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 Tablesaw Blade Guard and Dust Collection Click an image for a larger version |
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Like most woodworkers, I removed the blade guard from my tablesaw shortly
after purchasing it. While it serves an important purpose, it gets in the
way of certain operations like dados and ripping small parts. I was
looking for a solution that would provide a degree of safety as well as dust
collection from above the blade. After reviewing a number of
commercial solutions as well as shop-built devices designed and constructed
by other woodworkers, I decided on the Penn State Industries TSGUARD system.
The decision was based on its design as well as the fact that PSI had some
scratch-and-dent units available at a reduced price! The photo is the view
from the door to my shop and shows an overall view of the tablesaw support
tables and the overhead guard/dust collection. |
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This is a view of
the overall installation from the outfeed side of the tablesaw. I ran
a 4" duct from a wye in the trunk on the side wall, then through a blast
gate and a short section of 4" duct and adjustable elbow. Four inch
flexible hose runs from the duct to a 4" to 3" adapter on the TSGUARD
assembly. |
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Here's an overall
shot of my installation of the TSGUARD and dust collection control from the
operator's position of the tablesaw. I chose to suspend the assembly
from the ceiling to keep all of my tablesaw support area clear. The
tablesaw extension on the right is attached to the mitersaw bench so the
floor mount option would have had to come through the table. |
) ) ) |
The central
support tube of the TSGUARD is mounted to the ceiling with 3/8" by 6.5"
carriage bolts. I added a section of 2x4 to the side of a ceiling
joist, then screwed another piece of 2x4 sideways on top of both. This
arrangement provides all of the strength necessary to support the entire
structure safely.
Additional lateral stability is gained by placing the rods and turnbuckles from the kit to either side of the central tube. This is a non-standard installation of the support rods so I had to add a block to the "table bracket" on the central tube. The block keeps the rods from slipping upward through the slots in the bracket. The block is constructed of one 3" by 6" piece of 1/2" birch plywood with another 3/4" wide strip of plywood screwed and glued onto the bottom and positioned to overhang the bracket by 1/8" on both sides. The overhang holds it in place against the bottom of the bracket. I attached a small piece of plywood to the side of the block opposite the
bracket to capture a hose clamp to hold the 4" dust collection hose in
place. This serves only to keep the hose from flopping around too
much. In reality, it probably isn't necessary but it can't hurt,
either. |
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This is the view from the operator's position. The knob directly above the dust hood allows the operator to lock the position of the articulating hood support structure. The hood can be raised high enough to run dados and small parts as installed. If additional clearance is required for any reason, the entire lower structure can be removed easily by loosening the knob at the bottom of the central tube. |
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A 4" to 3"
reducer is provided with the TSGUARD kit. Rather than attach the 4"
hose directly to the reducer, I use a quick disconnect fitting so I can
remove it for other applications. I can roll my drum sander or any
other mobile machine to the tablesaw area and connect it to this hose. |
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I placed the
blast gate for this installation at the ceiling near the end of the rigid
duct to keep the pressure off of the flexible hose. The attachment to
the operator control is a block of wood attached to the gate with a piece of
aluminum angle and a couple of small bolts. |
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Operation of the
blast gate from the operator's position is achieved via the assembly shown.
The top photo is the closed position -- bottom photo is open (operational)
position. |
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Here's a little
more detail on the operator control for the blast gate. It's just a
simple push-pull assembly with a 2/1 mechanical advantage. The handle
and push rod are 1x2 pine. The V-shaped support structure is made of
3/4" MDF. Other components are 3/4" plywood and 1/4" plywood.
The pivot point between the rods is a 1/4" maple dowel. |