Dust Collector WOK! - Baffle / Vortex Cone and Table Saw Collection

Hey work shop DIYers,

I recently started getting into woodworking. After a few rips of large pieces of wood, mdf, and every little cut all around, I got tired of the dust and smoke. I bought a JET DC 1100 used from OfferUp. It instantly helped keep the dust at bay (If only I can take more steps to clean the rest of my basement shop).

The filter builds up a lot of dust. I recently had to get some saw dust to make diy fire starters and had about a pound of the finest little dust spread all over my basement floor. I also experienced shards, splinters, and chunks ripping up my bag. I am going to make a cyclone or trash can thien baffle, but until then I think this step will held keep the dust down in the bag and relatively still.

Jet released a Vortex Cone (Oh! Ah! Shiny!) addition to their dust collectors a few years ago. Looking at forums it seems it was a $25-30 part, that quickly raised up to $115, and then discontinued. One awesome DIY got me to find an economical and worthwhile solution for $25. The solution is a Cantonese wok that has a rounded - not flat - bottom. 16" diameter, steel, 5.2" depth
Here's ARY's http://www.ary.com/WoodWorking/Shop/Jet/
and the WOK inspiration: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/tools/shop-made-...
Cantonese Wok: https://www.amazon.com/Town-Food-Service-Steel-Can...

Later in this DIY I'll show a few pics of my table saw dust collection shroud and chute. It became labor intensive and a bit sloppy. I started taking less pictures and did more cussin.
Scroungineer on YouTube is who I followed step by step.
Dust Chute:

Dust Collection improvement on Table Saw:

Step 1: So, You Ready to Wok?

So, you ready to wok? - First some Physics.

The cone that Jet sells and Ary made is excellent in that it is a very gradual increase in circumference. I saw many woks with flat bottoms and thought that maybe it's not as effective due to the sudden increase in circumference. In my best attempt to explain this, I do ask if anyone can clarify to please comment or message.
Incoming air from the impeller of the dust collector shoots the air underneath the cone of the filter / bag seperation area. Without any cone or wok in place, this just swirls around until gravity settles out heavier dust, and fine dust may still travel up or down. Jet and Ary's cone takes this incoming air and makes it travel outward in a circle. All of the air has a harder time moving upward due to the lack of room in the center of the collection area. As particles and dust move outward they lose their initial velocity faster. This is due to centripetal force. An object travelling in a circle wants to move tangential at all times, but the force acting upon it to move circular will push it to the center. Because the cone's shape getting bigger from its center outward, particles cannot move inward, but must move down and out. As the object moves out, it loses velocity and will fall sooner.

Centripetal Force = mv^2 / r
where m= Mass, v = velocity, r = radius

If the radius increase, the force lessens (i.e 1/2 is more than 1/4, increase the denominator). Less force moving to the center, less time airborn, and the particles have to hit the bag, and settle. There is no more scrubbing of the air in the bag because the cone restricting air from the bag's center to go upward to the filter.

To me, a flat based wok did not make this change gradual. My hypothesis is that a flat based wok would cause to big of a slow down, and may cause a pressure or flow issue. I found a cantonese wok that had a rounded bottom (in our case, cone top), to make the more desirable cone effect.

The pictures are of a cone, flat wok, and my rounded wok. The JET's visual of the air flow. Pictures belong to their respective owners.

Similar to the cone, I wanted my wok to have it's peak on the same plane as the circular hole that goes up to the filter. Flat woks had steel spacers to put their flat area below the hole.

Step 2: Remove the Handles

Put the wok in a sturdy vise or clamp and use an angle grinder to grind off the rivets holding the handles. I left the rivet nubs.

Step 3: Measure and Mark.

Align the wok with a 90 degree square. The points where the circle touch the two sides of the square will be exactly 90 degrees from the center of the wok's circle/circumference. Rotate the wok 90 degrees so your previous mark on one side is now the other. Mark the new point where the wok touches the square. Rotate until you have 4 marks 90 degrees apart. I used string to connect the marks across from each other to mark center lines. A bullseye level or another method may be better.

Step 4: Brace and Mount

I used a 12" long 1" wide steel bracket. I measured the the hole is 9.5" across. I marked the center of the strap and 1.25" from each end. I bent the bracket roughly 15 degrees at the ends, but eyeballed it, and tweaked each side as necessary. I drilled the holes for the bracket to attach to the dust collector and the wok. I had my drill bit dance a bit and realized it's not center. I drilled holes into the dust collector where the bracket ends lined up. I laid the bracket across the dc hole and used a tape measure to determine if I was center.

Looking up and underneath I wanted to make sure the wok was level, or as close to. I will add a lip to the bottom of the wok, as in Ary's DIY to act as a small thien baffle on his cone.

Another view into the dust hole. I see plenty of shop light above, so I'm happy that it's like the cone with more head room than a flat wok.

I added a picture of all the dust from the filter before I cleaned the area I mounted the bracket to. I hope that's no more after this.

Step 5: Table Saw Chute and Improvements.

This was a lot more than I anticipated. I ran into a few bumps.

Watch both of scroungineer's videos.

The easy stuff: (pictures to be added soon)

Magnetic vent covers for the front hole
Foam pipe insulation where the table saw body meets the underneath of the table.
Lexan back with magnets to cover the back for dust collection (only have it for 90 degree cuts, I have to take it off for angled cuts)

The chute. My dimensions are specific to my saw, and I was using scrap wood. I don't have final measurements.

I built a rectangle frame of 2x2's inside the body of my table saw. I reached in through the back and screwed each piece together. I built a rectangular prism as a chute to attach to that frame. My intent was to sandwich the metal body with the frame and chute wood. I needed another layer of wood in between because the profile underneath is not a perfect square. The table saw body where it meets the legs comes inward at the corners to 45 degree angles. Also, the bolts are in these corners and come down pretty far. A rectangle with a raised inset and the corners cut at 45 would have been perfect. I was running low on half inch lumber, it was getting late, and I cut corners. I actually cut corners. I cut the corners of my chute about a half inch deep at a 45 degree angle and routed a rabbit from that cut outward. If I were to do this again, it'd be when I have a more time and maybe with the table saw taken apart and put on it's side. My cast iron wings are heavy, huge, and my saw is staying put.