dust collection for BT 3000 or 3100

[rrakers]

does anybody have a plan for dust collection for the BT series? i am lookiing for a way to enclose the table saw safely. the dust is really getting to me.

thanks,

rrakers

[dbhost]

Common dust collection improvements are...

#1. Shark guard replacement blade guard / riving knife. The OE guard is good for safety, but lousy for dust collection. The shark guard is better designed for containing and extracting dust. On the main page here look for "The Lee Way Workshop". Lee Styron makes them...

#2. Belly pan. A simple piece of 1/4" hardboard with a 4" port added placed in the bottom of the saw does wonders for extracting dust from the bottom side.

That would leave you with a total of 3 ports to extract from. You will need a 6" line split 3 ways to feed this, or a 4" split and a 2.5" for the shark guard being pulled by a shop vac or similar rig.

And realize, even with the biggest, baddest collector, the best possible duct, and hood design, you WILL get some dust. You will need to do something for air cleaning. I am using a simple box fan / allergen filter rig, rich guys use the proper air cleaner units that hang from the ceiling... That is honestly a better approach, just not in my budget for a while... I might try my hand at building one if I can source up a decent enough squirrel cage blower on the cheap...

[JR]

Dbhost has given some great advice. I have a Shark Guard, which is excellent for pulling dust from above the blade, escpecially when using a ZCTP. I also have an air filter. It provides good filtration for the inevitable super-fine dust.

Here is my DC system.
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=29578&highlight=dust
Since this thread was posted I have made a couple of mods. The main ducts are now served by a 4" pipe directly from the DC. The other half of the wye on the DC goes up to serve the remainder of the shop, inlcuding the Shark Guard and/or router.

HTH,
JR

[Garasaki]

The tablesaw is generally considered one of the biggest dust collection challenges - it's not a problem unique to the BT3k.

In fact I'd say the BT3k is well ahead of others as far as this goes.

[rrakers]

thanks so much for the quick replies about dust collection.

JR, your setup is excellent and I will incorporate it in the next few weeks. I am certain this will make a huge difference.

DBhost, I appreciate your thoughts on the air cleaner. I have been thinking about building one utilizing a squirrel cage blower. the belly pan is in the works.

Thanks again for great advice.


rrakers

[dbhost]

No worries. Due to my allergies I am always on the lookout for how to make the dust issue easier to deal with...

I agree with JR, and I forgot to mention that yeah, zero clearance throat plates make dust pretty bad since the blade can't sling it under the table and into the blade shroud...

With a standard throat plate, dust above the table is MUCH lower, but you end up with other problems...

[LCHIEN]

the correct means of dust collection from a tool involves:
1. getting the maximum air flow from a preoperly sized dust collector with the least restriction to a hose or pipe next to the machine. If you get this right then the air velocity will also be correct.
2. connect to the machine with as large an orifice as possible to prevent restriction.
3. Have open paths around the dust producing parts of the machine so that close to 100% of the air flow will pass by it picking up the coarse and fine cuttings and even the velocity of the cutters will not throw it outside the air stream.

There's all kinds of ways to screw this up. One is to close off the machine too tightly.
Another is to not select a big enough DC, and to have restrictions that rob CFMs.

In the BT, dust is thrown off from below the table and above the table. I have a belly pan that loosely covers the bottom of the saw, and did not close off any other openings I also have a 2nd 4" hose pulling on the dust chute in the rear. These capture pretty much 100% of the dust that goes below the table top - there's never any dust to be found inside the machine anymore. I do have a fair amount of dust depending upon the cut (e.g a dado generates none but a trim rip generates a lot) that flys off the top of the saw and a overhead hose to my shark guard may eventually fix that.

In any event, all the really fine fly-aways are propelled by a 100 mph spinning blade, an air cleaner is almost a must for catching all the fines.

Other tools present other challenges.

Short cuts may work if you only want to clean up bulk of the coarse cuttings or only want to clean up the air and keep fine dust from settling all over, but not both.

[dbhost]

Not to disagree with Loring, but to mention what I am doing that seems to be working through my initial testing anyway...

Belly pan of the saw has a 4" connector / hose that exits now at a 45 degree angle, the flex hose makes the rest of the bend to go straight back out of the saw... The blade shroud has a 2.5" hose / fittings. Both of these hoses meet at a 4x4x2.5" Y fitting. In turn through a short-ish segment of flex line, to 4" S&D pipe, run straight to the inlet of the DC.

On the bottom, this appears to get everything that I can manage to produce.

On top we have a shark guard, that is evacuated by a 2.5" line to my shop vac setup.

This is working VERY well for clearing dust from the saw. Even with all of that, I still run the air cleaner / fan rig....

I am not sure what size pipe LCHIEN has feeding that 4x4 output to the bottom of his saw, but I can say that the 4x4x.2.5 works great. Loring, you mention 4x4 output on your setup. What size is your main line?

[LCHIEN]

Not to disagree with Loring, but to mention what I am doing that seems to be working through my initial testing anyway...

Belly pan of the saw has a 4" connector / hose that exits now at a 45 degree angle, the flex hose makes the rest of the bend to go straight back out of the saw... The blade shroud has a 2.5" hose / fittings. Both of these hoses meet at a 4x4x2.5" Y fitting. In turn through a short-ish segment of flex line, to 4" S&D pipe, run straight to the inlet of the DC.

On the bottom, this appears to get everything that I can manage to produce.

On top we have a shark guard, that is evacuated by a 2.5" line to my shop vac setup.

This is working VERY well for clearing dust from the saw. Even with all of that, I still run the air cleaner / fan rig....

I am not sure what size pipe LCHIEN has feeding that 4x4 output to the bottom of his saw, but I can say that the 4x4x.2.5 works great. Loring, you mention 4x4 output on your setup. What size is your main line?

I run one 4" flex hose to the belly pan fitting, one 4" hose to the 2.5" reducer on the rear dust port. Both hoses go to the Y on the HF DC.

I've posted these pics several times:
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...ight=belly+pan

[dbhost]

Okay, checked your pics out... Good idea there running off the Y fitting...