# Collect dust coming off table saw blade?



## ditto (Sep 23, 2009)

I have a Delta contractors saw, which was obviously never designed with much dust collection in mind. I built a dust pan out of sheet metal with an angled 4" dust port for my dust collector and permanently attached and sealed it to the opening at the bottom of my saw. The back remains open. For the most part that has worked out pretty well for me. There is almost no noticeable dust escaping out the back and everything that drops below the saw is pretty much captured.

The issue I'm having is dust collection at the top of the table. Using zero clearance inserts my blade sprays dust right me waist/chest level. The blade guard re-directs it downwards but you can't use it with every cut and I just bought some microjig grippers which would require me to not use it all the time.

So my question is, what are my options to correct this? I've thought of trying the following:

1. Enclose the back of my saw with some sort of heavy duty cloth cover with super strong magnets. Ideally I think I'd have a wire frame (think tent) so that it would cover the motor and I wouldn't have work around the belt etc. The idea here is to reduce the airflow coming in from the back so that more air was drawn in from the top, closer to the blade.

2. Add some sort of shroud under the table near the back of the blade with a 1-2" dust collection hose attached to it. The idea here being to suck dust off the blade before makes back above the table.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*use a blade guard dust collector*

They are available commercially from Biesemeyer and Penn State Industries and others. You can make one from a 2" PVC pipe connected to a shop vac also. I did this and use the splitter to hold it off the table. As much dust come off the blade above the table as does underneath it seems. :laughing: It spits right at your eyes and face and goes down the neck of your shirt and tickles and itches. :furious: LIke this:


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## ditto (Sep 23, 2009)

Yeah, I've seen the blade guard style above the table collection systems. The commercial ones are pretty pricey. Unfortunately I don't think it's really a great option for me. My basement shop is approximately the same size as a two car garage and it's packed with tools along all the walls. So all my tools are on mobile bases since I have to move them to the middle of the room to have space to maneuver around them. An arm on a stand would be in the way, ceiling is not an option either. Even if is was anything above the table has a tendency to get in the way 50% of the time so you have to remove/move it. Using my Microjigs it's closer to 100%.


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## burkhome (Sep 5, 2010)

woodnthings said:


> They are available commercially from Biesemeyer and Penn State Industries and others. You can make one from a 2" PVC pipe connected to a shop vac also. I did this and use the splitter to hold it off the table. As much dust come off the blade above the table as does underneath it seems. :laughing: It spits right at your eyes and face and goes down the neck of your shirt and tickles and itches. :furious: LIke this:


 What is the tube that is t'd off on the left fastened to and for what purpose?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*for another saw (blade)*



burkhome said:


> What is the tube that is t'd off on the left fastened to and for what purpose?


That's a second saw to the left set up for ripping. I just cap the blade pick up when I switch saws.
Here's a previous version which is set up for one saw only and is table mounted, rather than a support from the splitters. I started using the splitters seriously again for the safety advantages. :yes:


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## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

You aren't going to catch that dust under the table, no matter how much you seal up your cabinet. The gullets in the blade are always going to carry some back to the top. The overarm guard of some sort is just about the only option. If you are just edge trimming wood, it might help to put the stock insert back in with it's larger blade opening. But for most cutting that opening would be covered by the workpiece and it would make little difference.


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