Making improvements in a customers home can be easy for them or a real pain. Leaving a mess behind can create a lot of animosity. Although it is impossible to leave no dust behind when cutting large amounts of material, I try to limit the mess, as much as I can, within reason.
Several discussions here have recommended aftermarket dusthoods for mitersaws. I needed something larger.
I decided to make my own.
I rigged the setup with some cheapo 5′ aluminum bar clamps, plastic squeeze clamps, an old 6′ level, some homemade plywood feet, two brackets and a 6’X8′ tarp.
I could have made the whole thing out of hockey sticks, scrap ply and some poly but this setup is reusable
I’ve been using this rig for a couple of weeks now and can set it up in about 2 minutes, (if I’m not taking pictures). Light has been poor in other locations so the top bar can be affixed with clamp lights to illuminate the work area.
The pictures are from a customers garage I set up in this morning. I’ll also run a sheet of poly across his storage bins.
Gord
Edited 2/21/2008 11:30 pm by gordsco
Replies
very cool, but looks like there's already dust everywhere ;)
Ductape can fix EVERYTHING!!!
Just the color of the paint, my son, I'll get you another pair of bi-focals.
Gord
Good job. I like the way you used stuff you had around for it.
This one is more of a knock down than my previous attempts. For a while I was using scraps of ply screwed together and leaned them back on wire. Does the same job but this is easier to set up.
Gord
I've taken to blowing out the garage on a daily basis.
Pack up all tools, leaving behind miter saw and tablesaw. Sweep up and dispose of dust and debris.
Hook up vaccum hose to blower port and have at it.
Most garages we seem to frequent lately end up cleaner when we leave then they were when we got there.
[email protected]
I do the same with the airgun from the compressor.
Fortunately, I don't do much routering onsite. The biggest culprit is the mitersaw and its amazing how clean it is behind that tarp, most falls into a pile on the floor. Keeping the blade on the tablesaw low and a garbage can leaned up behind the outake saves a ton of clean up as well.
Gord
On your way home pick up the auto-vac switch from Sears ($20) and set it up with a shop vac and hose plugged into the saw. Makes a big difference to dust collecting and its automatic!
Sears? I've always kinda wanted a switch like that. I had no idea they were that inexpensive.
Does the vaccum and saw starting at the same time blow fuses?
Gord
No problems as yet! I allways use it when cutting on the mitre saw and really miss it when not.
I don’t know, but my experience with a 12 inch Makita and a 10 inch Hitachi makes me suspect that either Hitachi or 10 inch miter saws in general are much better at dust collection. I loved the Makita and I wish it still worked, but the Hitachi dust bag collects more dust in 4 hours than the Makita did in two weeks.
I’ve hooked my tool-actuated Fein dust extractor up to both and got zilch with the 12 inch. But I guess I got at least 98 percent with the 10 inch.
My saws are the same but all DeWalts. The 10" dustbag fills almost instantly it seems, and the dustbag on the 12" is useless.
I have a setup at home that hooks up to a portable dust extractor. Just a wooden box with a poly flap that moves up and down and side to side with the mitersaw while maintaining a seal. It works great, but takes up too much room in the truck. I wonder if I could make a fold down version?
Gord
How about a pic of the one at home?
On a hill by the harbour
It ain't pretty, but ok.
By the by, I can't tell you what a pain it is to resize these pr.... on this freakin Vista.
Thirsty work brother....mighty thirsty work
Gord
Edited 6/1/2009 8:14 am by gordsco
Hey you got a haircut and turned gray.......
On a hill by the harbour
I was attempting to describe artisticly, the speed of Vista compared to XP.
Add some pizzaz to an otherwise unenlightening post.
I have had some luck just building a box behind the saw big enough that it allows the saw to pivot and hooking up a big dust collector. I kinda gave up on that. Your work is different from mine.............
For your stuff I like the sound of the whatchamacallit switch to the shopvac.
On a hill by the harbour
I like the yellow tiger striping on the stand legs. Is that a custom DW trim or your own special touch ;>)
You've got a sharp eye there friend, if you look closely in the reflectin of the blade you can see DW getting out of the shower
Gord
I would put a trashbag in a muck bucket set the bottom of tarp in it to see how well it can collect the dust.
ANDYSZ2
WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
Come to think about it, I've got a fish bucket about the size of a large cooler that might work , thanks.
Gord