Thread: TS Overhead Guard Extraction

Superglue will not work as you need a glue to suit the material, acetone is one that springs to mind and there are some commercially available ones as well. I think clear silicone and stainless steel screws look as nice as anything and learn how to flame polish the edges after cutting or routing.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

Superglue will not work as you need a glue to suit the material, acetone is one that springs to mind and there are some commercially available ones as well. I think clear silicone and stainless steel screws look as nice as anything and learn how to flame polish the edges after cutting or routing.

Cheers Chris. I wondered if the superglue would work! I also appreciate you pointing out the silicone option -- it should be plenty strong enough. As for flame polish, do you just mean buffing out the cut edges to translucency? Agreed that SS screws would look nice indeed! Thanks.

Have a look on this page...

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ishing+acrylic

Try it on a piece of scrap, it is dead easy, just keep the torch moving.

Wow! What a beautiful result. Will definitely give it a go!

In 2005 I made an overhead guard for my TS using plastic and superglue as posted in this thread posts 6 and 7 which may be of interest.

Whilst I do not know the type of plastic I used, found it in a skip a long time ago, and only the cheap superglue from a $ 2 shop it has lasted with the occasional repair as it suffered a bit of abuse when it did do the job of being a guard.


Peter.

Polycarbonate (PC) and acrylic (Poly(methyl methacrylate or PMMA) are two different types of plastics.

PC is more expensive but is tougher which is why it is used as face shield material.
When thin enough It can be bent into shapes at room temperature which is how I formed up the visible part of my TS guard.

PMMA is relatively brittle - if it is going to be used in a TS guard thicker stuff should be used because if it falls onto the blade or is hit by a piece of wood it may shatter sending stuff flying around the shed.

My PC guard has a 50 mm cut in it where it fell onto the moving blade but there was no drama.

My guard uses a mix of clamps for horizontal positioning but it gets it's height position using a counter weight (a lump of iron on the end of some SS wire). Ive tried clamps for the height but the counter weight I think is easier to use.

Originally Posted by Sturdee

In 2005 I made an overhead guard for my TS using plastic and superglue as posted in this thread posts 6 and 7 which may be of interest.
Peter.

Hi Peter: thanks for your reply. I had not seen your "TS Mods" thread and it certainly has heaps of very useful ideas for my table saw as well. In one of your pictures I saw quite a collection of hand places -- nice!! With your TS gaurd, have you installed dust/chip extraction since the pics? Trying to get on top of the dust, especially the finest dust, is a high priority for me!

Thanks BobL. I definitely have PC so the guard will be tough -- I didn't know it was that tough though, with regard to your thin PC getting cut. Do you like how thin and light your gaurd must be? I ask because perhaps I should look around for some thinner PC. Do you find your gaurd has enough airflow? I have wondered about the "air" coming off the blade, it must be contributing to the flow? I can see how a counterbalance weight would be very desirable. I'm thinking ...

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

Thanks BobL. I definitely have PC so the guard will be tough -- I didn't know it was that tough though, with regard to your thin PC getting cut. Do you like how thin and light your gaurd must be?

Only because it made is quick and easy to make

I ask because perhaps I should look around for some thinner PC. Do you find your gaurd has enough airflow?

My DC system is 3HP and uses 6" ducting so it can move a max of ~1200 cfm. On the TS the 1200 cfm is shared between the 6" duct connected directly the TS cabinet, and the 4" duct on top so the split will be at most about 900 cfm on top and 300 cfm through the 4" guard ducting. Ideally a bigger DC with an 8" duct to the saw and using 2 x 6: ducts would enable more air to be collected. My setup handles the fine dust reasonably well but I don't have enough air speed for some bigger chips so some of these escape but I am not that worried about these. The main problem with my design is the guard is too wide and the location of the duct should be more forward on the top.

I have wondered about the "air" coming off the blade, it must be contributing to the flow?

It does at the back of the blade but nit at the front.
Have you seen this post? https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...08#post1552508
Also read down and see the effect at post 113.

I can see how a counterbalance weight would be very desirable. I'm thinking ...

I also use counterbalances elsewhere in my shed, on my DP table, and to hold door position on my gas forge

Thanks again Bob. Yes, I had read that thread but had forgotten its contents. Thanks for the link so I could get a refresher! I see Chris has previously thought about relieving flow with some air intakes on the hood itself.

With consideration of your tissue paper and wool tests, I wonder whether the only problem area for emitted chips is in the front, not much along the sides where the air is still travelling inwards? I suspect your 25mm gap off the table plays an important role for allowing good airflow. Instead of trying to make some kind of moveable barrier for the whole side or front of the guard, what about a smaller barrier right on the corner of the guard, to block the stream of dust/chips when trimming? I'm thinking about one of those mag-switch feather boards, or similar. This would allow an appropriate gap from the guard hovering above the timber but allow for that stream of dust to be blocked.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but considering how BAD my existing Felder hood is (YOU WERE RIGHT!! &#128563, I'm keen to make the home made guard as good as I can!

With reference to your wish for your guard to be narrower, is this because yours does not adjust laterally? If not, then it's position in relation to the blade and fence would be fixed and therefore could get in the way for narrower cuts. ?? Since I've got the telescoping boom arm from my cannibalised Felder guard assembly, would the issue of guard width become less of an issue? I'm thinking I could just adjust the right side of my guard fairly close to the blade so I could cut down to maybe half an inch width. Or have I missed something?

I'm planning a guard about 150mm wide, with the dust port all the way forward. Cheers.

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

.
.
With consideration of your tissue paper and wool tests, I wonder whether the only problem area for emitted chips is in the front, not much along the sides where the air is still travelling inwards?.

.
Yep

I suspect your 25mm gap off the table plays an important role for allowing good airflow.

Yep

Instead of trying to make some kind of moveable barrier for the whole side or front of the guard, what about a smaller barrier right on the corner of the guard, to block the stream of dust/chips when trimming? I'm thinking about one of those mag-switch feather boards, or similar. This would allow an appropriate gap from the guard hovering above the timber but allow for that stream of dust to be blocked. .

I had though about this but blocking is not the answer as I tried it and all it does is squirt out further back

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but considering how BAD my existing Felder hood is (YOU WERE RIGHT!! ),

It happens - occasionally

With reference to your wish for your guard to be narrower, is this because yours does not adjust laterally?

It adjusts a long way laterally. The reason it is so wide is so that is easily matches the el-cheapo commecially available "dust picker hood" that it is mounted on, But that clamp is not very effective and

If not, then it's position in relation to the blade and fence would be fixed and therefore could get in the way for narrower cuts. ?? Since I've got the telescoping boom arm from my cannibalised Felder guard assembly, would the issue of guard width become less of an issue? I'm thinking I could just adjust the right side of my guard fairly close to the blade so I could cut down to maybe half an inch width. Or have I missed something? I'm planning a guard about 150mm wide, with the dust port all the way forward. Cheers.

Narrower will give high air speeds but not too narrow or it will have too much resistance.

Thanks Bob. Will report how I get on when making the new guard -- hopefully this weekend. Cheers.

I'm going to lose my internet connection for the evening in a few minutes but after it comes back up I will post a few pictures of my latest overhead dust guard.

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

With your TS gaurd, have you installed dust/chip extraction since the pics? Trying to get on top of the dust, especially the finest dust, is a high priority for me!

Originally I did not, but later I attached a dust extraction port to the front of the guard for use with a vacuum cleaner. Alas it wasn't very satisfactory as the vac did not have enough suction power for the longer ducting that was needed in my set up.

So I don't bother with it anymore as I don't use the TS all that much and then a Dust be gone mask and a room air filter is good enough for me.

Peter.