Table Saw Dust Containment

dakremer · Jul 19, 2010

very cool!! I'd be happy with just a woodworking shop….or a garage….or a large closet….haha. I live in an apartment so my options are VERY limited. Cool extension table. I bet it makes life a lot easier! welcome to LJs

schloemoe · Jul 19, 2010

I like that alot O.K take a deep breath Now turn you're head a cough…....................Schloemoe

Gregn · Jul 19, 2010

I assume by the looks of the legs this is a contractors saw and you just basically boxed in the back which allows the motor to move for setting different angles. Is there any problems with heat build up from the motor or sawdust entering the motor? I have thought about this myself?

Bureaucrat · Jul 19, 2010

This is a great, straight forward solution, the best kind. Using materials that are at hand makes the project even sweeter!

Dusty56 · Jul 19, 2010

How hard is it to replace the belt if necessary ? When you say , "dust proof " , are you saying that no dust comes up from the blade either ?

JonSnc1 · Jul 19, 2010

I can't even imagine why you'd need to rebuild that with "nicer looking material". It looks great for a shop.

AbeLow · Jul 19, 2010

It sounds like you have developed some sensitivity to wood dust. PLEASE take a look at www.billpentz.com for a good bit of info on this subject.
If you have room you can build a filter box around your delta dust collector. Just a framework to hold several hvac filters to catch the stuff that comes through the dust collector bag.

damageinc · Jul 19, 2010

Thanks for the feed back! This is a contractors saw. Delta 36-982. I think it is discontinued. The right side of the box is cantilevered on the right side to allow the motor to swing when the crank is turned. The back panel is easily removed if I need to access the belt or blow it out with an air compressor. The dust collector is connected to the saw via the adaptor that came with the saw at the bottom. Air for the collector is drawn mostly from the three slots cut in the back panel that draw air over the motor and the throat plate. I can't seal it up too tight or I'll actually hamper what I'm trying to do.

It's not 100% dust proof. There is a little bit of dust that flies up from the blade. But this is mostly because the blade is slightly out of sqaure, no more than a couple thousanths, just enough for me to notice. I'll have to come up with some kind of vacuum set up. It will get better once I figure out how to loosen up the trunion to perfectly square up the blade.

I made the carcass out of 3/4" and 1/2" mdf, clear pine scrap, masking tape, spray foam, and some carrage bolts. I bought my first piece of baltic birch plywood on Saturday. I can't wait to finally work with some high quality materials.

BrandonW · Jul 19, 2010

Nice-it looks great! No need to upgrade the MDF.

Don't tell me this thing is held together with blue painters tape. ;-)

Robsshop · Jul 19, 2010

Damageinc, welcome to L J's, I am crazy about this site as well and it's a great place to see projects like Yours. Very nicely done, breathing in dust from numerous materials will over time,take its toll and doing shop upgrades like this will aide in minimizing harmful affects. Dust collecting makes a work shop that much better.Keep us posted with the progress and looking forward to those projects You speak of. Once again nice work and stay safe !

SPalm · Jul 20, 2010

Very nice. I can relate to having a saw with a real dust collector. It will change how you work, as in you can just go play for fifteen minutes without changing clothes.

Good job,
Steve

docholladay · Jul 20, 2010

I have that same saw. I saw something similar to this in one of the woodworking magazines a year or two ago and have intended to build one, but, like many other projects, just haven't gotten around to that one yet. One poster asked about heat for the motor, I couldn't tell if yours had them, but the one I saw in the magazine had air flow slots cut in the back of the box to allow for air to flow across the motor to cool it. From what I have read, for this to work well, it is also important to plug up all of the other holed that are found in the typical contractor saw cabinet such as between the cabinet and the table top and the arced slots for the depth wheel. The solution that I came up with there was an old advertising magnet could be cut to cover that slot and could easily be moved to account for different angles.

damageinc · Jul 20, 2010

Abe

Thanks for the link. I never want to see another piece of wood again!

Doc

I've got three vents cut into the back for airflow over the motor. They are hard to see in the picture but they are there. I got the inspiration for this from Fine Wood Working. I had the magazine out on my bench for the last two weeks; now it seems to have disappeared so I can't cite the issue number.

jevarn71 · Jul 20, 2010

Lokks great! Exactly what I've been toying with in my mind for some time now, just haven't gotten around to it yet. If you're overly concerned about the appearance, just spray on some matching gray paint, I think that would be good enough.

dmorgantx · Jul 20, 2010

Great job! Like a lot of folks- I have this saw and I have been looking at doing this. I haven't in my mind been able to figure out the specific details to make it work and wonder if you have any 'secrets' to share. Things that I mentally trip over are the butting together at the rear of the saw as the back side is not flush and the legs splay out. Also- how is this supported? I've thought about using bolts on the rear frame or rails mounted to the side. What approach did you take?

damageinc · Jul 21, 2010

I bolted the assebly to the rail on the back side of the saw. Then a few more bolts throught the sheet metal on the saw. Basically the whole contraption "hangs" from the back and sides. It is not attached at the bottom.

The legs I found to splay about 8 degrees. Found that by using my digital angle finder setting it to zero on the side of the saw, then putting it on the leg, showing my the angle.

I could put up some more pictures. Anybody know how to do that?

Thanks for all the response. This has been very encouraging. I can only disappoint from here on out!

woodspark · Jul 28, 2010

Must work really well, I see no dust. Or did you sweep before taking the pic…;^)
Welcome!

Beginningwoodworker · Dec 5, 2011

Neat idea.

Table Saw Dust Containment

Project Information

Gallery

Comments

dakremer

schloemoe

Gregn

Bureaucrat

Dusty56

JonSnc1

AbeLow

damageinc

BrandonW

Robsshop

SPalm

docholladay

damageinc

jevarn71

dmorgantx

damageinc

woodspark

Beginningwoodworker

More in Projects

More in Projects