Blade guard "as promised"

[Jim Dunn]

In the "what did you do this weekend" thread I said I was starting a blade guard/saw dust collection system. Really simple? Not!! I forgot how hard it is to tap acrylic plastic:( I had finally gotten tired of looking for a piece of material that was 3/8" and the total dimensions I needed so I opted for .220 from the Orange box. Big mistake! But I've gotten it done except for rounding the ends of the flat aluminum and mounting it over the saw.

Test ran it, just setting it on the table, and it seems like adding the additional hose/suction port is going to do the job.

If I get the chance to rebuild it, and once my friend with the uni-saw see's it i'll probably have to build him one too, I'll put 1/2"x1/2" oak in the corners and drill and tap the wood instead of the plastic. I'll also make the opening 4" for more suction.

[Jim Becker]

I forgot how hard it is to tap acrylic plastic

LOL! That's what they make solvent for...welding the stuff! ;) (When I had a UniGuard a few years ago, I made a new head for it extremely simliar to yours so I could have dust collection. I used 1/4" Lexan and the specific solven recommended by the plastic supplier. I built a jig to hold the pieces in place so I could use a syringe to wick the solvent into the joints. I could literally stand on top of the thing a few minutes later.

[Jim Dunn]

That's what I get for shopping at the Borg :( No help and probably a higher price GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

[Gary Curtis]

I'm about to do the same thing, and have been collecting Lexan cutoffs for free at the nearby plastics dealer.

Where did you get that mounting hardware? And are you building your own over-arm support, or suspending it from the ceiling?

Gary Curtis

[Jim Dunn]

Gary I'm going to mount it from the ceiling. The mounting hardware is 1/8"X3/4" aluminum and 3/4" square aluminum tubing. I got the plans/idea from Woodcentral-Badger Pond archives and other places on the net. Thanks for looking.

[Bruce Page]

Jim, For future reference, Dawn liquid dish soap works great as a tap lubricant on Lucite/Lexan.

Nice looking guard.

[Jim Dunn]

Bruce I used liquid hand soap and found it packed in the lands?? I guess it wasn't as liquidy as I thought? I used wax to lube the screws be for final installation. Worked pretty good.

Thanks!!