Mitersaw Dust Collection
Collecting sawdust from some mitersaws is about as efficient as catching a thunderstorm in a shot glass. But the "big ol' bag" dust catcher that I built for my mitersaw collects about 90 percent of the debris.
I started by making a 1-1⁄4 x 10 x 32" frame out of 1⁄2 " hardwood, glued and screwed together, and stiffened by corner blocks. To install the frame, I made a couple of hardwood mounting brackets that tilt the frame back 20°, and attached them to the bottom of the frame.
If you decide to make one of these for your shop, you'll have to figure out the best method to install the frame behind your saw. For example, I C-clamped the brackets to my mitersaw's plywood subbase, as shown above, when I mounted the saw on my portable clamping workstation. Now that I have a dedicated mitersaw stand, I permanently attached the frame.
The frame should be centered behind the saw, and installed as close to the back of the saw as possible without interfering with the saw's operation. To catch the dust, I drape an ordinary 33-gallon trash bag through the frame and secure it with binder clips from the office-supply store.
—Joe Godfrey, Forest City, N.C.
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