# Why the odd size port on Mitre Saws? Any help on MS dust collection?



## newbiewoodworker (Aug 29, 2010)

I hooked up my new Shop vac to my mitre saw today. But alas, the port size, is different than the size of the hose. I temporarily solved the issue by putting the hose inside the spray elbow(that black elbow on Ridgid MS) then taping it in place with electrical tape… but now I cannot use it for anything else, unless I either remove the tape, or I take the elbow off(easy… so easy it falls off…. thats what I wish Ridgid would fix, needs a locking mechanism) and use it like that….

The setup seems to work okay…. I still get sprayed with dust, but not as much(and yes, I made sure the hose is in the sucker, not the blower…) I think soon I will have to get an I-Vac outlet..since its a pita to flip the vac, then the saw… also, I think I will be getting the exaust muffler,... since it sure is loud…

Any ideas on DC for MS?

Thanks.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

newbie … Wish I had an idea … this has been a burr under my saddle since I got my first compound miter saw, and is one of the primary reasons I don't use my CMS much.

I have tried the thing that mounts on a stand behind the saw, duct-taped the hose to the saw, etc. All with crappy results. It seems to me dust collection/control is an after-thought for CMS manufacturers.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

Oh sure, open up THAT can of worms. While you are at it why not bring up lathe dust collection?

All sarcasm aside, Miter saws are by definition notoriously bad for dust collection… A shop vac will help, but it's not a cure all. Usually, the saws have a port that is sized even smaller than a standard 2.5" shop vac hose. You just are NOT going to move enough air through that little hole to be effective at dust collection. The tool manufactuers know this. But honestly, miter saws for the most part are used outdoors on stands behind a contractors pickup truck, or underneath an EZ Up canopy… No need to bother with dust collection, so the little ports and bags they include are just to humor the rest of us…

There are LOTS of ways to catch this dust, but it typically involves a full size dust collector using at least 4" ducting, and some sort of hood that surrounds the back of the saw. A pretty Good pre-made solution is the Penn State "Big Red" dust hood. 









There are folks here that have made similar devices out of plywood and / or plexiglas. Some much more elegant than others. I am having to deal with the issue as well, and am looking for a good design that will work with a slider as I am planning on getting one of those HF 12" sliders on the coupon… (Too hard to pass up for $109.00!)


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## rtb (Mar 26, 2008)

Are you sure that your shop vac is not one of the small hoses. I have a rigid miter saw which Connect a standard small hose (2.5?) to and then use the 2.5 to 4in adapter as I do on all of my machinery with the smaller outlets so that I can use my dust collector which I have made mobile. Rigid tools are the most conscious dust control I have found. My 6 in ROS accepts both the standard vac hose and the small (17 7/8 ?) in hose.


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