Home Build dust extraction

[gilljc]

Wonder if anyone would post some pics of their dust extraction setups? I know that some of you have used plumbing pipes to improve their set up.
I have my hegner set up with vacuum attached to the lower fitting, and the flexi pipe set to blow as it is totally useless attached to the vacuum attachment. This set up is pretty inefficient in my experience, the blower blows all the sawdust all over the top of the saw and bench, and the vacuum still leaves a lot of dust under the saw. usually on my legs, I have to vacuum myself after a lot of work :roll:
I have tried sawing with my vacuum nozzle held close to the work and it sucks up the dust a treat, so was thinking I could maybe try a different arrangement where I have one pipe going to the top of the saw and one from directly underneath the blade, sucking the dust down the way as opposed to across. Hoping this might work?
alternatively I could maybe box in the bottom of the saw to collect the dust and just run the vacuum to the top?
Would appreciate any advice and especially pics to give me some pointers, as I have struggled along in a mess for a few years now, and would like to sort it out now

 

[Chippygeoff]

Hi Gill. Dust extraction has always been a problem for the scroll saw user and I don't think we will ever get a system that is 100% efficient. I have tried many ways to over come this problem and the system I use now is the most effective so far. The blower pipe blows the dust towards the suction pipe and this is good for the sawdust and most of the finer dust that becomes air born. It is not shown in the photo below but I have since made a box that is fixed under the bench and protrudes about 4 inches so it is under the bottom clamp and this catches most of the dust from underneath the saw. I got the idea from Martin. Again it catches the majority of the dust but after a long session I still have to brush my trousers off before making for the kitchen and another cuppa.

One of the problems with extracting the dust is that many try to couple up their vacuum to the blower hose so that it sucks instead of blowing, although this works it will soon render the vacuum useless as as the vacuum is under to much pressure and I burnt the motor out on one of my Henry's doing this. All tubing and pipe work used needs to be more or less the same size as the pipe that comes with the Henry. With the way I have rigged up mine I can swivel the hose fore and aft and also easily adjust the height to suit the thickness of the wood being cut.

 

[bodgerbaz]

I appreciate that dust extraction is a very important issue for a long and happy life but doesn't that dreadful monotone racket from Henry detract from the quiet pursuit of a gentle scroll Geoff? I'm assuming you also have to wear ear defenders to try to dull the Henry . . . and a mask of course?

I rigged up a very efficient blower system using the well documented eBay blue fish tank flexible 'links' system which now blows to the side instead of my face. All I need is to wear a face mask and can cut quite happily with just the throb of the scrollsaw to keep me company.

I know you're gonna say it ain't as good but it works and it's a lot quieter than having a vacuum cleaner drilling me brains out :wink:

Barry

 

[martinka]

Mine is based on Geoff's idea. Suction is from above and below the table, and it's taken to a boxed in vac under the bench (not the Vax in the corner) which switches on and off with the saw. The top pipe swivels out of the way and can be shortened or extended depending on thickness of the wood being scrolled. There's a small box below the saw to catch any heavier stuff the vac misses.

To answer Barry, I have a 50w/c amp playing rock music to the neighbourhood, so the sound of the relatively quite vac isn't a problem. :mrgreen: The main reason I use suction is because I don't want the motorbike, car and my metalworking tools covered in sawdust.

 

[Chippygeoff]

Barry. I have never had to wear ear defeners in the workshop. The Henry is just about the quietest vacuum on the market. I can easily hear the radio/CDs playing in the background when the Henry and the saw are working in harmony. The noisiest machine is the router table but even the noise from that is at an acceptable level, even the big Numatic I have is very quiet. Some of the household vacuums I have had in the past really did need ear defendes though.

 

[bodgerbaz]

Whoah Geoff. Henry quiet, router table 'acceptable' level, big Numatic very quiet.

Geoff, have you ever thought that you might be going deaf . . . I SAID, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE GOING DEAF!!





Just a bit of tongue-in-cheek Geoff :mrgreen:

 

[Stooby]

The Henry is great, very quiet as it has 2 modes. It comes on in a quiet less powerful mode that seems fine for most things and at the flip of switch goes up to full power, I use this on other things. I checked to db ratings before buying and it is a lot quieter than any of the dust extraction systems I could afford.
Martin what is the striped pipe extending from your set up? And how is it attached. I have acquired some piping and will be getting some connectors to set mine up in this way.

 

[nadnerb]

Hi Gill
I use the same as Martin and Geoff for the upper suction, however under the saw I built a box between the saw table and the bench. this has a door on it for changing the blade. all the saw dust collects in that and I have to empty it once a week. I only use my saw at 90 degrees so the box catches all the saw dust,
Regards
Brendan

 

[Bryan Bennett]

Gill I thank Geoff every day for his suction method,with mostly doing internal cuts and using reverse blades.The sawdust comes up and the suction takes it away,Happy Days. :roll:

Bryan

 

[martinka]

Martin what is the striped pipe extending from your set up? And how is it attached. I have acquired some piping and will be getting some connectors to set mine up in this way.

It's a lashup. I cut an insert on the scroll saw to go in the larger pipe so that I could attach a smaller pipe, with the added advantage that it would be able to slide in and out to adjust the height. The striping is electrical earth tape around the pipe to take up the slack, because I made a ****oo cutting the insert. I made the insert from 4 rings, 10mm thick, glued together, but when I sanded them, I ended up with the hole slightly too big for the smaller pipe.

 

[Chippygeoff]

I love your cemments Barry, made me laugh. Reminds of when I was married. The wife said, "Your as deaf as a post. I said, "Was there any for me."

Seriously, I am not that deaf. I get by with just one hearing aid.

 

[Claymore]

...........

 

[gilljc]

Hmmm....will give this a go, not sure I will ever be able to get all the dust, but hopefully this will be a bit better, amy need to move it round to other side of saw as it is a bit of a stretch for vacuum pipe, have tried moving vacuum, but it is in the best place for me to be able to pop the button with my foot...thanks for your help all .

 

[Stooby]

I saw this today and it looks like a good idea, not sure if screwing into the Hoover's casing will cause it to lose suction though:
http://www.familyhandyman.com/workshop/vacuum-attachment-for-adjustable-dust-control/view-all

 

[bodgerbaz]

Hmmm....will give this a go . . .

Whoah . . . if you ever give up the scrolling Gill, you could always go into plumbing ;-)

Barry

 

[scrimper]

I have been quiet on this one as I am ashamed to say that I have never used any extraction on my scroll saws, I do on my other machines and I did try it on the Hegner but one thing I like about the Hegner is that it's nice and quiet to use and an extractor seems to spoil that for me. If fairness if one is using the saw a lot as some here do I can understand why using an extractor is better.

Am I the only one here who does not use extraction on a scroll saw?

 

[jonluv]

Hi Scrimper,

I tried using a vac but the noise was terrible, even made a cyclone which collected the dust very well but of course still had the noise , which made listening to the radio impossible-- so all I do now is " cut and vac" and sometimes just " cut and cut"

John

 

[graduate_owner]

I think the biggest mess-creating machine in my workshop ( apart from the lathe, of course) is the sliding chop saw. It spews dust everywhere. I have seen some dust collection hoods described on this ( totally brilliant) forum. Must get round to sorting it out one day.
Interesting plumbing arrangements though.

K

 

[scrimper]

I think the biggest mess-creating machine in my workshop ( apart from the lathe, of course) is the sliding chop saw. It spews dust everywhere. I have seen some dust collection hoods described on this ( totally brilliant) forum. Must get round to sorting it out one day.
Interesting plumbing arrangements though.

K

I have made a system for my Dewalt radial arm saw that works a treat, I use an old aquavac underneath that starts with the saw, I built a collecting chamber at the back sucked by the vac and it works brilliantly. The Aquavac is noisy but so it the saw so I don't notice with my ear muffs on.

 

[bodgerbaz]

Am I the only one here who does not use extraction on a scroll saw?

+1 :wink: for no extraction and +1 =D> as a very happy Hegner user