Safest best most versatile splitter & or guard assembly for Grizzly 1023SL tablesaw?

[Daniel Hillmer]

Any suggestions for the above?

[Andy Casiello]

LeeWay Shark Guard

http://www.leestyron.com/sharkgriz.php

[Daniel Hillmer]

Thanks so much Andy!

In your opinion, how would you compare this splitter to a riving knife, in terms of preventing accidents (and versatility)? About the same? Better? Not as good...

Also, can the splitter be used without the guard?

[Rod Sheridan]

I have an Excalibur overarm guard and merlin removable splitter on my General 650.

The Excalibur provides great dust collection, and saved me from a serious injury when I accidently punched the guard with my hand. If I didn't have the guard on, my hand would have been in the saw.

The Merlin splitter is easy to remove, it uses a seat belt type latch, so I just put a screwdriver straight down the hole in the saw insert to push the release, and I can remove the splitter. It simply snaps back in place afterwards. Very convenient when rebating or dadoing.

Regards, Rod.

[Daniel Hillmer]

Do they fit on Grizzly 1023SL tablesaws? I cound not find their web site, apparently woodcraft no longer carries them.

[Greg Cole]

I too have a Shark on my TS. It works quite well and having the above table DC is great. For rabbets, rebates and ripping skinner stock it needs to be removed however. I was going to make a swing-away boom arm similar to Rods Excalibur.... but the temporary installation of a bungee cord hanging the DC hose from the ceiling is proving to be permanently temporary.
Removing the guard is about 30 seconds, same for puttin' it back on.

There's been a few posts about bolt on aftermarket riving knives here too... Bob Ross is the guy making them IIRC.

[Greg Cole]

General now owns Excalibur.
Take a peek at the General web site.....

[Rod Sheridan]

I didn't realize that the Shark guard couldn't be used for non through cuts. (Of course once I looked at one on the net I realized that it is splitter mounted).

For me, that would be a non starter as I won't run a dado without a guard.

Regards, Rod.

[Daniel Hillmer]

I too have a Shark on my TS. It works quite well and having the above table DC is great. For rabbets, rebates and ripping skinner stock it needs to be removed however. I was going to make a swing-away boom arm similar to Rods Excalibur.... but the temporary installation of a bungee cord hanging the DC hose from the ceiling is proving to be permanently temporary.
Removing the guard is about 30 seconds, same for puttin' it back on.

There's been a few posts about bolt on aftermarket riving knives here too... Bob Ross is the guy making them IIRC.

BOLT ON RIVING KNIVES! Cool does he have a web site?

This is prob a dumb question - can your shark splitter only be used for 90 degree cuts?

[Daniel Hillmer]

I didn't realize that the Shark guard couldn't be used for non through cuts. (Of course once I looked at one on the net I realized that it is splitter mounted).

For me, that would be a non starter as I won't run a dado without a guard.

Regards, Rod.

What kind of guard works for cutting Dados?

[Daniel Hillmer]

If anyone has a Grizzly 1023SL table saw with a shark splitter mounted on it, how far away from the blade does the splitter sit?

[Andy Casiello]

Thanks so much Andy!

In your opinion, how would you compare this splitter to a riving knife, in terms of preventing accidents (and versatility)? About the same? Better? Not as good...

Also, can the splitter be used without the guard?

I would think the splitter about equals the riving knife as far as preventing accidents. The idea of the riving knife is that it doesn't get in the way of certain kinds of cuts - not really that it does a better job than a splitter at preventing kickback.

I wouldn't use a table saw without a guard mounted. I also don't cut dados on a table saw - I use a router - so I'm not bothered by the splitter/guard combo.

A riving knife and overarm guard would also be a nice combination - probably "nicer" and more flexible than a mounted splitter and guard, but I'm not sure it's safer.

[Verne Mattson]

I'm in the same situation as you...all the posts lately of injuries on the tablesaw have got me thinking about a more robust guard than the plastic piece of junk that came with my Delta Contractors' saw.

I have a Biesmeyer fence on mine so I'm looking closely at the Brett Guard. I like it because the guard doesn't have to be removed for dados, unlike the Shark Guard.

[Greg Cole]

Rod
Not to wander off topic too far, but I assume you don't use a dado for rabbets?
Personally I don't use the TS for many dados. For me it depends on the piece and what else I have the RT or TS set up for.

Back to the Shark... I can't think of a time I've needed to leave the splitter on and not use the guard... still thinking..... nope. In all honesty, the above table DC was as much of a reason for buying the Shark as is the safety of the splitter.
The distance from the blade to the splitter is going to depend on the blade height as the splitter is stationary. I'd be purely taking a WAG if I put any dimnesions on it as I am miles from the saw now.

[Daniel Hillmer]

The distance from the blade to the splitter is going to depend on the blade height as the splitter is stationary. I'd be purely taking a WAG if I put any dimnesions on it as I am miles from the saw now.

The reason why I asked, I read in another post that riving knives are better because they ride closer to the blade and if the splitter is further from the blade, the kerf can start to close up before it slides into the splitter, which could cause an accident.