tablesaw blade guard dust collection

[Jim Andrew]

How are you guys doing with your shark and other blade guard dust
collectors? Used the search and see many are getting them. Would you
please post your results for different brands? Need to do something and
you guys are great for advice. Jim

[Jim Becker]

I have a review of my Excalibur on my web site. Just click on my name to get to the site link.

[glenn bradley]

Penn State Ind's TS Guard is working well for me if money's tight. Bear in mind that despite the name it is marketed as a dust collection accessory, not a blade guard. However, having had one for awhile I don't see how you could get near the blade without seriously trying while this unit is in place. The excalibur is a very well made unit though for an extra couple hundred bucks.

[Mark Carlson]

I have a shark guard on my General 650. The splitter and guard work really well. Its really easy to take on and off and slides under the cross cut fence. I currently have it hooked to a festool ct22 vac. The dust collection from the top is pretty good. If I ever get a cyclone I'd like to bring a 3in hose to the guard.

~mark

[Mark Carlson]

Hopefully the picture will come out this time...

[David Klug]

Mark could you take another picture showing how it attches to your saw? TOA

DK

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Here's some pics of a homemade dust collection hood that I posted here about a half a year ago or so. The hood has adequate room for a splitter, uses a full 4" dust port, and quickly hinges out of the way. However, I've found that the hood cannot be used during many operations. This is probably true of all overarm dust hoods whether they are homemade or factory built. But it's fabulous when cutting MDF sheet goods.

If you are interested in a little booklet in pdf format that explains how I made it, please send me an email.

-Jeff

[Mark Carlson]

David,

Here are the pictures you asked for showing how the shark guard is mounted. The orange lever makes it easy to tighten and loosen. A quarter turn and it just pulls off and on.

~mark

[glenn bradley]

I'll chime in with Jeffery on the over arm obstacle issue. I'm changing mine to hang from the ceiling as opposed to stand at the end of the right hand extension. It's a designed in option that will work for me as the right side of my tablesaw is dead space about three feet past the end of the extension. This still allows me a usable 60 inches to the right of the blade that is more than I ever seem to use.

[Allen Bookout]

Jim,

I built one very simular to the one Jeffery Makiel showed above. They work great and you save a good bit in the process. I was going to show some photos but when I tried to attach them it said that I had already used them in another post and I could not figure how to fool the system. I have had this happen before and it is extremely irritating. Really hacks me off TO SAY THE LEAST!!! Sorry.

I will agree that if you can leave your saw stationary it would be much better to support whatever unit that you decide to purchase or build from above. I have to move my saw sometines so could not do that.

On second thought I am kind of glad that I could not post the pictures after looking at Jeffery's closer as mine is kind of plain compaired to his. However, if you want to look at the plan that I used you can find it using the link below. I made some modifications including lexan hood and square metal for the upright and first stage of the horizontal brace to make it work better with my saw.

http://store.woodstore.net/tabduscolbon.html

[Doug Mason]

I recently purchased the excalibur--and overall I found it a decent unit. If I were to do it over, knowing what I do now, I would make my own , hang it from the cieling above, and run a four inch dc hose to it; this is what I have actually done. If mobility is the key issue, then the excaliber is a good option. If mobility isn't an issue, make your own.

[Rick Doyle]

i use the lee styron's 'shark-guard' on my table saw. i ran 4" pvc duct from the main duct line attached to a suspended 2 x 4 and then flex-hose down to the guard - it works great! here's a pic of my dust collection setup:

bt3100_shark.jpg

[Allan Johanson]

I've got the Excalibur paired with my Pentz cyclone and the results are great. That said, you can do better by building your own with a full 4" to the blade cover. Since I have some headroom with my strong cyclone, at some point I'll be modifying my Excalibur to have two 3" drops instead of the single drop it has now. But I've been known to be really picky when it comes to dust collection.

Cheers,

Allan

[Jim Andrew]

Knew I could count on you guys for the best advice. Was looking at the
excalibur, and found it is no longer sold on amazon. My saw is not on a
movable base, and have a jointer crammed up on the right, so think the
ceiling hanging pipe is best for me. One Question for Rick, when you have
to remove your guard, what do you do with the hose hanging there?
Thanks to all you guys for your help. Jim

[Rick Doyle]

hi jim,

i wondered about that as well when i first thought about doing this. but, the solution turned out to be pretty simple.

on the 2 x 4 that runs across the ceiling, over my saw, and holds the ductwork, i made a small 'u' shaped holder with a threaded screw where the hooks of the shark guard can attach to. i just take the shark guard off the saw with the flex hose still attached and simply hook it over the 'threaded screw' on the wooden holder. i can even slide the holder over further to the side so that the flex-hose is almost completely out of the way. here's a couple of pics - hope you can see what i mean:

guard_holder.jpg

guard_holder_1.jpg