A little challenge

[mbcabinetmaker]

I started the day in an immaculately clean shop. The task at hand was to build 6 flat panel doors, 7 flat panel drawer fronts and 5 drawer boxes. Ok 2 of the drawer fronts are fakes under the sink. I knew that would be brought up.

These are the results from all the cutting, sanding,boring etc for this days task.



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I finally tamed this beast and ran a dedicated 4 inch dust line to the bottom of the saw and a shop vac attached to the over arm guard/dust collector. I will estimate that it is 90% efficient or better at dust collection.






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Festool says this saw is 91% efficent. Cutting this task I would say that is a little low. It does create a little when cutting larger pieces and some miter/angle cuts.






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This is my shaper that I ran all the rails and styles on and later changed up to this ogee cutter to run an outside profile. I is very dust efficent until you throw on a raised panel cutter.






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This is my drum sander after sanding all the doors and drawer fronts. 90% or better by my best guess.




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This is my finish sander. Well over 90% efficient.






To be continued*****************************

[mbcabinetmaker]

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This is my concealed hinge boring and inserting machine after hinging the doors. It is made by Thompson industries in Sycamore, IL. Close to 100% here guys.





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This is my Shopsmith 520 after cutting a 1/4" x 1/4" groove for the drawer bottoms on 5 small drawers. It is about ********** well a picture is worth a thousand words.




Now this is my challenge. First I don't won't to hear the usual BS about adjust this change that. I have been down that road for 8 years, done everything imaginable used 5 or 6 different vacs etc. The only reason that I even use dust collection on it is that it keeps a little of the stuff down that flies in you face. Ok back to the challenge. We have some great talent here on this forum. Lets get together and come up with a real solution to this problem. Who knows we might even be able to market something. I know I would pay a nice penny if my Shopsmiths were anywhere close to the efficiency of my Festools. I cannot believe for one minute that other country's can out engineer us and with Shopsmith up to their eyeballs in the new headstock I don't expect to see anything new from them on this problem in the near future.


Who is up for the challenge?

[dusty]

I have already tackled this challenge and I think I have mine working a little bit better than what you show here. Before I post any images of what I have done, I would like to run some comparative testing.

To do this I need to know approximately how many linear feet of grooves did you cut.

I would also like to know how you set the lower saw guard. Is it in close to the blade or is it wide open? Are you using a ZCI or a normal insert? I believe that these effect the volume of air flow from up around the blade downward to the dust collection point.

Note that the major portion of your dust collects on the carriage. If that was eliminated, on the order of 95%, would we have met the challenge?

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I would suggest that when we get to this point, the challenge will have been met. This image was taken after ripping 48 linear feet of simple saw kerf.

[osx-addict]

Sounds like a challenge all right! I think it might be helpful to use one of those stop-motion camera's like they use on the MythBusters show to see where exactly the dust is being emitted from.. Anyone got one?

[robedney]

When I have a lot of ripping to do I do it on my table saw on the main deck of the boat. If I wait until about 2:00 in the afternoon -- here on the San Francisco Bay -- I can often count on a 20 knot wind. So long as I make sure I'm upwind of the saw, it's about 100% efficient.

The Shopsmith, however, is down below in the shop space. So, I could use whatever ideas anyone comes up with.

[mbcabinetmaker]

Dusty I ran about 30 feet total. I am using a standard dado insert. The dust that you see all came from that one operation but was blown a bit to the right by my fan.



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As I stated earlier I have tried the lower guard in about every imaginable position.

[Gene Howe]

I use the plastic dust collection lower guard, no upper guard and a couple large plastic tubs under the ways. Then, when the dust gets ankle deep, I sweep.
Saw dust in my shop is just a fact of life.

[shipwright]

I'm surprised that your DC is collecting so little. Is it getting the dangerous stuff, ie: airborne dust? I eliminated almost all chip fallout on my 510 in Green Valley when I added my DC from HF. I use standard insert, standard lower guard and no upper guard. The only difference is that I use 4" hose all the way to the tool, only reducing down at the very end. I don't know if this is where the difference in performance is but I don't get anywhere near the chips that you're showing.

Sorry, the only photo I have of the setup is on my bandsaw, but it's the same hose.

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Paul M

[mbcabinetmaker]

I knew we could do it call the patent attorney!!:D


Inspired by dusty an shipwright I went to the shop and did a little tinkering. I started by expanding the blade guard to the max and making sure it was in contact with the extension piece on the table. A little duct tape to close up the slots around the bolts. Tried it with about the same results as yesterday. Also tried shipwrights suggestion on the 4 inch hose. Same results. So while dadoing with my left hand I squatted down an watched the dust roll out of the front of the blade guard. So the problem area was identified. I cut up an old antifreeze jug and started trying to plug the hole. There is a rib in the part of the blade guard that moves up and down. After I got the shape that I wanted I screwed it to the rib. Later I will pop rivet it. I was amazed at the results on the first attempt so I made one to fit a little better and rounded the bottom to better slide up and down with the guard and let it stick up 1/2 inch to almost contact the through plate. The big test will come later but for now I believe I have hit the 90% range. Here are a couple of pictures.



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We can replace the anti-freeze logo with our own when we go to production.

[Ed in Tampa]

Mark
You need to try it with the dust collector on!:D

I don't know what you are doing but I only get that much dust when I forget to start the dust collector!

Ps I would Kill to have your assortment of Festool tools. I'm totally and absolutely green with envy