Even More Shop Work

One thing I’ve always wanted to do with my table saw is really seal up the interior so sawdust doesn’t get all over the place.  In my former shop, I used to have it boxed in and connected to a vacuum hose, but that was really ineffective and I kept tripping over the hose.  So now I basically have the housing all sealed up and I put a bucket underneath it.  It actually works really well, except that I never did seal up the backside.  That’s where the motor and the pulley pokes through making it difficult to really seal up.

Well, I finally got around to making a back plate that should cut down on the sawdust considerably and not interfere with the motor and pulley.  I was going to go with sheet metal but I didn’t want anything that could damage any moving parts.  I needed something soft, yet firm.  And cheap and easily accessible.  I ended up going with cardboard.

template

I marked everything really carefully so if I have to remake it (out of a different material if I so desire) it will be easy to do.  Cardboard is soft enough that it won’t damage anything should something go wrong, and firm enough to hold its shape.

Fitting

There you can see it’s a tricky fit.  The holes are for the rods that hold the motor, and that slot on the right is where the pulley goes.  Everything is looking great, but I do wish I had something I could use to make it a little stronger, to help it withstand the rigors of a shop.

what to use

Hmm.  I wonder what I can use?

how about duck tape

Hmm…

Oh, I know!  Duck tape!

panel

Handyman’s secret weapon!!  Oh yeah, now that thing is pretty much waterproof.  I’ll probably never have to replace it.  It might last longer than my table saw.

installed

I am happy to report that I can now rip down a 2×4 and not cover my entire shop floor with a spray of fine yellow powder.  This contraption cut down on the dust piles by at least 75%.  Yeah, I still get some.  That’s okay.  Wouldn’t be a shop without sawdust all over everything.