SOLVED: Miter Saw Dust Collection. Mostly.

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I think I did it. Or at least got as close as I'm willing to get. Turns out solving dust collection on a sliding miter saw represents catching a unicorn in the woodworking world. There are so many variables at play that forming a solution that also allows you to use the saw - while still being effective - is very challenging.

Through an iterative process I have arrived at 2 promising solutions to try. I designed and 3D printed a solution for each and tested the final versions. The results were surprising (though not in the same disappointing way that the first go around was). The travelling chute turned out to be the winner and oddly enough was also the simplest. Funny how things work out sometimes...

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This video was sponsored by AG1.

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[Omni]

You have completely and utterly convinced me … that the best dust collection is to do it outside. Thank you for your dedication!

[billdiehl]

After years of struggling with dust collection on my miter saw, I finally came up with the solution that TOTALLY solved the problem: I removed the blade.

[BenNawrath]

I really appreciate your engineering approach to this problem, and I’d never deny anyone a reason to play with a 3D printer. A couple thoughts from my own experience (engineer here too). Think big. Make the most of that 4” hose, because that’s wheee your flow is! A 2’ section of small hose will rob more flow than a 2” section… also, getting rid of any turns will help, and consider a smooth pipe section to get closer to the DC. My solution, and I should make a YouTube video so you can see, is a box. And yeah the saw gets dusty, but nothing is airborne, and that’s what’s important. And with the full 4” port right there I can toss small chunks of wood and they get sucked right into the bin, AND just blow the dust off the machine without making a mess. I’m super happy with it.

[sblack]

As a retired aerodynamics guy one simple improvement you could make would be to put a generous round lip on the front edge of your shroud where it draws the air in. That way it will take air from the front and the side. Less dust will get past the intake. It still won’t be perfect but it will improve it. Using your big dust collector with a larger duct you will reduce the cross sectional area. What that will do is increase the local speed of the airflow proportional to the duct cross section. This will actually help you pull dust in. It looks like you are catching a high percentage of dust which is a huge win.

[tlheingrunst]

Truly the definition of pursuing "Shop Greatness"!

[scruffysanta]

Purchased this saw a week or so ago and at the same time ordered your dust collection fix. VERY HAPPY with it Thanks for all the work you put into it!

[TWiumph]

Well done. Your effort and humility are equally appreciated!

[kevincecilTN]

I largely solved this problem several years ago. I bought a Kapex which does a much better job collecting dust than the Rigid, but I added a downdraft table under the saw. Game changer. A good 5hp cyclone dust collector can pull enough air to gather the chips off the blade and pull the dust that escapes into the cyclone. Super clean cuts!

[cjanoch]

Really appreciate the time and extent you took to walk through the thought and design process. It is sometimes just as helpful to see and understand the development ideas that didn't work, as it is to see a completed outcome. Thanks!

[redherring]

I'm glad to see someone share something I go through as well.
It's the modelling vortex, looking to get that satisfaction of clean fit and solid use case, it's so rewarding

[katalytically]

What I like best with your solution is that it moves with the blade meaning when you do miter cuts, instead of 90 degree cuts, the dust collection chute still collects the dust. I have seen many dust collectors that basically work great for 90 degree cuts but not so good for miter cuts. Also I want to thank the commenter who said they use a downdraft table to collect the stray chips. That's something I will consider in addition to your dust collector.

[nataliewoodpecker]

SWEET ! At your expense, I really enjoyed this series of two videos. I actually made a similar dust chute with drawer line use the stock chute and I also added some drawer liner to the top section so I'm covering that exposed part which allows for the dust to shoot back in the air flow, it helped for sure. I just bought my first 3D printer so I will print a better designed chute with an angle as you mentioned. You're awesome and inspiring and your video editing is siiiick! Super entertaining and funny so it doesn't go unnoticed. Kodus man!

[HolyBuddha]

Another easy addition to help contain the dust that I did in my shop was to add a small wall/panel the extends down from your cabinets to the edge of your counter top where your mitre drop down section starts. This will just help keep saw dust off your counter top and contained within the sunken mitre area. Less vacuuming. Great video, I am going to try something like this on mine. Thank you for the great content.

[Sebastopolmark]

Everytime you see that something doesn't work - you have learned something. So all the work you have put into the solution is very helpful to all of us. Off to my Dewalt Miter Saw and throw some drawer liner at it? ?? ???

[Hvn]

I think it comes down to cfm. In our shop, we have a very big cyclone. Our old 12” Makita slide/compound has a curved box behind it. The cyclone evacuates all of that, and very importantly, grabs a lot of the small particles. In our small satellite shop, we have a Mini Gorilla. I bought a Rousseau cloth enclosure for that, and it works pretty well. For a portable or small shop with a shop vac sized collector/extractor, the scoop style you’ve made is awesome. The ideal is still the large enclosure and big collector, because that can capture the small particles before they get suspended in the breathable air. Kudos! Great video.

[gregmislick]

the variability in the speed, trajectory, mass, and shape of the dust bits depending on the blade, wood species, stock size, and how fast you ram the spinning blade through the wood all add up to make this a particularly difficult nut to crack - Kudos for sticking with it!

[itsporkroll]

Thanks for showing the process. Really appreciate it and totally understand the rational for each design. Following the blade and catching the dust as close to the source before it has a chance to ricochet and deflect looks like the best avenue to pursue from your tests. Thanks for the content and well thought out designs!

[heystarfish]

Thanks for all your work on this project Travis.

[jameswebb]

Well done!! Love your persistence and I’ve watched every episode of your pursuit for better miter saw dust collection.

[animalfanvideo]

I bought and installed one of these on my 12" Delta, unbelievable how much better the dust collection is