Best place for ceiling DC drop to table saw

[Ryan Haugle]

Hi guys,
Still designing my dust collection.. I was thinking about having one pipe run on the floor to my table saw, but not sure how I like the tripping hazard. If I do a ceiling run with a drop, where is the best place for the drop to go? I'm thinking the back right corner (standing from infeed) just beyond the maximum range of the fence... Good spot? Or is a floor run better?

[Jim Becker]

IMHO, right side is usually best unless you have things setup to use that table space for other operations that might be interfered with, such as a router table. Whether it's toward the fence or the back of the saw on that side is also dependent on how you use your saw and other related things nearby. I'd likely go back, right corner as you state for overhead drop for DC and/or power myself.

[glenn bradley]

I have always run my tablesaw with the extreme extent of the rip fence against the wall or nearly so. In my new layout I plan to drop at the front right corner of the side table even though I will be in the middle of the shop. The value or negative impact of this will depend on the rest of your shop layout and what you do. A vertical member will impact material movement in the shop and you have to take your other machines and operation into account.

[Jim Dwight]

Mine will go in the back right corner. The hookup of the SawStop is 4 inch so I will put a splitter on the 5 or 6 inch (haven't decided yet) DC pipe and allow for a 2.5 inch (or bigger) overhead pickup that will be done later. The back right corner of my table saw is near the wall where I do not normally walk.

[Wayne Cannon]

My drop was at the back right corner until about five years ago, and it worked very well there, but was frequently in the way of maneuvering long material.

Five years ago, I changed the location of the table saw. The DC drop is now just under 8 feet feet behind the saw and 30" to the left of the blade line. I've been happier with this arrangement, and the DC drop is no longer in the way. This was done to facilitate ripping long lengths through an open roll-up door, and the drop is down the wall just to the left of the roll-up door. This allows ripping 24" to the left of the blade, but ripping a sheet of plywood requires the wider part of the sheet on the right side of the blade, which has never been an issue. The DC run along the floor is under the outfeed table.

[Bernie May]

My setup is similar to Wayne's except my saw is only 3 feet from the wall and my doors are sliding doors. I rip long pieces out the open left door. My jointer is on the right hand side and I joint out the right hand door. The jointer/planer hose also runs down the the wall.

[Charles Lent]

Off the end of your fence extension table. It's the only place that it won't interfere with work being passed over the saw. If a right tilt saw your fence extension is on the right, so placing the drop off the right end of the table. If a left tilt saw, you would have the fence extension table on the left, so the drop should be off the left end of the table. This means that you are going to have a dust collector pipe or hose running under the extension table to the saw.

Charley

[ChrisA Edwards]

If you bring a solid pipe down to about 2 feet above the right back corner and then go flex hose down to the saw, when the situation arises where the hose will interfere with a cut, you can always remove the flex part for that short period of use. For a few cuts, that sawdust will collect in the cabinet and most of it will get sucked out when you reattach the flex hose. Or maybe the flex hose can be moved a little further out from the work piece and still be able to suck dust from the cabinet to the duct drop.

[Matt Day]

Not to highjack, but what about if you have a RT in the extension table? I’m thinking of dropping at the back right but it’ll interfere with the RT. My thought was I can always clamp the RT fence perpendicular to where it usually is and run material perpendicular to normal.

[Jim Becker]

Matt, what you describe is one of the things that presents a challenge for a "tool island" setup that needs an overhead drop. I believe someone already mentioned that they did their drop slightly away from the tool(s) to account for material handling and that's probably what would work best for the scenario you bring up. Yes, that would have a short run of utilities along the floor, but if the clearance is needed for work flow, it's a solution. Something lower, such as storage, could be positioned over that short amount of duct/cord, of course.

[Robert Engel]

Mine is right rear aspect of extension table.

Since I've added another tablesaw, I'm going under floor with it.

Which is to say, that is probably the best location.

[Matthew Curtis]

If you bring a solid pipe down to about 2 feet above the right back corner and then go flex hose down to the saw, when the situation arises where the hose will interfere with a cut, you can always remove the flex part for that short period of use. For a few cuts, that sawdust will collect in the cabinet and most of it will get sucked out when you reattach the flex hose. Or maybe the flex hose can be moved a little further out from the work piece and still be able to suck dust from the cabinet to the duct drop.

This is what I did. I have yet removed the flex part, but it is an option if I need it. Granted my table to the right goes out to 60". I also have my router table in the extension table. The 6" flex hose is "T"d into the saw and router both. 6" to saw and 4" to router. Then the router is "T"d to 4" for the fence, and 2" four the underside. I also have blast gates to separate the saw from router.

[Matthew Curtis]

Not to highjack, but what about if you have a RT in the extension table? I’m thinking of dropping at the back right but it’ll interfere with the RT. My thought was I can always clamp the RT fence perpendicular to where it usually is and run material perpendicular to normal.

Matt,
I use my router table right to left on the tablesaw. I use an alternative fence and just remove the tablesaw fence or at least move as far left as I can to get it out of the way. The only pain is setting up and removing the fences.

[Matt Day]

I like both ideas of having an alternate RT fence that runs R-L, and also having flex that can be easily removed if need be.
Thanks guys

[Ted Reischl]

Something to think about is where the blast gate goes. My saw sits against the wall to the right. My first attempt was a drop that came down behind and to the right of the saw extents. Worked, sort of.

Everytime I wanted to use the saw I had to go around back and open the blast gate, then go around back again to close it.

I moved the drop to the front of the saw and ran the plumbing underneath to the rear. Yea, I know, that made for some bends and some reduced airflow. But forgetting to open it, or being just plain lazy made for a lot more dust than reduced airflow. Honestly? I do not notice any difference with the extra bends. I am sure there is some reduction but in the scheme of things does not seem to be a big deal.