Exaktor or Excalibur Overarm guard?

[whit richardson]

I've been googling for the Excalibur Overarm guard on and I don't seem to be able to find any outfit on the web that sells these anymore. I did find some reviews and sellers of the Exaktor that sounds like a good alternative.

Is the Excalibur off the market now?

[Clay Crocker]

Excalibur is now owned by General. Try this link:

http://www.general.ca/excalibur/pagemach/ang/50_EXBC.html

Clay

[whit richardson]

So are there no resellers anymore only General sells them? Kinda tough way to control the pricing.

[Clay Crocker]

I just did a Google search for 50-EXBC-10 and got a half dozen vendors that are selling them.:)

Clay

[Greg Sznajdruk]

As far as I know General only sells through a dealer network. On their site they will identify dealers in your area.

Greg

[Maurice Ungaro]

You should look into the Shark Guard. A lot less money, and it includes a splitter.

[whit richardson]

Thanks guys I can see some better results but you'd think General would pay Google and others to put their product up in the top search results for excalibur.

Hey thanks Maurice that Shark Guard looks slick and much cheaper. Looks like you have to wait awhile to get one but that may not be a problem.

Other folks have an opinion on the Shark guard?

[Maurice Ungaro]

Whit,
Use the Creek's "search" feature and type in Shark Guard. You'll find some excellent reviews. Most guys seem to like the performance over the Excalibur. As for the long lead time, we'll it is what it is. Lee just emailed me today to let me know that it will be shipped in about 2 weeks. That puts it right at about 10 weeks lead time. Hey, the man has a good product, and everybody wants one!

[whit richardson]

Thanks again. Where do folks get the nice clear flex hose he has in the guard picks. Local wood worker store or online?

[James Hart]

Thanks again. Where do folks get the nice clear flex hose he has in the guard picks. Local wood worker store or online?


Rockler has it.

[whit richardson]

Looking at the way the Shark Guard connects to the splitter is there a limit on the thickness of your lumber you can saw with it?

[Byron Trantham]

You should look into the Shark Guard. A lot less money, and it includes a splitter.

I second that! I love mine. :D

[Byron Trantham]

Looking at the way the Shark Guard connects to the splitter is there a limit on the thickness of your lumber you can saw with it?

Mine came with two different splitters to allow for different thicknesses of wood.
;)

[whit richardson]

Okay for folks who have the Excalibur what advantages does it have over the Shark? Fair question I believe.

[Kevin Groenke]

The only problem with the Shark Guard is that it cannot be used for non-through cuts and other similar operations..If you want a guard when you're dadoing, slotting, molding or doing other operations that you cannot do with a splitter installed, you will have to use an overhead guard like the Exactor/Excalibur, Brett Guard, Beismeyer or Dust-Be-Gone (which I've never seen before, may be unavailable? http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/dustbegone.htm). Depending on your work space and conditions, you may be able to mount something from the ceiling fairly inexpensively.

We have Beismeyers on our saws and they work very well. They're easy to move, so easy to use. With 100's of potential users they're use is imperative and since it takes only 5 secs to move for narrow rips there are no excuses for using them every time they can be used. I have recently considered retrofitting a narrower guard so that it can be in place for a wider range of operations.

We had an Excalibur years ago which I found to be a bit less user friendly than the Beismeyer. There was a large/heavy counterweight and the hood itself which was a steel frame with polycarb inserts rather than an the all polycarb hoods that most seem to employ.

-kg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YZR3TEEXL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
http://www.plumbersurplus.com/images/prod/6/DELTA-Machinery-78-960-rw-91005-155525.jpg
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/dustbegone/dustbegonetitle.jpg

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Whatever model you choose, I recommend that it is designed to quickly move out of the way, or allow for quick adjustments. Common operations like using a miter gage, or narrow rips, may required adjustments or even the removal of the hood.

However, a hood that incorporates dust collection is really nice. Especially if you work with any MDF or hardboard. Actually, the primary reason for a hood on my tablesaw is for dust collection. I do not believe it does anything to prevent kickback; that's the splitter's job.

-Jeff :)

[Rod Sheridan]

Okay for folks who have the Excalibur what advantages does it have over the Shark? Fair question I believe.

The shark guard has a design flaw, that in my opinion makes it completely unacceptable for use in many shops.

The shark guard mounts on the splitter so it cannot be used for non through cuts such as dado, rebate or grooving.

I purchased the Excalibur about 6 years ago and am very pleased with it, I have it mounted on a General 650 saw.

The dust collection is excellent, and of course it can be used for non through cuts.

regards, Rod.

[Chris Padilla]

Whatever model you choose, I recommend that it is designed to quickly move out of the way, or allow for quick adjustments. Common operations like using a miter gage, or narrow rips, may required adjustments or even the removal of the hood.

However, a hood that incorporates dust collection is really nice. Especially if you work with any MDF or hardboard. Actually, the primary reason for a hood on my tablesaw is for dust collection. I do not believe it does anything to prevent kickback; that's the splitter's job.

-Jeff :)

I'm with Jeff in regards to dust collection from the top of the blade on a table saw. I have the cheapie PSI overarm guard/dust collector that I picked up through the Creek's link to Amazon and with free shipping, got it for $120. It does wonders for helping catching the "flour" resulting from cutting MDF.

[Ron Williams]

I have the exactor mounted to the ceiling setup to rotate out of the way if needed

[whit richardson]

We have Beismeyers on our saws and they work very well. They're easy to move, so easy to use. With 100's of potential users they're use is imperative and since it takes only 5 secs to move for narrow rips there are no excuses for using them every time they can be used.
-kg

Say Kevin that's one expensive system. Cheapest I could find was $500. You say "our saws" can you expand please? Do you work in a production shop or a teaching facility?

Thanks for the feedback on the Over arm guards. I was thinking there has to be issues related to non-through cuts on the Shark.

[whit richardson]

I forgot the mention that my Delta has a 48" phenolic right extension with router lift installed at the end of the extension table. So some systems won't work or mount properly to my setup. I'm wondering out loud if I need to limit to ceiling mount or a telescoping arm with a floor stand... ? My rails are not standard Delta anymore either.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Regarding the Shark Guard, I'm trying to think of how/why non-thru cuts are a deal breaker. Currently, I don't EVEN have a guard (that's right - call OSHA and tell them the Delta splitter/guard was never installed......:eek:........)

I'm not the smartest guy out there by any means, similarly, neither am I an idiot. I have a healthy respect for things that can maim,mutilate, &/or kill me. That includes, but is not limited to things that slice and things that go boom. You'll never see me get myself closer than 3" from a spinning blade. That's what push sticks and Grippers are for. So enlighten me, PLEASE. I want to keep all 10 fingers as God intended them.

[Chuck Tringo]

That design flaw is inherent to every guard and every splitter sold on every table saw that doesnt have a riving knife. The shark guard is still an excellent product that I use on about 90% of my cuts and it works great. It does take about 30 seconds to a minute to remove the whole assembly for non through cuts, but as a home shop user its not a problem for me...and the price beats anything else out there (except the PSI when its on sale which is about the same)....oh and its made in the USA :D


The shark guard has a design flaw, that in my opinion makes it completely unacceptable for use in many shops.

The shark guard mounts on the splitter so it cannot be used for non through cuts such as dado, rebate or grooving.

I purchased the Excalibur about 6 years ago and am very pleased with it, I have it mounted on a General 650 saw.

The dust collection is excellent, and of course it can be used for non through cuts.

regards, Rod.

[whit richardson]

Regarding the Shark Guard, I'm trying to think of how/why non-thru cuts are a deal breaker.

Maurice I have two outcomes to consider; 1) a basic guard that protects from flying stuff and wood then 2) dust control at the saw blade for all types of cuts.

If I were only looking at a guard the Shark may do but if I want dust collection on dadoes, grooves, 45's, stopped cuts plus rips, crosscuts etc. then I need a guard/cover that can stay in place for all those operations.

So the true difference is dust collection on which operations for each type of system. That said I'm still balking at chunking down $500 for dust collection over protection.

[Rod Sheridan]

That design flaw is inherent to every guard and every splitter sold on every table saw that doesnt have a riving knife. The shark guard is still an excellent product that I use on about 90% of my cuts and it works great. It does take about 30 seconds to a minute to remove the whole assembly for non through cuts, but as a home shop user its not a problem for me...and the price beats anything else out there (except the PSI when its on sale which is about the same)....oh and its made in the USA :D

Chuck, I agree completely, however not being able to use a guard for all cuts defeats the purpose of having a guard, since I'm not smart enough to predict exactly when my accident will occur.

The original guard on my General 650 didn't even get installed when I purchased the saw because of the above problem. I installed an Excalibur overarm guard, and Merlin splitter which added $500 to the saw price, however it's well worth it.

The overarm guards allow you to have a guard on the saw for all operations, and any that you cannot use a guard for, simply shouldn't be done.

The only operation that I cannot perform with a guard, is using a tenon jig, so I quit making tenons on the saw, and now make them on the shaper.

I also support your "home grown" approach, which is why I purchased a General and an Excalibur product.

Regards, Rod.

[Maurice Ungaro]

The overarm guards allow you to have a guard on the saw for all operations, and any that you cannot use a guard for, simply shouldn't be done.



O.K. Fair enough. How do you rip thin strips? Does the guard get in the way of pushing the piece (with a push stick....) past the blade?

[whit richardson]

O.K. Fair enough. How do you rip thin strips? Does the guard get in the way of pushing the piece (with a push stick....) past the blade?

You have a point on that one. I would think there isn't anything that guards when you have to do very thin cuts or strips. Then it's safety rules, sticks and spliiters.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

The only operation that I cannot perform with a guard, is using a tenon jig, so I quit making tenons on the saw, and now make them on the shaper.

I think it's safer making tenons using a tenoning jig with no guard than it is to rip narrow stock even with a guard and splitter.

-Jeff :)

[Chuck Tringo]

Well, I'm actually considering selling my TS as I have been doing a lot more Band Saw / Hand Work lately...TS is too loud, makes too much dust, and has too many safety concerns. I try to buy North American whenever possible also, all the stuff I got from Canada has definitely been top notch as well...love my Dowelmax and Lee Valley/Veritas stuff. Luckily my next duty station is Ft. Drum in NY which is 1.5 hours away from the LV store in NY and 2 hours from Toronto :D


Chuck, I agree completely, however not being able to use a guard for all cuts defeats the purpose of having a guard, since I'm not smart enough to predict exactly when my accident will occur.


I also support your "home grown" approach, which is why I purchased a General and an Excalibur product.

Regards, Rod.

[Tony Scolaro]

Hi Whit

If you are looking for an excalibar I will make you a good deal on mine it which I am not using and is in good shape. PM me Thanks Tony