Thougts on Dust Collection on a BT3000?

[JR]

After having installed the new router table on my BT3000, I've been rethinking the dust collection setup. At first I was just trying to tie in the router, which is challenging enough given that the DC port on the BT moves. So now I'm taking a harder look at the whole setup.

I've always had a lot of dust settle out of the bottom of the saw. I put in a 1/2" panel, but it inhibits the motion of the saw motor. I could make a hole in that panel and install a 4"DC port, but there's still the 2-1/2" port out the back, which in this scenario I'd just as soon block it off.

So what's your answer? I'm looking for all good DC improvements for a BT.

JR

[LCHIEN]

I've posted this before but the picture links are broken.

I have a belly pan and 4" outlet on the bottom and it keep the inside quite clean. Also I use a 4" to the rear port with a reducer at the saw.
The inside picture is after running the saw. The little bit of dust you can see in that interior picture is from before I installed the belly pan.
I still get some dust thrown from the top. One day maybe i'll do something about attaching another hose to my shark guard.

P.S. I think the recess of the pan takes care of the interference with 45° tilt that BillSTR was talking about a couple of posts down.

[JR]

Thanks, Loring, I now remember having seen your pic posted before. That's pretty much what I'd like to do for the belly.

Do you think the belly pan would be sufficient if the rear were somehow plugged up? I'm not sure yet how I'd do that - maybe a box on the back.

JR

[drumpriest]

You would need a way to evacuate the dust from the shroud. Or remove it. Then you would have the dust setup used on most contractor saws.

[billstr]

I had some of the same problems. At first I attached a vacuum to the rear port and that got a lot of it. Then I put the panel in the bottom and that helped even more. Until...I swung the saw to the 45 tilt one day and it interfered at the end of the swing. I finally figured out what was going and used a router to make a recess in the area that the saw had to clear. I did not have to perforate the 1/2 mdf base for the saw to clear, so it still seals well. The mdf extends out under the side panels a little.

The next thing I did was make a plenum chamber on the back of the saw that completely covered the long curved opening that the exhaust port moves in. I mounted a 4 in. jointer collection port on the back of that plenum chamber, and that pretty well funnels the 2 1/2 moveable port of the saw, no matter where it tilts, directly into the 4 in collection hose. That system works well.

In the plenum chamber, I have a sliding, angled, gate that directs the airflow directly from the saw when it is pulled to the left (facing the back of the saw), or it redirects air from the router sie of the chamber and cuts off the saw portion when it is pushed to the right. It is controlled by a long brass rod on the router side.

When I added my router box and fence, I used a split 2 1/2 hose to wrap around the router in the box and that is routed to the plenum chamber. I used a 2 1/2 Y off the main line to pick up dust from the fence itself. If I were to do it again, I might just use the plenum box without the internal gate to pick up the saw portion, and use the router end of it for a two-into-one connection to pick up the router stuff. I would use gates on the main 4 inch lines instead. The way it is now, I can cut off the flow from the saw and increase the flow from the router side.

These photos are linked through another thread about BT3K Mods in Vancouver on this site. I will try to include the link here, but if all fails, you can look it up through that old link.

Bill S

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35624991@N00/

[Stytooner]

A few years back, I made some mods that I am happy with. The infamous rubber skirt is part of those mods.
Here is a link to some photo's.

http://leestyron.com/btcab.php

I actually made an access door on both sides. That way I can blow out the motor brushes, but when I did, there was surprisingly very little dust in there.
Now I don't get to do many woodworking projects now, but the saw still sees quite a bit of wood from household repairs and my Son and LOML with their projects.
There is never enough dust in the bottom of the cabinet to worry about.
I just us magnetic sheets over the kidney shaped openings and remove them when I tilt the saw and then reposition the sheets.
This mod also reduced the noise made by the motor.
I'll bet it had a lot to do with the resonance of the sheet metal sides. Plywood seems to dampen it a lot.

[cgallery]

I use a Ridgid 1450 (shop vac) for dust collection. I, too, noticed dust on the floor under the saw. My solution was a 1/4" piece of Masonite that is thin enough to slide between the saw body. I've included a couple of pics to show how it works. I even included a handle to make it easy to remove.

It works great. No dust under the saw, and easy to remove (just slides out, it isn't fastened) if I need to work on the saw from underneath. It is thin enough that it doesn't interfere w/ bevel cuts (which I do a lot).

For the router on my BT3000, I used a down-draft box (made of wood). It works great, but next time I'm going to use one of those rectangluar clear plastic pails that kitty litter is available in.

[JR]

As usual, there are some clever ideas out there!

Billstr, as you know I've been staring at your pics, which is where I got the idea for the box on the back. I was curious, though, about clearance for the rail hold-downs. Don't the levers hit the top of your box when you need to move the rails? One of the great features of your router box design is that it doesn't interfere with the rails. But when plotting this out last night, it looked like it could be a problem. I hadn't fully appreciated the plenum-with-sliding-brass-rod concept before now... (gotta think about that one).

Lee, the magnetic sheets idea is interesting. Where do you get such an animal? I suppose i could chop of the end of the DC port and just cover over the back of the BT... (gotta think about that one, too).

JR

[LCHIEN]

I find having the "curved slot around the DC port" open does not compromise my DC method at all. The 2HP DC flows a lot of air, having two hoses attached allows it to run freely, having openings in the cabinet makes sure that the air flows without losing too much head at the restrictions. I can feel air being sucked in all openings, no dust is escaping out that slot.
That pic of the inside of my saw is truly what it looks like when I take the end off for inspection. I imagine if I get to the point where I want to run a hose to the shark guard I will "Y" a 2" hose off the 4" going to the back port.

[Stytooner]

Mag sheets are in lots of places. Mine are actually US flags and I think I got the from Michael's or Hobby Lobby.
Hardware stores sometimes carry them. Office Depot, Walmart all have them as blanks that you can run through a printer.

[os1kne]

On the back of my BT, I use a magnetic sheet that was intended to be stuck to a heating vent cover (to prevent heating/cooling unused rooms)- inexpensively available in most hardware stores.

[Tom Miller]

One thing to keep in mind is that the (arguably good) dust collection that you do get on the BT3 is partly due to the ability to get feed air into the housing that the blade can spew out the DC port. If you close up too much, you defeat this to some extent.

If you can at least catch the dust somewhere, so it's not falling to the floor and making a mess, you may have about as good a system as you need, with the least effort.

Regards,
Tom

[John Hunter]

Here is my setup



I use 4" flex hose to go to the 2 1/2" dust outlet and that allows it to move for the bevel cuts. Then a piece of 4" down to the bottom collector box


The collector box has a bottom and is attached to the saw with canvas.


The door opens to allow access to the inside but since the dust collection is drawing from the opposite side I have never really needed it although the clearance for the door allows air to be drawn in and across the box to the dust collection port.

[JR]

Does anyone think that the removable panel on the side of the blade housing can't be left off? I would think this would facilitate having the sawdust fall to the bottom of the saw if I closed off the back.

JR

[Stytooner]

I don't think it's structural. Just a shroud. The other side would have to stay though.