Dust Collector for Radial Arm Saw

[RandyT]

Does anyone know if there is an effective system available for a radial arm saw? Mine is an old 10" DeWalt.

[JimConlin]

My radial arm saw IS a dust collector.

[RandyT]

Jim,
It is the only saw available to me at this time. I was looking for some help. Sorry if I was somehow out of line.
Randy

[JimConlin]

I couldn't resist the cheap joke.

Most radial arm saws i've seen have a nozzle on the blade guard for dust sucking. Add a shop vac (and duct tape) .

Plan B is something like this
http://mamacoke.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/radialarmsaw.85212032_std.jpg
Not much good for other than crosscut operations.

[RandyT]

There is no joke like a cheap one! I would not have passed up that softball either. Perhaps it is time to move on from the the 10" radial. Is a Shopsmith 5 a bad move?

[Dave B]

Another option is to set up a deflector behind the saw that channels the dust and chips down in to a storage area behind the saw. I saw this http://tinyurl.com/cqxnqk in a book or magazine years ago and I'd guess that it traps 90% of the dust. The photo isn't the best, but I think you can get the idea. The deflector is just a shallow frame with 1/4" plywood deflectors set at a 45 degree angle. The dust gets blown back against it and then falls down into the collector area that's built in behind the drawers of the saw stand. Once in a blue moon I stick the shop vac hose down in there and suck up the dust.

[JimConlin]

... Is a Shopsmith 5 a bad move?
This is a troll. Right?

[Bill R]

Ditto what Jim showed. I had a similar type arrangement on my RAS in my old shop where the RAS was a permanent fixture. Not so good if it has to be mobile like mine is now.

As far as the Shopsmith goes- I suppose it is better than nothing, but not by much. Don't give up on the RAS. Contrary to what a lot of folks believe, a well tuned RAS can be a wonderful tool. Just be sure to give it the respect it deserves. I love mine.

[kc8pql]

Ditto what Jim showed.
Me to, except the box is bigger and mounted to the wall behind the saw. It's connected to the shop's central dust collector.

[Rich VanValkenburg]

I saw this and did a search for the dust collector on my Sears saw and found a blade guard recall that I didn't know about. Lots of Sears saws out there. http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/

[David G]

Way back in the murky past - when I still had a RA saw in my shop - I had a setup much like the one Mr. Conlin shows in post #4. My collection box was plywood instead of sheet metal, and I added a flex-hose connection to the dust port on the blade guard, and managed to collect the worst of the sawdust. Now I have a similar setup on my sliding compound chop saw.

I don't have a lot of experience with Shopsmiths, but did have a long discussion recently with a pair of folks who use them. One guy has 5. He sets them each up to to a specific task. This eliminates the Changeover time that is - as I understand it - the primary fault of these machines. I, personally, hate changeovers - so, can't conceive of ever having a Shopsmith in my shop.

Twere me, I'd look around for a used sliding chop saw.

G'luck


"I go from stool to stool in singles bars, hoping to get lucky. But there's never any gum under any of them" -- Emo Philips

[cybulski]

Sliding compound miter saw for me.Shopvac hose and a little duct tape.

[coelacanth2]

I have two dust collectors on my old Sears 10". one is a tapered plywood box mounted to the back of the table to collect the dust thrown rearward during crosscutting operations. It has a sliding gate in it's throat. I also have a 1 1/4 vac hose spliced into the dust collector hose downstream of this and connected to the dust port on the blade guard. During ripping operations, I close the gate to the cutoff box and the full force of the dust collector is routed through the vac hose and not much by way of dust or shavings gets out. A 5 horse or bigger shop vac works even better when connected to the dust port for ripping, though, although you'll empty it more often. Lots of folks malign the RAS but mine has always treated me well, although I check it's tune and true frequently.

[bruceS]

Perhaps it is time to move on from the the 10" radial. Is a Shopsmith 5 a bad move? I have a Shopsmith 5, but don't use it. It does lots of things, none of them particularly well!

[ABfish]

Randy,
I've got a simple 3/8" plywood box with a shop vac attachment mounted to the rear of my Sears radial arm saw. I'll post pics if I can figure out how. It is the most effective dust collection of any tool that I own, even better than the tools that are attached to my big dust collector.

The only negative to my setup is that it only works when the saw is set for a straight cross-cut (no angle or bevel), but it can be removed with two screws if necessary.

I love my R/A saw, contrary to many on here. With long outfeed tables, it is the most efficient cross-cutting tool that I own. I paid $225 for it at an auction, and have not had to readjust it since going through the setup operation 8 years ago.