# Mitre saw to dust collector or shop vac



## Jarrett (Apr 25, 2015)

I'm finally hooking up my compound slide saw to some sort of dust collection…but I can't decide whether it will be across the shop to the dust collector or to the shopvac/5gal sawdust cyclone seperator. If ran across the shoop, I would just pipe it solid across the floor between the two cabinet saws, so only 4' would be exposed to knock the teeth out of. If I ran it up to ceiling, I'd be losing a good bit since my ceilings are 14'. My only hesitancy to hook it up to the dust collector is I don't want to go all the way across the shop to turn it off so I can hear myself think. My problem with hooking up a the shopvac is that then I'm putting off getting the radial arm saw and mortiser, bandsaw (that whole side of shop) on dust collection as well. I suppose I just answered my question. Anyone have good luck with remote switches for their machine? Do you prefer to carry remote with you or have dust collector wired to three way switch to operate from multiple locations of your shop? Eventually I'm putting my dust collector and compressor in an addition onto the side of the shop, but that may be on down the road a good ways. 
Thanks for the advice!
-Jarrett


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## ste6168 (Mar 12, 2015)

What kind of dust collector do you own? Hard to tell in the picture there.

If it were me, personally, and I had that amount of space for a hobby shop, I would take the money I would spend on that additional piping, purchase a second dust collector (Harbor Freight?) and use that to do my miter saw and bandsaw on that side of the shop. No pipe running across the floor, don't have to walk across the room to turn it on, and should work just fine for 2/3 machines.

On top of that, I would then put both dust collectors on remotes with carabiner clips, and carry them around the shop. Then you don't ever need to walk across the room.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I had a remote for my dust collector but it died. I installed a wall switch and have gotten used to that. Works well for me. I placed my equipment along the walls of my small shop and ran my six inch dust collector duct along the wall on the floor. Out of the way and works fine. No wasted duct going up to the ceiling and then back down to each machine.


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## Jarrett (Apr 25, 2015)

Yes Sir, that's exactly the game plan I had in mind. I have a harbor freight already and I've been impressed at how it and seperator serves my 15" planer. I have piping for now to get me by until purchase of another unit..but will have to rethink it all if/when I put units in shop addition. Ordering remotes this afternoon.


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## Jarrett (Apr 25, 2015)

Jim, what brand remote was it? Sorry sbout your luck!

Am thinking of getting smaller h.f. Dust collector since it will be in close proximity to and only be hooked up to mitre saw, radial arm saw, mortiser, and all the big machines are already hooked up to larger dust collector


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## SawSucker (Nov 10, 2015)

If the machine has a small dust port, use a vac.


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## Daruc (Apr 20, 2015)

> If the machine has a small dust port, use a vac.
> 
> - SawSucker


ha ha, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck?


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## SawSucker (Nov 10, 2015)

> ha ha, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck?
> - Woodust


In about 30 years of it I've lost count.


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## Jarrett (Apr 25, 2015)

I used a vac, but now built dust hoods for mitre and radial to hook up to dust collection


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

> Jim, what brand remote was it? Sorry sbout your luck!
> 
> Am thinking of getting smaller h.f. Dust collector since it will be in close proximity to and only be hooked up to mitre saw, radial arm saw, mortiser, and all the big machines are already hooked up to larger dust collector
> 
> - Jarrett


It was a "Long Ranger" from Grizzly


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## bob101 (Dec 14, 2008)

I use a remote and carry it in my pocket! love it!


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## SawSucker (Nov 10, 2015)

I will NEVER understand the HF dust collector hype.


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## SawSucker (Nov 10, 2015)

Have you checked to see if Playskool or Fisher-Price make a dust collector ?


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I have been using a Woods 32555 Weatherproof Outdoor Outlet Remote Control Converter Kit (~$15 on Amazon) remote to turn on/off my shop vac for about a year now. It is rated at 125v, 13 amps. It might not be strong enough for dust collector but works great for my shop vac I use for dust collection. This has been a great time saver. I have the remote on a 6" long hardboard key fob in my pocket so that the remote hangs out of my pocket for easy access as I move around my shop. After setting up for a cut on the table saw for example, I simply have to reach down to my hip to turn it on before turning on the saw. I currently have to move the hose from machine to machine but at least I don't have to walk over the the vac in the corner to turn it on and off anymore. I painted the hardboard fob red to make it easier to find after laying it down somewhere in my shop.


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## Jarrett (Apr 25, 2015)

"SawSucker replied on a forum topic:
---------------------------------

I will NEVER understand the HF dust collector hype. Other then people are only willing to spend the least amount possible on dust collection. But will spend way more then necessary on a table saw, such as a cabinet saw, or worse yet, a SawStop cabinet saw, as if it's the only thing in the shop that can injure you."

Saw sucker, 
My apologies for not making myself clear. What I meant to ask was what would be a method of collecting chips. I know the drawbacks of an improper tool and the safety I'm disregarding when I mention an inferior dust collector. I bought my powermatic cabinet saw for its accuracy and 5hp motor. I have moved from my old shop which had proper dust collection (sold with it) to build new shop, but building new house first. 
I am worried about safety and health, but know my time is coming from some other source….like one of the 16 menopausal women I manage in a fast paced kitchen stabbing me with a knife, or the blade of our 1956 frick mill coming loose and scattering my brains all over the county, or the hamburger I ate at the convenience store this morning. 
I appreciate your sarcasm and your wit, but in this matter, your wit and mine too can be found in the bottom of that harbor freight dust collector. Next time I will do better and post "with disregard to safety" so I can easily include all Toys R Us chip collectors. Hope you can see that everyone's situation is different and I have spent many a sleepless night in thinking about selling my cabinet saw to start buying pieces of a proper dust collection, but that just ain't gonna happen. Next time, just congratulate me on my purchase and ask me to include you in my will.


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

Here, here Jarrett. I am proponent of the adage I learned when my tools where made by Fischer-Price: If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all.

I agree with you. An expensive dust collector can make a shop nicer to work in, it does almost nothing to help with the quality of the woodworking, yet a great table saw can help a lot. While you can do some great work with a cheap saw like I have, a $200 dust collector (or my kludged dust separator made from a home depot bucket and garage sale shop vac) won't hurt it one bit.


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

Sawsucker, you've made multiple posts hating on the HF dust collector, either you had a really bad experience with one or just an elitist. My HF dc works just fine with my cabinet saw, jointer and planer. Yea I could sell my saw and dc and buy a laguna cyclone and ryobi ts for the same price, but that doesn't seem like it would be a good idea. The impeller is probably the only thing different(if it is), between a lot of the standard 2hp dc out there. If you have $500 to spend on duct collection, probably wouldn't be the best to spend it all on a "fancier" dc when you're still going to have to spend a ton of money on duct work. If money is no option then yea, getting a nicer dc would be ideal, but since usually money is a factor, and for some a real big factor, $160 hf dc is better than none at all.


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## harriw (May 10, 2012)

Are you any good with electronics? I made my own Dust Collector remote from a spare Garage Door Opener. I have one of those plug-in receivers that's designed to let you turn on a lamp from your garage door remote, so I just used the output of that receiver to turn on a 20A relay that powers up the Dust Collector. That's what I happened to have laying around, but if you can find some sort of wireless transmitter and receiver that you already own (maybe a wireless doorbell or something?), you might be able to do something similar.

BTW… Also a satisfied owner of the HF collector.


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## SawSucker (Nov 10, 2015)

I'm not saying that you have to spend a lot on a DC, or anything else, I didn't. But by the time that most of you put a pleated filter on an HF, you could of had a much better built and more true to specs DC for not much more money. There isn't much on a HF 2hp dust collector that isn't over rated. The filter, the hp, the CFM, and it wouldn't suprise me if they are still using a plastic impeller. In a nut shell it's the cheapest made supposedly 2 hp DC that I know of. I've been a woodworker for about 30 years, an American made Contractor's table saw with a 30" Unifence is all that I've ever needed, and will probably continue to be all I will ever need in the future. And I bought a 1 1/2 hp Delta dust collector that will probably be around just as long, both machines I bought new. I grew up when most woodworking machinery was made in this country, and we were proud of that. HF has always been bottom of the barrel imported, and a bad investment, unless it's something that you only need it a couple times. In closing I've learned the hard way about table saws, and dust collectors. For a long time I seen people complaining about poor dust collection with Contractor's saws. So I spent more time then anyone else did trying to solve that problem, and I succeeded. But not many wanted to support me because the majority of the complainers turned out to be just cabinet saw pushers/salesmen. The few people that were interested just copied my design in a amateur and cheap type manner. I've improved dust collection also on the dust collector that I own, and a 6" Jointer, and custom built a hood for an old Delta/INVICTA thickness planer where the hoods are no longer available through the manufacturer, and I built a air filtration unit that has multi speeds and is on a timer. I'm no rookie to any of it, but at the same time no one wants to support me, so there is no incentive for me to share. Especially when I've been stabbed in the back twice from people on the net stealing my idea and flat out refusing to give me any credit for it. Folks, I'm about wore out, do what you want because at this point after all the work and explaining I can't do it anymore, except for myself. If some can't understand, well then too bad.


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## lndfilwiz (Jan 7, 2014)

I have a dust deputy hooked to my shop vac. I have a electric foot pedal hooked to the shop vac. When I start the saw or any other woodworking tool I step on the pedal. The vac comes on and away I go. Got the foot pedal from Rockler.


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