Does any one have an argument supporting one of these products over the other? I’m looking for a blade cover for my left-tilting Unisaw and I have been doing some research but I just can’t make a decision. My setup right now already has a Biesemeyer snap-in splitter which is pretty good for kickback but I have have no cover and I just want to complete the set. Any suggestions are much appreciated.
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Replies
Question: Why not go with the Beis guard?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Money. $370(Excalibur and Exaktor) vs. $670(Bies).
Gotcha! Don't blame you for looking.
I'm going to make my own. I can ceiling mount it so getting it out of the way when necessary should be easy. Right now I don't have any guard. Ssshhhs, don't tell the safety police!
My DC gets almost all the sawdust and I use a guarded crosscut slde. For ripping I'm intrigued by possible guarded push sticks of some kind.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Also, looking at the Uniguard but it has no dust collection.
I use the Uniguard on my unisaw. I find it to be the least troublesome to use of all of the different designs. After it had been installed for a while and I was happy with where the guard was located (a little different from what the instructions said) I drilled thru the outer tube and inner tube and installed a short clevis pin for a fast way to index the guards location after it had been removed. But there are very few saw operations that require guard removal. No, the uniguard does not have DC, but it will keep sawdust from flying up into your face. Who knows? Your fingers may thank you for being safety concious.
Let me know how the ceiling mount works out. After many years of using the Beis. (this relates to other saw mounted arms.) It's getting real old always having to avoid the right end side of the saw set up. It would be nice to have a clear "top" in all directions.
Would also be of benefit to those who want to use the right end of the saw for a router base.
John
John,
Here's where I'm starting from.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob: Thanks for sharing the article on making your own guard. Doesn't look too difficult (every time I say that I later regret it) and the price is right vs. the $600 for the Bret guard I'm interested in. Only thing I'd need to figure out is how to attach the arm to my saw or 60" extension table (will re-look to see how the excaliber and bret guards are attached..believe the excaliber connects to a post at the end of the extension and the brett attaches to the rear fence rail on the saw). In my case, the saw is on a mobile base in my garage shop so ceiling mount not an option. Due to the length I doubt that mounting it directly to the MDF extension table is an option since it will distort the table.
Wonder if anyone has built this for my application (Jet left tilt with 60" extension on mobile base)??
Thanks again, Bob. Hope you'll share pix/thoughts on how your's comes out.
Bruce (from Ft. Myers...former New Hampshirite..Exeter...temp low 70's here...sorry:>)
The Brett guard over arm style is on Amazon for $338. Both Brett and Excalibur guards have multiple type mounts. Both have over arm style that mounts to the end of the extension table but the Excalibur has added supports that stabilize the over arm. The Excalibur has a ceiling mount as well and the Brett has the mount for the rear rail or side of the saw.
Thanks, SLO. Checked Amazon but they don't carry the Brett model I need (10A-M60) which fits longer extension tables 55-60". Bob @ Kidderville mentioned in his earlier post an article to build one that I'm checking-out. Article mentions a cost of about $100 for materials. Like it alot better than the $600 for the Brett I was quoted. We'll see.
Bruce
Thats a good looking arrangement.
When I was in advertising/product photography, we used to have "gimbles" above the room or product sets. They were made of aluminum.
As Rod Serling would say, "picture if you will...)A hard jointed square about 10' x 10' suspended high above the set.
Then add one bar parallel on each side suspended on a roller track that would travel in one direction.
Then add a second parallel rail, also on a roller track suspended from the first at 90 degrees.
At this point individual scissors on rollers would hang down supporting the cables and wires for each light.
With this set up a whole raft of lights could be moved all over a set for positioning and nothing down on the floor.Photographers used to make them out of galvanized pipe or channel or wood.
I may not have described it clearly but you can get an idea and go from there. Shouldn't take more than a day to rig.Anyway, it's one solution.You could mount your guard, vacuum pick ups, power cords anywhere in the shop and move them all on a whim.John
Hi John,
Glad you liked it but everything is sort of in prototype configuration. Eventually I plan on dressing things up and taking advantage of the unused space. Cabinets unde the workbench, TS/Router table and the outfeed table. Want to make sure everything, especially the DC all work B4 buttoning everything up.
My TS is essentially in a permanent location so mobility isn't an issue with me. I have it set as it is so I am able to rip up to a 10' board. I'm confident that capacity will last me a long time. Your overhead solution sounds like it could afford the maximum flexibility to shops with a flat ceiling. I have to deal with a gambrel shaped ceiling so am not sure how that would work for me but thanks for the idea.
I have a good amount of aluminum bar stock of varying widths that was donated from the landfill so that should get me started. Hardware store gave me some ¼" lexan so all I need to buy are the additional parts. Will take a while to get done but that's ok. Right now the DC does a more than decent job of catching the TS dust.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I purchased and installed bladeguard/dust collector from Penstate. I have found it more trouble than it is worth. I have given up and stow it away. I change setups quite often and therefore I have to keep changing the bladeguard. Although the guard is attached to my dust collector I still get dust even when setup is optimal. I also find that it is in the way and often makes it more dangerous because it obstructs the safe use of push blocks.
It seems to me there is no substitute for using push blocks and keeping the blade in plain site. I am sure others have different experiences but I just do not use mine.
Edited 2/28/2008 7:52 pm ET by lynnroy
I have given up and stow it away. I change setups quite often and therefore I have to keep changing the bladeguard. Although the guard is attached to my dust collector I still get dust even when setup is optimal. I also find that it is in the way and often makes it more dangerous because it obstructs the safe use of push blocks. I for one SORT of agree.. I often work without a blade guard or whatever.. I AM NOY SAYING ANYBODY should do that.. I once had kickback that but be in the hospital.. I would have not went but the Medics halled be off.. Neighbor called because she hear my yell!I think it is sort of a Catch 22 or something like that..This year I was going to purchase a new Table Saw with a Riving knife.. Probably a GRIZZS 10 or 12 inch.. Well my local Cook County house taxes (Chicago) taxes were raised ALOT and there went my saved up money for the new saw.. Not that I hated my old 'so called' junker Ridgid.. Big box that WORKS GREAT!I remember when my house taxes were $400.00.. Now about 7 grand.. And I live on SS these days! Damn! ! DO I have to set myself on fire in front of the Mayors house to make a statement!Hell, all I wanted was a (sort of safe) saw!...
it is in the way and often makes it more dangerous because it obstructs the safe use of push blocks.
...I hear you.. I use stips of wood I took off a old 2X4 to push 'stuff' through..I for one.. If I think the cut may be dangerous.. (Most are).. Clamp 'hunks of wood' onto the fence.. Bit wider than the 'stick' OVER IT.. Three clamps at least.. AND enough room to push the stick through and then grab a new PUSHER for the next cut!
You need to move to Oklahoma. Low taxes but you also have to deal with summer heat that makes it impossible for this geezer to work in my Air Conditioned shop. I head to UP.
I was thinking of all the tools and jigs I bought when I was starting Woodworking in the late 1990's. I have a 1960 vintage Powermatic. I love that saw.
Lived in Central Texas for a few years.. Fort Hood area.. Only thing it took to cool off was one of them 'SWAMP' coolers!.. I loved it there! However my new bride saw a big old rattler eat her new kitten and she moved back to Chicago! Was NOT funny at the time but I still remember how upset she was!
I would look closely at (a) how each one is to install and (b) how easy it is to adjust once it's on there. It's been awhile since I bought mine (a Penn State) but I seem to remember that one of those looked awkward in both respects. I'm not saying the Penn State is better -- I bought it for affordability -- but it is easy to install and adjust.
I've been looking at the Sharkguard recently. I think that it was Forrest Girl that first mentioned this one. It mounts into the Biesy splitter mount and is much less expensive than the Excalibur or Exaktor.
While expensive and priced slightly below the Bies at approx. $560 (+ship) for my saw, you might take a look at the Brett overarm guard. They have other models that are less depending on your particular saw. It hinges-up out of the way when needed and has dust collection. I'm saving-up to purchase it. Others here on Knots have said that they are pleased with it. You might search here for "Brett". It's made by HTC Products...same folks that make the mobile bases. HTC charges full list price and suggested I contact Amazon and Woodcraft. Amazon carried several models but not mine (need 60" due to length of extension on my jet left tilt) and woodcraft has to special order it (price was $50 higher).
Bruce
I went to the factory and saw the Brett guard. (my post is elsewhere) I was impressed but it simply would not work with my setup. I heard about the SharkGuard from FG and ordered one. I have not received it yet. It looks as though it will be good. We'll see.
Frosty
"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
Frosty,
I'm in the process of designing my own guard. One problem I see quite often is when cutting narrow stock on the TS. I guess I'm not understanding what the problem is?
Right now I have Board Buddies that work very well except when using a push stick as the Borad Buddies tend to get in the way. I've been using two push sticks and that has helped but still not the best.
Can't afford a stock feeder which seems solves all the feed problems but not dust collection. I'm thinking of a design that will attach to the fence instead of an outboard arm/ceiling mount.
The perils of making up for the OEM!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
"The perils of making up for the OEM!"Right on. Amen!Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
OEM!"
I did that! I looked for the first lady that smiled at me and I told her Boss..You have this special woman out there.. Sometimes they would say.. So waht.. I say back I will have to charge you double!
I have the Exactor, but I bolted the mast to the floor.
Otherwise the weight of the boom causes some twist in the Unisaw extension table.
I also welded pat of the mast ... it's rock solid now and the horizontal boom is perfectly parallel to the tablesaw, no sag.
Norman
No problems with my Bies splitter and Excaliber setup on my Jet left tilt cabinet TS. The guard isn't much good for less than a 3" or so rip, but it telescopes out of the way. Added a 3" blastgate for when it's not used. Only need to remove it when cross cutting over 50" wide and it takes 20 seconds and only a nut driver for the DC hose to remove it. No complaints.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
The more things change ...
We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.
Petronious Arbiter, 210 BC
I like my bies splitter and excaliber on my left tilt jet as well but my guard has a quick release that swings the whole boom out of the way not sure if it is a newer model but no tools are required to swing it out and lift it away from the saw if the last connection has enough flex hose to it.
There is little difference between exactor and excaliber .I believe Philip J Humprey was involved with excalier then set up exactor when he left
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