[LarryJ-nova]

I've got an approx. 20 year old, 10" Companion table saw from Sears with, what the Owner's Manual describes as, a "plate cover" on the back. It's plenty wide for a vacuum hose. The manual suggests attaching a vacuum to the "dust port", but doesn't identify one on the saw. I've found nothing else about it. I'm wondering if it's designed for a vacuum connection and if there's a standard flange that I can buy, or do I just have to make my own.

Untitled by Larry Johnson, on Flickr

Untitled by Larry Johnson, on Flickr

 

[LarryJ-nova]

Well this should have been posted in Tools.
Update. I attached a universal vacuum port through the cover plate and ran it with, and without, my shop vac. Not much of a difference.

 

[jlhaslip]

To make the shop vac more effective, you might need to build a bottom for your saw so that the vac is getting more dust to the port. The shop vac will work better if it has a confined space to deal with.

 

[LarryJ-nova]

To make the shop vac more effective, you might need to build a bottom for your saw so that the vac is getting more dust to the port. The shop vac will work better if it has a confined space to deal with.

Yep, it was on a solid table when I tested it, with and without the blade cover.
I just reverted back to a wide open gravity collection sump that I can vacuum out or allow to empty itself from the lower front. Thinking I might be able to use the vacuum's blower port to keep the saw top mostly free of dust.

Untitled by Larry Johnson, on Flickr