Replies

1. 
   Vibart2 | May 16, 2002 07:30am | #1

   If you don't you'll be shoveling the bottom of the saw out because it'll just pile up in there & make a mess.

2. 
   Andrew | May 16, 2002 06:39pm | #2

   I would recommend getting dust collection for your tablesaw. i got by without one for a while, but now that i have a dust collector i find it really cuts down on all the dust that was hanging in the air, and on the floor. when you think of the damage sawdust will do to your lungs a dust collector makes a lot of sense

3. 
   PlaneWood | May 19, 2002 02:13am | #3

   Ditto here on DC for TS.  But, get one with lots of CFM, ASAP.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy
   PlaneWood

4. 
   PaulReuter | May 19, 2002 08:22am | #4

   Add my vote to the 'yes' for the dust collector.  Dust not only collects in the base in amounts you'll have to shovel out, it scatters all over the shop.  Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to buy cheap & then upgrade without buying two collectors, so bite the bullet & get a good one the first time.  I'm partial to Oneidas but if you think it's too expensive, you should see what the US-CDN exchange rate did to the price of mine.

   Good luck,

   Paul

1. 
   mitch | May 19, 2002 04:32pm | #5

   if any of your future projects involve mdf, plan on having serious dust collection.  i have a love/hate relationship with the stuff.  it cuts beautifully but it vaporizes off the blade.

5. 
   24hrwoody | May 19, 2002 06:01pm | #6

   Buy the saw and the dust collector at the same time. You can't have the dust collector without the saw to make the dust!

   Dust collection is essential!!!!!

1. 
   bobbruns | May 21, 2002 06:26am | #7

   It's quite an occasion when all the replies are in agreement.  Thks for the advice--I'll follow it!!!

6. 
   kcg99999 | May 21, 2002 02:43pm | #8

   Hi Bob,

   Can I be a nay vote? A nay vote with qualifications?

   In my experience, having a dust collector that only collects from under the saw, is pretty much unnecessary. The place you get a lot of dust is off the top of the blade. In order to collect that dust and keep the shop clean you need to have an overarm blade guard with dust collection capability. But if you’re only going to collect from under the saw, I’d say save your money. It only takes a second to dig out the pile.  All this assumes you have a cabinet saw.  If you don't have a cabinet saw, dust collection on the tablesaw becomes more important.

   This is not to say that I’m against dust collection. Quite the contrary. But I think other tools should be hooked up first: the planer followed by the jointer are the big ones: followed by the band saw and SCMS/RAS both of which make a surprising amount of fine dust: followed by any sanders you have (used less than the BS/SCMS/RAS): the tablesaw would be last on my list.

   Don’t know if I’ve shed any light on this issue.

   Best,

   Kim Carleton Graves
   Carleton Woodworking

1. 
   Dutchy1 | May 21, 2002 11:58pm | #9

   I absolutely agree with Kim. I bought a second hand 1Hp DC and connected it to the cabinet. Ended with lots of dust in the air while the chips were collected. Now made a polycarbonate overarm box on with I connnected my two stage shopvac (with a 2" hose) now I work not dust free but I would say: 98% saves a lot in your shop.

   Ruud Joling The Netherlands

1. 
   at5vette | May 22, 2002 02:39am | #10

   Hey Dutchy, not to add too much more to your arsenal, but if you're concerned with the airborne dust, I may recommend an air filter.  I built my own from a discarded furnace motor/squirrel cage assembly and some plywood.  I've got it running through a series of 3 filters, going from a cheap, course throwaway on to a finer one and finally to a sub-1 micron filter.  Yes, I have a nice DC (2HP Bridgewood) and it's piped to all my workstations, but that air filter really pulls out the fine dust which is inevitable from your big saws (TS, MS, RAS).  Used to be that when I cut even a few pieces, the fine particles would still be hanging in the air a half hour after I was done.  Granted, it's a small shop (17x20), but with the air filter, I swear it's dust-free by the time the blade spins down!  Just something to consider....

   Cheers,

2. 
   gerry001 | May 22, 2002 05:16am | #12

   Kim,

   "Don’t know if I’ve shed any light on this issue. "

   Well, maybe not a big light, but certainly a bright one:-) I'll agree with your opinion here on the ordering. I also have a friend who had a TS and just bought a thickness planer, but waited on the DC since he was using the TS without one, and the results are rather interesting...especially when he planed some padauk and half his shop turned orange.

   One comment on the sanders is that a regular shop vac may work better. You've got a relatively small amount of wood to move (versus the planer) and the high static vacuum of a shop vac may do somewhat better. At the other end, don't even try a shop vac with a planer.

   Gerry

7. 
   TomFerreira | May 22, 2002 05:13am | #11

   Bob,

   With all due respect to Kim and Dutchy, they are wrong!  I put my machines in first and the dust was terrible. Every time I would use the saw the dust would hang in the air. So much so that it was choking. I bought an Onieda 1.5 last year and there is no airborn dust now. Yes, I still have some that escapes on the top of the saw, but the DC causes a negative pressure in the cabinet that keeps the airborn dust in check. The over-arm devices require a bunch more CFM and balancing of the flow than they are worth (IMHO). If I were to do it again, knowing what I know now, I would start with the DC.

   TDF

8. 
   Thauma11 | May 22, 2002 07:53am | #13

   Agreed on the need for DC on all shop tools (bar none).

   One note of interest...

   When I first connected up my DC to my Delta 3HP cabinet saw, it did not clear effectively.  On all enclosed saws that I have seen, small gaps exist between the enclosure and the top as well as other areas.  After sealing the cabinet of the saw with foil tape (I hate duct tape), the DC now works like a charm.

   I only use a small 3/4 hp DC unit, and it's fine.  Perhaps if you used a bigger CFM rated vacuum, the need for sealing the gaps would be diminished.

   BTW, I fabricated my own DC adapter for the saw from a $4.00 floor duct available at your favorite home center.  Don't pay big bucks for a hunk of sheet metal just to funnel dust. :-)

1. 
   SgianDubh | May 22, 2002 09:23am | #14

   It certainly doesn't hurt to extract the dust and chips, and given the choice I'd go for a system that includes automatic start up of the dust extraction system with starting any machine, and fancy controlled gates that control the suck to only the machine(s) in use. During my early days in the trade--early to  mid '70's-- our system was to open the door a bit more and for us young twits to sweep up and bag more often. I've never fully made up my mind if my death will caused by my early exposure to asbestos dust  from cutting up asbestos  sheeting with a circular saw, inhalation of wood dust, my fondness for the products of a certain Mr. Morris, or my love of a  generally debauched rugby influenced lifestyle. Anyway, I'm taking the risk, and I think it's time for another beer, and another of Mr. Morris's  fags to make the beer  slip down nicely, ha, ha. Slainte, RJ. Link to RJFurniture site.

2. 
   Dutchy1 | May 23, 2002 12:05am | #15

   For stopping the air leaks in the table saw I use flexible magnetic sheet: easy removed and replaced. See FWW 156 pg 20.

   Ruud Joling The Netherlands

1. 
   sschefer | May 23, 2002 12:16am | #16

   I use a piece of pond liner that I had laying around. I also found that the need for dust collection from the top can be eliminated completely if you leave the guard in place or use one of the overhead guards that don't get in your way. Additonaly, a good sharp blade will take care of a lot of what blows out the top by not creating as much of the finer dust.Steve - in Northern California

2. 
   badoyn | May 28, 2002 05:30pm | #19

   I have the Ridgid portable saw with the mobile (cart-like) base and would also like to make dust collection better.

   Anyone have any ideas to help with the sawdust that goes,not only down, but through the space between the saw and the cart.

   Thanks.

9. 
   Jack25251 | May 27, 2002 06:19pm | #17

   I have retired in the last year anf am setting up a small shop. I have purchased a DeWalt 746x table saw--and am in a quandry as to what kind of dust collection system to set up. I envision building small decorative boxes and other small projects. The saw area is the front part of a single car garage - About 8ft wide x 18 ft length. and it has cabinets mounted around 2 of the walls-with the sliding garage door available to open of close. I do have a mobile base for the saw. It seems to me I could do well with a portable dust collector--with an upper and lower bag,etc. However, i hear from woodworkers that changing the bags is a hassle-that  I really should begin right off with a strong, permanent system like an Oneida, etc. I do plan on using a router table for small work as well. So, I desperately need some good advice on what type of dust collection I should install. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you. Jack Wilson    

1. 
   tom_gattiker | May 28, 2002 03:45pm | #18

   Wood Magazine had a really good review of 1.5 hp systems and less a few months ago.  I found it really helpful in buying mine.  It is avail on their website for about 5 bucks.  If you are in a garage, you could do without anything--at least in the warm months-- for a while.  As a hobbyist without many tools, like you, I think an Oneida is overkill.  My 1.5 hp delta collects from my plane and TS just fine.  My amateur opinion.

1. 
   dhpascoe | May 30, 2002 04:07am | #21

   Hmm, I think we need to distiguish here between hobbyists and pros. If you're working from a garage, I wonder where you'd put a sizeable dust collector what will all that other stuff. I've got half of a large 2 car garage with 5 machines and a large bench. Here's what I did. Using a high volue fan I bought at Granger, I simply blow the stuff outside through a holet in the wall into a canvass bag. This pulls about 75% of the dust out of the saw, which is a lot better than shovelling it out every day. I you have a Unisaw, then you know what a pain that is because you have to CRAWL UNDER THE EXTENSION TABLE to do so. Definietely not convenient.

   To clean the air, I made a box fan with a scrounged high volume fan (short stuggy plastic blades) mounted in a wooden box sized to high grade air filters I buy at home depot.The filter is simply screwed to the intake side of the box which is hung on the ceiling out of the way. Whole get up too a week end to make. If it's raining and I have to keep the door closed, turning on the filter will clear the air perfectly in about 5 minutes. Otherwise, the doors are open and a fan helps blow the dust out and I don't use the filter. I do, however, live in Florida!!! I hose the filters out with water when they get filled up, which is often. The whole rig cost me about $150 and I don't have a DC taking up non existant space.

   By no means perfect, but its more than adequate for a hobbyist.

   Dave

1. 
   Jack25251 | May 30, 2002 04:22pm | #24

   Thank you for a very helpful suggestions

2. 
   Jack25251 | May 30, 2002 04:12pm | #22

   Thank you. I also have thought a perm.system would be overkill.How do you find emptying the bags on the Delta????  

1. 
   tom_gattiker | May 30, 2002 04:23pm | #25

   Jack

   I have not had to empty it yet.  Delta has recently added clips to hold the bag in place after you loosen the band clamp that holds it in place when operating.  The bag can be pulled out of these clips by hand.  With this and not letting the bag get too full, I am not too concerned.  Maybe I am being naive here!  I think you said you are in a garage, so you could wheel the thing outside to empty bags. 

   I should mention that I upgraded to 3 micron felt bags, which made a big difference.  The Delta stock bags (30 micron) let a tremendous amount of fine dust flow thru them. 

2. 
   bobbruns | May 29, 2002 06:47am | #20

   It sounds like you and I are in similar stages, trying to figure out the best way to go.  I don't think there's anything "wrong" with a portable DC, esp. given you don't anticipate regularly making tons of sawdust.  I've only used one once, with a friend's planer.  He has the regular bags that came with it, while the general advice I've heard is to upgrade to a better bag to catch more of the fine stuff.  And you can get a DC that's not top-heavy, and fairly easy to roll around.  It sounds like a good fit for you.

   All this said, at this point I'm leaning toward building the Wood magazine cyclone because it's not much more than a good portable DC and based on many folks' experience it will do a good job on the fine stuff.  I would mount it on a wall (somewhere I can find/make room!) and probably start out just with a rigid pipe header  (probably along a glue-lam header running across the garage) that I can tap into with flex hose(s) going to machines.  I may be stuck sharing the garage for many years to come, and flexibility is important.

   Based on the feedback, I'll probably get the t.saw and then my first project will be to build a cyclone.  My wife will fully support any efforts on my part to control sawdust!

1. 
   Jack25251 | May 30, 2002 04:15pm | #23

   Thank you for the reply. How can I get the Wood article on building a cyclone collector?