Dust Collection at Miter Saw

[Paul McGaha]

I'm planning on reworking my mitersaw station. The saw is a 10" Hatachi Slider.

What do you guys think of flush mounting a downdraft table under the mitersaw to help with the dust collection?

Probably will have a shroud at the back of the saw also to help contain the dust.

This miter saw has about a 2" dust collection port. I used to have it connected to a dedicated shop vac and it is currently connected to my dust collection system. I dont know for sure but it seems to me it may have worked better connected to the shop vac (SWMBO unaware of this) ??

Do you guys tend to use a shop vac or your dust collector at your miter saws?

If i put in the downdraft table I would think connect that to the dust collector for sure but it only has a 2 1/2" port also.

I think I saw in one of his shows that Norm has something like this under his miter saw and connected to his dust collector.

H6396 15" x 25" Benchtop Downdraft Table Thanks guys. PHM

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi my brother has a slider that he made a hood for.

The hood has a 6 inch duct and he has the 2" (??) port on the saw connected as well.

It works pretty well, probably captures 3/4 of the dust.............Rod.

P.S. I saw a Kapex at a show connected to a vacuum, I was really impressed with the dust collection.

[Eric DeSilva]

I've got a Kapex and, while better than other SCMSs I've used, it isn't like my TS55 or their sanders in terms of capturing nearly 100%. I actually put a pic of the set up I have in this thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ust-Collection

Works about as well as any other set up I've seen.

[Steve Southwood]

I have a down draft on mine. I helps, but you still need something in the back. stuff still gets slung back there.

[David Thompson 27577]

I've recently been working in the shop of a good friend. His miter saw is connected to his dust collector with flexible hose. In addition, his miter saw station includes a "horizontal hood" just behind the saw. This hood is not connected to the dust collector -- it simply gathers the dust and off-cuts that fall behind the saw, and directs them into a garbage can that sits beneath the bench.

It's amazingly effective, in combination with the dust collector hookup.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Norm uses a HVAC fitting under his saw, and a hose connected to the blade guard. Photog has a set up using the "big gulp" on his saw over at another well known forum. His idea was also featured in Wood magazine as a tip. Over at other forum, search "Photog". Original post date was 05/09/08. You will have to figure out the weeks back part. I have it bookmarked. I modified his set up to fit my DeWalt 703 with good results. An easier search is probably using user name junque col, less than 30 weeks old (01/01/11)

[Ole Anderson]

My MS backs up to a stud cavity, I cut a hole in the pegboard, blocked the cavity at the top of the hole and stuck a 6" collector pipe at the bottom of the cavity, in effect using the cavity as a 3.5" x 16" vertical duct below the saw. Just let the 2" saw outlet blow into the stud cavity. Added a couple of 'wings" to help direct dust to the hole behind the saw. Works quite well, probably 95% or better collection. Another advantage: the saw can sit 3.5" further back.

I don't think the downdraft table will be your best solution.

[Chris Parks]

Post three in this thread
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...n-at-Miter-Saw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRCgwTqJhqM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Ll10MZMmg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AIITfs51PE

[Paul McGaha]

Thank you all for your thoughts and Chris thank you for bringing back the other thread on miter saw dust collection and also the links.

PHM

[Joe A Faulkner]

My setup is a little unconventional. I'm clustering the power tools around the DC in the center of the shop. My DC is an old 2HP Grizzly that I reconfigured to use a Thein "Top Hat" seperator with 6" inlet. The dust hood form my mitersaw doubles as a clamp rack, and storage. I need to add a face frame to keep the 3/8" ply from sagging. I slapped the dusthood together just to see if it was going to work. I run a 6" flex hose to the center of the hood, then have a homemade sweep to collect some dust from the bottom. I plumbed the "exhaust" port on the saw to the hood, and cut a 4" hole in the sweep. It is working relatively well, though I think it will work better if I extend the top out over the saw another six inches and close in the sides a bit. I saw someone who had a similar set up that allowed the "hole" in the back of the hood to slide left to right. This allowed the port to follow the saw when cutting on an angle. I thought I bookmarked that hood, but haven't been able to find it.

[Peter Aeschliman]

I don't have any pictures at the moment, but my solution works really well.

The versions in the videos Chris Parks posted above appear much simpler and more elegant than mine though. I have my small 1 HP dust collector hooked up to a large "funnel" under the table. Behind the saw I made a "backstop" out of three identical modules, each with a 4" hose at the top, which tie into a 6" main line. One of the modules works for straight cross cuts, and the others are oriented at 45 degrees for angled cuts. The three backstop pieces include kerf-bent 1/4" hardboard that direct the dust either up to the 3 overhead hoses or down to the single hose below.

As for the dust port built into the miter saw, I've simply hung a 2 1/2" hose down into the large funnel, which directs the dust down. I will probably just put an elbow on it at some point to keep the dust from ro

Here's a drawing that kind of shows it. If my shop were at my home I'd snap some pictures. It works super well, but was quite a bit of work and requires two dust collectors. I'll probably rebuild it at some point since my construction method was less than perfect.

[Chris Parks]

The secret with the hood that vents through the bottom is air speed. If the gap at the bottom is sized to the same as the duct then you obviously get the same air speed as the duct and the dust is kept moving. I can't see any shortcomings at all and recommend it to everyone who asks.

[Ken Deckelman]

Here are pics of my setup:

[Scott Driemel]

Recently I was at a friends doing a deck. He used this black plastic "soma" style tube for pouring the tubular fittings for his columns. It fits onto the bottom of the tube and mushrooms out nicely to make a larger base for the concrete. After looking at it I thought "hmmm, this might, with some alterations," fit the back area of my miter saw and be a great collector. I'd have to jury-rig a neckdown system to a 4" diameter fitting but this thing looked like it would really do a super job. It flairs out quite wide, but has enough thickness to hold it's shape well. I haven't made mine yet but thought I'd share my idea with you as it "sounded good" to me. Cheap + effective.

[Robert Moffa]

I have a Rigid compound sliding miter saw. The saw works great but it throws dust everywhere. I’ve tried several elaborate solutions over a 7-year period with both single and multiple dust host connections. My last one had a big 12x12 collection hood under the back of the saw connected to a 4” hose and a 2” hose connected to the saw’s little port on the back side. Both of the hoses were joined at a Y to my collection system. Even with all that I was getting only about half the dust, maybe less. Then I saw an ad for Festool’s miter saw claiming 91% dust collection. The only thing that looks different is the little flexible funnel that directs dust from the blade into the dust port opening. When, I use my rigid I have noticed that a lot of dust never gets into that port and just bounces off the saw frame all over the place. So, as an experiment, I made a funnel similar to Festool’s and placed it around the Rigid’s port right behind the blade. I disconnected all the old dust fittings and connect just 6 inches of 2” hose from the saw’s port into a 4” hose then into my collection system. I used as little 2” hose as possible to maximize air flow. Wow! What a difference. Festool’s ad is probably right. That little funnel works great. The really nice feature of this method is it works in whatever angle you are using the saw. By the way the dust in the pictures was from cross cutting sever 6 to 8 inch wide maple boards. IMG_1773.jpgIMG_1772.jpg