Dust collection on a Contractor Saw

[Jeff Books]

I've got a Delta contractor table saw I'd like to collect the majority of the dust from. I got the PSI hood which fits well between the saw base and saw. Now I need to block the back which has the motor cantilevered out in space and the blade cover support arm. I've earlier tried making two masonite pieces to cover most of the space. They leave some openings like inside the belt slot. They also have to be removed to tilt the saw and eventually I forgot and broke them.
Wood Magazine had a design back in 2004 to enclose a contractor saw where they built a box around the motor with pegboard on the box bottom. It only included a bag under the saw, no dust collection. Has anyone tried a surround around a contractor saw motor? Did it cause any problems with overheating or dust injection in the motor? This approach isn't much different than that used in some cabinet saws where they have a plastic shroud over the motor.

[Bob Borzelleri]

Jeff...

I'm not sure that there would be much value in enclosing the entire internal cavity, including the motor. On one hand, I think it would be difficult if not inelegant. The other issue is that there needs to be an intake source that rather approximates the air volume that would be drawn out of the saw body by your duct collector.

I certainly agree that closing off the back around the motor mount and the belt run would be desirable, but I don't think there is a need to go beyond that.

My contractor's saw gets draw from a 2 hp, 7" to 6" to 5" cyclone. It does pretty well even when I have not had the back covered. When it is covered, the saw cavity is kept virtually clean.

As for the saw tilting, I have seen at least one version of a back cover that took into account the tilt issue by opening up the spaces for the mount and the belt run.

...Bob

[Aaron Berk]

I've got a contractors saw also, and I did what you said you did with the Masonite. But I made my back cover out of one piece of 1/2 ply with some generous slots for the belt and motor mount rods. My cover also needs removed in order to tilt the blade, which I rarely do. I have been know to remove it for a bevel cut then forget to reinstall it for a few days.

I'm not real happy with my set up, and if I was to do it over again I would build a box over the whole rear of the saw and add vent holes some where to make up the difference. I'm in the market for a cabinet saw so I won't be changing this one, it's up for sale by the way.

I'd say go for the motor box cover, and use the pegboard for the bottom. I don't think you'll have a motor/dust issue any worse than normal. But I'm no professional.

[Dan Friedrichs]

I once built a plate that went over the back of the saw (with a slot for the motor mount and belt to run through). I actually made the slot curved so the blade could be tilted without removing the plate. Then I canabalized a bench brush from HF by removing all the brushy parts and stapling them to cover the slot. The mechanism could move through them, but hopefully they reduced air flow through the slot.

Ultimately, this really didn't help and wasn't worth the effort. The only noticable improvement was slightly less dust falling out the open back of the saw.

I think the full enclosure you suggest is a good idea. However, don't forget that there are likely huge holes elsewhere in the cabinet (around the bevel crank, and probably lots of space between the top of the cabinet and the saw top - they usually have big gaps, there).

[David Prince]

I have used magnetic sheets (like the ones calendars or advertisements come on). I suppose numerous business card magnets would work also. Use them to cover the slots and holes around the base for the misc. openings. They are easily moveable for changing your tilt.

The Delta Contractor saw I had had its induction motor enclosed in the base and was direct drive, so the belt was not applicable.

I built a sheet metal enclosure under it and attached the dust shute to it and it worked pretty good. Almost like a cabinet saw without the horsepower.

[Alan Bienlein]

Here's what I did for my ts3650 tablesaw.http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=123523 Go to post #8.

[Stephen Edwards]

This is what I did to solve the problem:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=81095

After using it for a while I cut a 4" round hole in the side of the enclosure, next to the motor pulley, for better air flow. In the beginning I just drilled several holes. That wasn't enough. The 4" hole solved that problem. Every couple of days, with the DC on, I put my air hose in that added 4" hole and blow out the small amount of residual dust. Works great.

Also, I don't have to remove any part of the enclosure to tilt the blade. It ain't very elegant but it works as I had hoped.

[Josh Reet]

Here's what I did for my ts3650 tablesaw.http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=123523 Go to post #8.

Alan,

What material did you use for the back piece?

[Jeff Books]

This is what I did to solve the problem:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=81095

After using it for a while I cut a 4" round hole in the side of the enclosure, next to the motor pulley, for better air flow. In the beginning I just drilled several holes. That wasn't enough. The 4" hole solved that problem. Every couple of days, with the DC on, I put my air hose in that added 4" hole and blow out the small amount of residual dust. Works great.

Also, I don't have to remove any part of the enclosure to tilt the blade. It ain't very elegant but it works as I had hoped.

This is the approach I am thinking of trying. I'll take some pix and let you know how it works. I suspect that collecting off the blade will be more important than from below the table.

[Stephen Edwards]

This is the approach I am thinking of trying. I'll take some pix and let you know how it works. I suspect that collecting off the blade will be more important than from below the table.

As of yet, I still don't have any over the blade DC hooked up. I can tell you that I did learn how important the 4" hole for airflow in the side of the box was to improve the DC from within the box. Even with a dust port directly under the motor, in the center of the box bottom, without that 4" hole, dust piled up pretty quickly in the box and around the motor. That 4" hole solved that problem.

[Stephen Edwards]

Here's what I did for my ts3650 tablesaw.http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=123523 Go to post #8.

That's a nice setup, too. I like it.

[Alan Bienlein]

Alan,

What material did you use for the back piece?

It's 24 ga leftover from the cyclone I built for my shop.

[Phil Thien]

Chuck Lenz (member here) had the best method I've seen.

First, he made a real nice dust chute. You can apparently now purchase these from Penn State Industries. Here:

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/R-TDHOOD.html

Read his (Chuck's) description, too.

He had a diverter that was mounted behind the blade that would catch the dust firing off the blade, and drop it into the chute.

Then he had another half-height angle attached to the back of the opening that also caught anything that got past the diverter. It left much of the back open, for make-up air.

[Josh Reet]

Chuck Lenz (member here) had the best method I've seen.

First, he made a real nice dust chute. You can apparently now purchase these from Penn State Industries. Here:

For $20 that might just be the way to go. I like saving money as much as the next guy, but sometimes it's worth some coin to get a clever pre-made solution.

[Phil Thien]

For $20 that might just be the way to go. I like saving money as much as the next guy, but sometimes it's worth some coin to get a clever pre-made solution.

The ones from PSI look nice, the one that Chuck made himself was art.

If I ran a $10-$20 million/year outfit, Chuck is the kind of guy I'd have around for problem solving. He'd be that guy that mostly does nothing, except for when I need him to do something. Everything he does is well thought out and superbly executed.