I commonly trim butt sections on blanks to get particular rod lengths, using an abrasive chop saw & dust collector set up. However, this does not catch all the dust.

Has anyone found a good way to trim butts that does not generate all the dust?

Thanks,

Marc

I do it outside with a fine tooth hack saw blade.

Bill - willierods.com

I lay the blank on the carpet and use the edge of a three sided file to gradually file through the blank as I roll it on the carpet. Keeps dust to a minumum and the dust doesn't get airborne.

Jeff

Mark,
Yes, I have the same setup as you do and get virtually no dust at all.
I simply take a shop vacuum and put the flat nozzle on the end of the hose. The flat nozzle, increases the velocity of the suction from the vacuum.
Have a bracket, with a notch in it that allows me to place the nozzle right behind the saws abrasive wheel. About 99% of the dust ends up in the vacuum.

The key of this situation is the high velocity of the moving air from the vacuum.

A dust collecting system works fine for general saw dust etc. The typical dust collecting system uses lower velocity air but it moves a lot of air to filter a very large quantiy of air to remove the dust etc.

But in the case of the abrasive wheel, the much higher velocity air from the necked down shop vacuum directly behind the saws cut off wheel works very very well to take care of the saws cuttings.

I also have the saw placed in a box. i.e. the back 1/2 of the saw is in the box. So, as the blank is cut and anything that is thrown off the saw ends up in the sides and back of the box if the vacuum doesn't get it the first time, it will continue to suck and pull the residual dust and air from the box into the vacuum. ( I just used a plastic rubber maid tub sitting on one side to enclose the back and sides of the saw. The saw is placed far enough into the box to still allow a clean passage of the blank into the saw for trimming. )

You can simply cut a hole in the right location in the box to hold the vacuum hose end fitting for an easy installation.


Take care
Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2010 01:10PM by roger wilson.

Well Bill, I finally agree with you on something, part of it anyway. The outside part. I still use the chop saw.

I use a Dremel cut off blade and just do it by my box fan / furnace filter. I do it inside. I really don't cut too many blanks.

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

Lance

i do all my dusty work outside Don't need that syuf in my Living room rug Even in the winter -- i just don't stay outside long - too cold

Another thing Lance

If there is any thing you think I am doing wrong - Prove it . Do not just say it will not work - show me - it will not work Like thinning finish -

I do not want to lead - but I will not follow if I think there is a easier or better way And no one can prove it does not work

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2010 07:45PM by bill boettcher.

i do the shop vac and dremal moto tool works great and no dust or that nasty smole from the glass blanks that maked you cough for a day or two and its probbely not good for you too im sure

Marc,

I use a wet saw which eliminates all dust completely.

Tight lines,

JH

Hey John - you got my attention. What do you mean by a wet saw? And where can I get one?

Thanks!

Marc

Ceramic tile saws & lapidary saws are examples of "wet saws"

Thanks Ken! Which one is easier to use?

Thanks,
Marc

Well, I have both but use neither. The wet saw will keep the dust down but replace it with water splashing around. What I have and use is an el-cheapo cut off saw that I bought at Harbor Freight. I replaced the toothed saw blade with an abrasive cut off wheel. I didn't like the dust it tossed into the air (I was actually concerned about flying particles of fiberglass & graphite getting into my lungs as well as the particulate mess). I built a plexiglas housing - bottom, two sides and half top so I could still reach the on/off switch then glued a spare wide shop vac attachment to the back of it. Now what little dust escapes the vacuum suction is caught in the plexiglas housing Oh, the shop vac has an updated "fine mesh" filter. Not a Hepa filter but much finer than the one that came with it. Got the small shop vac filter and extra attachment at Home Depot. I think the whole thing cost me $60 or so and I can detach the vac from the back of the housing for more routine clean up chores - cork chunks, cork dust, thread tags and the like. I should also make a housing for the lathe that I turn cork handles on as well just to keep airborne "junk" to a minimum.