From: billp@tandoori.East.Sun.COM ()
Newsgroups: rec.woodworking
Subject: Power Miter Saw recommendations and Dust Collection tidbits.
Date: 5 Oct 1992 15:09:11 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.  Mt. View, Ca.
Distribution: world
Reply-To: billp@tandoori.East.Sun.COM ()
NNTP-Posting-Host: tandoori.east.sun.com

Hello netters,
        A short while ago there was some discussion about the pros and cons
of the various power miter saws.  If anyone saved some of that mail and/or
has some opinion, I'd appreciate hearing from you.  My usage of the tool will
be to trim out doors and windows as well as other room mouldings.  I will
also be using it to trim flooring as I install it.  The big question here is
whether to get a sliding power saw (kinda like a small radial arm saw) or
just get the standard 'chop' saw type of tool.  Folks that own the sliding
type:  Do you use that feature???


Now for my dust collection tidbits.  There were some articles lately
asking about dust collection.  A few years ago I bought one of the Delta
Dust collectors.  THis one has a 1 1/2 HP motor/blower and it sits on
top of a 55 gal. drum (which you supply).  I have this hooked up primarily
to the Contractor's Saw via a sheet metal adapter in the bottom of the
saw.  With just this arrangement I was still getting some dust and debris
blown around by the saw (more noticeable on blades with lots of teeth
like a panel cutting blade with 80 teeth).  I noticed in one of the
industrial Delta catalogs that their huge scoring saws had a blade guard
with an adapter for a dust collection hose.  So, borrowing from that idea
I modified the existing Delta blade guard so that I could
connect a three inch hose to it.  Sorta like so:



                 --------------------------. /   <- 3" hose goes here
                                           \/   /
                          Small square hole \  /
                          cut in front of -->\/
                          guard               \  
                                               \
                                               // Small piece of Lexan to cover
                                              //<---   opening
                                             //
                 --------------------------


The hose that comes with the collector is a 5" hose.  The inlet into the
blower assembly is 6" and the hose connects via a reducer.  I removed the
reducer, placed a 4" PVC sewer coupling with a 3" 'Y' inlet into the
blower inlet (used some foam weather stripping to get a good fit).  I then
connected the 5" hose to the 4" PVC coupling (the outside diameter of the
coupling is about 5").  Then I connected a 3" hose to the 3" inlet on the
PVC coupling with the other end connected to the adapter on the blade guard.
 
Here's another crude ascii drawing of the coupling assembly:
 
 
 
                            \  \ 3" 'Y' inlet
        _______________      \  \    ____________
                      ----------------
 
 5" Hose to Saw        4" PVC Coupling      Inlet to blower
 
        _______________---------------___________
 
 
 
When I use this setup for dust collection the level of nuisance dust created
is drastically reduced as the light weight particles are sucked up by the
3" hose.  Most times that I cut there is just the faintest hint of wood odor
rather than the overpowering effect of dust flying up my nose!
Eventlually I'd like to buy/make a sheet metal adapter so as to not
loose any internal diameter as I am loosing with the PVC coupling.  But it
suffices as a prototype.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any input on the miter saw question...
 
 
bill pittore

--
Bill Pittore - SunSelect, a Sun Microsystems Inc. Business
Billerica, MA 01821

bill.pittore@sun.com	(508) 671-0310