Dust collection for cutting with a cirular saw

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Hello,I am sure many of you here are familiar with the woes of cutting with a circular saw.  Saw dust and metal shavings end up everywhere and if you are in a garage it is an incredible mess.  I've been searching for a reasonable way of getting around this problem without having to have a company laser/shear/plasma cut metal for me.[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDTC8tRAyhk[/ame][ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zys1IFASrik[/ame][ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHCMvBGly_4[/ame]I haven't tried this out myself but the last video seems to prove it to be a viable option.  What do you guys think?I can live with saw dust, it's a minor annoyance compared to the millions of tiny little metal shavings you get when sawing sheet metal.  The biggest concern I have is dragging the metal shavings into the house, I find them everywhere, I've stepped on a few real curly ones and that wasn't very pleasant.  What I worry about most is I have pets and I really don't like the idea of them getting these metal shavings on or in them.I haven't tried this out myself, at least no successfully.  I tried to epoxy a hose attachment to a circular saw that is almost broken (the saw was 15 dollars from goodwill), it seemed to work pretty well until I broke off the hose attachment.  I must have done a poor job of gluing the hose attachment on.Miller 330 a/bp water cooledI believe in gun control, I hold my gun with two hands.  If you want to know why, click here.Buy American or bye America.
Reply:My circular saw, and my father's circular saw are the last two generations of left handed direct drive saws from Porter Cable and both have dust ports in front of the blade.The older style had a spring loaded cap that you could lift to attach a hose.My newer one has a 45 degree elbow that rotates.  Normally, it allows the dust to go up and over the blade (instead of bouncing it back down at your cut line, obscuring your vision like the old style).  Rotated, it connects to a hose or bag and swivels a bit too.
Reply:Originally Posted by rlitmanMy circular saw, and my father's circular saw are the last two generations of left handed direct drive saws from Porter Cable and both have dust ports in front of the blade.The older style had a spring loaded cap that you could lift to attach a hose.My newer one has a 45 degree elbow that rotates.  Normally, it allows the dust to go up and over the blade (instead of bouncing it back down at your cut line, obscuring your vision like the old style).  Rotated, it connects to a hose or bag and swivels a bit too.
Reply:Hummm, let see.Mine is a 423 Mag (the 324 Mag is the right handed version).It has a toolless blade change, which is kind of neat.  I find myself wanting more power sometimes, but powerful a direct-drive machine as you're going to get, and nowhere near the weight of a worm-gear saw.It's actually VERY light (the magnesium feels light like plastic), and has great cut visibility.  There is visibly less dust on the cut line than from the other version, simply because of how the dust port redirects the chips.  Because of the port's design, you could just eject chips in any direction (like the exhaust on a nail gun), or even use a collection bag.My dad has the previous left handed mag saw, but it's long discontinued.  I do see though, that the 345 "Saw Boss" from Porter Cable has the same style guard and dust port.  You can see a vertical "pipe" that rises tangentially above the point that the blade rises from what you're cutting, and a spring loaded flapper on top (kind of like a truck exhaust), that keeps chips from exiting towards your face until you have a vacuum hose in there (but because its straight up, a bag wouldn't work).Unfortunately, I've only used a circular saw for cutting wood, so I'm not sure what else I can tell you.  I sometimes cut aluminum trim on my chop saw and table saw, but if its thin enough I shear sheet.  Everything else metal meets the plasma, and everything else meets the 14" saw.
Reply:Sucking hot metal shavings in a shop vac could cause a fire if there is any dust/wood chips in the collector.  If you are insistent on chip collection, it would be safer to rig up a collector unit that passes the metal shavings through water first.  A smooth walled hose vs. ribbed, from the saw to the water collector would decrease hot shavings from being trapped in the "ribs" before they reach the water collector.  OR, more simply, you could cut your metal without any type of chip collector and then shop vac your floor when finished (before you walk barefooted in your shop and before your pets go in your shop).
Reply:Wow, I can't imagine needing more power.  I was actually trying to find a way to slow down that saws blade last night.  I did some research and found that saw you have.  It sounds like a very powerful motor as, based on some reviews, it is very loud and the power consumption is pretty high.  Maybe I'll find one of these at a big box store around here with an easy return policy to give it a test run.Thanks for the responses rlitman, you've given me wisdom I didn't have before.Miller 330 a/bp water cooledI believe in gun control, I hold my gun with two hands.  If you want to know why, click here.Buy American or bye America.
Reply:Originally Posted by joedirt1966Sucking hot metal shavings in a shop vac could cause a fire if there is any dust/wood chips in the collector.  If you are insistent on chip collection, it would be safer to rig up a collector unit that passes the metal shavings through water first.  A smooth walled hose vs. ribbed, from the saw to the water collector would decrease hot shavings from being trapped in the "ribs" before they reach the water collector.  OR, more simply, you could cut your metal without any type of chip collector and then shop vac your floor when finished (before you walk barefooted in your shop and before your pets go in your shop).
Reply:Originally Posted by joedirt1966Sucking hot metal shavings in a shop vac could cause a fire if there is any dust/wood chips in the collector.  If you are insistent on chip collection, it would be safer to rig up a collector unit that passes the metal shavings through water first.  A smooth walled hose vs. ribbed, from the saw to the water collector would decrease hot shavings from being trapped in the "ribs" before they reach the water collector.  OR, more simply, you could cut your metal without any type of chip collector and then shop vac your floor when finished (before you walk barefooted in your shop and before your pets go in your shop).
Reply:Originally Posted by rlitmanGood point.  Water isn't necessary though.  They make a lid that fits on a metal garbage can, for vacuuming out fireplaces.  With a filter in the lid, and a can dedicated to non-flammable cuttings, it will be safe.  Anyway, aluminum chips aren't that hot.  Nothing like steel.
Reply:I have one of the older lefthanded PorterCable's. The dust bag from my PC beltsander will fit and work just fine. I've used it once or twice when I had to cut indoors and dust was an issue. That said I wouldn't use it for metal. I remember seeing dust gaurds for cutting concrete with a wormdrive in the past. We were looking at dust collection systems for grinders doing concrete indoors and came across them. The Porter Cable is a nice saw, but I'd still grab my wormdrive every time to cut metal. I've seen any number of small saws destroyed, but I've only seen one questionable wormdrive and it still functioned even if it did throw a lot of sparks doing so. That saw had cut hundreds of feet of concrete both wet and dry and still ran..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:http://www.ustoolandsupply.com/mak-4131.html http://www.weldfabulous.com/Power-To...-p7695054.html I've been looking into circular saws with this sort of cover over the blade.  It looks like it might do a decent job of catching most of the metal shavings, although I don't know how well that would work for wood shavings as it seems rather small.  I'd be concerned with being able to see the blade but usually when I make cuts I am following a guide, the need to see the blade often seems eliminated.  Plus, a laser pointer would probably do the trick if I really needed some sort of guide that several of these circular saws seem to have.Miller 330 a/bp water cooledI believe in gun control, I hold my gun with two hands.  If you want to know why, click here.Buy American or bye America.
Reply:Damn,Some posters just have to find a problem even when one doesn't exist or has an easy solution.  Milwaukee makes an 8" Metal Cut Saw ($300 at Northern) that will do everyting you desire, to include having it's own chip collector.Last I checked, knitting doesn't leave any "nasty" chips/slivers on the floor.  Of course, I guess you have to be careful not to step on a knitting needle.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Ill second that, we use the Milwaukee 8" saw, no more chips flying everywhere.  Then empty it out when your done cutting.If you cant spring for the new saw, then the best answer would be to pay attention to how clean you keep the shop.  You'll be happier in the long run because even a chip collector isnt 100% efficient.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:The metal cutting circular saws also have more guarded motor vents, to keep chips from destroying your motor.  Wood cutting saws are much more open, to maintain airflow even when slightly covered in saw dust.
Reply:Originally Posted by rlitmanThe metal cutting circular saws also have more guarded motor vents, to keep chips from destroying your motor.  Wood cutting saws are much more open, to maintain airflow even when slightly covered in saw dust.
Reply:Pinjas,It's not the questions that are the problem.  It's the constant argueing with posters when they give advice.Don't know/understand how you keep coming up with problems that most welders/fabricators haven't had in years of doing this type work.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.