Help - Radial Arm Dust Collecting Setup

[Steve Sr.]

Hello,

I have an old Craftsman radial arm saw that I occasionally use for ripping big lumber. I would like to be able to hook it up to my Shop Vac vacuum for dust collection.

However, this saw and all similar saws apparently made over the past

25 years have an oddball dust collection fitting. It appears to be 1.5" I.D. and 1.75" O.D. This does not attach to any of the standard 1.25" or 2.5" standard vacuum hoses.

I tried to buy an adapter at Sears but all I got was a blank stare from the manager of the power tool department. I looked online and I saw a 1.875" hose kit which looked interesting but there wasn't enough information as to the sizes of the fittings and adapters.

Do any of you have any suggestions as to where to get a hose or an adapter that will work with this saws dust collection fitting? There must be enough of these saws around that somebody has come up with a good solution.

Thanks,

Steve

[dpb]

Steve Sr. wrote: ...

... I've never had any luck w/ collecting any significant amount of dust when ripping anyway since the guard tilts forward to touch the material at the front which leaves a larger open area at the rear and most of the sawdust is ejected rearward and never in the guard anyway.

I think the only real solution would be to use a hood arrangement to the rear rather than the side ejection point but I've never felt it worth the effort to try it for the Rockwell (14") here which I use mostly for the same purpose.

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[tom]

You might try a 1.5 inch 90 degree PVC street elbow on the saw's port. That's what's on my miter saw. I had to add a little tape for a good friction fit. Then check Woodcraft for an adapter to the 2.5 inch hose. HTH. Tom

[Nova]

Have you tried a "Universal Vacuum Hose Adapter".. I believe Home Depot sells something similar to the that depicted in the link below.

[Gordon Shumway]

I think you may be positioning the guard incorrectly. The manual for my RAS says to tilt the guard so the rear of the guard (the infeed side when ripping) is just slightly higher than the top of the board being cut. Connect the vacuum hose to the port on the front of the guard (the outfeed side).

It doesn't get everything but it gets maybe 90%.

G.S.

[Gordon Shumway]

My saw is about 30+ years old and the port on the front of the guard that is used for ripping. The port has a 90 deg rubber elbow that is connected to the port. Inside the elbow is a plastic bushing that is designed to adapt to a 1-1/4(?) hose fitting. Inside the bushing is a plastic plug that has a friction fit that prevents sawdust from following that path during cross-cutting operations.

My shop vac has 2-1/2 hose so I use a 1-1/4 to 2-1/2 adapter and it fits fine.

I looked at my manual for the part numbers and it only shows the elbow. No bushing or plug. Maybe they are included with the elbow?

My saw is a 12", model number 113.23301. The part number for the elbow is 63258.

Hope this helps.

G.S.

[Upscale]

[-MIKE-]

If you're still tilting your guard, you may want to check the recall site. You are probably eligible for a new, safe, guard and table top.

[dpb]

Gordon Shumway wrote: ...

If it has a two-piece guard that will let the rear and front move independently.

This is old enough it has only a one-piece guard and the non-solid hanging guards on the rear to prevent accidental side entry. But since they're not solid they're of no benefit whatever for dust collection.

BTW, one rips _against_ the rotation, not with it as one does when moving the head when cross-cutting.

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[dpb]

-MIKE- wrote: ...

...

Not hardly!!! :)

This is a 1950s 14" Rockwell--back when if you were silly enough to stick your hand or arm in it, you were considered to have deserved to be known as "stumpy"...

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[dpb]

dpb wrote: ...

Similar to, but older--S/N is effaced to be illegible so can't definitively date it but I'm pretty certain it's no newer than early 60s at most.

Here's picture of an Original Saw Co saw w/ a collection hood similar (but more elaborate than) to what I've done for crosscut collection--as noted, it's quite difficult for ripping.

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[dpb]

Dang it, forgot the link...

While fetching the above, happened across a 12" but w/ better view of guard...the loose/hanging rim guards are much more easily seen there.

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[Gordon Shumway]

recall.

G.S.

[Gordon Shumway]

My guard is a one-piece guard and the front and rear are not independent of each other.

Yes that is correct. What made you think that was contrary to what I said?

G.S.

[dpb]

Gordon Shumway wrote: ...

The suggestion the guard is only slightly lower in front. In that configuration there's nothing to hold the feedstock down and the blade will try to pick it up, particularly, of course, w/ 4/4 or thinner stock. OTOH, if on were trying to feed the other way (which I've seen advocated more than once :( ), it does want to grab and pull, but it will hold stock on the table.

Overall just trying to make clear and correct a misconception _if_ there were one...

[HeyBub]

Duct tape?

[rivahrebel]

I'm with Tom! Or you could use a straight pvc coupling either 1.25 or 1.5, whichever fits best. If needs be use a hose clamp or wiretie to make fit more snug.