Dust Removal for Phaedra, Clearount, etc.

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bill t.

bill t.

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
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Aug 7, 2006
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315
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New Mexico
OK, one last quick look at the low-end miter saw solution before buying a Morso.

So, has anybody put together a dust removal system that removes near 100% of the huge amount of dust generated by a Makita-like miter saw?

I assume the cheapo shop vacs down at Home Depot are cruel jokes, don't even bother with those .

Some specific questions...

--What about the low end, 350 to 650 CFM vacs with the big puffy bags that sell for around $200 to $300? Like a Delta AP400...too much? too little?

http://www.amazon.com/Delta-AP400-Shopmaster-Horsepower-Collector/dp/B00006K005

--What sort of gathering scoop is adequate to funnel the debris into the hose? Would I need to build a giant, taped-up cardboard contraption behind the saw, or would something smaller do? Is there something off-the-shelf, maybe for a specific saw?

--Is it possible to put together a system good enough to use the saw in the same room used to close frames (without going insane)?

And whatever else occurs to you. Thanks!
 
I built a collector box for my double saw setup on a Phaedra and it works OK but I wouldn't put it in the same room with your fitting table! I would not put any saw into the fitting room for just the same dust reason that you are trying to set up a catch box for your vacuum system.

I used a Delta AP300 with the single bag and it does a pretty good job of pulling the sawdust and chips into the collector bag. My problem is the shape of my collector box. I built it with too large an opening and I have some blowby and some sawdust buildup in the corners as a result. I used a general purpose adapter for collecting sawdust from a table saw and installed it in the bottom of the collector box. I attached the collector hose to the lip on the opening and it works OK but I should have made the opening of the box smaller because I don't have to move the saws and the closer the opening is placed to the blades and exhaust pipes on the chop saws, the more efficient the overall vacuum system will be.
 
I recently bought a Phaedra/DeWalt saw setup with a Sears dust collector. The previous owner had a good idea for the dust collection, but I don't think he fully understood how air moves, as his room was pretty well filled with sawdust. I modified his setup extensively for my shop, and it seems to work OK now.

I bolted the dual 12" DeWalt miter saws to the top of a 60"x24" work bench that has tall uprights on the back legs to support an elevated shelf (one of the two benches that came with thre setup). I enclosed the back and sides of the tabletop area with sheets of white Coroplast and hooked up vacuum ports made of the clear, 2" diameter tubing he was using.

I don't know where the previous owner got this tubing, but a couple of people have suggested it looks like gerbil-run tubing. I used about have as much tubing as he did, but still have four vacuum ports within inches of the saw blades.

I suggest you separate your saws from your fitting area as much as possible. I mean, put them in opposite ends of the building. With ordinary miter saws, no matter what, I believe you will always have some sawdust floating around the shop. It is especially difficult to contain aluminum sawdust. Those tiny aluminum flakes migrate everywhere.
 
Way back at the beginning I had a Chopper, then added a miter saw, and then a second miter saw. The miter saws were for aluminium and the chopper for wood. But the chopper worked on some wood but not so well on other wood so some wood was cut on the saws. Then there was the hassle of chopper blade sharpening and setting up and one day I said to heck with it all and bought a real double miter miter saw. I happened to buy a saw made by CTD. From then on my framing life was simple - best piece of equipment I ever bought and the most profitable. Make more money on the frame than anything else. So, we were talking about dust. I had shopvacs and hose for the old saws and I think they picked up about 20% of the dust. A real framer's double miter saw is built into a box and has a nice sliding lid over the blades. Hook up a real dust control unit with suitable airflow and you get about 98% of the dust. Shopvacs don't have the volume of air to capture airborne dust.
 
Jim,

I'd sure like to see some photos of your setup. It sounds like it works alot better than the setup I designed and, with a double saw being used, it would be similar to my saws as far as design goes. As soon as we relocate into larger digs, I want to get my saws and vacuum down here and work them over.

If you get a chance, "pop" some photos online (as opposed to "make those photos 'pop'"!!:p) along with a few directions on where the shelf is located and more on those exhaust ports. That is what is confusing to me.

Thanks in advance.
 
I second Tom's request for some pictures.

While I do have a dust collector in place for my double miter saws, I think it doesn't collect enough dust and I am getting worried about long term effects.
 
My system catches about 95 percent of the dust.
Hope this helps

Kenny
 

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Nice setup, Kenny. Mine is similar. Since I can no longer upload directly to The G, here is a link to a few photos:

http://jamesmiller.smugmug.com/gallery/3593809#212012994

The table is very sturdy, 60" x 24", and the elevated tray is handy for keeping ear & eye protectors and tools handy.

The end view shows how I placed the chopper and saws back-to-back, which is the only way I could get both tools into my 12 ft. square room.
 
I am getting one too but I am not sure which one. The one SurferBill posted or the one that Bill T also posted (from Amazon)

I wish there was some testing / feedback on those items.
 
surferbill said:
Check this dust collector out, the 1 1/2 hp model 65200 will be on sale at the Woodcraft store November 3rd & 4th for $319.99, 1 hp model 65110 $209.99. I'm going to get one of them, but I'm not sure which one yet.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=5253
Click to expand...

One thing to watch is not to max out household circuits with these things. Couldn't find any details on the Woodcraft models, but I think a 1HP, 115v motor draws around 15 amps, the limit for a typcial household circuit. 1.5HP might pop the circuit breaker. In any case you would need two circuits, one of the saw and one for the vac.

I like Kenny's "under the counter" vac! Wonder if there's any place in town that has ripped-out vanities for cheap.

Beautiful setup Jim, do you draw only from the saw dust spigots, is there a feed from the scoops also? Saw only a few large chips on the counter, looks like you're catching the nasty fine stuff really well.
 
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