Shop made Overarm Blade Guard and DC
I have been looking at Overarm Blade Guards in preparation for a new Cabinet saw that I will be buying in the very near future. I found an article on a shop made Overarm Blade Guard by Gordon J. Sampson. Has anyone here built this or seen it used? It looks simple enough and looks like it could do the job.
http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticle...rm_guard.shtml
Haven't built that one....
Gordon put his plans on-line about the same time I was building mine. His is a fine design, mine might give you some more ideas.
http://www.woodisourart.com/tablesaw...s/DSC00031.jpg
You can take a look at it here:
Overam Blade Guard with Dust Collection
Cost is not too high if you look around for materials. My design also incorporates a shelf for a portable planer - gets it out of the way - but puts it in a position where it can be readily used. If I only have a few pieces to surface, I'll walk around the saw to catch them on the out feed. If i have a lot to do, I get my son or SWMBO to help out.
Take a look and let me know what you think.
Cheers,
Dan
Don, look closely at the following picture
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Abele
Dan, I am in the planning phase for an over-arm guard. I've compiled a lot of "examples" of them and yours is most certainly unique. I love the warning label on the arm (of your own creation?).
A question though - it appears that the arm is a single 3-4" metal pipe? Most of the other designs I've seen have the ability to slide the guard back and forth, not only for adjustment but to move it completely out of the way. I can see how you can make lateral adjustments, but am curious as to how you would move it if you needed to cut a tall piece of wood (like raising panels on edge)?
Be well,
Doc
Don,
If you look at the following picture, you'll see that the mounts that hold the tube are split and have knobs for tightening the mounts around the tube. If you need to slide the support tube out of the way, you simply loosen the two knobs and slide it to the desired position. Re-positioning is just the reverse.
In my situation, I hooked this support tube to a metal duct system and as such I gave up the ability to make this type of adjustment. For the rare times I need to use the table saw for an operation where the guard support is in the way - I just remove it entirely.
http://www.woodisourart.com/tablesaw...untdetails.jpg
I'd like to claim the credit for the warning label, but I can't. It was something I saw in a factory once - it just kind of seemed applicable for the table saw.
Dan
About Your New Jet Purchase.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Leonard
Dan,
"I will be buying the JET with the router lift package...."
Mike,
I purchased the Jet table saw with the “free” router lift package just about a year ago. The saw is everything I could have hoped for, but the lift does not come up to the same standard. Basically, it is their old design. With this design, the router mounts to a plate and the plate is raised or lowered. The problem is that it is impossible to raise the router high enough to change the bit from the top of the table, and awkward to change the bit from under the table. The newer designed unit is more like a large clamp or “jaw” that holds the router in the middle so that the bits can be raised much higher while still in the table, make changing bits very easy.
That said, the cost of the saw was the same with or without the lift kit, and the router, so if I had to do it again, I’d do the same think all over again. There is a home-brew modification that can be done to the lift to make it function like the newer designs, but so far I’ve been too lazy to modify it.
Jim R.
It floats, but could be locked
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Leonard
Dan and Dale: Is the blade guard able to float on either of your set ups or is it strictly fixed in position?
Mike,
My design is intended to float, however with a small change in fastener selection it could lock.
I decided not to use the ceiling mounted design as my garage door (when opened) would interfere with it's location. Also if I ever want to relocate the saw, the guard goes with it without requiring remounting the guard to another point on the ceiling.
Dan