LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner
Cancel

Contractor Saw/Router Cabinet w Dust Collection

1229 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  AllanK, 
AllanK
4
I have a Delta 10" CS and a Benchdog router table extension on the left wing. Dust collection from the saw is one of those plastic doodads that goes between the legs and the base of the saw (4" port), and I made covers with appropriate slots and holes for the open side of the cabinet. These have to be removed when tilting the blade. Dust collection is marginal.

I've seen many versions of cabinet on the web, and many plans for such a cabinet, but all of them seem to leave the motor hanging out the back. m I want to design a new cabinet, and plan on having a triangular chute under the saw instead of the plastic doodad. I was thinking of making the cabinet deep enough (front to back) to cover the motor, as well, thus allowing the blade to be tilted. The chute would extend the full depth with the 4" port at the end. Here are two screenshots of the idea, one showing the 4" port for the saw, the other a similar arrangement for the router extension.

Table Wood Rectangle Desk Wood stain

Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain Hardwood


Questions:
1. What do you folks think of the idea of a longer chute under the saw? Will this be effective in removing the dust? I guess I should tilt the chute down from the front to the back to get some help from gravity.
2. Do you think there will be any adverse effects on the motor, being enclosed in the cabinet? Should I have a fan blowing air into the motor area?

Any suggestions will be most welcome.

Cheers,

Attachments

See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
rbrjr1
one of the failings I see in dust collection for table saws is that typically they only suck up the dust that's heading "that way" anyway.. (ie. dust that isn't heading towards the port, doesn't get sucked up because typically there is just too many surfaces under a table saw to catch the dust as it "eddies" around all the surfaces.

what does the bottom of your blade carriage and arbor look like?
is there any way to install a shroud AT the blade?
(doing so would create far fewer surfaces for the dust to rest on and would provide greater suction at the blade at the same time).

I have an old Craftsman (50s) saw and the bottom of the cradle assembly provides the perfect place to attach a shroud to catch dust.

(see the opening at the bottom?)
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
wapakfred
I completely enclosed the motor on my Delta 34-444, and it worked very well. I got the idea from a Wood magazine "Idea Shop" article. The enclosure was suspended from the outfeed table, which also meant I couldn't roll the saw up against the wall. But for it to work well, you still need a lot of air flow…I had a 2.5 HP DC that might have been pulling close to 450 CFM through the 4" port. There was some dust left in the cabinet, but it would reach a certain height and then stop growing. I'd clean it out occasionally as I needed to get in the cabinet for maintenance (or to find the dropped arbor nut). So, back to your question: the motor won't be hurt being enclosed. In fact cabinet saws have always had the motor enclosed with no apparent harm. Will it improve the DC? well, the only way to know for sure is to try it…but it might depend on what you are using for a DC.
Reply
Save
Like
AllanK
rbrjr1: I don't have a shroud on mine, but I saw an article describing a home-made one, and I might try that.
Fred: thanks for the input. I plan to add an over-the-blade collection gizmo, as well.

And then, maybe I'll just upgrade and buy a Grizzly hybrid - i've had the Delta for over 15 years…
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
LumberJocks Woodworking Forum
A forum community dedicated to professional woodworkers and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about shop safety, wood, carpentry, lumber, finishing, tools, machinery, woodworking related topics, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Blogs Power Tools, Hardware and Accessories Woodworking Skill Share Off Topic Coffee Lounge Hand Tools
Top