Band Saw Dust Collection Improvement ideas.

[dbhost]

I know I have seen somewhere that members here have added dust ports to the lower wheel guard of their HF 14" band saws, and I was hoping to get an eyeful of how folks addressed the problem of dust collection on the band saw.

A while back at the Woodworking show, I picked up a 4" port from Peachtree, and it plain and simple is too big for the spot on the guard I had seen set up before...

Not even sure that is the best solution...

So how do you guys get the dust from the blade, and out of the air?

[smorris]

I had the same problem and mounted a 2.5 port next to the blade right under the deck. Seems to work quite well.

[dbhost]

Got pics?

The OE port on this HF bandsaw STINKS!

[smorris]

I don't have a pic right now but what I did was to remove the existing dust port and mount a 2.5 to the holes where I removed the original port. It sits above the housing on the same level as the blade guides and roller. I'll see if I can get a picture when I get home later.

[dbhost]

Thanks, because that just threw me... I think I have an idea, but you know sometimes you think and it's doesn't quite work right...

[Lonnie in Orlando]

I did something similar to what smorris described. I feel that the secrete is to catch the dust as the blade exits the workpiece. Here is the text and photos from an old post that is no longer on the BT3 site ...

=======

I made the dust port from 4" sewer and drain pipe. I removed the original dust port. I cut the pipe to fit over the original opening for the dust port on the lower door and to fit around the lower guides. Balogny-slice the top to fit near the bottom of the table. Seal the gap with packing foam. Leave the left side of the pipe open to allow air to blow past the blade and guides.

The port works well and I didn't need to cut any sheet metal.

Here are some pics of my dust port:

Side view
4" Sewer & Drain pipe cut to fit over slot for dust port in door, around lower blade guides, and sliced to fit against bottom of BS table. 4" dust hose union press-fit into pipe.



Throat
Cut S&D pipe to surround blade and lower guides. Leave left side open to allow air to blow past blade.



Lower view
Cut and position S&D pipe to allow table to tilt about 15deg. Seal pipe against bottom of table with packing foam. A similar setup posted on Woodnet a couple of years held the pipe in place with a big hose clamp. The pipe could be retracted to allow the table to be fully tilted.



Inside of lower cover
Attach pipe to door with wedge and screws (through existing holes for OE dust port.) Pipe surrounds original opening for dust port in door.
It takes some creative cutting to fit around the door / around the guides / against the table!


- Lonnie

[softop41]

db,
I've done essentailly the same thing as lonnie with the addition of a 4" port by the top of the bottom wheel(std on my Jet). These are connected directly to my Delta DC and keeps things pretty clean. It is a bandsaw, after all. Does it keep me from having anything on the floor, etc, not hardly, but much better.
HTH
Jerry

[final_t]

I also did one similar to Lonnie's setup when he posted the pics the first time around, but for mine, I had a bunch of rare earth magnets, so I made a wrap-around "bracket" to hold it on. Easy on, easy off.

[skamath]

btw, my setup is very simple and it works. i use a bungee cord hang the 4" DC hose off the table. it stays if you push it in.

like this:
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/art...collection.htm

ps: i have used this only for resaw cuts with the table horizontal.

[dbhost]

Your method is what I was considering doing, but it seemed just too simple...

[AlanWS]

I don't have a photo, but mine is a slight modification of the hose hanging off the table alignment pin. I cut a clear plastic bottle to fit the 4" DC hose. I trimmed away parts of the bottle so it fits under the table and surrounds the blade, but is open on the end so lots of air sweeps past the blade, pulling dust out of gullets. The flexibility of the bottle is what allows me to fit it in, since I need to bend it around parts to get it in and out. It works well, allows me to still see the blade through it, and is just a few seconds to put it on or take it off. And if it were to be knocked into the blade, it would be cut with no damage to anything else.

[Bill in Buena Park]

Dave,
I finally managed to snap a couple pictures of what I did to my Delta for DC. I had been using the "hang the hose in tight to the lower blade guide" method before realizing I could remove the plastic door there and use the attach bolt to bolt on something.

Since I use shopvacs as DC, that something materialized as a modification to an extension wand. I cut a 2.5in wand down, and shaped the end to fit up snug into the lower blade guide area and wrap around the blade, still leaving room to get my 1/2in resaw blade in there. Located the bolt-hole, drilled the wand for it, and attached. Works pretty well, a little better than my old method, but I haven't sealed as well as others, so a lttle dust still escapes.

I suppose if I went to a 4in DC, I could put an adapter on and this config would still work.

[BrazosJake]

I had the same problem and mounted a 2.5 port next to the blade right under the deck. Seems to work quite well.

I did the same on my Ridgid, only added a 4". Works great.

BTW: before you spend money on plastic dc couplings, be advised that a 1 lb steel coffee can is exactly 4" in diameter. A reciprocating saw or jigsaw w bimetal blade easily turns one can into two couplings.

For mounting to the machine port, I cut a series of "petals" around one end with tin snips, about 1/4" wide x 1/2" long, slip it through the opening, then bend the petals back 90-degrees with pliers. A few machine screws through the petals plus foil tape secures and seals the deal.

[Tom Miller]

I like the directly-under-the-table idea, but I couldn't figure out how to do it without getting in the way of tilting the table. So, I figured since most of the dust that gets below the table will follow the blade into the lower casing, I'd just pull it out of there. Also, creating suction on the whole casing tends to pull dust into the casing from the blade entry point. The casing is always clean as a whistle.







I also attached a brush to keep anything from building up on the lower wheel:



Regards,
Tom

[Bill in Buena Park]

Dave,
...Since I use shopvacs as DC...I suppose if I went to a 4in DC, I could put an adapter on and this config would still work.

Ok - with the $99 Delta DC sale in which I partook, I made the following additions to my BS:

Added a 3" drain pipe connector w/ 2in branch, which I Gorilla-taped to the 4in port on my BS, and also connected via 2.5in shopvac hose to the wand attachment I mounted at the lower guides, also with Gorilla tape. The OD on the 3in is a hair under 4in, which is a great fit for my 4in DC hose. I'm getting some nice dust pull from the lower guide and in the lower wheel housing.

Still haven't eliminated above-table dust, but that is fairly manageable.