Whats the best way to dust collect a miter saw that is built in? 12 inch non sliding miter saw
Thanks Lou
Whats the best way to dust collect a miter saw that is built in? 12 inch non sliding miter saw
Thanks Lou
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Replies
I have the "Downdrafter":
http://eagleamerica.com/product.asp?pn=485-3870&eid=GOOGLE&SID=GL0154&gclid=CPy7vrPw_5ACFRIUagoddmTUFw&bhcd2=1200662492
The unit is attached to my 4", shop-wide, dust collection system, and it does a fairly good job of removing the finest dust particles from the air. The coarse stuff tends to accumulate on the floor of the Downdrafter's hood, and needs to be pushed into its vacuum "drain," periodically, but that's a far better option than having to sweep the floor after ever session of cross-cutting.
I have a Bosch sliding saw, and I had to adapt its built-in dust ejection port with some pvc plumbing pipe in order to direct the dust stream in a more focused way at the mouth of the Downdrafter.
Miter saws ("chop saws") are notoriously difficult to control, where dust-spraying is concerned, and particularly when you're making cuts that are off the perpendicular. The Downdrafter will follow the saw blade (you push it on its wheeled base) when you make angled cuts to the left or right, but the dust collection efficiency is compromised, somewhat, when the saw is cutting a wide board, diagonally, because the saw's ejection port is farther from the mouth of the Downdrafter.
All in all, the Downdrafter (in my case, anyway) has been a bonus. It probably grabs 90% of all the dust thrown at it, and it reduces sweeping sessions from a daily to a weekly event.
Don't buy it, if you don't have a dust collection system capable of moving a lot of air through a 4" orifice: This is not a "shop vac" attachment.
I don't have one of these but it might be what you are looking for.
It is the FastCap ChopShop Dust Hood.
http://www.fastcap.com/products.aspx?id=3802
I have used both the Downdrafter and the Fast Cap Hood. The Downdrafter was nice when hooked up to a dust collector, but you had to move it every time that you changed the cut angle of the saw. And you do have to clear the bottom of it manually on a regular basis. The Fast Cap Hood is big. But you do not have to adjust it with the saw. With a little effort one could fabricate a sloped collector below the hood that was connected to a dust collector and use that to clean out the accumulated sawdust occasionally. On the job site when the saw will be there for a little while I will find a large box and set that up to catch all of the falling sawdust, thereby keeping the area a lot cleaner.
The FastCap: I guess if you're working on-site, you may not have the option of running a dust collector (noise, hassle moving, all that). But using something like the FastCap in your own shop is just fooliin' yourself into thinking you're collecting dust. Given the way a miter saw throws dust, much of it quite fine, around the saw with each cut, you'd be breathing in particles every time you use it. Your shop may look cleaner, but guaranteed your lungs are not cleaner by much. I wouldn't use one of those without also using a good dust mask or respirator, not taking it off for quite some time after finishing a miter saw session.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I never said that the FC setup was the best, but it is a whole lot easier, and faster to use then the Downdrafter. However I do feel that the FC is a huge improvement over letting the sawdust hit the wall and fly all over creation. The last job that I used the FC hood on I installed about 2200' of poplar trim (paint grade). There was almost no sawdust around the saw or on the floor, very little when I swept the floors nightly. I would say that dust containment was probably around 95%, a figure that I can live with. My sinuses will tell me when to much dust is flying free. I used a Downdrafter hooked up to a can-top Jet 2-stage DC for a couple of years in my shop, would probably rate it's collection efficiency at 85% maybe. So I do consider the FC to be a step up in performance. And I did entertain the thought of rigging a way to connect a DC to the hood. My experience was with using a SCMS, a very difficult tool to catch dust from in the first place. Besides, at least for me, a respirator and safety glasses don't generally play well together.
I have three collection points for my miter saw.
First is the "Big Gulp" directly behind the saw. Click on the link posted by Sasquatch, scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll see the hood.
The second point is directly underneath the saw. I cut a hole in my bench top (which is plywood) and inserted the same type of collection hood used in the bottom of mid-range table saws.
My third point is a 2 1/2" flexible tubing attached to exhaust port directly behind the saw blade. (I discarded the bag that came with the saw.)
The first two points are connected to my DC with 4" flexible tubing. The 2 1/2" tubing connects to the 4" tubing.
This has worked pretty well.
Dorsett,
The 2 1/2" tubing connects to the 4" tubing.
I'm curious as to how you connected this? Is there a connector for this as I haven't found one. I'd like to do the same as you but for a RAS and also be able to connect the 2½" to a chopsaw. They both share the same space.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob, there are two on this page. The one to go from 4" hose to 2.5" hose is D4X2. The other one connects direct from a 4" DC port to a 2.5" hose (D4X). I may have some extras of the D4X2 -- if I do, I'm glad to send you one and you can try it out.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 1/20/2008 11:29 am by forestgirl
forestgirl,
I guess I should have been clearer in what I need. I would like Y adapter that is 4" straight thru and the other connector is 2½". The 4" would connect to an adapter that sits in the bottom of my homemade hood. The 2½" connector is/will be connected to the built-in dust port on the blade guard.
I appreciate your offer and I have one of those connected to the router table that is built into right extension wing on the TS. This gives me 2 4" ports, one using the connector you have to connect to the fence and another 4" that connects under the router table.
All told, I have the TS/Router Table, downdraft outfeed table and joiner all connected with blast gates for each and the longest 4" run is less than 8'. There are 4 Ys in that run and all 4 devices are connected to a single run of 4" metal piping.
The other 4" run, which is gated, is for connecting the BS or the RAS/CMS hood. This system is working very well with the Delta 1½ HP 50-760 DC. A cyclone trash can fixture is in progress and will be connected when Mother Nature decides I've had enough cold weather. :-)
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
OK, Bob, yep that's different than what I thought you meant. Sounds like Dorsett found one at Rockler. Have you posted any pictures of your "island" tool arrangement yet?? I'm really interested in seeing how it's set up!! Or a drawing even.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi Lady,
I'll get some pics as soon as the temp gets above 20°. Right now it's -10°, up 4° since 6 AM!
I'm in the process of cutting the holes for the downdraft outfeed table and the connections to the main line into the DC. Still need to get the cyclone trash can integrated into it all.
And the woodshop is a complete MESS! Which for me is normal, but would not be featured in FWW! I understand that woodshops need to be spotless and look like they are never used!
:-)
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Kidderville,Rockler sells a y connector. The body is 4" and the split is 2 1/2". I turned it upside down, and installed it about four inches above the built-in exhaust chute on the back of the saw. Leave enough play in the 2 1/2" tubing for the saw to come all the down and cut 45 degree cuts. Dorsett
I made one of these "hoods" out of some scrap plywood and 1x6. Total cost was under 25 bucks. I had to buy a 4" dust port to mount on the bottom so my dust collecter could be hooked up, works great.
jdubbs, Can you send a picture of it?
Thanks, Lou
I can't send a picture, don't have the means. I'll try to explain better. I have a delta sidekick mitersaw stand which I mounted my new Bosch slider to. I bolted a couple of 1x2's to the top rail, I then ripped some more 1x at a 45' angle to create a sliding dovetail. This is what I mounted the box to. I also "pinned" the box to the dovetail slider with 1" dowel rod so the box can be turned. To my suprise, when I move the saw to cut a miter the box will move as I move the saw. As far as dimensions are concerned, the 1x2"s are bolted perpundicular to the top rails are 16" long. The dovetailed slider is 36" long, screwed to the top of the 1x2's. The box, well I got those dimensions from the internet, same as what is for sale. I mounted the 4" dust port in the bottom of the box, and I would estimate that I capture 90-95% of the saw dust. I am not a master mechanic, just a sometime weekend wood worker, this thing was easy. Look on the internet to see what is for sale and use that as a guide. My "invention" may be a little bulky, but according to the reviews so are the commerically available ones, and mine works real well. I figure I saved about 140 bucks, for the same thing. Hope this helps, if you have more questions please ask. Regards!
Nothing seems to work all that well.
I have the large 12" x 14" collector that Woodcraft sells, hooked up to a 4 " hose and permanently mounted to the back of the saw. Then I have a 14" length of 2.5" vacuum hose clamped onto the dustbag chute (dustbag in garbage) and fed loosely into the 4" hose at the back of the collector.
Then I leave the dust collector running for a minute after cutting to capture all the fines that billow up around the saw, anyway.
Then I have a pleated furnace filter taped to a box fan on the floor that captures what's left in the air (I hope).
Then I sweep at the end of the day.
Mike D
Mike,
I agree with you. The floor does the best job of collecting saw dust.Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
My SCMS is semi-permanently set up in my garage shop and the dust was a real hassle until I made up this collection "hood". This one was intended as a prototype that would show me how to make a more permanent one, but it works so well that I might just keep it. - lol
This has a dust port in the bottom to a shop vac on the floor. Very inexpensive, but good enough considering the alternatives.
OK. . .I have to ask! What did you do with the pieces of anchor chain shown in the picture? Regards,
They seem to be pretty popular when this picture gets shown. I didn't even realize they were in there. That's actually my dog chain. No one gets in the shop uninvited.
John - having a good time in MO.
I thought that you might have your own forge and were thinking about making your own plane blades and chisels! :<))Regards,Ron
best dust collector for a power miter saw....
... the wide open spaces or in front of a window, wide open with a box fan blowing out.
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