# Overarm DC at table saw



## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

Phase 2 of my DC evolution will include hooking overarm DC on our table saws. The last 3 auction table saws I have purchased have blessed us with the added bonus of 1 Excalibur (400.00 retail) and 2 Biesemeyer T square blade gaurd systems (no longer mfg). The Biese overarm blade gaurd system can accept a 2" hose for DC, the Excalibur will accept a 4" hose for DC.

I hope to get these DC connections made in the next few weeks. I have ran DC to the cabinet portion of the saw but I have found unsatisfactory results at this time. I am hoping the overhead DC combined with DC to the cabinet will grab 90% of the dust. Maybe it is wishful thinking, not sure.

The table saws are the one machine that seems to get the most consistent use and seems to be the biggest contributor to stray dust so controlling the dust at the saw will be my upcoming priority.

What do other LJ use as table saw DC?


----------



## shawnmasterson (Jan 24, 2013)

I think the over arm will help a lot. I hate guards, but I have recently considered an over arm just for the DC benefits. Keep us post as you progress.


----------



## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

One other thought I am considering at this time. We run 3 saws, 2 of the saws run a single blade because my wife tends to be a bully and pushes me off the saw and takes over 

So instead of fighting with my wife over one saw we have 2 with single blades. Then our third saw has a dado blade we use for dados.

My thought is the saw with the dado blade really does not need overarm DC because the part being cut covers the entire blade. Just a thought, but I had planned on running overarm DC to all three saws, but I am thinking that might just be overkill for the dado saw. But having the gaurd installed will at least present good for safety precautions.


----------



## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

Shawn, I will keep you posted as to how it goes. It will be at least a week or two before I have the spare time to tinker with getting the duct work set up.

I really thought running duct work to just the 4" cabinet port would be great, but it was not good at all.


----------



## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

Shawn, I also wanted to mention to you about the Biese T square guard system. I have one saw with that blade guard installed and I love that set up. It takes less than a second to lift that guard up in the upright position and it locks in place. But when ripping or cross cutting with the guard in the downward position, the guard deflects all dust slivers down to my waist area. In the past, before using this system, I would get that crap blown in my face during cutting and I always hated that. The only time the guard is in the upright position now is when the fence has to be very close to the blade as in cutting thin strips.

And I will mention the Biese guard moves effortlessly above the work piece as the piece is being fed through the blade. It truly is a great set up and I am not sure why it is no longer mfg.

The Excalibur system is not installed on any saw at this time.


----------



## woodchuckerNJ (Dec 4, 2013)

I'm with Shawn, the guards seem to prevent me from setting up. I use my tape measure or folding rule, whichever I have been working with. Even though the fence matches them perfectly.. I double checked over and over. I still don't risk it. And I also use the gripper. So I don't like the guard..

Wish there were another alternative, but I think the overarm will be the tkt to solving your dust woes.


----------



## lunn (Jan 30, 2012)

I made one for my Griz ts. It doesn't get all the sawdust but does get the finer stuff that filled my shop. Before i made it, ripping alot, it looked like a cloud. Now i don't have to breath that, plus i'm not covered in dust. It swings up and latches outta the way to change blades etc. I don't have a guard on the saw but i do have 2 kickback rollers. The dc fits between them. The whole rig keeps my hands away from the blade at either end.


----------



## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I have the Excalibur on my table saw, and it catches very close to 90% of everything off the blade. Mine is the older model that chokes down to 3" at the basket, but it still seems to work fairly well. I'm less certain about how well a 2" hose will do on a DC, though. I'm guessing it won't be nearly as effective.


----------



## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

Thanks for the comments.

I do think the overarm at the saw will be a huge benefit. At this time I am thinking 90% of all the dust ending up in our shop comes from above the blade. Because at this time our sander and planers are connected to DC and the DC gets most if not all off of the sander and the planer. We now have DC to the shapers but they rarely ever get used these days. So my cabinet saws must be producing the largest amount of dust in our shop.

Our Excalibur chokes down to 3" also. I will run the excalibur on the saw that is used most of the time. The Biese only has a 2" DC so I will install it on the secondary saw.

I will say that until recently, we never had any guards on our table saws and having these guards on the saws gives some sense of safety.


----------

