Splitting a CT 22 for Nearly Dustless Extraction on a SawStop

[DavidCBaker]

You can use a Festool vacuum (I have the CT 22) to nearly dustless work with the SawStop. They now sell an optional cutting guard with riving knife and built-in dust extraction. It looks like this:

Run a 27 mm hose into that--it's the longer hose that comes with the vacuum. All you need is the "y" adapter that splits the vacuum input: part no. 452898, for $31.50.

Run a 50 mm hose  (the short hose that comes with the vacuum) into a simple and cheap Fein adaptor:

Here's a shot of the whole setup:

This captures nearly all the dust. Seriously, it's got to be in the high 90 percentile range.

 

[nickao]

Does the hose get in the way for larger piece if wood?

 

[DavidCBaker]

Does the hose get in the way for larger piece if wood?

Not for anything I've cut so far. The guard (and riving knive) rise in concert with the blade.

 

[Corwin]

...
Run a 50 mm hose  (the short hose that comes with the vacuum) into a simple and cheap Fein adaptor:

I think you meant to say, the short hose that comes with the Boom Arm.  The extractors all come with the D27-AS hose.   [blink]

As to that Fein adaptor;  is that a 4" to 2-1/4" reducer that you are using?  Is that an antistatic fitting?   Just curious.

Once you get your hoses rigged -- and we know that you will have them all tidy like very soon -- you will have a nice setup.  Let us know how well it keeps up with the sawdust from your SawStop as you get more use.    [big grin]

 

[DavidCBaker]

I think that's the adapter--yes. And you're right. That big fat hose comes with the boom arm. Thanks for that correction.

 

[Alaska Ranger]

David -

Ref. pic #1:  What on earth is the guard attached to? There must be some sort of boom arm, no? ???

 

[Corwin]

Likely the riving knife.

 

[PaulMarcel]

It looks like the same guard that comes with the PCS (3hp), so the guard rides with the splitter.  It is attached at the very top.

I also use a D27AS hose to mine except mine goes to a tee connector for my 4" dust port.  I use my DC for the SawStop (and the router table in the extension wing).  This way I get some suction on the guard.  I admit that it isn't as much as I'd like so I'm going to follow the tee with a blast gate so I can partially close it to get more airflow in the guard.  Generally there's more than enough to take the dust away, though.  Actually when the suction is down, I should check how full the DC is

My complaint about my setup is that the hose connects to the tee close to the floor way over in the extension wing.  The hose hangs.  When you are running a wide board through, the D27 is in the way unless I hook it over my fence, but that's not that easy and usually pops loose.

I have a hose holder on order (the one for the CT) and already have a large oak block attached to the far end of my fence.  When the holder arrives, I'll put it in the block and string the hose through it.  It will hopefully unobtrusively keep the hose up and not interfere too much with fence settings.

 

[erikfsn]

I wonder if that attachment could be hooked up to my Bosch 4100 .?

 

[PaulMarcel]

I decided to take some pictures so I'm editing my original post to add them here (sorry to quote my post, but I didn't want the edit lost back there).

I also use a D27AS hose to mine except mine goes to a tee connector for my 4" dust port.  I use my DC for the SawStop (and the router table in the extension wing).  This way I get some suction on the guard.  I admit that it isn't as much as I'd like so I'm going to follow the tee with a blast gate so I can partially close it to get more airflow in the guard.  Generally there's more than enough to take the dust away, though.  Actually when the suction is down, I should check how full the DC is

[attachthumb=1]

It ain't a pretty attachment... yeah, Duct Tape:

[attachthumb=2]

This is the underside of the router table in the extension wing with a dust box under it... this is to explain why my hose goes to a black box and not a DC as you'll see later:

[attachthumb=3]

From the front of that dust box, I have two 4" ports: one is a pass-through to the 4" port you saw in the back going to the saw.  The other is for the router dust box; I didn't want to concoct some sliding switching blast gate; this is easy.

[attachthumb=4]

My complaint about my setup is that the hose connects to the tee close to the floor way over in the extension wing.  The hose hangs.  When you are running a wide board through, the D27 is in the way unless I hook it over my fence, but that's not that easy and usually pops loose.

I have a hose holder on order (the one for the CT) and already have a large oak block attached to the far end of my fence.  When the holder arrives, I'll put it in the block and string the hose through it.  It will hopefully unobtrusively keep the hose up and not interfere too much with fence settings.

Here's the idea; pretend the orange push stick is the host holder:

[attachthumb=5]

Sorry 'bout making an already picture-heavy thread heavier

 

[bruegf]

I really can't imagine that the CT22 does a good job of dust collection on a Sawstop saw, even without the split to the blade guard.  I tried using my craftsmen shop vac w/ my SS saw and while it did collect some of the dust, there was still a lot that it didn't collect.  I ended up buying a dust collector and running a 5" trunk line from my dust collector, reducing to 4" hose to the saw and found that it captured most of the dust from underneath the saw, but still had a lot escape out from under the stock blade guard.

Just bought the new blade guard w/ dust port and still trying to figure out how to connect it for max dust collection.  Tried 1.5" hose to 3" snap lock pipe, to a 3 to 4 reducer to a 4" blast gate, to a 4 to 5 reducer, but air flow was reduced so much that I got better results just connecting the 1.5" hose to the shop vac.

Fred

 

[Alaska Ranger]

Likely the riving knife.

Got it - thanks (and Paul Marcel, too).  This shows how long it has been since I have been away from, uh, modern day saws.  I suppose the riving knife must rise and fall with the height of the saw blade, so the guard would perforce be articulated to hinge accordingly.

 

[TJ Cornish]

This is a very interesting thread.  I have a SawStop ICS and when I first got it I didn't have the dust collector runnig yet, so I hooked up my Fein 9 11 20.  It hardly captured anything - there was dust laying in the bottom of the port just a few inches from the vac hose.  I'm really surprised this works for you - either that or my Fein really sucks (in the wrong way [wink]).

I am very interested in the new blade guard - even with the big cyclone I put in I still get a lot of dust thrown forward by the blade. 

 

[DavidCBaker]

Maybe I'll take a video just to show how well it does capture the dust. It seems like some people don't believe me!  [cool]

 

[bruegf]

David,

It's not that I don't believe you.  My shop vac connected to the SS saw was a huge improvement over no dust collection on the saw, but, and its a big one, a real dust collector works so much better than the shop vac on my saw.  And while I love my CT22 it doesn't have the either the suction or the air flow of my shop vac.  Part of that is undoubtedly the fact that I only have the the small hose for the CT22, but even with the larger hose I still believe that you'll find that you get far better dust collection with the saw connected to a real dust collector.  Dust collection is all about moving a large enough volume of air to keep the dust in suspension, and that just can't be done with small hoses or ducts.  Even with a real dust collector I noticed a huge difference changing from 4" flex hose to 5" snap lock metal ducts.  Switching from 4" to 5" doesn't sound like much, but its about a 50% increase in duct volume, plus using a foot of standard flex hose introduces about the same amount of resistance to moving air as 7 or 9' of smooth wall metal duct or plastic pipe of the same diameter.

I'm glad its working well enough that you are satisfied with it, but I'm betting you can do much better yet.

Fred

 

[DavidCBaker]

Remember that the difference from a 27 mm hose to a 50 mm hose is substantial, too!

I'll see if I can post a video this evening.

 

[PaulMarcel]

I originally used my CT-22 just for the blade-guard port and it grabbed nearly everything; top of the saw deck was clean!  But I think you'd go through a lot of bags if you connected it to the main 4" port of the saw.  Sometimes I cut "just a few things" without the DC on and when I turn it on later, I'm surprised at all the dust that was waiting in the hose.

Like others, I occasionally put a nozzle on my 4" flex hose and push it into the bottom of the cabinet via the side door as the cabinet collects a fair amount of errant chips.

With my current setup, the DC keeps the main 4" port clean (duh) and the little bit of airflow going to the guard's port is enough to keep it very clean up top.  If you run without the host plugged into the guard port, you'll see a stream of dust fly out... the design of the guard is such that it throws it out the back very efficiently... in that case, the hose just needs a little flow to direct it.

It's a well-done guard.

 

[bruegf]

Remember that the difference from a 27 mm hose to a 50 mm hose is substantial, too!

Yes, in fact a much greater increase percentage wise, but still nowhere close to the volume of a 4" hose.  One thing that occurred to me that might play a major factor is that my experience was based on only the under table shroud around the blade.   Having the blade guard with dust port may alter things considerably - I've not worked with the new blade guard enough yet to know.

The other variable is that I have the contractor saw rather than the cabinet saw, which may behave differently as well.

Fred

 

[bruegf]

But I think you'd go through a lot of bags if you connected it to the main 4" port of the saw.

You can fix that with a Dust Deputy cyclone or a home built thien baffle separator connected between the saw and vac   I use both, the DD in front of the CT22 and the thien baffle separator in front of my dust collector.

Fred

 

[MarkF]

David,

It's not that I don't believe you.   My shop vac connected to the SS saw was a huge improvement over no dust collection on the saw, but, and its a big one, a real dust collector works so much better than the shop vac on my saw.   And while I love my CT22 it doesn't have the either the suction or the air flow of my shop vac.   Part of that is undoubtedly the fact that I only have the the small hose for the CT22, but even with the larger hose I still believe that you'll find that you get far better dust collection with the saw connected to a real dust collector.   Dust collection is all about moving a large enough volume of air to keep the dust in suspension, and that just can't be done with small hoses or ducts.   Even with a real dust collector I noticed a huge difference changing from 4" flex hose to 5" snap lock metal ducts.  Switching from 4" to 5" doesn't sound like much, but its about a 50% increase in duct volume, plus using a foot of standard flex hose introduces about the same amount of resistance to moving air as 7 or 9' of smooth wall metal duct or plastic pipe of the same diameter.

I'm glad its working well enough that you are satisfied with it, but I'm betting you can do much better yet.

Fred

Fred,
Based on what I read and saw at a demo, the magic that allows a shop vac to work well with this setup is the design of the guard and the dust management chute under the blade.  Think Dyson.  I doubt Mr. BILL Pentz was consulted in this one.  It definitely breaks all of his rules but does an excellent job capturing the visible dust.  My big concern is what happens when you need to make a narrow cut and have to take the guard off.  Another concern is that someone will think a regular (ie:non-HEPA) shop vac is adequate and will nebulize ultrafine wood dust all over the shop out of the vac exhaust. 

David,
Did you happen to see how much they are charging for the Overarm Dust Collector setup?  SS OverArm Dust CollectorNow that this is ready for all of their saws I'm ready to "stimulate the economy".