MM16 dust port modification

[alan tasoff]

Does anyone have experience modifying the dust port, or adding an additional one through the door, on a Minimax 16 bandsaw ? Putting in a new cyclone , and this machine doesn't even have a full 4" port, because it is partially blocked from inside. Thank you. Alan

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Alan,

Do you have the slotted piece of plywood in there? The MM-16 port is set up to minimize the dust getting to the wheels in the first place.

[glenn bradley]

+1. Since modifying the under table collection I do not even use the lower cabinet port; it is sealed off.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Glenn,

How old is your MM-16 and didn it have the slotted metal piece that moved up and down to cover that area?

[John Lanciani]

Hi Alan,
I did a couple of things to my MM20 to make the dust collection better. First, I made a lexan shield to close in the area around the trunions an lower guides. Then I added a 4" port on the lower left corner of the lower door. The third pic shows the results, no dust at all in the lower cabinet.



IMG_0747.jpgIMG_0748.JPGIMG_0749.JPG

[alan tasoff]

Thanks to all, esp. Mr. Lanciani esp. for the pictures. This looks like it's exactly what I had planned to do, except I was going to put in the the right hand side, but it looks like you have an excellent result with this placement. In response to another question above, I do have the slotted plywood blade guard, but the lower cabinet still fills up. Have been reading many blogs about this machine. It's about 4 years old, and cuts like a tiger, but I have experienced all the design shortcomings that others have talked about...electrical, PITA table tilt/lower guide situation, initial use of the Johnson bar to move it, etc. And the "so called" service was atrocious, esp. when they were trying to talk me through replacing the switch. Thanks again, all