I have an entry-level 10" Skil table saw I am adapting for better dust collection. I am putting a flat panel beneath the saw (about 1" from the blade at its lowest setting) and stand. This will cover the entire bottom of the saw. I'm going to cut a hole to attach a 2 1/2" vacuum hose. Where should the hole be? Dead-center of the blade? Ahead (front) or behind? I'd like to aid the vacuum by shooting the dust directly at the hole.
I hate to rain on a parade, but you will not notice a lot of difference, until you close off that huge hole in the back of the saw housing. The Ryobi TS3650 has a housing around the blade, with a 2" dust port. Two problems, the port was/is too small and the gap at the top the housing allowed too much of a bypass for the air flow. Solution was to attach a piece of visquene to the underside of table top with magnets and have the side piece of the housing hold the the rest of the visquene. The result is that the major air flow is down past the blade.
Man, when I read this, I thought "how simple!". But after trying it, I'm not too sure I like the results. The saw dust pooled in each of the four corners. I'm thinking the "wind" from the blade pushed it there. Now I'm thinking my plan for a vacuum is not going to work lik I planned. I may have to go for a bag.
Dan, something that hasn't been mentioned yet is the importance of wearing a dust mask regardless of weather or not you manage to attach your shop vac successfully. Likely it will catch a lot of the dust produced but certainly no where near all of it. What is doesn't catch is often the smallest particles that will be end up in your lungs. You may already be aware of that but just in case your not it's generally agreed that a good dust respirator is required whenever using your saw or other fine dust producing equipment.
Some of the dust will pool no matter how you do your DC I think. However if you had some slope in the mix it will help funnel everything to your vacuum.
I have a Delta contractors saw. I built a hopper with a connection for my Harbor Freight dust collector. Saw dust still fills in the corners and on any horizontal surface under the saw. No way to avoid it as far as I am concerned. The dust collector does a great job of grabbing the air borne dust. You will not collect all the dust, no matter how much money you throw at it. Greg
So let it pool in the corners. It will build up only so far and the rest will go into the dust collector. It is not possible to have the air flow in such a manner as to be 100% effective.
No, it was not the wind from the blade that pushed it there, it is the lack of air flow that did not allow it to be sucked out. The chunks of wood fly and bounce everywhere. Remember, don't seal up the chamber so well that you don't have air flow. To suck dust out, air must enter at the same rate as it is taken away.
One day I was in the lab complaining about the fact that the cardboard box I slid under my Delta contractors saw to collect the chips was so hard to slide out because of the leg tie bars. Light bulb lit up in one of the new product team engineer's head and in a couple of weeks he developed a bag that had a wireframe top. Included were a couple of sheet metal angles that were screwed to the bottom of the stand top plate. I took the prototype home to test it.
It worked like a charm, caught about 95% of the chips and dust, and could be emptied in a few seconds just by sliding it out of the angle pieces, dumping and sliding back in.
Went on the market for $29.00. Hardly sold any. Discontinued by now I believe, or at any rate didn't fit the next generation stand.
That bag, and the drop down rear extension for contractor saw, also about 29 bucks (I prototype tested that one too) were two of the best accessories for a contractor saw I ever used. Neither sold well.
Since then I've seen all kinds of bags onthe market with snaps and other attachment methods, none that are even close to that original for ease of dumping. But, I guess they are selling because they continue to be offered.
I bought a rubber roof vent made for 3 - 4" PVC pipe from Home Depot ($5). Cut a hole to fit under your blade and screw it in, Hook up some
3" PVC pipe with a Fernco reducer to fit your vacuum hose and your in business. You can see pictures of what I did here:
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With a contractors saw, which I have, you will want to make a cover for the back of the saw unless you have one of the 100 horsepower diesel engine dust collectors:-)
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