Thread: Festool HK85 dust collection improvement

Great idea. A bit disappointing that the Festool offering is a little lacking.

Maybe you should develop a bit further, register the design, and offer the solution for a licence fee. Maybe!

Festool made by Protool.....

I think it looks fine, and if it works who cares. Might have to copy this for my Makita before you register the design.

I have found similar with the TS55. When the blade is deep in a cut the dust collection is really good, but if I am just shaving a bit off, less than a blade width (eg trimming a door) dust goes every where.

Good job Dom! How does it go when you enter a cut without plunging, i.e. into the end of the timber in the usual non-plunge way? It looks like it would have to be flipped up to achieve that?

As Chris says, Festool have had Czech factory(s) for yonks via their ownership of Protool, so nothing new there. Protool were primarily aimed at Carpenters, as is this particular saw, so it may be that some smoothness of operation gives way to robustness?

I've seen quite a few saws now that have a home made dust shroud added to the side. It's very sensible.

the use of acrylic is a great idea. Being able to see what is happening is a great improvement.

A bit surprising such a thing isn't offered by one of the aftermarket makers of Festool improvements.

have you considered using a dust collector and an under table cutting surface? I'll post a picture of mine. It has cut the dust to absolute zero. I cut a dozens sheets of MDF a day, in many many pieces, and conquering dust has been a passion... I love MDF as a material, but the dust.... That must be avoided like botulism!

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Good job Dom! How does it go when you enter a cut without plunging, i.e. into the end of the timber in the usual non-plunge way? It looks like it would have to be flipped up to achieve that?

The curve of the perspex is designed to allow you to push straight across a piece (non-plunge way) and the front guard lifts out of the way, dropping back down before the blade comes through the piece. Hope that makes sense. Although it works fine, if I redo it an improvement would be to make the initial curve flatter at the front with an increasing curvature towards the rear so that the guard swings up with minimal resistance (not that it's noticeable now, but theoretically it could be better).

The dust collection is improved but still not what I'd call dust-free and is still far worse than any other machine / tool in my workshop. I've only tried cross-cuts on 100x100mm timber with full 85mm depth of cut which I assume is probably the worst case scenario; but also my main use of the saw as I intend to use it to cut tenons for a timber frame in 160x160mm cypress.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

I've seen quite a few saws now that have a home made dust shroud added to the side. It's very sensible.

the use of acrylic is a great idea. Being able to see what is happening is a great improvement.

A bit surprising such a thing isn't offered by one of the aftermarket makers of Festool improvements.

have you considered using a dust collector and an under table cutting surface? I'll post a picture of mine. It has cut the dust to absolute zero. I cut a dozens sheets of MDF a day, in many many pieces, and conquering dust has been a passion... I love MDF as a material, but the dust.... That must be avoided like botulism!

No I haven't considered the dust collector / under-table surface. Mainly because I'll only be using this saw for cross cutting 160x160 and 240x120 beams which would be far too large and heavy to move around onto a bench and will be sitting on saw-horses while I work on them. I will have the dust collector running with a port nearby to scrub the air as much as possible during the cuts, but wanted to eliminate dust at the source as much as possible as well. I use my TS55 for cutting down sheet goods and find the dust collection far superior with that saw and that application.

Actually, I think the best way to reduce dust would probably be to have a sacrificial piece of timber attached to the front edge of the timber I'm cutting so that the blade is never exposed at the front or bottom, but that would require a lot of effort and a large piece of sacrificial timber I think. I may end up doing something like that though.