Table saw guard with dust collection

[glenn bradley]

I second this, with the references lately to people getting bumped into running saws and the ever present danger of inattention doesn't it make the most sense to have the blade covered whenever feasible.

The blade is already covered by your material.

[glenn bradley]

How do you like it. Is it effective?

Jason

Re the PSI guard; I have been running it for about 5 years. It was poor with the upper and lower split with a wye and attached to a 1HP bagger. It is very good running the same way with a 2HP cyclone. Swings easily out of the way and swings back into position just as quickly. The hood hose swings over to do duty at my router table fence as well. Can also be hung from the ceiling with the included hardware. All in all, I would buy it again.

[Rod Sheridan]

Glenn, that's only true when there's material on the table.

It's not true as you're removing material or placing new material on the table.

That's when you're paying the least attention to the blade.

Regards. Rod.

[Scott Rollins]

I use a felder saw guard on my Sawstop. It has great dust collection. It is P/n 420-708
https://shop.felder-gruppe.at/felder...e=shop_node116

$49.84

No affiliation. Another creeker put me onto it a year or so ago.

[John Thompson]

Glenn, that's only true when there's material on the table.

It's not true as you're removing material or placing new material on the table.

That's when you're paying the least attention to the blade.

Regards. Rod.

Here's how I remedy un-covered one the stock crosses the blade on a trench (dado) long grain Rod. And the second picture is a dado cross-grain. Even with a gaurd I never allow my hands closer than 6" to the blade and certainly so with no shield.

On the cross-cut clamps do the holding and my right hand in on the knob behind the miter fence. 6" rule enforced. I simply bump the kill switch on my saw with my knee to as soon as the stock clears the blade. Hard to mis the kill swithch with my knee on my saw as I fixed that issue. I allow the blade to quit spinning before I remove clamps and set up the next piece if there is a next piece. You never reach across or lean forward as there is no reason to do so...

[Rod Sheridan]

Here's how I remedy un-covered one the stock crosses the blade on a trench (dado) long grain Rod. And the second picture is a dado cross-grain. Even with a gaurd I never allow my hands closer than 6" to the blade and certainly so with no shield.

On the cross-cut clamps do the holding and my right hand in on the knob behind the miter fence. 6" rule enforced. I simply bump the kill switch on my saw with my knee to as soon as the stock clears the blade. Hard to mis the kill swithch with my knee on my saw as I fixed that issue. I allow the blade to quit spinning before I remove clamps and set up the next piece if there is a next piece. You never reach across or lean forward as there is no reason to do so...

John, making an additional guard as you did is a great idea, one that I struggled with for tennons and never solved.

The overarm guard does however work for the two operations you illustrated with the dado setup, something the Shark guard doesn't do.

Regards, Rod.

[glenn bradley]

John and I are like thinkers. I don't do anything with the saw running other than make a cut. I position my material, start the saw, make the cut and stop the saw.

[Bill Arnold]

How do you like it. Is it effective?

Jason

It adds to the overall effectiveness of dust collection when making through cuts, especially when cutting material that produces fine dust. Chips can get thrown to the sides of the hood but I plan to add a ring of brushes as others have done to contain them.

[John Thompson]

John and I are like thinkers. I don't do anything with the saw running other than make a cut. I position my material, start the saw, make the cut and stop the saw.

Yep....

[John Thompson]

John, making an additional guard as you did is a great idea, one that I struggled with for tennons and never solved.

The overarm guard does however work for the two operations you illustrated with the dado setup, something the Shark guard doesn't do.

Regards, Rod.

Okey-dokey! ....

BTW.. if you use a tenon jig on the TS there is no way to collect dust and I seriously doubt anyone is going to solve that Rod. I just don a dust mask and vacuum when I am done which is accepting the reality that "roses have thorns and silver fountains mud"... Shakespeare

Regards...

[Rod Sheridan]

Okey-dokey! ....

BTW.. if you use a tenon jig on the TS there is no way to collect dust and I seriously doubt anyone is going to solve that Rod. I just don a dust mask and vacuum when I am done which is accepting the reality that "roses have thorns and silver fountains mud"... Shakespeare

Regards...

Very good John, I especially appreciated the prose.

My main concern with the tenon cutting on the TS was that I was using a tenon jig, which results in a lot of exposed blade. That's what I couldn't solve, a good guard that wasn't more trouble than it was worth.

I finally gave up and started making tenons on the shaper, which does have a guard.

Regards, Rod.

[John Thompson]

Very good John, I especially appreciated the prose.

My main concern with the tenon cutting on the TS was that I was using a tenon jig, which results in a lot of exposed blade. That's what I couldn't solve, a good guard that wasn't more trouble than it was worth.

I finally gave up and started making tenons on the shaper, which does have a guard.

Regards, Rod.

What I find with using my tenon jig which is very accurate.. if my hands are in the correct place on the jig after I have the stock clamped to the fence face and back face with the saw stopped... the chances are slim to none of my hand getting into the blade. I would have to be creatively stupid for that to happen. As Mr. Gump says.... "stupid is what stupid does" I suppose and I value limbs enough to not fall into the "does" category!.

Regards and too the shop.. ten minutes late now, I hope they don't dock my pay or fire me! No respect for us retiree's I tell ya! ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..

Regards..

[Frank Martin]

Thanks everyone for all the great discussion. I was almost decided on getiing an Exactor overarm guide until I saw Peter's post about Sawstop's built in dust collection. I will live with what I have now rather than spending $400 on a guard now that will not really be needed with a Sawstop.

Hi Frank,

If you're planning to get a sawstop soon, don't waste your money on a blade guard now. The PCS has incredible dust collection. I just set mine up yesterday... I cut a bunch of MDF and couldn't smell or see any sawdust. It's really amazing. If you're getting the ICS or the CNS, sawstop is planning to sell the dust collecting blade guard as an accessory for those saws in the near future (per their customer service department).

It's true that you can't use the PCS blade guard while making non through cuts. But as discussed, the dust collection on an overarm guard is useless for non through cuts, so the only benefit is the fact that you get protection from the blade. Since your new saw will be a sawstop, the safety issue is much less of a concern.

So don't waste your money on an overarm guard!

[Mike Bielby]

I went with the Shark Guard and couldn't be happier. The customer service Lee has provided has been exceptional. True, it can't be used when making non-through cuts, but I don't feel like I need it at that time. The boom arm on the excalibur also interferes with the router leaf and my Incra TS fence. Sharkguard, at half the price, does not.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Thanks everyone for all the great discussion. I was almost decided on getiing an Exactor overarm guide until I saw Peter's post about Sawstop's built in dust collection. I will live with what I have now rather than spending $400 on a guard now that will not really be needed with a Sawstop.

Glad to be of service. Which saw do you plan to buy?