I'm planning to build a variant of the Brett overhead blade guard for my
Jet X-acta saw. It'll have a locking Lexan box which will be movable
both horizontally (perpendicular to the blade) and vertically.

I've seen a number of web pages detailing how to build one, but have not
seen one detail specified: how does the guard get mounted to the saw?
It seems that mounting to the extension table, and/or the rear fence rail,
would induce some distortion that might affect the fence (fence rides on
front rail; front rail and back rail are both bolted to the extension
table; mounting a heavy cantilevered guard to the back rail would twist
the whole shebang).

If anyone has built one (or owns the actual commercial Brett guiard) I'd
appreciated hearing about how you mounted the guard.

Thanks,


Andy Barss

On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 05:43:51 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Barss
wrote:

I'm planning to build a variant of the Brett overhead blade guard for my
Jet X-acta saw. It'll have a locking Lexan box which will be movable
both horizontally (perpendicular to the blade) and vertically.

I've seen a number of web pages detailing how to build one, but have not
seen one detail specified: how does the guard get mounted to the saw?
It seems that mounting to the extension table, and/or the rear fence rail,
would induce some distortion that might affect the fence (fence rides on
front rail; front rail and back rail are both bolted to the extension
table; mounting a heavy cantilevered guard to the back rail would twist
the whole shebang).

If anyone has built one (or owns the actual commercial Brett guiard) I'd
appreciated hearing about how you mounted the guard.

Thanks,


Andy Barss

I don't recall how the Brett mounts but the ones I've seen are
cantilevered off a post to the (usually) right side of the saw, or
cantilevered off the ceiling above the saw. IOW, the thing isn't
actually fastened to the saw framework at all.
If your saw is on a roll-around, you can do as a friend of mine did
and weld (bolts would work) the post to the frame of the roll-around,
and bolt it to the edge of the table to provide a little more
stiffness.

On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 05:43:51 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Barss
wrote:

I'm planning to build a variant of the Brett overhead blade guard for my
Jet X-acta saw. It'll have a locking Lexan box which will be movable
both horizontally (perpendicular to the blade) and vertically.

I've seen a number of web pages detailing how to build one, but have not
seen one detail specified: how does the guard get mounted to the saw?
It seems that mounting to the extension table, and/or the rear fence rail,
would induce some distortion that might affect the fence (fence rides on
front rail; front rail and back rail are both bolted to the extension
table; mounting a heavy cantilevered guard to the back rail would twist
the whole shebang).

If anyone has built one (or owns the actual commercial Brett guiard) I'd
appreciated hearing about how you mounted the guard.

Thanks,


Andy Barss

I don't recall how the Brett mounts but the ones I've seen are
cantilevered off a post to the (usually) right side of the saw, or
cantilevered off the ceiling above the saw. IOW, the thing isn't
actually fastened to the saw framework at all.
If your saw is on a roll-around, you can do as a friend of mine did
and weld (bolts would work) the post to the frame of the roll-around,
and bolt it to the edge of the table to provide a little more
stiffness.

I'm not up to speed on the Brett guard but Biesemeyer
offers the instructions and detail pictures which
should get you started.

http://www.biesemeyer.com/installations.htm

The Brett appears to be a carbon copy of the Bies except
for that snazzy movement handle.

http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/...9B9B4EA7F37453

PS:

I would look into buying over building...





Andrew Barss wrote:

I'm planning to build a variant of the Brett overhead blade guard for my
Jet X-acta saw. It'll have a locking Lexan box which will be movable
both horizontally (perpendicular to the blade) and vertically.

I've seen a number of web pages detailing how to build one, but have not
seen one detail specified: how does the guard get mounted to the saw?
It seems that mounting to the extension table, and/or the rear fence rail,
would induce some distortion that might affect the fence (fence rides on
front rail; front rail and back rail are both bolted to the extension
table; mounting a heavy cantilevered guard to the back rail would twist
the whole shebang).

If anyone has built one (or owns the actual commercial Brett guiard) I'd
appreciated hearing about how you mounted the guard.

Thanks,


Andy Barss

Pat Barber wrote:
: I'm not up to speed on the Brett guard but Biesemeyer
: offers the instructions and detail pictures which
: should get you started.

: http://www.biesemeyer.com/installations.htm

Thanks.

: The Brett appears to be a carbon copy of the Bies except
: for that snazzy movement handle.

: http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/...9B9B4EA7F37453

: PS:

: I would look into buying over building...


How come?

-- Andy Barss

That particular overarm arrangement could be done
by a home grown welder, but the guard assembly is
gonna be a pain to fabricate.

The amount of time playing with a item that is to
be a major league safety feature would concern me.
Design errors could be very costly.

The ability to be able to lift and move "very easily"
is gonna be the big hitter in the design.

An overhead guard requires a fair amount "adjusting"
during the course of a "typical" day in the shop.

Here is an excellent write up on all the major players
in the splitter and guard game:

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00130.asp

Joe at Plaza machinery might even have a "deal"
on a Biesemeyer. I got mine for $200 and love it.

It is a very substantial piece of equipment.

Andrew Barss wrote:


: I would look into buying over building...


How come?

-- Andy Barss

Pat Barber wrote:
: That particular overarm arrangement could be done
: by a home grown welder, but the guard assembly is
: gonna be a pain to fabricate.


Looks pretty straightford from the plans I've seen -- I'm going for a thick
lexan box, mounted to a locking scissoring type adjuster.


: An overhead guard requires a fair amount "adjusting"
: during the course of a "typical" day in the shop.

And the main reason I don't like the Biesemeyer is the problem noted in
Mehler's article below -- to do horizontal adjustment you have to walk
around the saw.

: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00130.asp

It's also $500 with dust extraction (though thanks for the tip to Plaza).

-- Andy barss

After having the overhead guard for about six months
I have found:

(a) Very safe guard
(b) Easy to install
(c) Pain in the ass to use
(d) Much better than a standard guard by miles and miles
(e) Does not allow ripping of small pieces with guard.
Anything less than 6" requires removing guard.
(f) Seems to get "in the way" during certain operations
(g) I'm glad I bought it and will continue to learn how
to use it for every operation possible.
(h) The Bies "pop up" splitter is another very nice device
and has been a real improvement but again, it requires
a "re-learning" process. Pain in the wazooo to install
but when finally right, provides a much better cut.

Contact me for a part that might things easier...



Andrew Barss wrote:

Pat Barber wrote:
: That particular overarm arrangement could be done
: by a home grown welder, but the guard assembly is
: gonna be a pain to fabricate.


Looks pretty straightford from the plans I've seen -- I'm going for a thick
lexan box, mounted to a locking scissoring type adjuster.


: An overhead guard requires a fair amount "adjusting"
: during the course of a "typical" day in the shop.

And the main reason I don't like the Biesemeyer is the problem noted in
Mehler's article below -- to do horizontal adjustment you have to walk
around the saw.

: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00130.asp

It's also $500 with dust extraction (though thanks for the tip to Plaza).

-- Andy barss

After having the overhead guard for about six months
I have found:

(a) Very safe guard
(b) Easy to install
(c) Pain in the ass to use
(d) Much better than a standard guard by miles and miles
(e) Does not allow ripping of small pieces with guard.
Anything less than 6" requires removing guard.
(f) Seems to get "in the way" during certain operations
(g) I'm glad I bought it and will continue to learn how
to use it for every operation possible.
(h) The Bies "pop up" splitter is another very nice device
and has been a real improvement but again, it requires
a "re-learning" process. Pain in the wazooo to install
but when finally right, provides a much better cut.

Contact me for a part that might things easier...



Andrew Barss wrote:

Pat Barber wrote:
: That particular overarm arrangement could be done
: by a home grown welder, but the guard assembly is
: gonna be a pain to fabricate.


Looks pretty straightford from the plans I've seen -- I'm going for a thick
lexan box, mounted to a locking scissoring type adjuster.


: An overhead guard requires a fair amount "adjusting"
: during the course of a "typical" day in the shop.

And the main reason I don't like the Biesemeyer is the problem noted in
Mehler's article below -- to do horizontal adjustment you have to walk
around the saw.

: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00130.asp

It's also $500 with dust extraction (though thanks for the tip to Plaza).

-- Andy barss

Pat Barber wrote:
: That particular overarm arrangement could be done
: by a home grown welder, but the guard assembly is
: gonna be a pain to fabricate.


Looks pretty straightford from the plans I've seen -- I'm going for a thick
lexan box, mounted to a locking scissoring type adjuster.


: An overhead guard requires a fair amount "adjusting"
: during the course of a "typical" day in the shop.

And the main reason I don't like the Biesemeyer is the problem noted in
Mehler's article below -- to do horizontal adjustment you have to walk
around the saw.

: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00130.asp

It's also $500 with dust extraction (though thanks for the tip to Plaza).

-- Andy barss

In article ,
says...
That particular overarm arrangement could be done
by a home grown welder, but the guard assembly is
gonna be a pain to fabricate.

The amount of time playing with a item that is to
be a major league safety feature would concern me.
Design errors could be very costly.

The ability to be able to lift and move "very easily"
is gonna be the big hitter in the design.


Pat,

I disagree completely with your assessment. I used 1/4" Lexan for the
guard box, and it works perfectly. My guard adjusts up and down, left
to right, and forward and backward. And it locks firmly in whatever
position I need.

When I need to dado or perform some other action on the saw that
requires more room, the guard is easily removed.

I built the guard with less than $80 in materials and had enough angle
iron and box channel left over to build the rolling cart for my Unisaw.
The Brett and Bies may be commercially built, but they offer no
additional functionality or safety than my home grown unit.

Rick

"Rick Chamberlain" wrote in message

I disagree completely with your assessment. I used 1/4" Lexan for the
guard box, and it works perfectly. My guard adjusts up and down, left
to right, and forward and backward. And it locks firmly in whatever
position I need.

When I need to dado or perform some other action on the saw that
requires more room, the guard is easily removed.

How about some pictures in alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking of your setup?

"Rick Chamberlain" wrote in message

I disagree completely with your assessment. I used 1/4" Lexan for the
guard box, and it works perfectly. My guard adjusts up and down, left
to right, and forward and backward. And it locks firmly in whatever
position I need.

When I need to dado or perform some other action on the saw that
requires more room, the guard is easily removed.

How about some pictures in alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking of your setup?

I would like to see what you did...

By your description, it sounds like a welder was involved ???

How did you construct the lexan box ???

If you can do them that cheap, you might want to look into
going into the business.

Rick Chamberlain wrote:


Pat,

I disagree completely with your assessment. I used 1/4" Lexan for the
guard box, and it works perfectly. My guard adjusts up and down, left
to right, and forward and backward. And it locks firmly in whatever
position I need.

When I need to dado or perform some other action on the saw that
requires more room, the guard is easily removed.

I built the guard with less than $80 in materials and had enough angle
iron and box channel left over to build the rolling cart for my Unisaw.
The Brett and Bies may be commercially built, but they offer no
additional functionality or safety than my home grown unit.

Rick

I would like to see what you did...

By your description, it sounds like a welder was involved ???

How did you construct the lexan box ???

If you can do them that cheap, you might want to look into
going into the business.

Rick Chamberlain wrote:


Pat,

I disagree completely with your assessment. I used 1/4" Lexan for the
guard box, and it works perfectly. My guard adjusts up and down, left
to right, and forward and backward. And it locks firmly in whatever
position I need.

When I need to dado or perform some other action on the saw that
requires more room, the guard is easily removed.

I built the guard with less than $80 in materials and had enough angle
iron and box channel left over to build the rolling cart for my Unisaw.
The Brett and Bies may be commercially built, but they offer no
additional functionality or safety than my home grown unit.

Rick

In article ,
says...
That particular overarm arrangement could be done
by a home grown welder, but the guard assembly is
gonna be a pain to fabricate.

The amount of time playing with a item that is to
be a major league safety feature would concern me.
Design errors could be very costly.

The ability to be able to lift and move "very easily"
is gonna be the big hitter in the design.


Pat,

I disagree completely with your assessment. I used 1/4" Lexan for the
guard box, and it works perfectly. My guard adjusts up and down, left
to right, and forward and backward. And it locks firmly in whatever
position I need.

When I need to dado or perform some other action on the saw that
requires more room, the guard is easily removed.

I built the guard with less than $80 in materials and had enough angle
iron and box channel left over to build the rolling cart for my Unisaw.
The Brett and Bies may be commercially built, but they offer no
additional functionality or safety than my home grown unit.

Rick

That particular overarm arrangement could be done
by a home grown welder, but the guard assembly is
gonna be a pain to fabricate.

The amount of time playing with a item that is to
be a major league safety feature would concern me.
Design errors could be very costly.

The ability to be able to lift and move "very easily"
is gonna be the big hitter in the design.

An overhead guard requires a fair amount "adjusting"
during the course of a "typical" day in the shop.

Here is an excellent write up on all the major players
in the splitter and guard game:

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00130.asp

Joe at Plaza machinery might even have a "deal"
on a Biesemeyer. I got mine for $200 and love it.

It is a very substantial piece of equipment.

Andrew Barss wrote:


: I would look into buying over building...


How come?

-- Andy Barss

Pat Barber wrote:
: I'm not up to speed on the Brett guard but Biesemeyer
: offers the instructions and detail pictures which
: should get you started.

: http://www.biesemeyer.com/installations.htm

Thanks.

: The Brett appears to be a carbon copy of the Bies except
: for that snazzy movement handle.

: http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/...9B9B4EA7F37453

: PS:

: I would look into buying over building...


How come?

-- Andy Barss

I'm not up to speed on the Brett guard but Biesemeyer
offers the instructions and detail pictures which
should get you started.

http://www.biesemeyer.com/installations.htm

The Brett appears to be a carbon copy of the Bies except
for that snazzy movement handle.

http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/...9B9B4EA7F37453

PS:

I would look into buying over building...





Andrew Barss wrote:

I'm planning to build a variant of the Brett overhead blade guard for my
Jet X-acta saw. It'll have a locking Lexan box which will be movable
both horizontally (perpendicular to the blade) and vertically.

I've seen a number of web pages detailing how to build one, but have not
seen one detail specified: how does the guard get mounted to the saw?
It seems that mounting to the extension table, and/or the rear fence rail,
would induce some distortion that might affect the fence (fence rides on
front rail; front rail and back rail are both bolted to the extension
table; mounting a heavy cantilevered guard to the back rail would twist
the whole shebang).

If anyone has built one (or owns the actual commercial Brett guiard) I'd
appreciated hearing about how you mounted the guard.

Thanks,


Andy Barss

In article ,
says...
I'm planning to build a variant of the Brett overhead blade guard for my
Jet X-acta saw. It'll have a locking Lexan box which will be movable
both horizontally (perpendicular to the blade) and vertically.

I've seen a number of web pages detailing how to build one, but have not
seen one detail specified: how does the guard get mounted to the saw?
It seems that mounting to the extension table, and/or the rear fence rail,
would induce some distortion that might affect the fence (fence rides on
front rail; front rail and back rail are both bolted to the extension
table; mounting a heavy cantilevered guard to the back rail would twist
the whole shebang).

If anyone has built one (or owns the actual commercial Brett guiard) I'd
appreciated hearing about how you mounted the guard.


Andy,

I mounted mine to the rolling cart I made for my Unisaw, and supported
the upright by attaching it to the right hand table extension.

I did this my bolting a small section of angle iron to the upright and
then screwing the angle to the underside of the table. Works well for
me, and if I ever decide to change the configuration of my cart, table,
or fence, I can easily change the upright layout.

If you don't have a rolling cart, I'd weld a plate to the bottom of the
upright and bolt the upright to the floor.

BTW, I don't have any problem with the fence distorting.

Rick

In article ,
says...
I'm planning to build a variant of the Brett overhead blade guard for my
Jet X-acta saw. It'll have a locking Lexan box which will be movable
both horizontally (perpendicular to the blade) and vertically.

I've seen a number of web pages detailing how to build one, but have not
seen one detail specified: how does the guard get mounted to the saw?
It seems that mounting to the extension table, and/or the rear fence rail,
would induce some distortion that might affect the fence (fence rides on
front rail; front rail and back rail are both bolted to the extension
table; mounting a heavy cantilevered guard to the back rail would twist
the whole shebang).

If anyone has built one (or owns the actual commercial Brett guiard) I'd
appreciated hearing about how you mounted the guard.


Andy,

I mounted mine to the rolling cart I made for my Unisaw, and supported
the upright by attaching it to the right hand table extension.

I did this my bolting a small section of angle iron to the upright and
then screwing the angle to the underside of the table. Works well for
me, and if I ever decide to change the configuration of my cart, table,
or fence, I can easily change the upright layout.

If you don't have a rolling cart, I'd weld a plate to the bottom of the
upright and bolt the upright to the floor.

BTW, I don't have any problem with the fence distorting.

Rick