Solve your Bandsaw Table dust Problem

I wanted to make a table for the bandsaw and add dust collection at the source. With this design it does very well at collecting the dust right at the blade of the bandsaw. This make no dust under the table and very little on top. This desig would be perfect for someone designing and building there own bandsaw.
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[@scottydonttttttttttt]

I built this right after this video came out, and a year later, I wouldn't want to use the bandsaw without it. All bandsaws should have the option to catch the dust this way! Thanks Mike

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks Scott. I agree

[@thesergeant3524]

This is a fantastic solution. I think part of the reason you saw a dramatic improvement when you made the larger opening with the drilled out insert plate is because you allowed for increased airflow. The original design created a high negative pressure environment with little airflow since the only source of air was through the small opening at the insert plate, which was covered by the wood, and where the blade exited. Without air flow the dust can't be pulled out of the air stream around the blade. When you added the holes you dramatically increased the airflow. The more holes in the top the better but only to a certain point and even then the size of the board and how much they're covered will change the air volume and speed. I'd be curious to see what the results are when ripping say 1" wood but having all the holes covered and re-sawing 4" of wood with the holes uncovered. My suspicion would be that the dust collection is worse with the 1", even though it's only 1/4" of the material, because the airflow is choked. Perhaps you could confirm? I wonder if it might be better to create a channel that extends all the way to an opening in the side of the table and maybe calculate the surface area of the channel/opening to be half a 4" port (to increase air speed at the expense of air flow). So at 7:33 you'd make a channel that goes from the hose input, across the insert and then continues all the way to the right of the table with an opening there. That way you create a strong air stream that runs perpendicular to the blade, pulling the dust away from the exit hole of the blade. Still have a few holes in the top running behind the blade but the dimensions of the piece being cut no longer matter.

[@mfwoodshop]

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[@opasworkshop8373]

Great job Mike very functional way to get past the old band saw lack of dust collection syndromes!

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks you

[@mhaz49]

Really good design. Best dust collection I've seen on a bandsaw. Other than moving the port, as you said, I've no new ideas.

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks Marks

[@bobleeswoodshop7919]

Hey mike you have done something that has been driving me nuts ! I have try to get it to work on my bandsaw ! Nice job 👍👍👍

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks Bob

[@SawDustMakerRJM]

Great idea Mike! I don't think I have seen anyone else making something similar. Can't wait to see the final version although the table seems to work pretty well as is. It was nice seeing you in Atlanta.

[@mfwoodshop]

Thank you

[@gregbrox9860]

Mike, I’ve been fighting band saw dust for all the years I have owned one. Tried more than my share of remedies and nothing has been satisfactory so far. I finished mine today and have added an aluminum miter slot and a laminate top. Lost 2 1/4 inches of resaw capacity but with the riser block that’s not a problem. I cut some 3/4” MDF after I put everything back together and had to hunt to find sawdust tracks. I’ll update after a couple of months of use. Thank you the idea.

[@mfwoodshop]

Sweet glad to hear that. Mine been doing pretty well. I definitely notice if I don’t have the DC on

[@malcolmoxley1274]

brilliant,I wanted to do something very similar to this just did not know how to approach it,but hey thanks to you I have a starting point well done

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks

[@davidclauson5256]

Hey Mike, great table. Maybe drill a couple of holes on front of the blade to get those 6 or 7 pieces of sawdust. Man that table works great. Thanks

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks for the idea

[@akbychoice]

Nice work on your bandsaw table. The same down draft idea works for Zero Clearance plates for table saws.

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks for the tip!

[@joedance14]

Really nice! Good work!

[@mfwoodshop]

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[@LynnLaceyLLWW]

Gonna have to build one when I finally get a shop back on line. Thanks for your work on this issue Mike.

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks Lynn, how the house coming along?

[@LynnLaceyLLWW]

Should close 4/13 really ready for this non-sense to be over. Thanks for asking

[@FredMcIntyre]

That's really awesome Mike! 👍👊 Very impressive dust collection!

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks Fred

[@saidchoucair9247]

Dear Mike, a special solution of this problem. Nice to see yours videos. Big hug from Brasil Said Choucair

[@mfwoodshop]

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[@HippyRandallRev]

If you look closely at the MDF cutting @ 12:29 you can see the dust getting sucked down as the blade cuts through the piece. Great idea.

[@mfwoodshop]

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[@TheShavingWoodWorkshop]

That is a great set up Mike

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks Tommy

[@mikefarinella5268]

Good stuff Mike. Thanks

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks Mike

[@chuckhart8970]

It is working really well. There is this part of me that wants to put a tiny splitter after the blade like on a table saw to make the chips drop. Silly but each time I look at it that pops up in my head. After watching the cutting part of the video several times it looks like the chips from the cedar fall as it separates at the end of the cut so it is trapping some of the chips with the blade. Maybe the other guys are right suggesting a couple of holes in front of the blade. I really like your idea Mike.

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks Chuck

[@darrylbrook5968]

Great work Mike, my saw is the same size "different sticker... love the table.

[@mfwoodshop]

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[@Huck249]

Very nice design, Mike.

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks Earl

[@KSFWG]

It's really looking good, Mike! Nicely done, man! I like David Clauson's idea of drilling a few holes in front of the blade to pick up that last bit of sawdust. Make an insert of plywood or plastic to try it out before going ahead with the aluminum insert.

[@mfwoodshop]

That’s a good idea

[@robertevans6481]

Great upgrade to the bandsaw...

[@mfwoodshop]

Thank you Robert

[@matt_williams1015]

That's a great idea!

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks Matt

[@1stetson57]

Nice Vid!! I have a 1941 craftsman 13.5 inch band saw and I am going to build a table like this for it. The dust collection would be super and the table could be a bit bigger and I could add a fence as well. Thank you for posting your creation!!

[@mfwoodshop]

Thanks for watching

[@sampickett3843]

Mike, I really like your ideas. I will be using some of your ideas to improve my bandsaw dust collection. I recently shaped some custom fit pvc piping that mates up underneath the cast iron table. It got rid of 99% of the dust, but not as good as yours. Mine is hooked up to a shop vac and the vacuum pulled on my work piece passing over the insert plate sucks the work piece down so tight it is hard to push through the saw. I hate giving up on the cast iron, so I will need to do some machining to incorporate your ideas. I am not a machinist though.

[@mfwoodshop]

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[@DesignBuildExecute]

Nice job, Mike! Now I want to make one for my Grizzly.

[@mfwoodshop]

Go for it, I haven’t for got about your jig. I’m waiting until my large project is done. I have plans for it

[@MelbourneAlan]

iv been thinking about doing the same to mine for a while. i dont really want to take off the cast iron table . i dont use even half the capacity so i think i will build my box so it sits on top. my dust colecter has 8" pipes so i will run a 4" to the normal conection and the rest into the table . i think i will extand my table out over the cast iron one by 6". its a bit small and cut pieces fall regularly. . i will give it a series of holes like ours but extend them front byt a few inchs and back as far as posible

[@mfwoodshop]

My first table went on top of table and worked really well

[@chemcody5119]

I like this Mike. Maybe a laminate top and metal track for the miter-gauge?

[@mfwoodshop]

Those are both good ideas

[@jimscheltens2647]

Great idea, Kind of like the incra router plates with holes in them. How about putting formica on the plywood table top

[@mfwoodshop]

I think in the final version I will

[@datadev1]

I couldn't help but wonder if a shop vac might work better in this situation with its high air flow? Great build Mike.

[@mfwoodshop]

It’s possible, not sure my self. I don’t own a SV

[@gordonhope9219]

@@mfwoodshop I used a Sears traditional shop vac - wow, does it provide work well!! It has greater velocity and suck the sawdust away immediately!

[@dennismacwilliams196]

Wow I now will stop looking for a fix for my bandsaw dust isue... The very best I have seen yet, I have watch a lot of video's... Thanks for the video. Also what if you added more holes in the metal plate like in the back of it a few more rowe's. ?

[@mfwoodshop]

I did end up adding more holes and it does work a whole lot better

[@BigRock804]

Hi: Very nice Idea and It works very well. Would the results be different with a larger or smaller Dust Collector? Yes I have a cast iron top on my band saw and in the begging I used a small D C. Now I have a 3 Hp. unit and it changed the amount of chips on the table and the amount of opening I needed on the blast gates.

[@mfwoodshop]

Not sure if it would be better or worse with shop vac. I don’t have a SV so can’t test that would be good to know one way or the other

[@smitho1108]

I LOVE IT! So simple, but so perfect! THANKS! How well does it stop any dust from traveling down into the closed lower wheel area? If this is still an issue, what about mounting a blade brush inside the vacuum area of your torsion box?

[@mfwoodshop]

The blade brush may not not be a bad idea. I found that it does really well about getting all the dust. If i would give a percentage of dust going below it would be 10%

[@smitho1108]

@@mfwoodshop wow!

[@JimDockrellWatertone]

I like that. All I need now is a band saw.

[@mfwoodshop]

Lol, ya that would help

[@frankrotella3570]

Great solution, I don,t have space for dust collector, would a shop vac 21/2 inch port work 160 com?

[@mfwoodshop]

yes i think it would even be better

[@smitho1108]

I bet that would work perfect! How about a SV mounted to the bandsaw out of the way, wired to come on with the bandsaw?

[@WoodsconsinWoodworking]

I'm impressed. Great video ! I really like the idea. My question is how did you actually come up with the trunion location on the wood bottom of the wood to keep it centered again?Next did you make the table bigger then the old cast iron one?Agsin always a great video to watch from you.

[@mfwoodshop]

I had to cut a lot out do to how long. The trunnions was referenced from the old table carefully measured for the first one and then the second was easy to locate based off the first. The table is a lot bigger surface about 7” longer. The width had to stay the same because I used the same fence.

[@thesergeant3524]

get some all-thread that matches the threading on your original table. Cut it up into smaller peices, then put those pieces into a hand drill. Run this against a bench grinder (while spinning in the drill) and grind the ends to a point. Screw the pieces into the holes on your table with the points facing out and then press the wood against the points. The locations will be transferred perfectly.

[@davidmeasom2613]

thesergean

[@qwerty3663]

You could add holes on either side of the blade fairly close to the blade and block some of the holes that are farther from the blade on the right side, and maybe add more inline behind the blade.

[@mfwoodshop]

Good idea

[@scottydonttttttttttt]

Mike, I made this bandsaw table today, and I can't believe how well it works! Are you concerned at all about losing a little bit of resaw capacity? For phase 3, would it make sense to inset the trunnions to the underside of the top sheet of plywood, or would that compromise the strength of the top? As others suggested, drilling a couple holes ahead of the blade seems to help with extra dust. Thanks for putting out this video, it was a big help

[@mfwoodshop]

I’m not concerned with the resaw capacity. I don’t do a whole lot of it so that don’t bother me. Not sure about the trunnions, I was mostly see how well this idea worked. So far it working out pretty good. I think the holes at the beginning wouldn’t hurt. Not sure if it’s needed. I think the hole locations and how many will be the next step to this idea to finalize it. Trial and error.

[@GuysShop]

Really good idea Mike. It is a good working prototype and test bed. There has to be a better way to keep the two halves of the table together without that clunky hinge. Have to think about that one for a bit. I would also consider making the top out of MDF and then covering it with formica for a smoother top.

[@mfwoodshop]

Good ideas

[@LanceCunningham]

Nice table Mike. My Delta 14” bandsaw table has a steel pin that aligns the two sides of the table. Why not use a wood dowel in the same way. I would drill the hole before you cut the slot for the blade so you get a perfect fit and alignment. By inserting a dowel in the hole it should line the table halves up. Good luck.

[@douggarson50]

You could also drill a pair of holes in the table on either side of the blade slot and insert a pair of tapered dowels thru a block and into the table holes. Glue the dowels to the block but not the table and tap the assembly into the table holes. Attach the block to the table with a short cord attached to one side so you don't misplace it while making blade changes. Great table design. I've been struggling with dust control on my 14" Rockwell (Delta made in Canada in the '80s) but the lower guides are too close to the bottom of the table to do much, your design resolves this. Do you notice any ill effects from having the guides farther from the cut?

[@Thom4123]

Awesome job I think this is the biggest complaint we have about the bandsaw, but Mike you have got it covered this is such a incredible job. I really like the “downdraft table “ plate. Awesome awesome job

[@mfwoodshop]

thank you Thom

[@Thom4123]

Mike Fulton Do you think I could have used “ awesome “ more lmao. Thank You Mike I always appreciate your information.

[@joedance14]

Nice work. Caught a glimpse of the fence; wondered what kind it is, and how well it works. Thanks.

[@mfwoodshop]

it came with the saw and its ok, could be taller

[@russveinot5754]

This is the best design I have seen yet. I have decided to make my own version. first, I am not replacing the table top. I have chosen to make mine a removable table to set on my cast iron table. I have a few questions about your version as I am building mine. I published a video on my channel showing my design ideas for mine but have just started making mine. if you would look at my video and see how mine is different and I am looking for suggestions from you and your experience with this exact design. there are similarities and differences between yours and mine. I mentioned your video in mine. I hope that was OK :>)

[@mfwoodshop]

I check your video out and it sounds like you have a good plan. If you have any questions let me know

[@russveinot5754]

oh yeah, I do :>)

[@myutube6422]

Thanks for the kick start between you and Russ Veinot's solution, I ended up with a working dust collection solution. midcolumbiawoodturners.org/resources/helpful-info?id=50

[@mfwoodshop]

thanks yous looks good

[@gordonhope9219]

Michael, thanks so much for your inspirational and informative video!! I used your basic idea and made a new table for my 10" Rockwell bandsaw. Wow, did it turn out great! Almost 100% of the sawdust gets captured - I used a traditional shop vacuum and simplified some of the elements of the table design. I took a couple of pics if anybody wants to see the design. [e-mail]

[@mfwoodshop]

Fantastic!