Euro guard retrofit on a jointer

[Greg Portland]

Does anyone know of a kit or DIY project that removes the pork chop guard off a jointer and replaces it with a euro-style guard? I like my DJ-20 but would like it even more with a euro guard. Thoughts?

[David Kumm]

SUVA makes kits but bet they aren't cheap. Dave

[Greg Portland]

Any links David? I'm finding a lot of Martin machinery (that use the guard) but no sites selling the guard by itself or as a kit. Thanks!

[David Kumm]

Maybe our UK friends can help. I think I got the catalog from John Gubb who sells Aigner over there. Rangate might have something as well. Dave

[frank shic]

what's the advantage?

[Matt Winterowd]

SUVA guards cost about $2000. That's an expensive guard for a DJ20!

[Bruce Wrenn]

Go over to that other formum, and search for post by junquecol that have to do with jointing a wide board. One of the links shows a DJ-20 with shop made guard. Or just look at last inside page of current issue of Wood Magazine. That's how I do mine.

[David Kumm]

SUVA guards cost about $2000. That's an expensive guard for a DJ20!

They are not cheap but surely not $2000 for one to fit an 8" jointer. They make several sizes but the shortest is a one piece that covers 340mm. I'm not sure how well they work with US market jointers that have a rabbiting ledge that is kind of in the way. Dave

[Van Huskey]

If nobody makes a specific kit for the DJ-20 (which I doubt) the cheapest way may be to adapt the guard from the Jet JJP-12, you could cut the actual guard extrusion and my guess is their parts would be cheaper than parts from the euro manufacturers.

[Rod Sheridan]

what's the advantage?

Hi Frank, after going to a Euro machine I realised how much safer I felt using the bridge guard, although it took a bit of time to become familiar with it.

I like the fact that the cutter isn't exposed when face jointing, the bridge covers the cutter.

When edge jointing the bridge is drawn back slightly less than the thickness of the work piece. The cutter is exposed then, however the bridge holds the work against the fence at the bottom, keeping you fingers away from the cutter.

Watch videos of the Felder machines in action and you can watch the use of the bridge guard..............Regards, Rod.

[frank shic]

that's very interesting... fast forward to 3:11:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lDKTvLpF2s&feature=related

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Go over to that other formum, and search for post by junquecol that have to do with jointing a wide board. One of the links shows a DJ-20 with shop made guard. Or just look at last inside page of current issue of Wood Magazine. That's how I do mine.

That is a great quick and easy way to work more safely with the stock guard removed!

[frank shic]

what's the other forum?

[Chris Littrell]

If nobody makes a specific kit for the DJ-20 (which I doubt) the cheapest way may be to adapt the guard from the Jet JJP-12, you could cut the actual guard extrusion and my guess is their parts would be cheaper than parts from the euro manufacturers.

I know this is old but I just ordered the Gaurd. $197 for all the parts. I'll post photos once I start. Has any one completed this upgrade.

Chris

[Rod Sheridan]

what's the advantage?

Frank, I find them much nicer to work with as during face jointing I don't ever have the cutter exposed.

This allows a hand over hand switch to the outfeed table that's much more comfortable........Regards, Rod.

[Peter Aeschliman]

To the OP- if I were you, I would fabricate my own guard. Drill and tap some holes on the edge of either the infeed or outfeed tables on your jointer for attachment points, and make your own guard out of steel or aluminum. The jointer/planer machines you see have long arms on them because they need to accommodate the jointer-to-planer conversion. But in a fixed jointer such as yours, that's unnecessary. You could maybe buy the necessary parts from another machine and fabricate the parts you need out of wood if you're more comfortable with that.

As a side note, in my opinion, having had both types of guards- I prefer the pork chop for edge jointing and the euro guard for face-jointing.

For face jointing, the pork chop is essentially worthless because the width of the workpiece causes the guard to move away and completely expose the cutterhead at the most vital moments. It doesn't cover the cutterhead at all as you exit the cut until you're totally out of harm's way... not terribly useful.

But for edge jointing, it at least attempts to cover the cutterhead as you enter and exit the cut, and you don't have to fiddle with it to set it to the width of the workpiece (admittedly, the fiddling is only a minor annoyance).

Best of both worlds would be a euro guard that has spring-loaded fingers at the end that normally contact the fence until the workpiece is over the cutterhead, and which covers the cutterhead as soon as you exit the cut. I have daydreamed about making my own such guard... almost like a euro guard with a small pork chop at the end.

[Mike Delyster]

This might be what your looking for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft6MFmjmzhc

[Peter Aeschliman]

This might be what your looking for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft6MFmjmzhc

Brilliant! That doesn't look inexpensive though!

[Mike Delyster]

Brilliant! That doesn't look inexpensive though!

Probably a couple times what my jointer is worth and I'm probably still light.
It is without a doubt the nicest jointer guard I've seen.

[Dennis Aspö]

Yeah but you could make a euro guard in your own workshop, it doesn't have to be that complicated. It's basically just a board with a cove on the inside. Board goes up and down and slides in and out. Lots of ways to accomplish that.

Here's the kind of guard my jointer/planer is supposed to have (only have the arm, which is rusted shut, should do something about it):
http://i.imgur.com/2WnI149.png

[James Zhu]

Probably a couple times what my jointer is worth and I'm probably still light.
It is without a doubt the nicest jointer guard I've seen.

Get a Martin jointer, you will have this nicest guard :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6IsEoLJzaA

[Mike Delyster]

Get a Martin jointer, you will have this nicest guard :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6IsEoLJzaA

Ya, and then one would forget all about the price of the guard.