Powermatic 66 Cabinet Saw & Dust Collection
#10
I have recently purchased a Grizzly 2hp dust collector to use on my 3hp Powermatic 66 Table saw.  I know there is some air gaps near the handle that raises and lowers the saw blade and also in the back where the saw blade can tilt.  I was just going to use some painters tape to seal up the holes and make it easy to peel off if I ever need to tilt the blade.  I am curious to what others have done to seal up or temporary seal up that space.  Maybe a magnet of some sort?  Just trying to maximize my DC's performance.  Thanks
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#11
Sheet magnets do work well for this.
Lee
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#12
A DC works by moving air, lots of it. If that air isn't there to be moved it can't do it's job. I can understand sealing some areas on a cabinet to direct air flow, but don't reduce the openings thinking the DC will have more "suck"; it doesn't work that way. You need some make up air to replace what the DC is pulling out, close it off too much and the dc....well, you get the point.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
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#13
(12-12-2016, 03:34 PM)Stytooner Wrote: Sheet magnets do work well for this.

This.....

Otherwise known as magnetic sign material. IIRC, the borg sells magnetic "block off plates" for heat registers that'll work too.

Ed
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#14
Fred is spot on. If you seal up all the holes it'll be like when the DC is on and the hose gets stuck on the floor - there's no air movement and the DC doesn't like that.

Focus on above table collection with something like an Excalibur over arm guard/collector. If you're in Ohio, PM me.
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#15
I have a mid-80s PM66 hooked up to an Oneida cyclone. The same Oneida that cleaned my Unisaw dry. The Powermatic? Forget it. I periodically remove the throat place, kick on the DC and use a long stick to shovel the sawdust pile to the dust port. Once it gets there it's gone. Someday I'll build a dust chute leading to the dust port. I found a few ideas online. If you belong to SMC, check this thread out.

PM66 DC






[url=http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?216716-Powermatic-66-Dust-collection-Improvements][/url]
Best,
Aram, always learning

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery


Web: My woodworking photo site
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#16
(12-12-2016, 09:31 PM)cvillewood Wrote: Fred is spot on. If you seal up all the holes it'll be like when the DC is on and the hose gets stuck on the floor - there's no air movement and the DC doesn't like that.

Focus on above table collection with something like an Excalibur over arm guard/collector. If you're in Ohio, PM me.

I had a PM66 hooked up to a Griz 2hp DC. Tried closing up the angle slot with duct tape, etc. Fairly useless investment of time--it just won't do much in the way of DC. BTW now that I have a SawStop with the optional dust collection guard I'm pretty amazed at how little dust it generates. The woodwhisperer (Mark S) took his PM2K and increased the connector port to 6" and said it really helped. Of course that saw has some internal design elements for dust collection that the 66 lacks.
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!" Arthur 'Big Guy' Carlson
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#17
I have a fairly new 66, and it seems like the dust collection is pretty decent.  FWW had an article about how to improve the dust collection, and PM had done most of it.  Only thing I've thought of is increasing the port size. When I'm doing a lot of cutting, there will be a little sawdust to the sides of the port, so the floor isn't exactly shaped right for complete removal, but I'm happy with it.
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#18
Closing up some openings in different saws can help to collect more, but as mentioned, you cannot close them all off and expect good results.
For saws that do not have the benefit of a dust shroud with an exhaust port, I think you may be chasing your tail to some degree. The dust that falls into the bottom of the cabinet is not dangerous other than being a possible fire hazard.
Periodic cleaning out will yield better results than expecting the Dust port to catch everything. Even collecting with the port and taking measures to increase the capture, you will still need to clean it out by hand.
I have spent plenty of time on my hands and knees cleaning out from under Uni's and PM66's. The dangerous stuff for breathing gets airborne by coming off the top of the blade. I think time and money spent chasing saw dust is better spent right there.
Lee
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