4" Dust port on Bt3100

[DLDunning]

Dual port hookup

I saw this thread recently when I was trying to figure out the best way to hook up my BT3100 to my new dust collection plumbing for a Clear Vue cyclone. I've completed my saw mods now, inspired mainly by Stytooner's cabinet mods. I'm still waiting for my Shark Guard, though. If anyone's interested in my solution, you can check it out at my Clear Vue Gallery album here. There are 7 photos there of my Ryobi mods. I didn't do the rubber skirt method since I decided to close up the cabinet and put in a second port underneath. I won't be able to really test the system until my Shark Guard is in place, but so far it's working well except for what the Shark would get.

David, aka the CycloChikn

[dbhost]

An interesting thread to dig up...

And as such I will throw my $.02 in...

My BT came to me with the OE port, a belly pan, and a shark guard. (Yeah I got lucky!).. The belly pan is 4" the OE port and SG are 2.5 (nominal, I am not going to pick nits here).

My approach is going to REQUIRE that I pull that 20 or more amp circuit to where the DC lives...

I have been running the OE port and belly pan off of a shop vac based system, with a wye, and the belly pan port reduced to 2.5" using one of those Jet reducers. This works GREAT for getting all the stuff from the bottom of the saw, it is completely pointless for where most of the sawdust is. I use a ZCTP almost all the time, and as such more than 50% of the dust stays on top of the saw and spews everywhere...

My change in approach is due to the HF DC I just got. Aside from the many other mods I am doing, I am setting it up so that I have a 4" hose going to a wye, then a 4" straight to the belly pan, and that now relocated reducer going to the blade shroud. The Shop Vac setup is getting rerouted to overhead and will pull directly from the SG. To be blunt, if I could get the TS, AND SG together on the 4" trunk I would, but I think it would be too much to be effective.

[poolhound]

IMHO if you have a decent DC (if you have a cyclone you do) then hooking 4" with a reducer to the main port, adding a belly pan and using a SG will be as good as you can get and its not necessary to seal up the BT.

In fact sealing it up can have a negative effect on airflow as you inhibit the "make up" air flow. If the only place for air to get in is through the kerf slot you will be reducing the overall flow. Plus the fact that you can cause overheating issues with the motor.

I have the exact setup as above and have not sealed anything else. No dust escapes, the inside of my BT is 100% clean and there is nothing left in the shroud. If you are using a ZCTP (always a good idea) then even with a SG there will still be dust that gets thrown out the front/side of the blade and thats just life.

[LCHIEN]

i agree with Jon, sealing up the tool is not the way to go, the key to effective DC collection is to get max CFM airflow to the DC thru open hoses and such, and have airflow at the tool such that the airflow pulls all the airborne dust and dust coming off the cutters into the airstream with as much velocity as possible.
I have a BT3000 with a Belly pan (4") and the rear duct (2.5") each goes to a 4" hose to my HF DC. Air enters the body of the BT from the top (any gaps arounf the throat plate), the bottom (some gaps at the corners), the rear around the duct slot and the air vents in the side panel. Anything in the dust shroud around the blade and entering the body is completely sucked out. I haven't yet plumbed hoses to the SG nd that's where all the dust escapes now.

[rcp612]

Without any dust suction at all, the BT's blade speed kicks 3/4's of the sawdust out the rear port.

I'll second that!
I've made quick cuts without turning on the dust collector (Delta AP400) that I have attached to a separator then connected to my BT3100 via 2 1/4" hose and actually saw the bags on the collector inflate fully!!
The original dust control of the Ryobi seems to be very, very efficient.