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Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998

Dust collection for the bandsaw

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Dust collection for the bandsaw

#1

Dust collection for the bandsaw

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

Part I

I have struggled with dust collection to my bandsaw, a Hammer N4400, for some years now. The outlet is a 120mm (close to 5") port that is linked by 5" hose to a 2 hp dust collector via a Super Dust Deputy cyclone.


The DC is the next planned upgrade, but it does a decent job of sucking dust (but more power and suction would not go amiss).


The dust port ...


My plan was to add a hose near the source of the bandsaw dust, that is, where the cutting takes place at the blade. Not sure how to attach the hose, I did a little research ... and came across a video on YouTube by Rob Cosman. I am not sure if the idea is his, or whether he borrowed it (I did come across another that was made several years ago). Suction in this case would be via a Festool CT26E.

The idea is very simple. This is the construction of the dust collector ...


Just a bit of 2" PVC tubing, with an end cap (I planned to lock the end to the bandsaw with a spacer, but this was unnecessary). The tube is sawn half way for the blade (in this case, a 1" Lennox) and opened up a the top (for sawdust).

Behind the dust collector is the holder. The holder is attached on the Hammer here (red arrows) ...


This is half the holder attached (with bolts) ..


This is the other half of the holder, with recesses for the bolt heads. Obviously, the pieces are screwed together.


This the collector attached ...


So, the question is does it work?

The inside of the bandsaw is usually coated with dust and quite thick on the floor. This picture was taken after a clean and then sawing about 20 feet of MDF with just the lower dust port in use ...


I found that the lower dust port needed to be connected for the system to work optimally. It was not enough to just use the upper collector. However, with both connected, after repeated use through the course of an afternoon, this is the inside of the bandsaw ...


The connection from the CT26E may be may with either the 28mm hose ...


.. or a 50mm hose ...


Both worked equally well, but in the end I decided to use the 50mm hose, as it was possible to swap it over to the K3 slider as well (where it has reduced dust spray considerably) ...


Part II

I did not want to live with a double vacuum system, so connected the main 5" hose to the collector at the blade. My concern was that the 2 hp DC might not be powerful enough to pull dust through two hoses ...


This is a 2 1/2" hose ...


Now I tried a few variations after this: removing the end cap for increased air flow/ventilation (the cap on was slightly better), and taping up the blade kerfs in the tube (this was slightly better). Essentially, these all resulted in this ...


Bottom line: I think that the little dust in the corner is a dead spot for cleaning. The system is working so much better than ever before, and now it only needs one switch at the DC to get it going. The new collector at the blade is making a huge difference.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

#2

Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw *LINK*

Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio

Derek, my bandsaw is a 14" Powermatic (Delta clone), and I did something similar to your rig to allow for at-the-blade dust collection.


Delta Bandsaw Dust Collector

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

#3

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

John K Jordan

Jim, we think alike. I built a similar box also held in place with magnets, the design simpler due to the port already built into the 18" Rikon. The difference between the Before and After amazed me.


The cardboard prototype worked so well it was years before I got around to making one from plexiglas. This doesn't allow tilting the table but I don't tilt the table. (I use a wedge on the table to cut angles)

I use a third pickup on top the table, held where desired with magnets. It's especially useful with "skimming" cuts to clean up turning blanks. (My DC is a 5hp cyclone with an abundance of air flow.)


JKJ

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

#4

It seems flawed, but

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

...... I don't argue with success.

To pick up dust the dust has to be captured by a flow of air sufficient to overcome the momentum of wherever the dust was originally headed ( Newton's law.... a moving object will continue to move until acted upon by an external force) The air "leak" around the blade must be sufficient to provide this flow and resulting force. Apparently the slit in the pipe is sufficient to result in an air flow of sufficient velocity to strip chips from the teeth? MDF makes fine dust with little momentum. Chip are harder to collect. What is the result of resawing wood?

I don't fret about dust collecting inside the saw. I vacuum it out once a year. But my 20" Delta spews chips all around the table and floor. A solution to this problem would be grand.

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

#5

A thought

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

It seems that a capture device where the air flow was orthogonal to the path of the blade (and chips) would be best for stripping chips from the teeth. On my saw chips are caught in the teeth and carried around the saw to be deposited along the path. In the device described a hole at the end of the pipe and sealing as much of the blade as possible would provide the most favorable direction of air flow, I think. Flow from this direction would not have to change direction to enter the vacuum hose, which is desirable to preserve air velocity.

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

#6

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

BrianfromMonumentCO

Seems to be a lot of flexible ducting. When I was designing my DC system with Oneida help, they told me that flexible ducting was higher loss than curved steel. But success is always best to follow.

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

#7

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

Barry Irby

I am skeptical of your solution, but unwilling to argue with success. Just does not seem to offer enough airflow to pick up the chips.

I have a Delta 14" bandsaw and my solution is similar to Jim and John's. Except I used a "End Boot" from a 4" duct system mounted on the side of the saw. It is largely successful and it permits tilting the table. So little accumulates inside the saw I worry about it when I change the blade.

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

#8

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

Reed Gray

Never read this part of WC before, but some one e-mailed me to tell me about this thread. I did this video a while ago because, well bandsaw dust ports do not suck...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLuRgku_F0w

I have seen similar solutions to picking up dust right at the throat. One problem with band saw dust ports is that the inside of the saw is so open, it is a problem to focus the air flow exactly where we need it. Still trying to find the perfect solution....

robo hippy

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

#9

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

TomD

That is pretty impressive. All I do is dangle the 4 inch pipe off the edge of the table, worked great with my last saw, but not so well with the current one. Thanks for the ideas.

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

#10

That fitting is called.....

Barry Irby

an End Boot. Any duct supply house and maybe a big box store would have them. It's made for a floor register that is "in line" with the duct. Certainly available for 4" and probably other sizes.

Another thing. You MUST to have "goes inta" to have "goes outa". You must have enough leakage into the saw cabinet to allow sufficient air flow. If you have enough air flow, those dead corners will sculpt themselves to a minimum. Even more important with wet shavings.

And you can install brushes touch the blade at upper left where it is rising toward the upper wheel to knock off some the carry over. I use toothbrushes.

Re: Dust collection for the bandsaw

#11

Re: It seems flawed, but

John K Jordan

>>>...... I don't argue with success.

To pick up dust the dust has to be captured by a flow of air... Apparently the slit in the pipe is sufficient to result in an air flow of sufficient velocity to strip chips from the teeth?

...But my 20" Delta spews chips all around the table and floor. A solution to this problem would be grand.

Bill, his 4th photo shows the large hole on the upper side of the pipe for airflow.

In case you missed it, I designed the one I illustrated for airflow across the blade. It keeps the dust from spraying on the floor or entering the lower cabinet. The dust on the top of the table is reasonably well managed with the 3rd pickup.