Leeway Workshop, LLC
March 11, 2010
HOME MY SHOP PROJECTS OTHER SITES SHARK GUARDS SHARK GEAR CONTACT
8.4 and newer model
American Flag Waving
The 8.4 and 9.4 model 4" dust port Shark Guard
Here are some initial photo's of the 4" port model. I have had enough demand for a larger port. Past tries to do this had failed, but this time I also increased the width of the guard by 1/2". This made it possible for me to thermally shape a 4" polycarbonate tube. Also previously the aluminum tail portion wouldn't allow room on the top for such a port.
I have offset the port to the left side of the guard. I have also left the clamp where it was and extended the bushings on the left side to get the extra width. This guard is the same distance from the fence as the 8.0.
1" is the distance from the right side of the guard to the blade.

The guard in these photo's is actually longer than the typical guards for a 10" saw. The smaller of the two is the typical length. The bigger one is for a new line of 12" saws that I am just finishing up. The Grizzly 5959.

There will be an added $15 cost for these larger ports. More material and the 4" polycarbonate is not only much more costly, but also a heck of a lot harder to bend and install.

Now I tested this with some mdf and my dust collector. I wasn't really expecting to get that much better result. I typically get a few crumbs after a cut with the 2.5 inch port. I couldn't find ANY crumbs after 4 cuts with a 4" port. So, I guess bigger is better. After quite a few field trials now, some guys have stated that perhaps the dust collection may be too goo. It like to suck up everything including small offcuts. This can be bad because the offcut may want to rattle around inside the guard dancing on the blade. I suggest that if you do use the 4 inch port, you also employ a blast gate to this hose and close it off some if you anticipate having thin strips or small offcuts. Open it fully for larger parts.

Some guys have also had trouble getting the hose onto the port. The dust port is kinda confusing. The whole thing is welded in at an angle, but when I cut the top back parallel to the top of the shark, it looks straight again. It really isn't. I have made this illustration to show that you need to attach the hose to the port at an angle. Once the hose is over the port, then you can straighten it back up and install a clamp. It will be a tight fit. The port is welded in there pretty good and can take a little handling. See the illustration below.
Hose angle 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 Testing with MDF No Dust!

eXTReMe Tracker