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I have a Ryobi table saw (RTS21G), and it is a half decent table saw for the price in my opinion. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a dust control system nor port. The dust just comes out the bottom. Is there a way to control the dust for this table saw? I've seen dust bags like the one from harbor freight, but it's not accessible in their stores and they say it's only for their table saw. The perimeter of the table saw's square base is 14", and does not fit dust solutions such as Amazon's big gulp dust hood.

Are there any other dust control options that can fit this type of saw? I would prefer something with a vacuum port, but I'm open to just about anything such as dust bags.

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    Could you install a large funnel, made from cardboard if necessary, to the perimeter of the bottom and just hook up a vacuum to that? It won't be as effective as a purpose-made solution but it should be able to capture a good proportion of the dust that naturally would fall through, and the suction may draw more dust downwards, some of which would otherwise become airborne.
    – Graphus
    Jan 25, 2018 at 7:16
  • I have one of these table saws myself, and I understand were your coming from. I did something like what graphus said, make a funnel. I would try not to do a flat piece of anything because the saw dust collects in the corners and gets every place in the saw. A funnel would be best with a vacuum.
    – Ljk2000
    Jan 25, 2018 at 14:21

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There are many ways to adapt contractor-style table saws to dust collection systems. They all tend to follow a common blueprint, but naturally they range from simple to complex, depending on how much effort you want to put in and how much dust you are willing to let leak out.

An illustration of the basic technique from WOOD Magazine Image credit: WOOD Magazine

The solution above, Tip #9 from this collection of tips at WOOD Magazine, is among the simpler systems, which makes it a good illustration of the basic technique. You place plywood between the base and the saw so dust doesn't fall out the bottom, attach a port for a dust collector or shop vac, and cover the back so the sawdust is captured. This particular version has some downsides: first, the blade can't be tilted while the back panel is on. Second, the airflow path isn't shaped -- it mostly enters from the opening in the back for the motor and exits straight down the pipe, which means dust will still tend to collect in the corners.

Stepping up a bit in complexity, you can somewhat solve the problem with the back panel by having different back panels for common angles. You could have one for 90° and one for 45°, each shaped to cover the gap with the saw tilted at that angle. The back panel can be attached various ways. Here are examples using magnets or with Velcro. Pictured below is an example of that technique, with the blade titled at 45° and the corresponding panel installed.

An illustration of the 45° back panel from Popular Woodworking

Image credit: American Woodwoker Editors / Popular Woodworking

In that picture you can also see an example of a more complicated technique to prevent dust from building up. Instead of using a simple plywood base across the bottom, they use the space under the stand to build a sloping profile so dust will tend to fall towards the relocated collection port.

And there are even fancier options. I particularly like this system from Richard Babbitt published in Fine Woodworking, first because it takes airflow path into consideration, and second because it completely encloses the motor, allowing full use of the table saw's tilt function without compromising the dust collection system. The box enclosing the motor doubles as a short outfeed table.

enter image description here Image credit: Fine Woodworking

To quote the Richard Babbitt, "No matter which type of saw you have, the principle is the same: Close off most of the saw, allow rapid airflow in a few key areas, and you'll send the dust toward the hose and not into the shop." The pictured system has an additional benefit of drawing the air in across the motor, keeping the motor cooler in the process.

As you can imagine, the construction details of how this is accomplished are necessarily specific to each table saw. If you're inclined to go this route, I highly recommend Babbitt's article Dust-Proof Any Tablesaw in issue #205-May/June 2009 of Fine Woodworking. The full article is available as a PDF to digital subscribers of Fine Woodworking. It discusses design considerations, and how to adapt the concept to saws other than the ones pictured. It also has a section on improving dust collection for cabinet saws.

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The perimeter of the table saw's square base is 14", and does not fit dust solutions such as Amazon's big gulp dust hood.

I've used dust collection adapters like this one with a contractor saw that's open on the bottom, and it works fine.

Powertec dust hood

If this one is a little too big to mount on your saw (it's described as being 14" square) it should be easy to trim to fit -- it's just plastic and will cut easily with any kind of saw. You could also fabricate your own from hardboard or plywood.

Here's a similar hood, but smaller at 12".

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