Grizzly 1023Z design flaw in DC port

[Alex Gauthier]

Is it just me or was Grizzly on drugs when they placed the cabinet DC port on the LEFT side of the cabinet for this saw? This would effectively introduce TWO right angles, back to back in the dust collection plumbing. Or am I missing something obvious?

Temporarily, I am running flex hose along the floor directly to a 3HP cyclone but even with a short strait path to the DC, collection is poor and I'm already tired of stepping over the hose as I walk around the saw. I plan to add a shark guard at the blade but I'm wondering if I shouldn't open up a 6" port at the back of the saw to make for fewer angles to my planned overhead DC plumbing. I'd run a wye off 6" main pipe on the ceiling. Blade collection would be 4", cabinet would be 6". Or should I just stick with 4" all the way around....? hmmm

[Curt Harms]

I have a straight G1023. No over the blade but I have 6" flex and 6" opening in the door. Works pretty well.

[Ted Reischl]

If you are not on drugs Alex maybe you should apply to Grizzly for a designer position and show them how to do it?

[John Ziebron]

Alex, I agree that Grizzly seems to have a problem designing proper dust ports for their table saws and some other equipment. I have the 1023 RLX that's about 7 years old. It has only a 4 inch DC port in the back of the saw. Was never happy with the dust collection but didn't know better at the time because I had a smaller DC in a smaller shop. Now I have a bigger DC cyclone and ended up necking down a 6 inch run to 4 inches to connect to it. But it isn't much better.

I also have one of their 8 inch jointers and, although the opening is large, they neck the DC port down to 4 inches with their plastic adapter. On that machine I made a new adapter to connect directly to my 6 inch ducts and it works much better.

But on the table saw I would have to cut metal to make a bigger opening to correctly accommodate a 6 inch duct and I didn't want to do that. But I've since changed my mind and just haven't taken the time yet to do it. I'm also planning on blade collection like a Shark Guard.

My advice - Go with as big a port as you can, even if it means making a modification to the equipment.

[Alex Gauthier]

Hmm... I'm not on drugs (yet) but I suspect I may need them if someone asked me to put a dust port on the opposite side of a machine from where it goes....

If you are not on drugs Alex maybe you should apply to Grizzly for a designer position and show them how to do it?

[Alex Gauthier]

I can't put it on the right side, as that's where the motor is but I could put it at the back. This at least would remove one 90* angle from the equation. I could theoretically plumb a 45 instead of a 90 into that but it'll take some experimentation to figure out how to clear the outfeed table. Just for kicks, I'll hook it up as is though. Who knows? Maybe with the addition of a shark guard and blade collection it'll work well enough to satisfy my embarrassingly low standards.

Alex, I agree that Grizzly seems to have a problem designing proper dust ports for their table saws and some other equipment. I have the 1023 RLX that's about 7 years old. It has only a 4 inch DC port in the back of the saw. Was never happy with the dust collection but didn't know better at the time because I had a smaller DC in a smaller shop. Now I have a bigger DC cyclone and ended up necking down a 6 inch run to 4 inches to connect to it. But it isn't much better.

I also have one of their 8 inch jointers and, although the opening is large, they neck the DC port down to 4 inches with their plastic adapter. On that machine I made a new adapter to connect directly to my 6 inch ducts and it works much better.

But on the table saw I would have to cut metal to make a bigger opening to correctly accommodate a 6 inch duct and I didn't want to do that. But I've since changed my mind and just haven't taken the time yet to do it. I'm also planning on blade collection like a Shark Guard.

My advice - Go with as big a port as you can, even if it means making a modification to the equipment.

[Mike Kees]

Hi Alex,I do not have a Grizzly saw but have just worked thru the same things you are dealing with. I have a Unisaw and recently completed my dust collection system and installed a Sharkguard. The shark really works well for dust you will like it. Mine is a 3'' opening and if I did it again I would probably try the 2'', it sucks so well small off cuts get pulled in to the hose end/guard. I have started to leave my blast gate half shut. I bought a 5'' hole saw and cut a hole on the back of my saw cabinet just above the ring around the bottom. Inside the cabinet I taped cardboard to make the floor slope to the duct. I also built a motor cover with slots cut in it to allow air to flow into the base and wash over my motor. It works pretty well but still needs some tweaking. Going back to the guard, my 3'' hose gets in the way a bit on narrow rips so that is another reason I may try out a smaller hole on the guard. Hope this helps ,Mike.

[glenn bradley]

I imagine there are some who have their dust collector to the left of their tablesaw that wonder the same thing about ports on the right. As for ports on the rear, like mine, I doubt anyone has their DC where their outfeed path is. I do confess that when I was shopping for a saw upgrade, port position actually factored in to my decision making process so, you are not on drugs. There is probably a location that is bad for everyone ;-)

Few machines come with larger than 4" ports in the tier of machines I would use in a home shop. I would cover the current port (an easy way is with a piece of sheet magnet from inside) and cut a 6" port where you can best locate one. My Saw Stop is due for a 6" conversion the next time I get a short break between projects. The difference in air movement between the 4" and the 6" doesn't take a test device to notice.

[Alex Gauthier]

Huh, well now that raises an interesting question: Assuming dust collection WAS to the left, that would mean stepping over the hose each time you went around the saw. Or it would mean your stock width would be restricted because any dc drop would end up in the feed path just like if it were in the rear as you describe. Am I missing something? Do some folks set themselves up opposite of you and I?

I imagine there are some who have their dust collector to the left of their tablesaw that wonder the same thing about ports on the right. As for ports on the rear, like mine, I doubt anyone has their DC where their outfeed path is. I do confess that when I was shopping for a saw upgrade, port position actually factored in to my decision making process so, you are not on drugs. There is probably a location that is bad for everyone ;-)

Few machines come with larger than 4" ports in the tier of machines I would use in a home shop. I would cover the current port (an easy way is with a piece of sheet magnet from inside) and cut a 6" port where you can best locate one. My Saw Stop is due for a 6" conversion the next time I get a short break between projects. The difference in air movement between the 4" and the 6" doesn't take a test device to notice.

[Ted Reischl]

Not trying to be a wise guy here, but I am curious as to why you are always walking around right behind your table saw?

A lot of saws, mine included, have some sort of outfeed table behind the saw for obvious reasons. My DC is directly behind the saw with some flex that goes straight to the DC. I could not trip over it if I tried because it is underneath the outfeed table. Maybe, if you are always needing to walk directly behind the saw you could rearrange things so it is not necessary.

I know some guys never put an outfeed table behind their saws and let all sorts of scrap wind up on the floor behind the saw. To each his own, I don't have to pick it up!

[Alex Gauthier]

Not RIGHT behind it. Just around it. I have an outfeed table as well. The issue is that the dust port is on the LEFT side of the saw. Right where I walk to approach my workbench, leave via my garage door, or pick up pieces from the outfeed table. What I'll be doing is re-locating the dust port to the back side as you, I think, are imagining so that I don't have that issue. I was just curious if there was a scenario where having it where I have it is actually an asset for someone. Because long pieces tend to stick out on that side, it doesn't seem plausible. Just idle curiosity, my plan is set at this point.

Not trying to be a wise guy here, but I am curious as to why you are always walking around right behind your table saw?

A lot of saws, mine included, have some sort of outfeed table behind the saw for obvious reasons. My DC is directly behind the saw with some flex that goes straight to the DC. I could not trip over it if I tried because it is underneath the outfeed table. Maybe, if you are always needing to walk directly behind the saw you could rearrange things so it is not necessary.

I know some guys never put an outfeed table behind their saws and let all sorts of scrap wind up on the floor behind the saw. To each his own, I don't have to pick it up!