Alternate Jointer Knife Guard

[Anthony Whitesell]

I'm trying to build or buy a knife guard for my jointer (G0490) that is not the porkchop design. I recently notice a G0660X and a G0675 for sale used and neither have a porkchop guard, but instead have a sliding guard attached to a long (spring loaded?) arm. Unfortunately buying the parts from Grizzly is out as they have discontinued replacement parts for the guard on both machines. :( Does anyone know where I can buy a retrofit guard like this or have plans to make one?

[Howard Pollack]

I believe that they are called "Euro guards" or something similar. Try googling that. Good luck. -Howard

[glenn bradley]

It might help to know why the pork chop isn't working for you. There are fabric backed types you could make that are another alternative. Generally used on larger machines for obvious reasons.

507733

This would easily retrofit to your current pork chop mounting location. For a traditional Euro style guard you may have to go to a European provider like Hammer, Mini Max, or . . https://www.scosarg.com/cps-txf650-surface-planer-guard

[Anthony Whitesell]

It might help to know why the pork chop isn't working for you. There are fabric backed types you could make that are another alternative. Generally used on larger machines for obvious reasons.

507733

This would easily retrofit to your current pork chop mounting location. For a traditional Euro style guard you may have to go to a European provider like Hammer, Mini Max, or . . https://www.scosarg.com/cps-txf650-surface-planer-guard
Not that I see how it matters, but it is because the pork chop guard travels downfeed to open it interferes with the power feeder when mounted.

[Kevin Jenness]

If your main reason for change is using a powerfeed, you can hold the porkchop guard open with a clamp or a bolt through a drilled hole in the guard bearing on the side of the jointer.

The tambour guard shown is my favorite. Both the porkchop and the standard Euro guards stick out quite a bit on a wide jointer, though there are hinged Euro guards.

Those Unitronix machines are well-made, heavy units.

[Bruce Wrenn]

When I'm jointing boards wider than the head on my jointer, I use a Tee type guard clamped to the fence. Tee is made from plywood.

[Mike Stelts]

Felder jointers offer a Euro guard (https://www.felder-group.com/en-us/shop/planer-guard-sc91698/comfort-euro-planer-guard-sp605833); however, it might be a chore to fit this to your jointer.

[Jim Becker]

Biggest challenge to mounting a bridge guard (Euro guard) to a North American design joiner is that the mount point might not exist natively, so some creativity might be required. But personally, I hate the "pork chops" and I was glad I was able to get a bridge guard for my J/P years ago!

[Anthony Whitesell]

When I'm jointing boards wider than the head on my jointer, I use a Tee type guard clamped to the fence. Tee is made from plywood.

My concern with the euro guard, is that the mount would prevent it from allowing for boards wider than the jointer bed. I usually saw lumber to be 9" and 10 1/8" wide (32/4 and 36/4) so it is bound to hang over the edge of my 8" jointer. I am assuming the Tee type guard you mean a L-shaped piece of wood clamped to the fence and extending out over the cutterhead. This may be all that I need.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Felder jointers offer a Euro guard (https://www.felder-group.com/en-us/shop/planer-guard-sc91698/comfort-euro-planer-guard-sp605833); however, it might be a chore to fit this to your jointer.

I'm not sure I see, from the website, how this guard mounts to the jointer and allows for vertical movement to allow the lumber to pass beneath.

[Anthony Whitesell]

If your main reason for change is using a powerfeed, you can hold the porkchop guard open with a clamp or a bolt through a drilled hole in the guard bearing on the side of the jointer.
Pinning it open or removing it both pose the same problem, the cutterhead is exposed and unprotected from accidental contact. Hence my thought on changing the style of the guard.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I am assuming the Tee type guard you mean a L-shaped piece of wood clamped to the fence and extending out over the cutterhead. This may be all that I need. Be sure and use BRASS screws and glue to fasten two pieces of wood together. This way, if it should come in contact with cutters, they won't be damaged

[Greg Quenneville]

The bridge type guards typically are mounted so that you can unscrew a knob and lift the arm through 270° so the assembly hangs down out of the way leaving the entire outfeed table unobstructed.

[Lee Schierer]

You could modify your pork chop guard like my father did on the jointer I now own.
507818
It has a piece of 1/8" thick aluminum that is attached to the pivot boss and edge of the pork chop with # 6 flat head screws in tapped holes

[Kevin Jenness]

Pinning it open or removing it both pose the same problem, the cutterhead is exposed and unprotected from accidental contact. Hence my thought on changing the style of the guard.

With the powerfeed in place you shouldn't be in any danger.

[Anthony Whitesell]

With the powerfeed in place you shouldn't be in any danger.
The head is spinning and exposed and I still have to get the board started. Plenty of danger present IMO.

[Anthony Whitesell]

You could modify your pork chop guard like my father did on the jointer I now own.
507818
It has a piece of 1/8" thick aluminum that is attached to the pivot boss and edge of the pork chop with # 6 flat head screws in tapped holes
I don't see how that prevents it from swinging over the outfeed table when the guard opens. The power feeder is mounted litterally touching the outfeed side of that guard.

[Michael Burnside]

I don't see how that prevents it from swinging over the outfeed table when the guard opens. The power feeder is mounted litterally touching the outfeed side of that guard.

Yea I don't see how it would either mate. My recommendation would be to pull the guard open and move the feeder close to the head and add some sort of guard on the feeder itself or a piece of ply/aluminum that hovers above blade, attached to the "pork chop" to emulate a "euro" guard. Honestly when I've seen jointers with sliding guards on them they're pulled out of the way too.

Oh, and don't put your fingers anywhere near the power feeder or the blade...regardless of if a guard is there or not :D

P.S. long live the pork chop! MMMM. I hate those stupid sliding guards that sick out and hit you in the hip or they have some weird folding mechanism and height adjuster, no thanks! Oh, and I'll keep my dado blades too!

[Kevin Jenness]

The head is spinning and exposed and I still have to get the board started. Plenty of danger present IMO.

Obviously you should do what feels safe. Seems like you could easily enough attach an extension to the powerfeed casting to cover the cutterhead.

[Joe Calhoon]

You might feel safer if you pull the front wheel off the feeder and move the feeder forward to cover the cutter head. Purpose made jointer feeders only have one wheel so you would still have two or three wheels on the outfeed depending on what feeder you have.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Obviously you should do what feels safe. Seems like you could easily enough attach an extension to the powerfeed casting to cover the cutterhead.
Hmm. That's an interesting option.

[Kevin Jenness]

Joe's suggestion seems the simplest.