DC Set Up Help for My Band Saw

Sorry, no pix, but

Joanne in Pt. Pleasant, PA

>

Oops, clicked on post too soon--

Joanne in Pt. Pleasant, PA

>Hi Jim,

I have the same problem with my Delta 14" bandsaw--too much sawdust. The Delta has a 1-2" port right under the table in the front--useless! My plan is to rip that out and replace it with at least a 4" port. In addition, I am going to figure out a way to hang a 2" hose near the cutting action on top of the table and join the 2 hoses with a Y of some sort before I put in a blastgate.

I'm still behind, since I haven't even ordered my cyclone yet or started installing ducting. But I'm so sick of dragging the one hose on my DC from machine to machine--it's time!

Re: Oops, clicked on post too soon--

Barry Irby

>Delta sells a port for the bandsaw for about $32. Ittura Designs also carries it I think. I got a picture of it and made one out of an "End Boot" from four inch ducting for it. The boot cost about $4. I'll post a piture if I can.

Jim, I tried cutting a hole through the door on my saw and it worked well enough except that when I wanted to change the blade, the duct acted like a spring and kept closing the door.

The pickup I have on it now comes loose with a wing nut and lays on the floor while I cahnge the blade. I think the over the table pickup would be a good idea too.

Re: DC Set Up Help for My Band Saw

Ed Mulligan, Cape Cod

>Jim -

I'd recommend trying the current port location with your cyclone, perhaps enlarging it if it is a small diameter. If it's not sufficient, move on to more invasive options.

On my LT 18 the dust port is in the same place as on your General, lower left corner, although on the back side of the machine. It's hooked up to a cyclone and works fine. After an hour of ripping 4/4 lumber there will be a few ounces of sawdust (100 ml?) on the floor and almost none inside the machine. The port is 4" diameter.

I sealed up a few openings on my saw to direct the vacuum to the blade. Refrigerator magnet material from the craft store worked well for this. For the open area under the table I built a shroud of 1/8" plywood held in place with Lee Valley rare earth magnets. It's all instantly removable if I need to tilt the table.

Ed

Hook up your Band Saw to DC directly

Felix B

>I had similiar, tiny dust port with Jet and it was totally useles. Now, my 14" Delta has a 5" dust port under the table. I found it helpful when it's hooked up directly to the DC, especially when resawing wide boards...

Thanks, Barry--how does it attach?

Joanne in Pt. Pleasant, PA

>Is that block of wood with the wing nut bolted to the machine and the boot just hangs on that? It the boot attached up under the table, too? I like Ed's idea of using magnets to attach, so it's easily removable for cleaning or blade changes.

I know I've seen a picture of the hose on top of the table somewhere. Perhaps here and whoever did it will chime in for Jim (Hmmm, "Chime in for Jim"--kind of sounds like the title of either a kids' book or an Irish pub tune. lol.). I'm picturing something that is adjustable, so you can move it depending on what you're cutting.

Re: Thanks, Barry--how does it attach?

Barry Irby

>I took the little plastic Port that could be attached to a shop vac off. It was on a bolt that let it pivot down to change the blade. I put the bolt back and use an Eye bolt through my home made port. The Eye is big enough to just slip over the head of the bolt. I'm sure a hook would work as well or better.

I have those spring loaded Long Ranger blast gates with the micro switches. They are a little stiff to open and tend to slam shut. not sure the magnets would hold the port on, but they might and if you put the gate elswhere they probably would. I went to some trouble to put the gates near the switches fo the machines, becasue the gate turns the DC on and I wnated it to "natural" to open the gate and turn on the machine.

The port I made is "Pointed" enough at the top that it comes right up under the table insert and still allows the tabe to tilt. Not all the way to 45 degrees, but close. Maybe 40 degrees. I almost never tlitthe table that far, but on those rare occasions I just take the port of and lay it on the floor, and do with out DC for that operation. If it bothered me I think I could trim thetop of the point dow a little and allow the table to tilt to 45, but I think that might reduce its effectiveness a little and its not worth it.

Once in a while I open the door on the bottom wheel and vac out the inside. Never had much of an accumilation in there, but the saw does not get heavy use. I do most of my ripping on the TS.

I think some of that magnetic plastic stripping sealing the openings around the door would be good, but I haven't bothered. I did try blue painters tape, but the improvement was sight. I think the upper pickup would be the next step.

What I Did Jim--and Joanne

George@Colonel's Workshop-Havertown PA

>Good Morning Jim and Joanne,

I have a 14" Jet which came with a very little, inefficient 1 1/2" or 2" "proboscis". I plugged it. Then I cut out a hole in the right top of the lower door, just under the lower guides just to the rear of the band. I reasoned (quite a stretch for me)that location would pull in the maximum amount of dust as it was being created/released from the band gullets, and before it could settle towards the bottom of the lower wheel enclosure and accumulate----or migrate elsewhere. I installed a plastic 4" DC port which is connected to my 4" system. It works very well. Just yesterday my best friend and I cut 20 bowl blank rounds from 4 to 5 inch thick log segments of wet fir--8 to 9 inch diameter with a 1/2" AS Timberwolf band. When I opened the bottom door to clean the saw, there was some residue but no accumulation of dust. Bear in mind that this was wet dust, and therefore heavier. Jim, I would think that you should get better performance with your 6" system.

George

Thanks, Colonel

Joanne in Pt. Pleasant, PA

>I've seen those ports people put in the lower door and thought about it. But that is where I stand and I don't think I'd appreciate a dc hose poking me while I try not to screw up a cut. How do you keep it out of your way?

Machine manufacturors....

Jim

>Why is it that manufacturors don't make safety devices and dust collection that actually work? I don't think cost is a good excuse....

Ooh, ooh, ooh! Here's some ideas--

Joanne in Pt. Pleasant, PA

>Perhaps this is what I was remembering. There are some sketches of ideas on Bill Pentz's site. Hopefully, this link works:

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/Ducting.cfm#DustPorts

Elbow, Joanne

George@Colonel's Workshop-Havertown PA

>Good Afternoon Joanne,

That is an obvious consideration which I should have anticipated. To the plastic DC port, I installed a metal flex elbow which occupies space only under the table. A black 4" plastic flex DC drop line couples to that metal elbow. I can stand touching the table and not interfere with/ be interfered by the elbow. Why--I can stand close to the table and not have to sharpen my elbows--so to speak! :<) One other consideration: No problem opening the lower door after all the fittings are installed.

George

George

Tune?

Jim Shaver Oakville, Ont.

>Did I hear a Tune?

I like teh idea very much of the magnets too, a clean fitted boot if you like to the side that would be detachable...now that would be a nice idea!

Take care,

Jim

Can't sing a note!

Re: What I Did Jim--and Joanne

Jim Shaver Oakville, Ont.

>Thanks George,

I can see replacing that small port with a 4" maybe, 6" might suck the band off the wheels, my cyclone is a 5 HP beast.....it cleans the leaves up in the yard in the fall with the garage door open....maybe that is where the snow went this winter, eh!

:-)

take care,

Jim

Re: Ooh, ooh, ooh! Here's some ideas-- *LINK*

Jim Shaver Oakville, Ont.

>Good One Joanne!!

These look really great....some solid ideas to go with the great feed back already..

Thanks every one!!

Take care,

Jim


Link