Replies

1. 
   Dave45 | Jul 20, 2005 03:40pm | #1

   What do you mean by overhead dust collection?  If you're talking about a dust collector that connects to your blade guard, that's just an addition to the "normal" dust collection.  Most of the sawdust still drops to the bottom of the saw (contractor or cabinet) where it's collected by the "normal" system.  The connection to the blade guard is there to get the sawdust that gets swept back up to the table top.

1. 
   Ricks503 | Jul 20, 2005 11:16pm | #2

   I think he is talking about an overhead dust filter.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go        4 - get a new board and go back to step 1

2. 
   nikkiwood | Jul 21, 2005 02:01am | #3

   It would be helpful if you would clarify your question................

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   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

1. 
   CJH | Jul 21, 2005 02:21am | #4

   Sorry about that, I was just using the jargon I had read in another post.Something like this:http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/dustbegone.htmSo in other words, if I ran a system like the one linked above on both a contractor saw and a hybrid saw, would both saws then be equal in dust collection abilities or would the hybrid still be better?From the first response I gather it's the latter. From a previous forum post, I was given the impression that these overhead/blade-guard systems ended up doing most of the work.

1. 
   Dave45 | Jul 21, 2005 05:05am | #5

   I don't think so, Chris.  I have a contractor type table saw that sits on a cabinet I built for it.  The space below the saw gets 90+% of the sawdust and most of that gets sucked into the dust collector.  More would probably get pulled in if I reworked the cabinet. 

   Whether you have a contractor saw or a cabinet saw, the blade is going to "whip" some of the sawdust around and it's going to come up through the opening in the table insert.  (The blade gullets act much like an old fashioned water wheel.)  An overarm collector will get this sawdust before it can into your breathing air.

   To try to answer your initial question, a cabinet saw should be much better for dust collection.  The ones I've looked at have internal baffles that direct the sawdust to the dust collection port and there's no place for the sawdust to escape (except for what gets "whipped" around by the blade).