I’m always trying to improve the dust collection in my shop. And while the dust port on my table saw does a good job, I find that a lot of the suction is lost through the large slot where the shaft for the blade height adjustment wheel and indicator is located. To solve this problem, I attached a piece of adhesive-backed foam to the inside of the cabinet. The foam can be easily cut, so you can quickly make a slot to provide clearance for the shaft.
The material I used is closed-cell, adhesive-backed foam sheets I found at a local craft store. Now whenever I use my table saw, the dust no longer escapes out of the slot on the front of the cabinet. And more importantly, the foam greatly improves the suction and efficiency of my dust collection system.
