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Thread: Saw Stop 3HP PCS - Increase 4" port to 6" - Blade Shroud Hose?

  1. #1
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    Saw Stop 3HP PCS - Increase 4" port to 6" - Blade Shroud Hose?

    I have read about and experienced the benefits of moving from 4" ports on machines to 6". My specific question is about doing so on a Saw Stop 3HP PCS. Opening up the port from 4" to 6" is easy enough. For those that have done so, did you keep the blade shroud hose or just remove it? TIA.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  2. #2
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    I removed the blade shroud hose on my ICS and hooked it up to my shop vac collection piping. Definitely works better for me. Also did this at the high school with an ICS however that one got hooked straight to the dust collection system and worked better. The tee fitting just doesn't seem to work out.
    Interested in what gain you would achieve going to 6" when the hose inside the saw is 4".
    Watching to see what other responses you get.

  3. #3
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    I removed some metal just above the factory port, then put on a 6" fitting. The existing flex remains. No empirical testing or anything, but it seems like it works just as well

  4. #4
    Good point on the 4" hose inside the saw, Ron. I've thought about changing the lower part to 6" also, but I see your point. How about leaving the 4" on the bottom, but adding 4" on the top. Has that worked out for anyone? I currently have a HF DC hooked up to the bottom and a Festool vac hooked up to the Sawstop blade guard. It doesn't do great. I just got a Jet 2HP dust collector. Have to run some wiring for that.

  5. #5
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    I have the 3HP PCS as well, and get some dust collecting in the bottom of the case. I've thought about converting the cabinet port to 6", but then having a "Y" inside the cabinet - half in the factory position, the other half laying on the bottom of the cabinet. But it hasn't been a big enough issue to actually do that, so I'm of no help

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pratt View Post
    I removed some metal just above the factory port, then put on a 6" fitting. The existing flex remains. No empirical testing or anything, but it seems like it works just as well
    thanks everyone.


    @Frank, Hi Frank, are you saying that there was no improvement going from 4 inch to 6 inch or that the blade shroud appear to function similarly? Thank you.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  7. #7
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    I left the port on my PCS at 4" but run 5" hose up close and then a reducer. With my dust collector I measured 670 cfm and get pretty good dust collection. A lot depends on your dust collector as a 5 hp will pull more thru a 4" port than a 2 hp.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    thanks everyone.


    @Frank, Hi Frank, are you saying that there was no improvement going from 4 inch to 6 inch or that the blade shroud appear to function similarly? Thank you.
    Actually, there was an improvement in that there used to be trace amounts of dust that would collect in the cabinet, but that has been reduced to just about none. The blade shroud still works as it did, collecting the vast majority of the dust. With the blade guard connected to an overhead duct, the saw has always been excellent at collecting dust. This is both before & after the collection mod. About the only dust that escapes the saw is when cutting less than a full kerf width off a board. Then there's a stream of dust that shoots out the side of the guard, which is annoying.

    I have a 5 HP collector, so suction has never been a problem.

  9. #9
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    Great. Thanks for the follow up Frank.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

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