Adding Dust Collection to My Vintage Craftsman Table Saw // Woodworking Shop Build

When I started diving deeper into woodworking, I scored this mint old Craftsman table saw. But, it makes a heck of a mess! In this video, I'll go over how I added dust collection to it. It's not perfect, but it's a massive improvement.
Here's the build article: whitelabworkshop.com/adding-d...
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[@jimmienewton6465]

Nice, helpful video! Thank you for making this! It's especially helpful to me since I have the same late 50s/early 60s Craftsman saw. I plan on trying to make a copy of your setup.

[@NMranchhand]

Very instructive. I have the same saw, also lovingly cared-for, and enjoy the share.

[@KirstiePervinDavies]

Great solution to minimising the dust. It will be much easier to clean from inside where it’s mostly contained now. Awesome job 🙌🏻👍🏻

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thanks! It’s been a huge improvement. Barely any cleanup now, which is amazing!

[@TimRoyalPastortim]

Super Nice job... I have the same saw. They are beautiful and run so well! Added a Vega fence and splitters with zero clearance. Enclosed my back and sides in a station to solve the side leaks, etc...

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you, sir! I agree, they are great machines! It sounds like you’ve made some nice enhancements to yours too. I definitely need to do the splitters and zero clearance to mine as well. How did you accomplish that? Did you use a kit? Or did you DIY it?

[@k2cjbradio]

Great job! I have a similar vintage saw and really love the stand you built complete with drawers for saw blades! Thanks for this!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you! There’s a lot more of these saws still out there than I ever imagined. Enjoy it!

[@alaricfinn9801]

InstaBlaster

[@johnhughes6106]

Wow !! You had normal working man bought by yourself everyday chisels. Im liking this channel more every video i watch.!! Great great. VIDS.. thanks

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Haha! Just trying to work with what I can afford and enjoy myself along the way! Thanks for watching!

[@ofrank6551]

Another great upgrade to that saw is a very supercool tools fence. I made that upgrade about 5 or 6 years ago.

[@leepatterson4435]

Nice video! I have a similar old craftsman saw and I want to add dust collection too. Gives me some good ideas. Thanks!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thanks, Lee! I’m happy to help!

[@bobschnabel2021]

Beautiful and brilliant - well done

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you, Bob!

[@CCSandSonsWorkshop]

What a great idea! I have the exact same saw on a very similar rolling base. I am going to "borrow" this design from you for sure. Right now I just have one heck of a mess maker on my hands. Great video, keep up the good work!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you and thanks for watching! Yeah, I think it is better at making messes than my kids. Barely. Borrow away! It’s called “inspiration” 😉

[@ritalockett9788]

Hi Brent, what a smart idea,looks good and keeps that saw dust contained.Great job.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Before I added this enhancement, I was making quite the mess! I still make messes with the saw now, but they are much more manageable now. Thanks for watching, Rita!

[@markyour6998]

Enjoy your humor! In spite of the struggle, it looked pretty good!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Haha! Thank you!

[@MarcoACasco]

What a gem you have !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thanks! I sure think so too!

[@Damon_Barber]

Good looking build all the way around!

[@ReyciclismoMTB]

Very cool, I'm picking up the same exact saw tomorrow. I don't have a lot of room and the price was a steal. Great video.

[@DonDIYProject]

What an awesome table saw you got there my friend.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thanks man! I have to agree. It’s an awesome table saw. Thanks for checking it out!

[@MoscaWoodworking]

that saw is so fascinating! nice job on the dust collection!!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@valuedcustomer9614]

Based on the motor design, your saw was manufactured from the late 1940's to the mid 1950's. I have one too (model number 113.22411), originally purchased by my grandfather. Like you, I removed the poorly placed on-off switch in the motor base. I covered the hole with a small clip-in chrome metal plate.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

It’s amazing how well these bad boys have held up over the years!

[@Dutchshedwoodshop]

Wow that is a nice table saw! Great solution. 👍👍

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thanks! I love my table saw. For as old as it it, the thing runs like a champ!

[@janelee8389]

Pretty ingenious!!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thanks!

[@neonboy22]

nice job. I saw sheets of flexible magnetic material used to slide over the ports on the front where the adjustment handles come through. Advantage is they can slide easily while still blocking the holes. You can get it print on I think. Or as giant fridge magnets.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thanks! Magnets would be a great idea! There’s some big openings that would be tough to get an air tight seal, but it would help cut down on that dust coming out of them. I’ll have to look into that. Thanks for the tip!

[@hap1n355]

Nice video. Just a suggestion. It would be awesome if you could make tapered walls around the inside blade with smooth surface material to let the dust fall straight down to the bottom of dust collector. In other words eliminate the edges where the dust collects.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you! That’s a great suggestion! As it turns out, I get to take another stab at this because I’ve upgraded to a dust collection with 4 inch input, from the shop vac I used in this vid that has 2 1/2 inch. I’ll keep your suggestion in mind for version 2!

[@BKRcustommotorbikes]

Great job!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you!

[@LonghornWorkshop]

Nice build. Looking forward to some more cool stuff on your channel. You got yourself a new subscriber. Cheers!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Lucas Wood & Art Thank you very much! Happy to have you!

[@csimet]

Nice job. I did almost the same thing to my saw, except my base is enclosed and I just made a removable square box to collect the chips/dust in place of a hose connection. Easy to remove and empty. My hose connects at the back and only pulls the fine dust from the top of the saw body. I hate MDF and used 1/2" plywood. MDF is too weak, messy and does not hold screws very well IMHO, but use what you got!

[@stewardslandscape]

I'm going to build one like this for my vintage craftsman saw. I think I might use conveyor belt brush sweeps to seal a little more around the belt

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

I think you’ll be happy with the reduction in dust. What I did is far from perfect, but making it your own with the extra sweeps might help it get closer!

[@tfturning]

Nice build, certainly going to save you some sweeping time thats for sure!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

tfturning Already has! I noticed immediately how much less mess I make now. Totally worth it! Thanks for watching!

[@TheGrantAlexander]

Looks nice! I have the same problem with my old craftsman on the backside. I tried adding something flexible to accommodate the titling of the motor, but that only lasted for a bit. I really wish there was a better solution to cut down on the dust!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

The Grant Alexander I found that I don’t do enough angled cuts to worry much about accommodating them. So I just solved the 90 degree cuts for my setup and called it good. I take the backer off for angled cuts, then vacuum up the dust that gets out. Not too big of a deal yet.

[@TheGrantAlexander]

@@WhiteLabWorkshop I dont make a lot either, but I would forget to remove it everytime! 😂😂😂

[@michaelshick4612]

I’ve got the same saw and did about the saw things. But I used magnetic sheets for the back of the saw. Thanks

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Magnetic sheets sounds like a great idea!

[@frrapp2366]

i have an old delta saw that i need to do something with great vid one thing i se is that you might have put it on slides to pull the drop box out to clean out the saw i need to rebuild the fence as it does'nt have a catch so will bow or drift out of true

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thanks! And great suggestion! With my saw, I’m able to slide out the back pieces and get the hose in there to vacuum it out. But being able to slide the box off would be even better!

[@gregmaggielipscomb9246]

Nice work, You really should mount your on-off switch for your saw just below the right extension so it is accessible in an emergency.......

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you and great suggestion!

[@argyles65]

Great build! I have the same saw. Where did you get the rip fence system. My is the original and it sucks!

[@KellyConcepts]

That'll save some cleanup for sure 👍

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

It has been a huge improvement. Thanks for watching!

[@gerardoespinoza7202]

Nice video, the only thing is that for a table saw the best you can do is to add a dust collector with a 4” dust port, I had try vacuum in the past but they make a lots of noise and they don’t remove enough dust, I recently up grade to a small dust collector from Jet it’s so quiet and suck almost all the dust from my table saw.

[@darrellreed7044]

Well done! Might try a 4” port with a 2 Hp DC from Harbor Freight... mine works like a dream, and it’s powerful enough to hook up my router table, bandsaw, drill press, sander, jointer, and planer. I never run more than one at a time...

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you, Darrell! I recently acquired a used dust collector and will be getting that bad boy hooked up to my tools. Man, those things have so much more suction than a shop vac!

[@darrellreed7044]

I too have an ancient Craftsman saw, but I put a true 3Hp 230V ($174 hf) motor and link belt, on it with an Incra fence and positioner so I use it with my router table insert complete game changer!!!

[@darrellreed7044]

Make sure you go 2 stage (cyclone separator) with that DC and you will truly be amazed

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Darrell Reed That sounds amazing!

[@WhiteLabHouse]

Nailed it, lol, love it!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

I knew you’d appreciate that!

[@stephennickles7389]

Noticed your Delta upgraded fence system, did you shorten the fence?, my Craftsman table is shorter than the fence, so I "bumped" it out with longer mounting bolts at the back. It works, but its a little hinky looking

[@GrumpysWorkshop4]

Nice

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you, sir!

[@oldshield]

got the say yesterday. I see you have a daedo stack for this. where can i find a throatplate for this and do you have the name / model of the dadeo stack? Sorry, new to this. Still, I would be willing to pay for a back cover for this saw if you would like to create another??

[@miguelvaldivia4371]

Hi. Great video. Planning to do the same on my old Craftsman table saw. Where can I find a riven knife for old Craftsman saws? Thank you!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you! I haven’t found any riving knife for this saw. There are a few options for splitters that you can check out, though. It’s not the same thing, but it would help.

[@joshaudet.456]

Where did you get that red belt/ chain? Did that come with the fence of was that an add on?

[@19woodworks]

Those circule cuts with you jigsaw cannot be worse than mine! Haha! If you saw my last video, you’d know. 😂 I’ll send you some photos of the table saw I use, it’s so old! I don’t think I could ever add dust collection to it.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Your circle cuts add character. Mine just had to fit the hose well enough to hold it. Job barely accomplished 😉

[@joshuarutledge2707]

Know where to get blade wrenches for that?

[@jesseguzman711]

Hey Brent, love the saw! I just finished up a restoration of the same 50's craftsman. I noticed you've got a different fence system on yours. Do you mind telling me which fence you used?

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you, Jesse! This saw is awesome and it’s great to hear you restored another one! It is an after market fence system, but I really don’t know the brand. It came from my father-in-law, who had a saw like this many, many years ago. He kept the fence when he got rid of the old saw and kept it stashed away. Then he gave it to me when we set this saw up.

[@jesseguzman711]

@@WhiteLabWorkshop - Thank you for the response Brent! Happy dust making :)

[@patricktackett9860]

@@jesseguzman711 it's a delta saw fence, white lab workshop how do you like that fence? do you find it accurate?

[@huejanus5505]

I have an delta saw that looks like the same vintage as yours. I boxed in the bottom and have a fitted cardboard box that catches 90%+ of the sawdust. A hastily made back piece with a shop vac attached gets about another 8 or 9%. I periodically spread the sawdust on the gardens and lawn to get rid of it. Your set up looks more efficient though. Edit: Btw, do those linked belts work better than the solid ones?

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Anything you can do to cut down on dust flying around the shop is a win! The link belts don’t hold shape, like the solid ones do. So it will still run smoothly, even if it sat in the same position for a while. Thanks for watching!

[@ReyciclismoMTB]

Is the fence guide setup, Delta?

[@robertboyce7919]

It looks like I have the same saw, however my fence is not the same as your's. All so I have the original motor which is a 1hp but a LOT bigger than your motor, I had the motor rebuild a number of years ago. Did you add this fence or did it come with the saw when you got it? I love the Vega fence but it is a little high prices for me.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

I love hearing from people with the same saw! The fence came from my father-in-law, who had a similar saw many years ago. He hung on to his fence from that saw for many years and gave it to me when he got me set up with this saw.

[@oldshield]

I'm getting the same saw this week. Could you build me that back plate?

[@robertskelton2576]

On a table saw I will not use a switch mounted on the saw. I use a dead man switch on the floor using my foot. Between each cut the saw isn't running and I don't need to take time to fumble for switch if I have a problem.

[@briankimmel3057]

What fence is on your saw? Thanks

[@PoorJohnn]

Great design. I had a thought on the angle indicator and adjustment. Would it help the air draw were you to attach perhaps inner tube or a foam tape over it then slit so parts can slide through.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you! My original application of this was for a shop vac with a 2inch hose, which doesn’t have enough suction to warrant trying to close in the extra openings. However, I recently acquired a dust collector with a 4 inch hose and plenty of suction. So I will be testing out options, including what you are thinking with some foam option. I think that would make quite a difference!

[@joshuanattinger9694]

Hey bud. I got a saw like his years ago and built a nice stand and changed the whole fence and guides for one that's slightly easier to adjust. My question to you is where do you buy your blades? I can't find a blade small enough that doesn't stick above the table slightly. Plus I can make a zero clearance plate for it because of this. Nice videos man. Keep it up!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

First off, thank you very much! I’ve heard from a number of people who have saws like mine and it’s always impressive how they stand the test of time. Regarding blades, I just have standard 10 inch blades and they don’t stick up above the table surface. However, there isn’t much room for a zero clearance plate either. I haven’t tried making one yet, but I suspect it will have to be made out of aluminum just to get something thin enough to clear the blade when it’s down, yet has enough rigidity to be useful. If I get around to figuring something out about it, I’ll film a video update to share. Thanks for the support!

[@joshuanattinger9694]

@@WhiteLabWorkshop Thanks for the reply. Someone told me once to start with a dado blade because it's smaller diameter would allow clearance to start bring the blade up into the zero clearance blank. Would have to clamp the blank down somehow but seems like there could be an easier way. Maybe there's something blocking my blade from dropping all the way down below the table. I've looked for packed sawdust but haven't been able to figure it out. Anyway...... Would be cool to see you do a video making the zero clearance insert regardless. Thanks again!

[@stephenkent8903]

Great saw. Do you know what year it was made? I got a 1956 Emerson made Craftsman 8" table saw I'm restoring. It was rusty on the outside when I got it but still works. I've rewired a new cord and cleaned of the rust on the table top and saw guide. I do have to repair the broken saw guide rail which is geared on the bottom which I think is wicked cool and accurate. I even have the miter guage to use on it from my nieces father in law when I acquired his 1947 craftsman scroll saw. Old tools are my passion because I think did my dad ever use one of these? He was born in 1912. The best tools I have are all the tools made where he worked. I have H.K.Porter bolt, tree limb,barb wire and metal strapping cutters which I restored from 1916 to mid 1980s when the plant closed. He worked there in 1950s to 1978 when he retired!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

I’m going to guess this bad boy is from the mid-1950s, but I don’t know for sure. It sounds like you’ve got some beauties on your hands too!

[@valuedcustomer9614]

The saw in this video (model # 113.22411) dates from the early 1950's. It's the second version of this model because it has a large half-round cutout in the sawdust deflector that allows changing the blade without raising it almost all the way up. The first version from the late 1940's had a very small cutout. Also, note that the motor mount has a belt tension lock. The first version had no tension lock and relied solely on the weight of the motor to tension the belt, which didn't work very well when the blade was not vertical (90 degrees to table). This saw appears to still have its original 3/4 HP motor.

[@davidsouza200]

How does it work when the arbor is tilted?

[@georgesappenfield2032]

Mine is a10in delta from the 1950 my motor is on the bottom my blade tillt does not move the motor so my bottom i just haft to dill with the belt

[@beergood8111]

Where did you get that fence system? I know that's not original. I have the same unit and the stock fence stinks! 😆 Any info would be much appreciated. Thank you.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

The fence system belonged to my father-in-law from when he had a similar saw many years ago. He kept it stashed away and added it to my saw when we were getting it ready for use again!

[@johnhughes6106]

**** did that belt that you have on your craftsman saw help with vibration ??

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

The belt is really so that it operates smoothly, even when it sits for a while. The belt doesn’t hold any shape, like a traditional belt could.

[@tomzorn4144]

Where did you get the ripping fence for your saw? I have the same saw with the original ripping fence which does stay parallel to the blade.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

This fence came from my father-in-law, who had one of these saws many years ago. He kept the fence after getting rid of the saw and had it stashed and collecting dust. So when we were setting this one up, he gave me this fence. I also have the original fence, but I like this one better.

[@tomzorn4144]

I would to replace the rip fence on mine. They are expensive and i don't want to put allot of money into. My dad had the exact same saw. But new fence would be nice. Thanks you me some good ideas.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

I’m glad I helped! Thanks for checking it out!

[@Lifendason]

Do you have a video or plans for the table your saw is sitting on? I have an old craftsman 12" direct drive saw that I would like to do the same to.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

I don’t have either, unfortunately. I built this with the help of my father-in-law before I started this channel. It’s pretty straightforward, with mortise and tenon joinery and some nice casters I picked up at HD. We also cut a hole in the plywood top to allow for the dust to fall through. 3/4 inch 2x4 ft plywood top. 4x4 legs. 2x6 stretchers on top and 2x4 on the bottom. Hopefully that helps!

[@Lifendason]

@@WhiteLabWorkshop Okay cool, I wasn't sure on the joinery, but that will work. I'm new to wood working so every little trick/plan I can get and find I'll take..lol Thank you for the video and you gained a sub. :)

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you! Mortise and tenons make strong joints. But you can start with pocket hole joinery, if that intimidates you. Just make sure to bring the top of the saw to a comfortable height. I want to say 34 inches is common, but don’t quote me on that.

[@Groovy1965]

Did you add that fence? If so, what kind/brand?

[@ReyciclismoMTB]

That's a delta P3 I think. The headstock is similar in a bunch of them. The color or shape of the knob is different. Also the way the rails attach to the table. I have exactly the same saw and fence, which I'm trying to attach, hence how I found the video.

[@donaldfennell971]

Where did you get the fence assy?

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

My father-in-law had it stashed away from when he had a similar saw 20+ years ago. So he gave it to me when we set up the saw.

[@robertorgan3312]

Should make a cover for the motor. 😮

[@PushaDee]

These saws are hard to find and collectible now.

[@ScreamingEagleFTW]

is it a good saw? or would a more modern saw be better?

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

I guess it depends on what you’re looking for. This saw has been pretty good to me. However, modern saws do include safety features, which this saw doesn’t include without some add-ons.

[@Poor_Mans_DIY]

Our compliments to you on this project. Another great job! One piece of advise... when you have free labor, called children, you use them. Wake them up and have them help. That is why we have kids! LOL. Keep the videos coming!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Poor Man's DIY That is a great point! “Forget sleep, your dad needs help holding something!”

[@jackdavis4491]

Weakest part is pocket holes

[@rudyschwab7709]

You could have tipped the saw up on end to put the collection box underneath.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Yep, hindsight is 20/20. That would have been a better idea!

[@lwoodt1]

The bane of table saws. Why manufacturers don't put some serious effort into that part of the saw.

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Haha! Yes! I don’t understand that either!

[@paulschwimmer6294]

Good video, just the music is very annoying. Don't need music. Thanks

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you, Paul! And thank you for the feedback. Music is obviously a personal taste about whether to have it or not, and what kind to use. I use it because I like having it, but it also covers up the background noise that would otherwise be there. I don't work in a quiet shop all by myself, so there's always kids making noise or dogs barking. That would mean a lot of editing to remove and I'm not interested in doing that. However, I have been contemplating trying a no music approach for a video as a test. So I may change my mind about it in the future.

[@jenyalvarez151]

Put a vacuum on it

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Yep, the whole point of this build was to do exactly that. I needed somewhere for the dust to collect that I could connect the hose from my shop vac.

[@roncooke2188]

The music got up my nose

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

How unfortunate. That must be uncomfortable!

[@SHAKUHACHIFORSALE]

Same. Distracting and annoying. Like a bad drug commercial.

[@100nortonfan7]

Nice project....but please lose the background racket, it spoils the video!

[@WhiteLabWorkshop]

Thank you for the feedback! You would probably appreciate the style change to our latest video.