Table saw blade guard.

[Rich]

I've got an older Grizzly 1022 10" table saw. It still has the blade guard that came with it but I have to sheepishly admit I never use it. Why? It is a PITA. I want to modify it or replace it with something that will be both safe and easy eonough to use that I won't put it in the corner to collect dust. I want it to have a clear hood with a dust port so I can breath better. Lastly I'm also a cheapwad so I don't want to put money into a Bissemeyer or Excalibur guard. Anyone have any plans, ideas or cheap mods so I can accomplish this. Thanks,

Rich Harris

[Rob Mills]

[Toller]

Yeh, but some people can't. I don't use a guard either, for the same reasons; but I would never recommend the practice to anyone else. They might not be as careful (or lucky) as we are.

[D Steck]

I have a Brett guard on mine. I first attempted to make my own overhead blade guard using some plans by DAGS but over time, it just fell apart. Spend the money. After all, how much is a finger worth? In my line of business, it's worth more than the $500 for a Brett guard. Hmm, after your deductible at the hospital, how much would it really cost you?

[Tom Banes]

My Jet's guard was also a HOS. I finally broke down and gone a Uniguard, as a dust port was low on my list of gottas. After 4 weeks with it, I'm happy. The split guard is nice for close cuts. It gets out of the way easily when I'm using a crosscut sled, then swings back up for the rip without any hassle. Solid piece of work.

I'd already sprung for a Biess splitter, so didn't need to fiddle with the Delta one that comes with the guard - anyone need a the Delta splitter?

Regards.

[Rich]

Fortunately for me I still have all ten too. Through care and safe practice. (well as safe as you can be without using the guard.) However to be honest, my son is at that age where I want to teach him the tools and the proper way to use them. I really don't want to use the old adage of do as I say not as I do. Oh and BTW my insurance is paid for by the taxpayers. I've been a Guinea Pig for Navy medicine for over 20 years now. :) not that I can afford to lose a finger. So anyone got any plans?

[Pop]

: clear view at all times and no obstructions. I've been doing that for 30 + : years and can still count to ten, twenty with my shoes off. RM~ : : oUCH! Sorry to hear that; how long's it been since you could count to the full 21? ;-0.

Pop

[loutent]

Hi Rich,

I'm sort of with Toller and others here. I removed the guard after I had some kickbacks about 20 years ago from my first TS purchase. I just do not like not seeing the wood passing through the blade clearly.

I have had a couple minor kickbacks over the years- even one since I bought my Griz 1023SL about a year ago. Nothing serious - mostly because I saw what was happening (I think.)

Still, I am too dumb to use a guard. I would always recommend a guard to anyone else not as smart as me tho (mostly anyone reading this I imagine.)

It must be a left/right/no brain thing. You will find a 33/33/34 breakdown here on the wreck.

Lou

[wood addict]

2 or 3 years back wood magazine had an article on a blade guard/dust catcher similar to on of the commercial units, I have been using it since then and use the microjig splitter make a good combo

[Dan]

On Sun 20 Nov 2005 03:53:08p, "D Steck" wrote in news:4f6gf.6151$ [e-mail]:

The price was holding me back, but now that Penn State's got this little thing, I'm having second and third thoughts. When it was five hundred bucks, I knew I could build one for a lot less, that did as good a job. When it's two hundred, maybe a storebought one is the way to go.

The guard that came with my Grizz 1022 was worse than nothing, and I've been lucky. Except for that one little time I brushed up against a shut down but still spinning blade, on a day when I should have taken a nap instead. No lost digits. Just an afternoon in the emergency room. But it convinced me to build a guard because I knew I could build one for less than 500. Now I'm wondering if I could build one for under two hundred, that's as good as this Penn State unit.

[Toller]

tempted.

[Jimmy]

[Greg G]

Ditto.

Greg G.

[James "Cubby" Culbertson]

I continue to use my factory blade guard and like so many others, am looking at doing something different too. I don't have the space (or the time at the moment) to really contemplate what I'll do but I do seem to remember doing a search regarding the PSI Guards. It's been a while but IIRC, I saw a number of negative reviews out there. Seems the unit was flimsy and wouldn't hold settings. It's been awhile since I looked and Lord knows my memory ain't what it used to be so you probably ought to check it out! I was actually looking at building my own using something like this:

[Bob G.]

============ Has to be 15 or more years ago since I purchased the Excalibur overhead guard for my saw...and to be very honest I am not know as a cheapskate but I am know for being a "little" tight with my money...

Looking back it has to rank up there as one of my best purchases.. right up their with the engagement ring I pleaded with my wife to accept . .HONEST...Both were money well spent...

It moves completely out of the way in a second ...the dust collection in the guard is honestly not worth much and it has no splitter (more important then the guard in my opinion)..

I can understand not wanting to spend the money..but I cut my finer almost a month ago (not in the shop) and it has put me almost out of commission ,,, frankly I would drop a grand ($$$$) to recover the lost Shop time...TV and surfing the web is for the birds...

Bob G..

[Rick Beebe]

Here's one I built and use:

've been using it for four or five years now. At the time, the least expensive overarm guards with dust collection were $400. That Penn State one would be mighty tempting today.

--Rick

[Dan]

On Mon 21 Nov 2005 10:11:53a, Greg G. wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Dudes. Winter's comin and my primary project now is getting some temporary heat into this unattached garashop, and commencing to winterize these 90 year old walls. The table saw isn't going to see much action till spring. I'd really like to get that guard before the price goes up but the budget for the next few months is pretty tight.

How about the two of you chip in, and test her out for the rest of us? ;-)

[Frank Drackman]

My friend's grandmother smoked two packs a day, never sick a day in her life, lived to be 100 and they say smoking is bad for you.

[Upscale]

You know, I've seen similar statements before and it has to be one of the stupidest and most ignorant comments going. Just because a few individuals were lucky enough to be blessed with the genes for long life despite smoking like a chimney, doesn't for one second mean that many others will experience the same luck. In fact, the reverse is true.

You want use that kind of reasoning and take similar risks with your health and most likely die a difficult death, by all means, please do so. But don't for one second think that glorifying your friend's 100 year old grandmother in conjunction with smoking is anything to be desired. It only makes you look like a fool.

[else24]

I think that's exactly the point Frank was making.