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Thread: Under table Blade dust shroud for 1970 Unisaw

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Camas, Wa
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    Under table Blade dust shroud for 1970 Unisaw

    I have been wanting to make a dust shroud for under my Uni for some time. I attempted to mock one up a couple of years ago out of wood because I didn’t have a welder. It didn’t work because the space under the saw is very tight. I got a welder shortly after that but I got busy with other things.

    About a year ago I purchased an Excalibur over arm guard so I could get a little more serious about dust collection on the saw. I was a little disappointed about the dust collection. I decided I wanted to attempt to make an under the table blade shroud even more. Well, last week was the week I started the project. I finished it up this weekend.

    The shroud is made out of 16 gage steel. The connection for the 2.5” hose is a piece of muffler pipe.(go figure) I searched for places for 2.5” pipe and nobody carried it. When I looked it up online muffler pipe kept coming up. I called a muffler shop here in town and he gave me a piece out of his scrap bin. I took a bunch of measurements and drew it all out but I had to redesign it many times on the fly. You can probably se a few places where I made mistakes and hade to patch some things. I’m not the greatest welder but I have fun. It’s a good thing somebody invented Bondo.

    The whole process was a huge PITA and I am glad it is over. It's no beauty spot but it will be under the table and nobody will seeI was afraid that I would spend all of this time and it wouldn’t work very well. I must say that initial test have produced very good results. I am very happy with the results and I think it will be staying under the table. I probably catch 95% of everything that used to end up on the table. What is left is very fine stuff which the Excalibur shouldn’t have any problems picking up.

    I thought I would post this because I know many people have old Unisaws and might be interested in the implementation. It can be done!!!!











  2. #2
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    Jan 2007
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    Sorrento, Louisiana
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    Looks good. I thought about trying something like this for my Grizzly but haven't got around to even looking to see if it is possible. Thanks for the idea.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
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    Northern New Jersey
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    Now that's ingenuity!

    Great post.
    -Jeff
    Thank goodness for SMC and wood dough.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    Phoenix, AZ
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    Fantastic!
    The lack of dust shrouds and boots is the #1 problem we have for dust collection. It all starts with being able to collect the dust at the source, it you don't have a decent shroud/boot, it doesn't matter whether you have 300 CFM or 1000 CFM.

    Looks like a good design--sure wish I had your skills, or that somebody had made one of these for the PM66!

    I'll bet if you used a 4" pipe it would get 99% of everything. Do you have any plans for that, maybe a pdf drawing that folks could print out and try? I read a lot of dust collection threads, and this is a pretty rare event, someone taking the time to make a good dust shroud for a popular tool.
    Well done!
    Thread on "How do I pickup/move XXX Saw?" http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=597898

    Compilation of "Which Band Saw to buy?" threads http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...028#post692028

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave MacArthur View Post
    Fantastic!
    I'll bet if you used a 4" pipe it would get 99% of everything.
    There is no way you can get a 4" pipe to fit up in there. I was wondering if I was going to get the 2.5" to work. It looks like there is a ton of room in the cabinet until you try to shove something in there and start to tilt the blade.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    In the foothills of the Sandia Mountains
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    Thumbs up

    Excellent fabrication!
    I have a 10 year old Uni that I love....except for the under blade dust collection.
    Please help support the Creek.


    "It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone."
    Andy Rooney



  7. #7
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    Welding isn't part of my skill set. If you want to start making those things for money, I'll be the first in line.

  8. #8
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    cramped space indeed. I tried taping a prototype together with cardboard and fitting it up in my PM66 a few years ago, but every time I tilted the blade something would get smashed, it kept looking like some sort of side plates sliding against each other would be required. I gave it up pretty quickly.
    Thread on "How do I pickup/move XXX Saw?" http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=597898

    Compilation of "Which Band Saw to buy?" threads http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...028#post692028

  9. #9
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    Jan 2010
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    LA & SC neither one is Cali
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    You may have to take this with a grain of salt from someone that is NOT a metal worker but that is freakin awesome. It looks like you ordered it from a parts catalog! Very nice PITA or not.

  10. #10
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    Cary - put me down for one for a left-tilt uni, please. What's the estimated leadtime?
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kent A Bathurst View Post
    Cary - put me down for one for a left-tilt uni, please. What's the estimated leadtime?
    If there is enough interest and I do decide to sell a few of these, it would be for right tilt only. I don't know for sure and don't have access toa LT to check, but I think it is different enough that this one won't work by swapping the dust chute side.

  12. #12
    I've been reading this thread, and it's worth a post just to congratulate a job very well done

  13. #13

    You've built it, the line is starting to form at your door

    Cary,

    The Eagle has landed !

    We all knew we wanted to go there but weren't sure how.

    Will there be a way to acquire tracings or plans (1:1 scale)?

    Ready to send small bills, non-consecutive numbers in a plain brown envelope.

    John

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by John R Green View Post
    Cary,

    The Eagle has landed !

    We all knew we wanted to go there but weren't sure how.

    Will there be a way to acquire tracings or plans (1:1 scale)?

    Ready to send small bills, non-consecutive numbers in a plain brown envelope.

    John
    John,
    I'm not sure if I want to market these. It is kind of an internal struggle. The 1st one was a PITA to build. I would love to just sell the plans for people that can weld since my skills aren't that great. Part of me thinks this is a woodworking site and I should pony them up. It's a one of a kind thing and I spent a lot of time developing it so I'm thinking I should make some of them for some tool money. I haven't seen a line at the door yet so I set and contemplate my next move. I do have a volunteer to test one and let me know what they think should I decide to make them.

  15. #15

    Here's a offer

    I have a 2005 Unisaw.
    My buddy has a 1946 Unisaw.
    He's a structural Engineer, builder & woodworker.
    We'd be glad to install, use, evaluate & offer suggestions for modifications ( if needed ).
    You could offer them on 1:1 ratio plans for the handy guys with the skill & tools to make it AND you could find a local guy that could make them, then sell to guys that want the "ready to install" version.
    If you sell them, you'd want to check with a patent attorney to make sure you're not stepping on someone else's patent rights.
    Another option is to offer them for "free" and users could send a donation which would gladly be accepted.
    Food for thought.......

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