closing up an old cabinet saw for dust collection.

[Aaron carter]

any Ideas on how to close this old walker turner cabinet saw so I can hook up a 6" flex hose in the back and create some decent negative pressure for dust collection?saw.jpg

[Jim Becker]

You need to ascertain how that motor moves during raise/lower and tilt so you can determine how to construct a cover for that end of the cabinet that will close things in while not interfering with the wheel. You'll also want to put a "floor" in the cabinet that angles toward your intended collection port.

[James Gunning]

As Jim suggested, determine the areas to cover. That includes inside the saw as well. There is no point in just sealing up the exterior of a big saw and hoping the DC will suck everything out. If you have a powerful dust collector, that approach can work, but isn't very efficient. Try cleaning the saw inside and then note where the dust collects during use. Mostly look at what would catch that dust. The area around the blade is the most important, so concentrate on that. See if you can build an enclosure around the blade allowing for tilt and raise/lower. A material you may consider is magnetic sheets. You can cut these and stick them in places where a solid panel would inhibit movement. I use some to close off a slot for the tilt mechanism when I'm not tilting. Don't try to seal it completely, you need high airflow to allow a DC to work properly. Some have used internal hoses to connect two areas together inside the saw. Just make sure the hose is big, like 6". Another consideration, if you can keep the motor outside your "dust" enclosure it will prolong its life.