Shark Guard Installation

In the Package

Here is a link to a printer friendly PDF of this document.

When you receive your Shark Guard, verify that nothing was damaged in shipping. Here is a current list of parts that should be included with a standard Delta Unisaw and many other saw packages.

• The guard
• Clamp and knob assembly
• Three different height splitters
• rear mounting bracket with spring plunger
• allen wrenches
• Shark face decals
• Other accessories you may have ordered

Splitters

Lets start with the splitters. This is the heart of this guard system and will be used most often. Installation is the same for either left or right tilting arbors. I suggest you apply some Johnson's Paste wax or Minwax Paste wax to the Splitters. This should be done periodically to clean and protect the splitters and to slick up the surfaces to reduce friction.

DISCONNECT THE POWER SOURCE. NEVER COUNT ON YOUR SWITCH ALONE TO CONTROL THE POWER WHEN WORKING ON MACHINERY. THEY CAN FAIL.

Currently, these splitters are designed to mount similar to your OEM blade guard. You can find the original splitter mounting instructions in this PDF on pages 36 and 37.

These splitters utilize the original mounting bracket at the rear of the saw. Your original blade guard/splitter mounts to this triangular aluminum bracket using 2 screws and nuts. These splitters were not bent at a 90 degree angle. They were off angle some. For this reason, I have 4 set screws in the rear shark bracket. These are used to align the splitters to 90 degrees to the blade. You will only have to align these once. Once set @ 90, it should maintain this setting.

You may need to swivel the aluminum bracket forward on it's pivot to get the new splitters both closer to the blade and parallel to the table. This aluminum bracket can also be adjusted side to side to get aligned correctly. Do not rely on the location of the red line marker on the back fence rail - it may not be accurate. Always check the location of your splitter using a straight edge and relative to your saw blade, not to your fence rail.

The tallest splitter is for use with the thickest stock. These were designed to utilize the full blade depth with the Shark Guard in place. The medium splitter is for use on regular cutting such as sheet goods, 1 by and 2 by material. It is imperative that you use the correct splitter for the material that you are cutting. Feeding the wrong thickness material can be dangerous. It can stop material in mid cut. Always check or adjust the guard height for material being cut.

There are now warning labels on all SGK1 shark guards that serve to help as a reminder to do this for you and others who may use the saw. If you have an older Shark Guard, send me an email and I will get a warning label with instructions mailed to you.

The images below are from the original beta test models, so these may look different than what you receive now. The exploded image more closely resembles these packages with the exception of the new spring loaded bracket at the rear. I will update the images when I can. This spring plunger is fairly easy to operate. You pull the knob back to install or remove each splitter. The splitters have a hole that this plunger seats into. Make sure the knob seats fully back to the bracket and then you are certain that the splitters are captured and locked in.

There are 4 set screws on the right side of our receiver bracket. They are used to remove any play between the splitters and the bracket. There are no brass shims in this latest version. They were omitted from the design for a few different reasons, so better without them. The set screws should still preform well though. Don't make these too tight. Just tight enough so you can easily install and remove splitters and they have no play once installed.

Splitter Alignment

At this point of setup you will need to align or verify alignment of the splitter to the blade. Install your blade if you have removed it earlier. You will need to use a straight edge, steel ruler, framing square or something similar. The splitter needs to be completely in the shadow of the blade. If you looked from the front of the blade dead on at the blade while squinting, you should not see the splitter at the sides of the blade. Alignment can be accomplished a few different ways. There are a couple of splitter mounting bracket alignment bolts on the this type saw. Refer to your Operator's Manual. You can see how to adjust the Ridgid mounting bracket here in the online owners manual in PDF format. The splitter alignment instructions are on pages 36 through 38.

Shorty Splitter

Your Shark Guard comes with a short splitter. This is to utilize when you can't have the larger splitters or the guard in place. Removal of the guard and splitter is a necessity for doing some sawing operations on your saw. Short dado's and rabbet cuts are examples.

This short splitter is also helpful in the prevention of kickbacks. It serves three functions. It helps to prevent the saw kerf from closing in on itself and grabbing the rear teeth of the blade. It assists in maintaining the width of the stock from the fence to the blade and helps prevent twisting of this stock into the rear teeth of the blade. This solution is not as elegant as a riving knife would be, but still serves and important function. To help prevent kickback.

The Clamp assembly

Once you have the medium or tall splitter securely installed and aligned, you can install your throat plate. Install this according to you Operator's manual.

The three slots on the top of the two largest splitters are used with this clamp. The three steel pins in the lower portion of the clamp slip into these slots and lock down when the knobs of the clamp are tightened. There are also set screws in one clamp half that serve to keep the two clamp halves parallel when tightening regardless of splitter thickness. You loosen the knobs and slide the clamp toward the rear of the saw and lift up. Installation is the reverse. This clamp helps to prevent lifting of the material depending on material thickness being cut.

Feeding the wrong thickness material can be dangerous. It can stop material in mid cut. Always check or adjust the guard height for material being cut. Make certain the correct splitter for each cut is installed.

Use the correct splitter for the material

If you are cutting approximately 1.5 inch or thinner stock, the middle sized splitter should be used. The tallest one is only for cutting thicker material. This keeps the guard closer to the work so that dust collection efficiency is maximized. The pawls are designed for each height splitter, so they also work best when this rule is followed. Using the tallest splitter at all times is not the ideal setup for these.

Using the tail hook

The Shark Guard has a horizontal hooked slot at the rear and a vertical slot further forward. These slots are the mounting slots for this guard. The hooked slots get hooked on the rear studs of the clamp. There is a safety hook that slips down over the rear stud to keep the guard from coming off when not intended. You can see in this image that the guard can be left in the upward position by hooking only the rear slots and resting the guard on the front stud and brass bushings. This ability is beneficial when measuring between the fence and blade with a steel rule. The front slots just slip down over the front studs with care taken to use the smaller bushing diameters. With this done and your tail hook swung down into place, your blade guard is installed.

Using the Shark Guard

Here is a link to some video's that help to show how these guard are intended to be used. Watch the videos that deal with splitters. Your splitters will work similarly with respect to the guard. Your splitters mount at the rear behind the fence is the main difference.

This guarding system is designed to collect maximum dust during a cut, so the front roller underneath always rides on the stock. This helps prevent dust from getting slung forward by the blade on most cuts except at the very end of the cut and when cleaning up an edge. All guards with dust collection have trouble in those areas.

If you ordered a guard with a dust port, a dust collection hose can be hooked up to the top of the guard using a hose clamp or just by slip fit. The dust port to hose connection is usually a snug fit. I suggest that something be done to the port though. If left open, you can get a fountain effect of sawdust right into your face. For a good fit with something that is readily available, spray paint tops will serve as a good cap for the 2.5 inch dust port. Larger ports might be capped using various plastic lids or tops.

Dust collection installations

Rockler, Woodcraft and other outlets sell nice clear flex hose that fit these dust ports very well. If you leave the hose as a slip fit without a clamp, the hose can conveniently do duty on a router table as well.

If you are installing a larger hose, you should also include a blast gate in line and easily accessible. This really is a requirement for 4 inch ports and is a good idea for smaller ones. When you will be cutting material that will have a small offcut, the suction from the dust port can be so powerful that it will lift the small parts and it can get thrown into the dust hose or into the front of the guard with extreme force. This is undesirable and easily prevented with a blast gate.

There are numerous ways the you can support the hose for the dust collection. On my Gallery page, you will see some photo's of different setups. On my Review page, you will find links to individual websites where some owners used varied methods of supporting this hose. Here is a link with information on mounting the SGK1 overhead.

Shark face decal application

The decals come in two parts. The mouth and the eye. If you are looking at the shark from the front, the decals go in on the left side. We recommend that you use Windex (any glass cleaner) and a soft cotton cloth like a T-shirt to clean the guard first. It may help to look at a photo like this one below. Remember, you are looking at the reverse side in this image. This was done so that you wouldn't have to handle the decal when moving the shark. It also gives is a nice appearance from the outside of the lexan.

These are water slide decals. Below are the instructions for applying these.

Place decal into a cup of clean water for 45-60 seconds and remove when the thin decal film begins to slip along backing. (Discard backing material after the decal has been removed)
Apply decal to clean surface. Here is a link to a PDF file that you can print out. It will help you get the proper placement for these. Just print page two. Lay the guard down on the image and then you will be able to place the decals on the inside where they should go. Once you have them in position, gently pat the decals dry with a soft cloth or towel going from one side to the other. Insure there are no air bubbles under the decals. They should dry in a matter of hours. Decal placement file.

Care and cleaning of the Shark Guard

For splitters and riving knives, I suggest paste wax like Johnson's or Minwax to both clean and smooth the surfaces for less friction. On the guards we like to use Windex and a soft cloth to periodically keep the guard clear. Dust can build up inside and out, so it provides the best visibility when clean.

Replacement parts

Replacement, spare or upgrade parts can be ordered using this link. If you don't find what you need there, then just send an email.

Still have questions or concerns?

If you have any questions about installation, setup or usage of this blade guard or parts associated with it, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are happy to help insure your satisfaction and safe usage of these products. Thanks a bunch and I hope that you enjoy using your Shark Guard.

Images of older Shark Guards