Dust collection for a Startrite 301

[lucky9cat]

I've just got myself a "new" Startrite 301 bandsaw off ebay and started using it on my new project. It's one of the older green ones - heavens knows how old it is. It seems to cut great but doesn't have dust collection and I'd like to rig up something to my 100mm extractor.

The Axminster catalogue has a number of different cowls that can fit to the 100mm hose which I guess could collect a fair bit of it but there are a number of places where the dust can leak out. I suppose one of the air circulation cleaning units could collect the stuff that flies off loose into the atmosphere.

Does anyone have any experience with this probelm?

Ted

 

[beech1948]

Hi,
I have a similar problem with a 352...lots of dust above the table and much more below the table. When someone answers this I will be very interested.

regards
alan

 

[OPJ]

And I have a very similar problem with a new bandsaw! There's a 100mm extraction port at the bottom corner of the the lower bandwheel unit but nothing to collect from near the lower blade guides; something which more expensive, modern bandsaws are catered for. I think that's the main culprit and I'm also intrigued to hear other people's ideas as I suffer from having too much dust left on the table and around the guides.

 

[paulm]

I have a 351 and have the same problem as well.

The small dust extraction port at the bottom is almost useless. It's mounted about 10mm above the bottom of the casing so by definition doesn't really work.

Most dust comes off the lower guides and I haven't yet found a solution for that, although I believe some people have used stayput hose or an assembly of plastic plumbing fittings and pipe hooked up to an extractor and pointed close to the guides to extract a lot of the dust.

I do use one of those large mouthed funnel things attached to 4" hose set behind/to one side of the table to clear some of the airborne dust from the top, and use a Microclene to catch the rest, and these have some effect but it's still a messy business !

Cheers, Paul

 

[lucky9cat]

Ok, for the moment I've wedged a 100mm extraction hose under the table directed at the lower guide blocks.

It appears to get rid of a surprisingly large amount of the dust but I can't say I've tested it extensively yet. I'll probally get an air filter as some is getting loose from other cracks - I was looking for a good reason to get one anyway

I'll let you know how I get on in the longer term.

Cheers, Ted

 

[woodbloke]

IIrc, Mr C made a good mod to catch the dust from the guides or just below but I can't remember how he did it....might be wrong tho' - Rob

 

[paulm]

I think that must be where I saw it Rob, in one of DC's books, an assembly of plumbing parts angled in under the guides and hooked up to an extractor.

Must do something similar with mine, have been doing an enormous amount of band sawing last few months converting some of my wood pile to turning blanks and it's a pretty messy business !

Cheers, Paul.

 

[Anonymous]

Mines a 352 but there is no particular dust prob unless cutting MDF.
It's not designed for dust extraction anywhere but wouldn't be difficult to take a pipe to the bottom of the chassis and block off the air gaps with ply, duct tape etc.
I don't get much dust on top - perhaps thats down to the 2 brushes against the blade on the up side.
I give it a good blow-job every now and then with a vacuum cleaner blowing through a nozzle, as dust collects all over the place within the chassis.

cheers
Jacob

 

[dickm]

You're a lucky man if you don't get any dust from your 352, Mr G! Mine was fitted with a 4 inch outlet in the base of the stand when I got it, which is pretty inefficient, and I also get some carryover of dust coming out of the top bandwheel housing. I guess sealing up the lower case with ply and duct tape would help, but I suspect a general re-design is needed to get half decent extraction.
Which is a shame, 'cos it's a brilliant saw otherwise - after the removal firm had done their worst on our recent house move (and their worst was <really> bad. If you have to move house, don't go anywhere near Pickfords!) I put the blade back on, connected it up and it instantly cut perfectly.

 

[Modernist]

I recently bought a Hammer 4400 which is much recommended in the trade press and definitely a step up from my very old 352. It too has a 100mm port in the lower corner but relies on the dust gravitating there from the lower section of the blade and guides. This is not very efficient to say the least but better than nothing.

I think one answer is to have piece of 1.5" plastic drain pipe with a slot for the blade to pass through at an angle and connect that to the extractor. If the pipe can be positioned as near as possible to the lower guide the dust passes into the pipe and then on it's way without ever reaching the lower part of the base box.