Adequate Dust Collection CFM for bandsaw

I have a 1412 Laguna in a 2 car garage that houses 1 car at night. The issue on all band saws doesn’t seem to be the CFM but the open space under the table. Even my shopvac system can handle the dust it creates just fine even when doing a 12” resaw. I used PVC and magnets. I cut a 4” PVC pipe down one side, put it in the oven to flatten it out then shaped it to seal that area. The only things my shop vac can’t handle are my planer and jointer as the chips are just too big when the 4” outfeed meets the smaller shopvac hose. I can live with that.

Here are vids on possible thought starter solution ideas.

-- Andy - Seattle USA

Andybb has a great solution. The closer you get to the source the better.

Never even thought about the CFM of my 12 gal. shop-vac as it is what it is, but I just checked because this made me curious. It’s only 75 CFM! Bandsaws make very fine dust its just that you need suction near the blade. Although if you were pulling 1000 CFM through the 4” port you’d probably be OK but that’s overkill IMO for a garage setup. I just don’t have room for a maze of 4” hoses. Everything that has a 4” outlet port gets a 6” length of 4” dia PVC pipe with a 4” diameter round piece of wood with a hole in it that fits the shop vac hose end snugly.

Truth be told, I haven’t had the cover I made for it on there for over a year. I took it off one time when changing blades and never put it back. As long as I remember to turn on the vac it does just fine just like this. I suck out anything left around the lower guides when I change blades.

-- Andy - Seattle USA

We often talk about cfm but neglect suction. The dust collector has 8 -10” of suction while a vacuum is typically 60-80” of suction. This works well with smaller hoses like on a sander and this bandsaw where the pickup is close to the source.

We spend a lot of time talking about dust collectors and IMHO not enough with the dust pickups like shown above.

I used my shop vac on my 14” Grizzly over the weekend. Worked adequately. Still had a small amount of dust show up on the table, but the lower case and guides were clean. About 30 feet of sawing through 3/8 material.

-- Sawdust Maker

I used my shop vac on my 14” Grizzly over the weekend. Worked adequately. Still had a small amount of dust show up on the table, but the lower case and guides were clean. About 30 feet of sawing through 3/8 material.

- LittleShaver

Don’t know if it’s possible to eliminate dust on the table top. I have even made a replacement plate for the table top with holes drilled in it and I still get dust on the top. I’m good with that.

-- Andy - Seattle USA

I have the grizzly GO513×2, and a harbor freight DC. I only bother to hook it up if I am doing a lot of work. Just to cut out a bowl blank for example I don’t even bother with the DC. But the harbor freight DC works great when I do use it. I have a small shop, and to hook up the DC I must move the saw. Thats not really an issue since I got the rockler all terrain base a few months back. but for smaller projects I just vacuum the saw out with my shop vac when I’m done.
The HF web site saws the DC is 1551 cfm. If you can believe that. The saw has two ports on it, and stays clean inside when I use it. You will always have some dust on the table. I have used the shop vac with this kit I got from Lee Valley. (pictured below) to keep the table clean. Didn’t work very well.

Running with the DC does help keep the table top clean on my saw. And the inside spotless.

-- John

I have a 3 hp cyclone, and even it does not do a great job on my MM 16 bandsaw. There is always sawdust in the bottom, and i added a 4” hose connection right under the table. But the cyclone does GREAT on my planer and jointer. Usually hardly notice any dust in my shop when using the DC. People look at my shop and ask “where is the sawdust?” They think I don’t build anything as it is too clean. Just have a great DC.

I only added the bit about dust on the table top to indicate that it was not 100% effective. I was totally OK with it. I only hook up the shop vac when I do a lot of band sawing.

-- Sawdust Maker

Don t know if it s possible to eliminate dust on the table top. I have even made a replacement plate for the table top with holes drilled in it and I still get dust on the top. I m good with that.
- Andybb

There’s a tiny clip nested inside my Dust Collection Smoke Test video where I noticed something similar with my holey insert. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around how dust actually ends up on the bed when doing through cuts.

Clip is about 30 seconds from timestamps 11:20 – 11:50 here: https://youtu.be/tYmvwpw7s3E?t=679

-- Keith | Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/KeithsTestGarage

Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback. I don’t want or need 100% dust collection, and it sounds like it is not really achievable on most bandsaws anyway.

I noticed most bandsaws that have two dust collection ports, have both ports below the table, as soon as possible after the dust is made, and near the bottom of the lower wheel.

Andy

The dust made with a 12”, 14”, 18”, etc etc will be nearly identical. Don’t get caught up on that.

I have a 20” band saw and my dust collector(real one, not shop vac) is rated to 880CFM and it’s more than fine. 1000CFM seems unnecessary.

-- Wood is awesome.

I have a Laguna 1412 and the original Oneida Mini-Gorilla (yellow). I’m doing exactly what you propose (no ducting and move the 5” DC hose from machine to machine) and it works fine. There is a little dust on the top of the table, but the vast majority of the dust is captured.

Thanks, Bill, and everyone. You’ve given me the confidence to move forward!

Andy