table saw questions - Woodworking Talk

nubie · 01-10-2008, 01:42 PM

I am new at woodworking. I bought a Delta #979 10" saw with a 30" unifence. This is my 2nd saw purchase after 10 yrs w/ a little craftsman.

Question on dust collection-the motor and belt run hang outside the saw body. Do I dare modify-close in all but the belt run area of the open backside of this saw body to get more efficient dust collection through the bottom dust collector funnel? I want to connect this saw up to my dust collector piping system.

Question on the unifence-is there a measuring decal avaliable that I could place over measuring decal on the fence rail that Delta supplies? The reason is that the measuring decal begins 10-12 inches to the right of my blade making it usless to mark off right side board length. When I align the "0" on the decal with my blade, I loose 10-12" off the maximum width of my right side table.

Thanks for any help,
Nubie

knotscott · 01-10-2008, 04:03 PM

You can definitely build a panel for the back...just remember to remove it before tilting the blade or the alignment could get all whacked.

Check out this how-to article from Tom Hintz.

nubie · 01-11-2008, 03:24 PM

Thank you Knottscot for the info-it gives me an idea on what I need to do the improve the dust collection.

dusty2 · 01-16-2008, 11:37 AM

Decals are available through WoodCraft Supply. I'm not sure if I understand your problem though. If you have the fence tight to the right side of the blade your indicator should be on zero. If it's 10" off are you sure you have your fence rails in the right location?

Paul K · 01-16-2008, 01:38 PM

I agree with Dusty. Maybe a picture is needed, but you know the unifence can be set up different ways. The fence itself clamps to the mechanism and can be rotated, making different thicknesses, but NOT 10" By the way, you can indeed close down the machine a bit, but remember that dust collection is not easy on a table saw, there are too many places for air to get in, (blade lowering and raising mechanism, tilt, etc. So it may not be as good as you like. Also make sure that you don't build a box that allows sawdust to accumulate and pack in around the motor. Great way to burn them up.