Band saw dust port

[BuckeyeDennis]

I never get dust on my home-made band saw window" since it is just an empty opening cut with a hole saw. I'm not really sure what functionality is added by putting a clear cover over the hole.

The clear cover ensures that some idiot (or child) can't stick a finger in there and get it chewed up. A manufacturer that fails to take such easy/basic precautions is easy pickin's in a product liability suit. Standard-sized "finger probes" are available commercially, just for testing enclosures, to ensure that an enclosure will prevent injury to an errant finger. An enclosure that passes this test earns an IP2x (or better) protection rating.

I totally agree with this; I just don't understand why anyone making a homemade port to view the blade tension would bother.

Yes, that's a whole different matter. I suppose that an open hole would affect the DC airflow, but it's hard to say if for better or worse. Sticking some tape over the hole would answer that pretty quickly.

[db5]

I would be inclined to add a port. Location is controlled that way. I am not convinced the SS location is best. Others have added one back down towards the rear bottom(Doug Reed?). I wonder if he also closed off the center bottom? For sure it is less 'in the way' there.

I decided to add this since I use a shop-vac as a dust collector. This is from a garbage disposal. I used the old one when I installed a new one and this went into my plumbing box. The ID is smaller than the OD on the vac hose so I used a heat gun to soften it, forced the hose in and twisted and turned it until it cooled and then removed it. Tight fit but it works.

Now, where is the best place to install this? Any other suggestions?

[ERLover]

I used to do allot of reloading when I hunted and trap shot. A tip I learned was to wash plastic funnels, drop tubes ect with a heavy mix of dish washing soap and h2o, do not rinse off and let air dry, to release the static tension so that the fine grains of gun powder would not attach itself to them. It may work on your band saw windows too.

[dusty]

Yeah. Just drop the band saw cover into a heavy mix of wash water soap and water.

[beeg]

Try a fabric softener sheet for the dryer. Just wipe it on the window.

[ERLover]

Bob, now that you mentioned it, I heard that too but never tried it.

[thunderbirdbat]

I use one that has been used in the drier for a tack cloth or for a dust cloth around the house. I have found that if it has not been used in the drier, there is too much fabric softener on them that will cause streaking.

[ERLover]

Brenda never used them for that, but I bet the heat in the drier releases some of its stuff.

[kalynzoo]

I find the dust port on the SS band saw works sort of well, most of the escaping dust seems to drop behind and below the blade. I usually just clamp a second hose with a large attachment to the horizontal bars of the SS to catch most of that debris.