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Thread: Anyone ever create their own overarm table saw blade guard?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    West Central Illinois
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    194

    Anyone ever create their own overarm table saw blade guard?

    Thinking about adding one to my saw. Son is ready to learn more about it and I am thinking one would be a good idea.

    Thanks for your time!
    Chris

  2. #2
    Christopher,

    Google overarm dust collector you’ll get plenty of ideas.

    A blade guard will not prevent an accident and can’t be used in certain operations like dados and grooves. A guard is fine but ther safety features of equal or greater importance include riving knife or splitter, feather board, stock guides and push blocks.

    SawStops weren’t around when I taught my boys, but I would seriously consider one. Mine were a bit precocious, so for me the best safety feature was throwing the breaker when not in use :-)
    Last edited by Robert Engel; 07-13-2020 at 8:46 AM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    West Central Illinois
    Posts
    194
    Great advice! Found some good concepts that I plan to turn into something.

    Chris

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
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    11,248
    Blade guards do prevent accidents, and they can also prevent stock kick backs caused by contact with the top of the blade.

    Overarm as well some types of riving knife/splitter mounted guards can collect dust off the top of the blade.

    As others have said a riving knife or splitter can also prevent kick backs.

    You can use different types of guards to allow use when making non through cuts such as rebates or dadoes.

    If you can't do an operation on the saw without removing the guard, you're either using the wrong machine to do the task or the wrong guard for the task.

    I have 3 guards for my saw although the overarm spends most of th time on the saw.........Regards, Rod.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    N CA
    Posts
    1,279
    I use the factory over arm on my SS. It has worked well except when trimming an edge where the blade is not fully enclosed in the wood. Then it spits most of the dust our at you. As you are going to build your own it might be worth making yours either wide enough to cover the edge cuts or maybe an attachment to the guard for those edge cuts.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    9,648
    I made this guard for me old Unisaw:



    The vertical post is attached to a floor joist. The guard is off an old Sears TS and slides over a wood block on the splitter to keep it centered on the blade. It can still be left over the blade when cutting dados. It does not tilt with the blade so that's a disadvantage. Since I took this photo, I added a dust collection hose on top of the guard to help pick up sawdust, and a spring to give it neutral balance..

    The guard provides physical protection but also a visual reference of where not to put my hands.

    John

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    West Lafayette, IN
    Posts
    6,529
    I have Shark Guards on both my Unisaws. All that’s needed is a flex hose from the ceiling.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    There are multiple threads at SMC around shop-made overhead collection, largely in the Workshops forum area where dust collection is discussed.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

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