Ductwork installation underway

[John Donofrio]

This started out as a prototype of sorts but as it progressed became a keeper. And it works really well. At first there was some doubt as to whether the magnets, which are epoxied in place, would be able to hold this thing in place but it's really solid, doesn't move and definitely collects the dust.

IMG_20150624_190713.jpg IMG_20150624_190753.jpg

The row of four magnets in the first pic hold onto one of the ribs that stiffen the table. The second pic shows the magnets that attach to the plate where the blade enters the bottom of the saw.

A couple installed pics ('cause we all like pics)

IMG_20150624_192300.jpg IMG_20150624_192322.jpg

In the real world test the only sawdust I found was what was left on the table from what stuck to the wood after it passed by the blade and what jumped off the blade when the cut was complete. I'll call this one the showoff pic

IMG_20150624_193506.jpg

[Steve Kinnaird]

Is that a Grizzly band saw?
I am looking at the 17" and it has 2 - 4" dust ports.

Great creativity!!!!

[John Donofrio]

Is that a Grizzly band saw?
I am looking at the 17" and it has 2 - 4" dust ports.

Steve, it's a Rikon 14" Deluxe. Model 10-325 if I remember correctly.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Steve, it's a Rikon 14" Deluxe. Model 10-325 if I remember correctly.

OK, I was looking at the colors.

[John Donofrio]

Sorry to revive this aging thread, just thought it made sense to keep it all together.

Several weeks ago it began with some cardboard prototypes and experimentation. After a design was settled upon that I thought might work the best without spending a fortune on materials and parts, this is what I came up with.

Started with an existing table I made back when the shop was built to have something to put tools on. Added some support underneath and cut a hole.

IMG_20150725_145123.jpg

Got a 6" 90* HVAC boot from the local Borg and mounted it to a plate underneath, closing the previously made hole. Then added some sloping sides to help airflow a bit.

IMG_20150725_183003.jpg IMG_20150726_145918.jpg

The rest was built based off the cardboard mock-ups. I ended up with a system that allows the saw be used in all it's possible configurations. The side to the left is hinged to allow it to stay tight when it can and be swung out of the way when it can't. The thing on top was kinda an afterthought. Realizing that 90% of the cuts made here are vertical rough cuts at 90* and 9 of the other 10% are vertical at 45* either way, I liked the idea of covering the large hole left by the cutout to allow the saw to swing while tilted. Maybe worth it, maybe not.

IMG_20150816_155332.jpg

Here's the (near) completed system. I say near completed 'cause the saw still needs secured to the table and the in/out feed needs built but at least there is now dust collection at the chop saw!

IMG_20150818_193132.jpg IMG_20150818_193211.jpg (What you can't see in these pics is that there is a 90* elbow pointing down on the exhaust port of the saw)

How does it work...!?! About as well as I was hoping for and as well as I think is possible with this tool. My Dylos meter just arrived Monday so I haven't had a lot of time to mess with it but best I can tell it is capturing most if not all of the fines. There are still some chips that escape the sides from bouncing off the little deflector at the back of the blade (it's supposed to deflect them into the exhaust port) but I can feel a reasonably strong draft heading into the capture area that I believe is strong enough to capture the real fines we are all after. Once again some time with the Dylos should tell the tale.

Any comments or suggestions for improvements? One I'm considering is to add some 45* down slopes on the interior sides to deflect more into the suction. Just a thought at this point.

Thanks for looking.

[Jim Dwight]

Looks great! I can get most of the debris from my router table using a shop vacuum on a 2.5 inch port on the fence. It would also be good to suck from below but, if you do, I would try and take the air above the router motor. The problem with sucking out of the bottom of the router compartment is you are fighting the fan on the router and thus decreasing the cooling. If you pull from below the bit but above the motor, you help the fan cool the motor. If you pull from below and above the bit, you should get nearly everything.

If your CMS is anything like mine, you will need to pull on the blade guard plus have a setup behind it to get what doesn't go out that location. You kind of have to build a horizontal tent around the saw and then pull a lot of air. You seem to have a setup that can do it.

Last point, remember that it is pretty easy to make your own gates out of scraps of plywood. And they self clean.

[Morey St. Denis]

"Just a thought at this point"... Had you given any prior consideration to potentially upgrading your Hitachi miter chopsaw to a sliding compound miter saw? Models such as their C10FSH and later versions, (along with many other brands) typically use a cast metal inboard blade guard housing that incorporates at least a 2" dust collection outlet toward the rear. A passive discharge cloth filter bag is provided, but if ported directly to a flexible vacuum hose, it's quite effective at removing a majority of dust and small shavings right at the point of generation from off of the saw kerf.

As well as dramatically increased capacity with standard miter blade diameters, such as 10", upgrading to a slider also typically brings optional daylight visible laser marking of the saw cut line. Your under-table fall through dust collection is certainly desirable and clever to boot, but most sliders I am familiar with would render mostly unnecessary that rear collection hood contraption. Just saying...

[John Donofrio]

Looks great! I can get most of the debris from my router table using a shop vacuum on a 2.5 inch port on the fence. It would also be good to suck from below but, if you do, I would try and take the air above the router motor. The problem with sucking out of the bottom of the router compartment is you are fighting the fan on the router and thus decreasing the cooling. If you pull from below the bit but above the motor, you help the fan cool the motor. If you pull from below and above the bit, you should get nearly everything.

If your CMS is anything like mine, you will need to pull on the blade guard plus have a setup behind it to get what doesn't go out that location. You kind of have to build a horizontal tent around the saw and then pull a lot of air. You seem to have a setup that can do it.

Last point, remember that it is pretty easy to make your own gates out of scraps of plywood. And they self clean.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the router info. A new router cabinet (to the left of the CMS) is on the radar but probably going to be a while since I'm about tired of working on shop projects. There's already a working router setup in the shop so I can get by if the need arises.

Thought about making my own gates but... I'm happy with the metal ones and they aren't real expensive.

[John Donofrio]

"Just a thought at this point"... Had you given any prior consideration to potentially upgrading your Hitachi miter chopsaw to a sliding compound miter saw? Models such as their C10FSH and later versions, (along with many other brands) typically use a cast metal inboard blade guard housing that incorporates at least a 2" dust collection outlet toward the rear. A passive discharge cloth filter bag is provided, but if ported directly to a flexible vacuum hose, it's quite effective at removing a majority of dust and small shavings right at the point of generation from off of the saw kerf.

As well as dramatically increased capacity with standard miter blade diameters, such as 10", upgrading to a slider also typically brings optional daylight visible laser marking of the saw cut line. Your under-table fall through dust collection is certainly desirable and clever to boot, but most sliders I am familiar with would render mostly unnecessary that rear collection hood contraption. Just saying...

Hi Morey,

I did think about upgrading this CMS but for what I use it for it really does work fine. When it dies I'll reconsider a slider. Right now I don't want a slider due to the added distance from the wall required. Currently the area between the table saw the the CMS is where I break down full size sheet goods and there's not a lot of room to spare. Part of the price to pay for a small shop I suppose but it is what it is.

[Patrick Harper]

Thanks Patrick but I have to wonder... how did you know I was a Steeler fan?

Clock on the wall