TS dust collection

[Rick Potter]

Has anyone opened up holes in the cabinet of a tablesaw to increase air flow to the dust collector, like you see on some router tables? You know, six inch pipe to the saw, trying to suck through a zero clearance insert, and a few misc. holes. Just wondering if it may help. I don't have the nerve to be the Lone Ranger on this one.

Rick Potter

[Aaron Montgomery]

Hi Rick - I've got 6" S&D on my Unisaw dust port. I didn't actually make any cuts on my cabinet though. Once I took of the plastic 4" connection, the opening was actually much larger than the 4" round hole on the plastic port - more of a rectangular shape though as I recall. The pictures ought to clarify the connection that I made using a standard register boot.

I can't say how well it improves things dust collection over 4" though. It certainly moves more air and keeps the cabinet cleaner. I do wonder how much better my Excalibur overarm dust collection might be if I'd stuck to 4" on the bottom. That is typically where I feel that I need better dust collection. Then again, I'm still using an HF DC. Maybe when I upgrade to a cyclone later this year I'll get some improvement there.

Or maybe I misunderstood your question and you want to add additional holes for make-up air? I've thought about doing that as well, but I'm not sure it would improve dust collection at the source as much as it would to simply keep the bottom of the cabinet free of dust. I'm not sure that I care that there is dust in the bottom of the cabinet as much as I am about collecting it at the source.

[Jim O'Dell]

I've often wondered if a series of holes on the opposite side of the cabinet from the pick up would facilitate moving the dust from the blade to the pick up. If I get to buy the Griz G0691, I plan to cut some extra vents in the motor cover to make sure there is enough flow. At least the motor cover would be easier to repair/replace. I'd have trouble cutting on the cabinet of a new cabinet saw!! Jim.

[Prashun Patel]

I read a while back that people had good luck with this. You can certainly try it. Just bolt a blastgate onto it, so you can throttle it back if it's not working for you.

[Rick Potter]

I already have the six inch to the rear of the saw. I was thinking of a series of 1 1/2" holes along the bottom of the front of the saw, so the air would go straight across to the DC inlet. Seems like the total inlet area should be maybe just a bit smaller than the inlet area on the DC. Like I said, I really don't want to be a guinea pig on this one.

The hole saw is ready.

Rick Potter

[Ken Casser]

Here's what I did for my old Unisaw. It didn't have a dust door when I bought it, so I made one from plywood, cut a hole in it and added the blast gate for adjustable ventilation. I can't say how well it works, though. I use zero clearance inserts, and I still get sprayed with dust on the table top. And, I just ripped a bunch of wood last night and the base is pretty full of dust. I need to try adjusting it as I'm working to try to see if things change. When I had the gate fully open, dust would come out of it rather than being sucked back in. Maybe I need a stronger DC. Mine is a Jet 1 HP (I think it's 1 HP - it's 650 CFM).

[Lance Norris]

I posted a while back because I was having problems with sawdust packing the cooling end of the motor on my cabinet saw. I didnt cut any extra holes in the cabinet, but increased the airflow going out of the cabinet to the dust collector. Heres what I did, with dramatic improvements in dust collection.


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=76571

Rick... I just re-read the whole thread. You said you already have 6" coming into your saw, and you STILL have problems with collection? I dont think you need to cut holes in your cabinet. There are gaps between the table top and the cabinet to allow air movement and also air moves through the slots for the handwheels. Unless your saw doesnt have open areas at the table/cabinet connection, I would look elsewhere for a solution. Do you have a strong enough DC? I would think that a DC rated for 15-1700 cfm is minimum for effective collection from a cabinet saw with 6" ducting.

[Rick Potter]

Lance, my dust collection is much better than it used to be since putting the 6" on the saw, but I think it might be even better with some cross flow air, which might even straighten out the air flow. Right not it seems to roll around in there.

Rick

[glenn bradley]

My saw has a gap nearly all around the base where it meets the top. There is also the gap where the tilt takes place. If you add up all that surface area and still come up short, some holes could even things up.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

My old Delta had the same - a gap between the top and the base all around, and also a louvered/grate opening on the side - I assume this was for air to get to the motor to cool it. I cut a 4" port into the back of the saw for DC, and it worked OK - but not great. I could feel the air being drawn in through all these gaps I mentioned.

Last weekend I spent some time filling in most of the gaps - just under the table in front and back, and 1/2 of the louvered opening on the side. I figure if I'm running a DC, more than enough air will be sucked in there and over the motor to cool it. I must say it made an amazing difference - I can easily feel the difference in air being sucked in around the ZCI, and when I made some cuts - complete through cuts, and also taking just a bit off the end of the board (usually the worst dust producer) - there was a noticeable difference.

I guess it all depends on the type of saw/enclosure, as well as the power of a DC. and as much as CFM is important, it's *where* the CFM is being applied that's important.

I like the idea of adding the second feed to the enclosure, since it probably provides more CFM to the saw; but I wonder if the other benefit is there's more "swirling" action inside? I don't worry a lot about dust collecting in the base, but better collection is better collection. I know water heaters use a filling tube that is intended to generate a swirling action in the base so that sediment does not build up - I wonder if the approach can help with DC. I've thought about adding a 'feeder tube' inside the table for air to be sucked in from the outside and then directed across the blade as it rotates - this would 'push' any sawdust off the blade and into the table/enclosure. Thoughts?

[Sonny Edmonds]

Ya know, I have some really kick butt dust collection to my saw (as well as everything else in my shop).
I don't have any complaints with my Unisaw having it's 4" factory stock collector port on it. There will be a small amount in the corners, or maybe some on the trunnion assembly anyway.
That's why I have a self recoiling air hose and blow gun at the front of my saw, so I can get rid of the dust on occasion.
I'll be damned if I'm going to go poking holes arbitrarily in the case and ruin the saw for whoever inherits it.
You guys need to improve your dust collection's suction capability. CFM is one thing, but CFM that is wimpy on suction is miserable.
It is quite apparent to me more than half of you do not comprehend the physics of moving crap from one point to another.
Maybe where you should drill a new hole is in your head.