# Dust collection and radial arm saw



## tfr (Feb 10, 2010)

It seems that most radial arm set ups I have seen show the ducting coming from above the hood. Do you think it would be a problem for the ducting to come from below the hood and suction down? thanks…Tom


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## Raymond (Mar 12, 2008)

My Craftsaman saw has a collector in the guard and I build one that is attached at the rear of the saw behind the blade. The rotation of the blade thows dust back towards the collum, and the dust for the most part falls down into a trash can. Works for me.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Greetings: Here's the way I collect the dust and chips form my RAS. It works really good. I have baffles that go on either side of the collector, but took them off for clearity of pixs. They keep the dust and chips contained right at the sourse…........ Hope this might help with your dilemia….....

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu73/RickDennington/100_0915.jpg
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu73/RickDennington/100_0916.jpg


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## mikedrums (Feb 1, 2010)

The dust collector in the saw guard only catches some of the dust…. and that's only if you remember to drop the rear scoop down to just above your stock. I never do.

So most people build some sort of catch bin behind the fence. Whatever you do is fine as long as it doesn't get in the way of or impede the saw's travel back and forth.


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## tfr (Feb 10, 2010)

Thanks for the ideas, good stuff. I see Rick has a nice clean setup. Rick, do you thnik it would work just as well with your ducting coming from down below to the hood? thanks… tom


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Greetings Tom: Well, I'm really not sure. It might work ok. Are you talking about running your ductwork from up above, then turning it to go under the table, and mounting something like I use, OR are you running the duct on the floor, making a turn upwards and mounting it that way? I think as long as you have a clear path to your d.c, then it should work ok…...try it, and let me know how it works…... lol.


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## tfr (Feb 10, 2010)

on this particular wall where the rs is located, I may be running my main line low, about 18" off the floor and then up to thers, and maybe a miter saw. I'm trying to preserve some shelving up above the saw.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Ok…. I got the idea. It should work ok. One question: How far are you running the main line to the d.c?
You said about 18" off the floor…... wow… that's high…lol. Don't trip over it, and hurt yourself.


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## tfr (Feb 10, 2010)

Attached to the wall. I ran track in high school but not the hurdles!


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## mikedrums (Feb 1, 2010)

That's the way to do it, Rick. I think with a little more engineering, you could even hook it to the arm, so it would move with the saw, when you change the angle of the cut.

Probably a waste of time however, since if you're like me, 99% of your RAS cutting is straight cross cuts.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Greetings again tfr: Ok…. I figured it was mounted to the wall… I was just joking with you. I didn't think it would be just hanging in the air…..lol. I see no reason why your idea won't work. But as you will find out in woodworking, about everything you do will be trial and error…..sometimes more error than trial. Good luck with your project, and let us know how it turns out…..... keep on keeping on….. later.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

I think the bottom collection is better . I made my dust collection hoods for my RAS and my sliding miter saw without a vacuum source. They both have a hole in the bottom and the chips fall into a bag/barrel under the hood. I have been very pleased with both of them. Next project is collecting the chips from the band saw, but I think that will need vacuum.


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## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

Your dust collector doesn't mind if it pulls dust up or down. To answer your question, not if you have the room behind and below the table for the ducting. You would either need to cut a 4" hole/slot in your table or move your table 4" from the wall. This is why most woodworkers install ducting above the table, where there is usually unfettered access. Hope this helps. If you are looking for a vent hood, Rockler has this one on sale for $14.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11312&filter=dust%20collection%20hood


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## rsmith71 (Jan 26, 2010)

On all 3 RAS at work, I built a plywood box behind the fence that the saw will actually fit into. At the back left side is a smaller box (maybe 6" x 6" x 6") that the DC line comes into. I made a 1/4" plywood blast gate between the two. Open the gate and 90% of the sawdust is thrown behind the blade (along the sawkerf in the table) into the box and picked up by the DC. Two RAS are set up for cutoff and the third for dados and it works great. We just cover the hood opening with masking tape because it doesn't work worth a darn. This way the DC could come down from above (as ours) or up from below.


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## charlie48 (Sep 21, 2009)

Davids Idea will work, but you will need to pull the RAS away from the wall some,I built a 12X16" x10" deep box drilled a hole in the bottom, inserted a vac extension that I cut vertically in half 15" down, and put angled wood sides from front to back hook it to my DC zone thats runs horizontally 6" from the floor and is about 12' from the collector. works like a champ.I hope this all makes sense, It was easier to build than to explain how to build it.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Hey Charlie, could you repeat all that again…. I think I missed something here…..lol. I tried the dust hood thing from Rockler… the Big Gulp, or whatever it's called…....didn't like it at all, and it wouldn't fit my needs.
My RAS and miter saw are both mounted in a cabinet that's about 18' full of drawers, and my d.c runs overhead.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu73/RickDennington/100_0778.jpg


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## bobkberg (Dec 26, 2009)

TFM - Thanks for posting the question.
Rick - Thanks for the photos - I'd like to do something like that - great idea.


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## tfr (Feb 10, 2010)

Rick: Looks like you have a really clean set up, nicely done. Do you basically have the same hood set up for the miter saw as the ras? I see there is a cardboard box below the miter saw. Is that simply for trash or for dust to fall into from the miter saw? Tom


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Greetings Tom:.... Thanks for the nice comments on the shop. It makes woodworkers feel good when other wworkers notice their shops and accomplishments…I really like looking at other shops….you can get some great ideas from them….......No, not exactly… I have a 4" hole cut in the back of the sawdust box)?, or whatever you call it (it's to contain the s.d. at the sourse). I brought down the 4" hose from the main trunk line, put in a blast gate, put a 90 degree elbo(?) at the end, and turned it, and stuck it in the hole. It didn't get all the s.d I wanted it to, so I built a couple of removable baffles(this is so I could make different angle cuts), and it worked sooo much better. The big cardboard box you see is where I throw all of the off-cuts left over for firewood… it's not for the mitersaw, but I've thought about doing that way. Also all leftovers from the t.s go in there to…. I haven't had to gather kindeling for a long time…..lol.


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