PSI Over-ARm TS Guard

[Greg Long]

Hi,
I'm thinking of picking up one of Penn State's over arm "basket" style table saw guards for my Grissly 1023 TS - wondering if others have this guard and what they think both in terms of safety and dust collection.

I can mount either direct overhead or on the arm on the right side of the TS's extension table (52" rails with table).

I junked the stock guard for this saw and currently use a shop built one that basically just helps me remember where the "danger zone" is - and keeps the chips from slapping me in the face. I always use a shop made splitter when I rip.

Thanks

Greg

[Chris Padilla]

Greg,

Try the search feature and you'll hit some stuff (overarm guard is a good start). I just ordered one off of Amazon last week for $119. I think the consensus is split but for the price, I figured it would be a good start for myself. I'm doing a fair amount of MDF cutting and I'm tired of the mess and powder it produces on the TS.

I plan to mount from the ceiling but I expect to do a fair amount of modifying to the device over time or heck, even right away. I guess we'll see.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Using a guard with dust collection capability is paramount when cutting MDF. The dust is almost of a flour-like consistency.
-Jeff :)

[Jerome Hanby]

Using a guard with dust collection capability is paramount when cutting MDF. The dust is almost of a flour-like consistency.
-Jeff :)

Truer words never spoken. Building my daughter's "doll-house" bed, I'd come in at night and have that yellow flour standing on the ridge of my nose and everywhere else imaginable.

[Greg Long]

Thanks for the replies - I saw the price on Amazon and figured I could not go too wrong (famous last words). I haven't read anything about the guard that suggests it's junk - not yet anyway.

I made my daughter a play kitchen a few years ago - during the design phase a friend of my wife asked if I would build one for her daughter too. Since the wives wanted to custom paint each of the kitchens to match the individual daughter's tastes, I used 3/4" MDF for stock. Things turned out great, and the girls are still playing with the kitchens, but I never made so much fine dust at one time in my life with all of that MDF - must have changed dust mask cartridges a dozen times during the cutting and shaping - even with decent dust collection in the shop.

[John Thompson]

I did in on my former Uni-saw and on my current Steel City 5 HP using the PS shield which is sold separately and my own home-cooking on the rest.

Sarge..

[glenn bradley]

I have had it for over 3 years. I wish the hose didn't reduce as much as it does but my opinion on that may change as soon as I get my cyclone going vs. my current 1HP bagger. It is really only useful for wider cuts where the fence can be cleared. Not good with miter gauge, sled or narrow cuts.

It is great for sheet goods and any wider cut especially long ripping where a lot of spoil is generated. It is so easy to swing out of the way and back into service that I use it more than I might another type. It is also not nearly as heavy or space eating as the more expensive (albeit better made) systems. I'm glad I bought it. Great price.

[Chris Padilla]

I'm fairly certain, but it remains to be tested, that I will want to attach a larger hose or hoseS to the PSI guard. I may have to custom make my own guard. I was thinking to tap off a 6" hose and bring down two 4" hoses but that might be too big. I may drop down to 3" hoses. I have thoughts that one hose in front and one in back might really improve the DC of this guard.

[Brad Townsend]

I've got a PSI sitting in the attic of my shop. I used it for a year and found it got in the way more than it helped protect me. Went to a Sharkguard and never looked back.

[Chris Padilla]

Personally, I want the overarm guard more for dust collection purposes than from keeping folks from calling me "Stubby"! :)

[CPeter James]

Here is my setup on a PM66. This is an Exactor, but I believe it is the same.

http://home.metrocast.net/~cpjvkj/ts.jpg

Because I have a very long arm on it I keep the brace under the arm unless I need to rip a wide piece or move the fence into that position. The arm is strong enough but this adds some stiffness.

CPeter

[Chuck Tringo]

I second the shark guard, on and off in a jiffy and does a good job of getting the dust. I dont run it off of my DC though, I run my shop vac separately and found this does better than splitting off of my DC.

[Greg Long]

Thanks for all of the replies - Shark Guard looks solid - never heard of it prior to this post so thanks much!

G

[Paul Demetropoulos]

I've had this PSI guard on my unisaw for about a year, have it mounted from over head. As was said it works best with wide cuts on plywood. Narrow cuts become somewhat problematic as the guard interfers with push sticks.

I wanted this unit more for dust collection and my intial setup drew poorly through the guard. I have a 2hp cyclone system with 5" duct reduced to 4 inch into the cabinet of the saw, and a 2 inch line off that going to the guard. I had tremendous suction through the cabinet but almost nothing through the guard.

So I removed the 2 inch line and hooked up my shop vac to the guard, keeping the 4" DC to the cabinet of the saw. This worked great.

This all has to do I believe with static pressure, velocity and mysterious properties of air in movement. My experience tells me my shop vac works better with small lines as with sander and the dc works best with the bigger machines.

The PSI system works well enough although the guard is a little flimsy. But for the price I give it a B+

[Sue Wise]

+1 on the Shark guard.

[Chris Padilla]

I've had this PSI guard on my unisaw for about a year, have it mounted from over head. As was said it works best with wide cuts on plywood. Narrow cuts become somewhat problematic as the guard interfers with push sticks.

I wanted this unit more for dust collection and my intial setup drew poorly through the guard. I have a 2hp cyclone system with 5" duct reduced to 4 inch into the cabinet of the saw, and a 2 inch line off that going to the guard. I had tremendous suction through the cabinet but almost nothing through the guard.

So I removed the 2 inch line and hooked up my shop vac to the guard, keeping the 4" DC to the cabinet of the saw. This worked great.

This all has to do I believe with static pressure, velocity and mysterious properties of air in movement. My experience tells me my shop vac works better with small lines as with sander and the dc works best with the bigger machines.

The PSI system works well enough although the guard is a little flimsy. But for the price I give it a B+

Paul, your intuition serves you well. Shop vacs move small volumes of air with very high velocity. DCs move large volumes of air with slower velocity. I still plan to jimmy up my PSI (sure hope it arrives TODAY, Christmas Eve...fingers crossed) to see if I can get my DC working with it....

[John Thompson]

I second the shark guard, on and off in a jiffy and does a good job of getting the dust. I dont run it off of my DC though, I run my shop vac separately and found this does better than splitting off of my DC.

And you did the correct thing IMO, Chuck. I use a Penn State shield on a home-made crown guard very similar to Lee's excellent Shark Guard but.. my 2 1/2" hose comes directly from a Shop Vac 6.5 HP that sits under the right extention table. I have a 6" direct from the cyclone connected to the bottom of the TS where I enlarged the port to 6".

Attn. Chris... I have tried Y'ing off the 6" but it is cumbersome to do so and I get better results with the 6.5 Shop Vac direct line with 2 1/2" hose to the shield. Using this method has produced about 95% efficiency. I wish I could do that with a 12" SCMS but controlling that machine is nothing more than a dream. :)

Sarge..

[Chris Padilla]

Sarge, I hear you but I'm stubborn and REALLY don't want to hook up my screaming Ridgid shopvac (it is currently banished to the shed where I've threatened to sell it numerous times ;) ). I HATE that thing with a passion and I don't want another thing on wheels to kick around my tiny shop . You "telling me" it won't work just makes it all the more a challenge! :D

[John Thompson]

Actually Chris... I'm not telling you it "won't" work, simply that it is not as efficient as using a Shop Vac direct hook-up. My SV sits under the extention table toward the front with the on-off forward so I just have to reach down and hit it. I took the wheels off so it is dedicated to the TS. I have 4 more in various places which include two 2 1/2 HP for the DP and one of my ROS's.

As far as noise... I have a 3 HP cyclone running.. a 5 HP TS and the Shop Vac when the TS is in use. I don't hear much of anything. That might be due to spending months on an Army sniper range firing 500 rounds a day 7 days a week? And one too many 105 mm.. 155 mm and 8" guns booming away in a combat zone? Who knows for sure as "could you repeat that sir or ma'am is part of my everyday speech. :)

Merry Xmas and good luck with your quest...

Sarge..