# R4512 blade guard dust collection



## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

The R4512 only has a 4" dust port at the bottom of the cabinet. This takes some of the dust away, but the dust that the top of the blade shoots towards the user is the most annoying.

This is the beginning of my attempts to capture most of that dust. This isn't the best setup, but it seems to work well. I may make changes as I live with it.

I have a small shop with everything on wheels, so I simply roll my DC and the current tool to wherever is convenient. With that in mind, I figured I would simply attach the overarm part to DC unit itself. One of the 4" outlets is connected via 4" hose to a reducer, then a 2-1/2" blast gate, then an elbow, and a clear DC pipe from Rockler. Yes, those are flexible 2"x2" plumbing fittings. They cost a bit less than the plastic couplings and they work better for this setup since I can control the grip.

The blast gate is attached to a scrap of 3/4" plywood. I had some 5/16"-18 pitch 1-1/2" bolts that worked perfectly to attach the photo of scrap to the DC.

The 2-1/2" pipe goes over the saw and is connected to a short length of hose. The hose is simply duct taped to the guard.

I can loosen the fitting above the blast gate and take the whole arm off when I don't need it.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

What I did at the blade guard is basically add four pieces of plexiglass to direct the dust from the top of the blade towards the DC hose. They are attached with double sided tape. 

The plexiglass is easily cut with your table saw. It is bent very easily by hearing it up with a lighter, putting it where you want it, and pushing it into the shape you need, maybe with a short block of wood to get a nice bend.

The first piece is across the front. It connects the independent pieces of the blade guard and starts to move the dust up.

The second piece is in between the blade guards, and continues directing the dust up towards the hose. This is bent back at the top and has a little tab so that it touches the inside of the first piece. I took it out for the third picture.

The third piece simply closes off most of the top.

The fourth piece is taped to the metal piece of the guard and simply closes off some of the airflow. It's taller and angled so the blade guards can move up and down as needed.


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

Nice fix. The blade guards on my saws came made with baffles front and rear like that, so the dust gets trapped above the blade throat and sucked down. Since the blade is also enclosed below the table, the vac port on the back gets nearly everything.


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## new2woodwrk (Mar 16, 2015)

Very nice setup - thanks for sharing it.

I need to try to come up with something like you've done as well


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Jim Frye said:


> Nice fix. The blade guards on my saws came made with baffles front and rear like that, so the dust gets trapped above the blade throat and sucked down. Since the blade is also enclosed below the table, the vac port on the back gets nearly everything.


Jim, what type of saw do you have?
I think that would be an even better setup. I have been thinking about putting a lower blade shroud on as well, with some 2-1/2" hose inside the cabinet to the main 4" port.


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

sanchez said:


> Jim, what type of saw do you have?
> I think that would be an even better setup. I have been thinking about putting a lower blade shroud on as well, with some 2-1/2" hose inside the cabinet to the main 4" port.


I have a Ryobi BT3000 (also a BT3100 that I don't use) from 1993. It was probably the first of the hybrid saws. It predates DeWalt's hybrid by several years. The saw doesn't have a true trunion, but has a "locker bracket" that hangs from the main table and has the motor, pulleys, and arbor all mounted on it.The locker bracket handled all tilt/elevation motion. The casting for the locker bracket also had the blade chamber cast on and a sheet metal plate screwed on to complete the blade shroud. The back of the locker bracket had the 2 1/2" vac port cast in also. Thus the dust port moves with the blade when it tilts. The motor/arbor drive slides up and down in the locker bracket on stainless steel guides. I have several pictures of the saw in my tools album here. 

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/members/jim-frye-131330/albums/workshop-tools/edit


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Thanks Jim!


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