Replies

1. 
   Elcoholic | Apr 23, 2005 01:55am | #1

   I remember seeing this in the FWW classifieds a year or so back and I checked it out on their website.  It looked pretty cool but was stupid expensive ($300).  Go to http://www.downdrafter.com.  They've dropped it to $200.  I wouldn't be surprised if it fades away at that price anyway.  I built a curved back plywood box with (2) 4" DC connections in the bottom for about $50.  Works like a champ.  Search Message 14341.2 for some pix.

   John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   The more things change ...

   We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized.  I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.

   Petronious Arbiter, 210 BC

   
   

   ---

   Edited 4/22/2005 7:05 pm ET by ELCOHOLIC

1. 
   donshop | Apr 23, 2005 05:06pm | #6

   Thanks for the reply - I didn't go back far enough to find it.  I remembered the price at $ 199 and I agree, it's expensive - unless it really works well.  Again, thanks.

   Don

2. 
   nikkiwood | Apr 23, 2005 02:06am | #2

   DC for this tool is problem in nearly every shop.

   I've not seen the device you mentioned, but I would think there are inventors all over the place sctratching their head trying to come up with something.

   I did something similar to what John described. I fashioned a piece of bender ply around the back of the saw. I hooked up the DC directly to the saw itself, and that didn't work very well. But at least the bend ply keeps the dust from flying all over, and it is easy enough to vacuum the accumulation periodically.

   Let us know if you come up with some kind of slick device.

   "I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
   -- Bertrand Russell

1. 
   donshop | Apr 23, 2005 05:10pm | #7

   Thanks for the reply.  Don

3. 
   mike4244 | Apr 23, 2005 04:29am | #3

   I placed a large plastic bin ( laundry basket size ) behind the saw. Attached 4" hose to a 3"pvc toilet flange that screwed to the bin. Outside diameter of 3" toilet flange is about 4", hose slides on and is taped tight.This setup collects about 75% of the dust.

   When cutting at 45° or more the collection gets worse as the dust over shoots the bin a bit. I'm satisfied with this setup as collecting dust from any miter or slidesaw is tough to do.

   mike

    

4. 
   hammer1 | Apr 23, 2005 04:43am | #4

   There's nothing like a slider to take up room and throw the dust around. I saw that hood too but it's way too pricey. I plug into my Fein vac and run the hose in place of the bag. I also tie a 4" wandering hose from the dust collector to the slider. It can be a pain if you are changing angles or bevels all the time. The problem with the slider is, the dust hits the back of the assembly and scatters. You really need a scoop right there but room is very limited. The hose wired to the side helps quite a bit for now. The Dewalts have a leather like tongue on the blade guard that helps when the vacuum is hooked up, I glued in a piece of aluminum on my Bosch but it had to be short enough to clear the work. The hard part is getting enough suction over the wide range of movement of the saw. I've been thinking about using a Y for a split 2 1/2" hose, using a couple of shop vac tools velcroed to the sides of the stanchion. I could just pull one off when beveling. Think that would work?

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   donshop | Apr 23, 2005 05:11pm | #8

   Thanks for the reply.  Don

2. 
   BarryO | Apr 23, 2005 10:31pm | #10

   I have an older Dewault SCMS with the dust collection point being a 1.5" shopvac fitting that sit on the rear of the blade guard.  Sorta designed as if the idea was that the sawdust would get could in the blade gullets and get swept up into the guard.  Of couse, it doesn't happen that way:  the sawdust shoots out from the cut straight back, so this fitting doesn't work at all.

   I've noticed the newer examples of the same model have the "tongue" as you described.  i wonder if it works any better, but at least it's in the right place.

   As for the big plastic things, they're so big I'd think you'd need alot of CFM to generate enough air velocity to get them to work.  Maybe a DC, but a shopvac would have a tough time.

5. 
   AlanMikkelsen | Apr 23, 2005 05:10am | #5

   I really don't have any problem with dust collection.  I have a large plywood hood that slides both ways on 3/4" black iron pipe.  There's a 4" port in the bottom of the hood and the 4" hose has a Y that also hooks to the saw's dust port.  Here's some pics:

    

   Alan & Lynette Mikkelsen, Mountain View Farm, est. 1934,  Gardens & Fine Woodworking, St. Ignatius, MT

   
1. 
   donshop | Apr 23, 2005 05:12pm | #9

   Thanks for the reply.  I like your idea.  Don

2. 
   KayakGreg | Apr 23, 2005 11:01pm | #11

   I really don't have any problem with dust collection.  I have a large plywood hood that slides both ways on 3/4" black iron pipe.  There's a 4" port in the bottom of the hood and the 4" hose has a Y that also hooks to the saw's dust port.  Here's some pics:

    

   Alan,

   I know I have been spending too much time on the forums when I see some guy's shop, whom I don't know and would never recognize on the street, and start thinking thats cool, oh yeah, this guy has a lathe and mortiser. Should be right behind there in the corner. :-)

   BTW, that looks like just about the best DC setup I have seen for a SCMS.

   Greg