# Dust Extraction on an old Craftsman Table Saw



## William H (Jun 22, 2020)

I have a 10" Sears Craftsman Contractor table saw (around 25 years old). I would like to modify the plastic blade guard by cutting a slot to glue/attach the thin crevice vacuum tool so I can extract dust at the source. I am very afraid of cracking the plastic. My plan is to drill two holes with forstner bits (about 7/8 dia) and then cut out the plastic in between to fit the elongated oval tube shape of the vacuum tool. Is there a safe or better way to do this? Every time I ask questions on this site, all the responders have been very helpful. Thank you all for your advise.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Yes, that plastic is acrylic and will crack if your drill sticks. A hole saw would be a better idea, then a sabre saw with a fine blade to cut out between the holes. You Tube has numerous videos of over the blade dust collection approaches.


https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=over+the+blade+dust+collection+table+saw


I have experimented with some myself using 2" PVC sliced off at an angle.The blade guard splitter is the support for mine as well as a separate mount:


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## William H (Jun 22, 2020)

Thanks for your reply. So, I should use a hole saw rather than I forstner bit. Glad I asked. Thanks for the video link.


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## DustyDan (Dec 21, 2020)

I would reconsider the Forstner bit. My first though was heat. I would be afraid that rapid and uneven heating would propagate a crack. I think my go to would be a Dremel with lots of patience. The Dremel forces me to emphasize control.


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## William H (Jun 22, 2020)

DustyDan said:


> I would reconsider the Forstner bit. My first though was heat. I would be afraid that rapid and uneven heating would propagate a crack. I think my go to would be a Dremel with lots of patience. The Dremel forces me to emphasize control.


Thanks for your reply. Would a hole saw work? Would taping the surface first, top and bottom, help? If I used a Dremel, are you talking about drilling a small hole the size of the abrasive cone Dremel bit and then routing out the slot for the vacuum tube?
I have already been looking on ebay for Craftsman blade guards for when I mess mine up.😨


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## DustyDan (Dec 21, 2020)

I’m thinking about a spiral cutter. It looks like a drill bit but has cutting edge on both the insertion and withdrawal sides of the twist. It will drill into the plastic and cut. You would need to experiment with the speed.

Here is a link to the bit.









561 Cutting & Carving Bits | Dremel


Turn your Dremel rotary tool into a powerful cutting machine. Our high-speed multi-purpose cutter easily cuts through wood, plastic, drywall and more.




us.dremel.com


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

As I stated above, sawing is better than drilling. A hole saw with many teeth is less aggressive than a drill with one or two flutes. It will gradually take away the material rather than shearing it off abruptly. Taping the area off will help reduce tearout some, but not entirely. Sanding will leave the smoothest finish whether with a Dremel or a smaller sanding drum in a drill. I have an oscillating spindle sander, so that's what I would be using.


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## William H (Jun 22, 2020)

DustyDan said:


> I’m thinking about a spiral cutter. It looks like a drill bit but has cutting edge on both the insertion and withdrawal sides of the twist. It will drill into the plastic and cut. You would need to experiment with the speed.
> 
> Here is a link to the bit.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your help.


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## William H (Jun 22, 2020)

woodnthings said:


> As I stated above, sawing is better than drilling. A hole saw with many teeth is less aggressive than a drill with one or two flutes. It will gradually take away the material rather than shearing it off abruptly. Taping the area off will help reduce tearout some, but not entirely. Sanding will leave the smoothest finish whether with a Dremel or a smaller sanding drum in a drill. I have an oscillating spindle sander, so that's what I would be using.


What speed would you suggest the drill press be set at for the hole saw?


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

i'd use one of woodnthings methods with the pvc pipe. any modification you do to the guard will either break it or make it un-useable


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## DustyDan (Dec 21, 2020)

I tend to agree with Ogre. Although you could modify the guard, I don’t think the air flow through a crevice tool would give you the necessary exhaust flow rate to capture enough dust to be worth the risk of breaking the guard. Plus, the guard moves every time the saw is used. I think that even if you you successfully modified the guard, the movement and stress could cause an eventual failure. Sorry to be negative.


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

_Ogre said:


> i'd use one of woodnthings methods with the pvc pipe. any modification you do to the guard will either break it or make it un-useable


I will agree with Ogre as well.
The original lightweight plastic has very little structural strength. Even if you successfully get a slot in it, over time, the plastic will most certainly fail.


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## William H (Jun 22, 2020)

DustyDan said:


> I tend to agree with Ogre. Although you could modify the guard, I don’t think the air flow through a crevice tool would give you the necessary exhaust flow rate to capture enough dust to be worth the risk of breaking the guard. Plus, the guard moves every time the saw is used. I think that even if you you successfully modified the guard, the movement and stress could cause an eventual failure. Sorry to be negative.


Being negative is what I need to hear. Thanks to all for your advise. Now it's on to Plan B .........


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