Convert Jointer Guard from European bridge style to American Porkchop Style

[Joe Calhoon]

Thank you, Joe! Much appreciated. I used one of these on Chris Hall’s Martin jointer, it was great!

Those work well Brian. I had a chance to use one on a Jointer in a shop were setting up a window machine. It was a busy shop and looked like it held up well. Nice that it doesn’t stick out. That is the one downside to the Suva but you get used to it. The big plus to the Suva is it adjusts to any position quickly. My old SCM jointer had a pork chop guard that worked pretty well but after using the Suva overhead for facing I prefer facing in that mode.
When we set up the shop in Bhutan they had a Griggio jointer with the standard euro bridge guard. I did not care for that one mainly because you had to adjust it every time the fence was moved. And it sticked out a lot.

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I even use the Suva when power feed facing. With my reduced work load now I usually just hand face with the overhead guard and have a couple sizes of push blocks near to use when needed.
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Suva can also be used for facing using a hooked push block and applying pressure at the side. This leaves a bit of the cutter open with wide boards before the start of cut. This is where the folding pork chop guard would be better. Bottom line is developing good safety habits no matter what guard you use.
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[Brian Holcombe]

I agree, good habits trump any guarding especially on a jointer where exposure to the blades is impossible to avoid.

I have students, so a fast retracting guard is helpful for after they make they cut and need to reposition the board.

[Dave Sabo]

Love when an O.P. asks a question never to return.

Being that he has a Robland, and to my knowledge, they don't support a pork chop guard - he's goin to have a difficult time retrofitting one. Even if he want to bore the cast iron deck, I think the adjustments for the sliding ways will be in the way.

[Brian Holcombe]

Joe,

The german company responded today and now I have one on order. Costs about $610 incl shipping.

Thanks again!

Brian

[Bernie May]

Brian can you give us specifics of what you bought and from what company?

[Robert Mayer]

I prefer more of a Filet Mignon type guard

[Warren Lake]

Robert there is more freedom to work the machine and the material with no guard. The guard systems are flawed in different ways in design, maybe flawed the wrong word, its not an easy design for what it needs to do for industry.

People have been hurt still that use guards and some dont set them up right. If you lift your hand over the cutters for a euro guard why can you not do that with no guard. Just lift your hand up over to the outfeed. That was how we were taught but likely had pork chop guy at the time, its useless at the end of cut anyway. You cant drop on with either of them. Not really an accurate statement you can pull it out of the way to drop on but then you still have no guard at that point.

Wood over the knives is a guard. Someone needs to put time into a serious redesign for people who want to get the best out of machining, maybe there isnt one.

[Andrew Hughes]

I agree with Warren. Couldn’t have said it better

[Brian Holcombe]

Bernie,

I purchased the guard we have been discussing.

I also agree with Warren but given that I have students, I'd have a lot of explaining to do about taking the guard off if anything happened, so I'd rather just have a good guard.

[Patrick Kane]

Joe,

The german company responded today and now I have one on order. Costs about $610 incl shipping.

Thanks again!

Brian

Ahh you beat me to it! I received quotes back last night, and was about to update everyone. Insanely low price for what i imagine to be the peak jointer guard design. $553 for the 510mm guard and $78 in shipping to the States.

I was just about to ask for clarification on what the price includes. Did you clarify that already? Does it include the spring mechanism etc? Im trying to determine what fabrication is needed on my end to mount the guard to my machine and ensure it operates correctly. If its just a matter of making a mount and bolting it to the machine, then im all over this for $631

[Brian Holcombe]

Ahh you beat me to it! I received quotes back last night, and was about to update everyone. Insanely low price for what i imagine to be the peak jointer guard design. $553 for the 510mm guard and $78 in shipping to the States.

I was just about to ask for clarification on what the price includes. Did you clarify that already? Does it include the spring mechanism etc? Im trying to determine what fabrication is needed on my end to mount the guard to my machine and ensure it operates correctly. If its just a matter of making a mount and bolting it to the machine, then im all over this for $631

I assume just the guard, but I'm not sure. I'm also wondering about the fabrication but whatever it takes I will do.

[Patrick Kane]

I assume just the guard, but I'm not sure. I'm also wondering about the fabrication but whatever it takes I will do.

Alright, please post about it once you receive it. You are going to be my guinea pig, because i know you posses 25x the metal fab skills i do.

Joe, once again, thank you for the heads up on the supplier.

[roger wiegand]

I got really excited about the segmented guard that flops over the edge of the table-- then I priced one. $825 plus shipping from the UK. Yikes! I was ready to go several hundred, but up at that range the Suva is only another factor of 2.5 and looks really slick . I may continue to be irritated by my oversize pork chop for a while.

[Patrick Kane]

Brian, did you receive the guard? Curious how you fit it to your machine and how it operates in person.

[Alan Lightstone]

Isn't there also a Euro style guard made of segments (along the lines of the pork chop you show) so the segments drop down in front when the guard is retracted for edge jointing thick stock, rather than sticking out into the walking path? That's pretty much my only complaint with the euro style guard.

My Felder has one, but it still sticks out a little. But better than all the way.