]

I think it should have been designed with a sloped floor, with two collection ports. One for the shroud, and a 4or 5 inch port at the bottom for cabinet collection.
If you didn't want to use the second one, just cover it.

[Kevin Groenke]

Agreed, considering the thought that SS put into most aspects of the saw (including the dust shroud) they kinda dropped the ball on extraction from the cabinet.

Here's what I did:
http://sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=836014&postcount=1

It doesn't help much above the table, but I don't have to clean out the cabinets any more.

-kg

[John Petsche]

great ideas, hadn't thought of felder.