I have been playing with an over arm blade guard/ dust collector for a while now. I ordered the one from Penn State and was very unimpressed and returned it. I looked at the Saw Stop and Grizzly ones and again they did not appear as sturdy as I was looking for. Also they were both pretty pricey. I ordered up a Shark Guard and it arrived yesterday so I spent the day building the arm for the dust collection. The blade guard/riving knife from Shark Guard looks like it should work pretty well. I should get it finished tomorrow. 
Paul

Okay probably a question the answer is staring me in the face but here goes.  

Does this circled part stay on the saw all the time, or a set up for the moment?

 

That’s just a support to hold it up while I install the diagonal supports tomorrow. Then it will be gone. 
Paul

They will go from the end of the arm to the top of the pillar. 
Paul

Just now, Masonsailor said:

That’s just a support to hold it up while I install the diagonal supports tomorrow. Then it will be gone. 
Paul

 

 

Kinda figured but never have actually paid attention to anyone's set up that had that.  Now for me I promise if I had one I would somehow bang my head on that.  Or bang something into it and have a disaster of Biblical proportions.  Think Flood Level Event.  

I had a Shark Guard on my Unisaw, and it was my favorite of 3 I've used. Dust collection with was excellent, and if it was in the way you just detached it and (in my case) lay the hose and basket up on the ductwork that it connected too. I had also built one called a Badger Pond guard, named after the now-defunct forum that it showed up on. I never got it to mount in a way I really liked, and I wound up giving it away. My saw now has an Excalibur overarm, this is the one Sawstop bought and painted black and called their own. I bought mine used for what I thought was a good price. I wanted to stay with the Shark, but when I sold the Uni I let the Shark go with it. The Excalibur is OK, but not nearly as handy as the Shark....but it does collect dust probably just as well. The pics are the Badger pond one I made, and the way I had my  shark mounted on the saw.

I wanted the overarm to be fairly rigid like the one over my work bench but it does not need to be articulated like that one. I want to be able to hang the guard on it when not in use as well as compressed air. I may  mount lights on the underside also. 
Paul

...I keep seeing all of these DC setups, and I'm beginning to think my outdoor shops not so bad after all. Bring the machine outside, and let it fly, no DC required. 

I completed the setup today and am pleased with the results. Almost no sawdust left on the table after cutting. Most importantly none in my face. The last photo is after cutting two passes on a piece of poplar. 
Paul

7 hours ago, Larry Buskirk said:

...I keep seeing all of these DC setups, and I'm beginning to think my outdoor shops not so bad after all. Bring the machine outside, and let it fly, no DC required. 

Larry, I am with you all the way.  I pull my Shopsmith outside and let it fly.  One day, I was sanding some cedar.  When I finished, I looked around in the air and red dust was everywhere.  The neighbors closed their windows.  LOL

Paul, I guess you don't use a tenon jig for anything? That was the problem I always had with my shop built solutions.

Nice setup Paul. 

You have outer garage doors?  Is that for heat mitigation during the summer?

13 hours ago, FlGatorwood said:

Larry, I am with you all the way.  I pull my Shopsmith outside and let it fly.  One day, I was sanding some cedar.  When I finished, I looked around in the air and red dust was everywhere.  The neighbors closed their windows.  LOL

 

..I would think it rather difficult to hook DC to a SS with all the different setups possible, especially if you want to keep it portable.

1 hour ago, Larry Buskirk said:

 

..I would think it rather difficult to hook DC to a SS with all the different setups possible, especially if you want to keep it portable.

It is! The best DC for Shopsmith I've seen in operation is the overhead type like Shark Guard. My version of a Shopsmith DC set up is a broom and shop vac. 

Fred the guard comes off in about ten seconds to allow for jigs etc. Its one of the things about the Shark Guard I liked. Cal I had to install those carriage doors for exactly that reason. The sun hits those doors in the morning and heated them very hot which overwhelmed the AC. With them the AC works fine. The other issue was that periodically during the day I have to open up the doors to saw or plane something longer than 4'. The recovery time for the AC was an hour or two without them. With them its minutes.

Paul

2 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

It is! The best DC for Shopsmith I've seen in operation is the overhead type like Shark Guard. My version of a Shopsmith DC set up is a broom and shop vac. 

 

With my old machines add an air compressor to blow out the machines when done. For outside use add a lawn rake, simply rake it out into the lawn.

To connect a dust collector hose to the SS, it is easy for me.  It depends on what I have set it up to and you just connect the hose and start the collector.  Table saw has a connection on the bottom back, bandsaw has one on the outboard left, much like the joiner.  Lathe, you get to make your own.  And, the same for the drill press or horizontal boring machine.  Just move the hose to the connection of the unit you are using.  

I took a day off woodworking and completed the overarm dust collection by adding the compressed air and getting all the tools hung. I also hung up the hose reel which will give me air over at the planer and jointer. 
Paul