Martin Wasner
02-11-2017, 1:30 PM
I bought a used SAC FS305 jointer last month, and it didn't come with a guard. Tablesaws with no guarding doesn't bother me in the slightest. Shapers, and jointers make me pee myself with no guarding.
A Suvamatic guard would be sweet. They come with a sweet price tag too.
I stopped in at the Northfield Foundry, they said their guard needs to be anchored in a lot of cast iron, and would likely destroy the mounting bracket the way it is. It wasn't a cheap option either.
Looking for the actual guard for this machine was pretty fruitless. I'd call it dumb luck if I came across one. So I decided to tinker around and see what I could come up with.
http://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16681602_10210328767886802_7090406437867699349_n.j pg?oh=06f20a04eb8bb6b878722072879b7917&oe=59445133
The original plan was to make a clamp of sorts to push down on the aluminum extrusion, I decided that was going to be too much of a pain in the rear, so I was digging through a drawer full of miscellaneous fasterners and hardware and came across this threaded knob and figured cutting a slit in the aluminum was the way to go. I guesstimated the center of it, marked a line, and drilled holes where I wanted it to stop on both ends, then just used the tablesaw to cut the slot. It went pretty well, and the holes weren't perfectly on the centerline, but close enough that when I tuned it up with a file a bit, it isn't noticeable. I used a square nut on the bottom side to anchor the threaded knob. I drilled a pilot hole, and used a spade bit on the backside to recess the nut, then I just poured epoxy in to hold it in place. It should be a pretty low torque application, so I think the epoxy I used will hold fine. I also made a little washer from the side of a 1 gallon Titebond glue bottle. I didn't like how the washer under the threaded knob was dragging on the aluminum.
http://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16711558_10210328897850051_8964738082696763327_n.j pg?oh=321bd2485add49335d8163018e25b6bf&oe=5936666F
The base is made from a piece of 3/4" thick Richlite. Richlite is basically paper and epoxy smashed together. It's a pretty durable product, and is easily machined with woodworking tooling. Once I had the aluminum for the guard in the shape I wanted it, I just traced it out on the side of the Richlite then made about a zillion passes over the tablesaw nibbling away at it. I used a chisel and sandpaper to smooth things out. It's not perfect, but once waxed up the aluminum slides across it nicely, and it's not really seen, so I'm calling it good enough.
http://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16684270_10210328897930053_574527754832027409_n.jp g?oh=2a368099dce0223d77ac3084a4688cb2&oe=5947FCA7
http://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16681886_10210328767846801_3203077497205015087_n.j pg?oh=cd8dcad2e5e6208138bab0b60f41f2be&oe=5901C918
"Where in the heck did you source that piece of aluminum?" It's part of a section of a broken sailboat mast.
https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16708275_10210328767726798_2353473964410285120_n.j pg?oh=0ce5e66be6311d130f5cc3b1a8f640d0&oe=5937AFA8
I need to figure out how I'm going to mount it. Right now I think I've got two options.
1. Use the existing mount that is back a little bit from the cutter, and use a plug of some sort that drops into the holes in the casting that holds fasteners that hold the bearings.
2. There's a plastic cover on the side that is only there just to dress things up. The holes for that cover are far enough down, and far enough in that I can make a bracket and use those holes to mount it to. It should be plenty stable. I've got a chunk of a Delta Uni Fence that I can whack a section out of, and I think will work pretty well. I would have to have a machinist make me a section of T shaped rail to slide into part of the extrusion to make mounting then Richlite easier. That won't cost much though.
I haven't decided which yet is the better path. I'm leaning towards the bracket on the side though.
Everything is just kinda roughed out at the moment. Once I have everything the way I like it, I'm going to route the edges on the Richlite then sand and polish it. You can get this stuff to look like a black mirror if you really go crazy sanding and buffing. The aluminum I'm just going to scuff up the face of it, and rattle can it Yellow. I'd like to make a foot of some sort for it, but I haven't directed any effort in that direction other than; "that'd look nice". I think I'd also have to whack a recess out of the Richlite mounting plate so the foot recedes into it and I have full access to the entire head.
I do not understand how the Suvamatic guard works. I'm pretty sure it's dark magic making it move the way that it does.
A Suvamatic guard would be sweet. They come with a sweet price tag too.
I stopped in at the Northfield Foundry, they said their guard needs to be anchored in a lot of cast iron, and would likely destroy the mounting bracket the way it is. It wasn't a cheap option either.
Looking for the actual guard for this machine was pretty fruitless. I'd call it dumb luck if I came across one. So I decided to tinker around and see what I could come up with.
http://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16681602_10210328767886802_7090406437867699349_n.j pg?oh=06f20a04eb8bb6b878722072879b7917&oe=59445133
The original plan was to make a clamp of sorts to push down on the aluminum extrusion, I decided that was going to be too much of a pain in the rear, so I was digging through a drawer full of miscellaneous fasterners and hardware and came across this threaded knob and figured cutting a slit in the aluminum was the way to go. I guesstimated the center of it, marked a line, and drilled holes where I wanted it to stop on both ends, then just used the tablesaw to cut the slot. It went pretty well, and the holes weren't perfectly on the centerline, but close enough that when I tuned it up with a file a bit, it isn't noticeable. I used a square nut on the bottom side to anchor the threaded knob. I drilled a pilot hole, and used a spade bit on the backside to recess the nut, then I just poured epoxy in to hold it in place. It should be a pretty low torque application, so I think the epoxy I used will hold fine. I also made a little washer from the side of a 1 gallon Titebond glue bottle. I didn't like how the washer under the threaded knob was dragging on the aluminum.
http://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16711558_10210328897850051_8964738082696763327_n.j pg?oh=321bd2485add49335d8163018e25b6bf&oe=5936666F
The base is made from a piece of 3/4" thick Richlite. Richlite is basically paper and epoxy smashed together. It's a pretty durable product, and is easily machined with woodworking tooling. Once I had the aluminum for the guard in the shape I wanted it, I just traced it out on the side of the Richlite then made about a zillion passes over the tablesaw nibbling away at it. I used a chisel and sandpaper to smooth things out. It's not perfect, but once waxed up the aluminum slides across it nicely, and it's not really seen, so I'm calling it good enough.
http://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16684270_10210328897930053_574527754832027409_n.jp g?oh=2a368099dce0223d77ac3084a4688cb2&oe=5947FCA7
http://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16681886_10210328767846801_3203077497205015087_n.j pg?oh=cd8dcad2e5e6208138bab0b60f41f2be&oe=5901C918
"Where in the heck did you source that piece of aluminum?" It's part of a section of a broken sailboat mast.
https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16708275_10210328767726798_2353473964410285120_n.j pg?oh=0ce5e66be6311d130f5cc3b1a8f640d0&oe=5937AFA8
I need to figure out how I'm going to mount it. Right now I think I've got two options.
1. Use the existing mount that is back a little bit from the cutter, and use a plug of some sort that drops into the holes in the casting that holds fasteners that hold the bearings.
2. There's a plastic cover on the side that is only there just to dress things up. The holes for that cover are far enough down, and far enough in that I can make a bracket and use those holes to mount it to. It should be plenty stable. I've got a chunk of a Delta Uni Fence that I can whack a section out of, and I think will work pretty well. I would have to have a machinist make me a section of T shaped rail to slide into part of the extrusion to make mounting then Richlite easier. That won't cost much though.
I haven't decided which yet is the better path. I'm leaning towards the bracket on the side though.
Everything is just kinda roughed out at the moment. Once I have everything the way I like it, I'm going to route the edges on the Richlite then sand and polish it. You can get this stuff to look like a black mirror if you really go crazy sanding and buffing. The aluminum I'm just going to scuff up the face of it, and rattle can it Yellow. I'd like to make a foot of some sort for it, but I haven't directed any effort in that direction other than; "that'd look nice". I think I'd also have to whack a recess out of the Richlite mounting plate so the foot recedes into it and I have full access to the entire head.
I do not understand how the Suvamatic guard works. I'm pretty sure it's dark magic making it move the way that it does.