Leeway Workshop, LLC
July 30, 2010
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Shopsmith 505, 510, 520
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The Shark Guard 10.0
Lots of info below. Prices and options are toward the bottom of the page. Please scroll down.


The lead time for new orders is around 1 to 2 weeks. Feel free to ask about the status of your order at any time via email.


Shopsmith 505, 510, 520
This Shark Guard utilizes the riving knife mount that comes with your saw. If you are only interested in just a riving knife, you can order those here.

These work just like the knife that came on your bade guard. It goes a step further toward being a true riving knife in that it doesn't need to be removed for non-through cuts. It sits just a hair below the teeth of the blade. Doing a plunge cut is the only thing I know that you can't do with the riving knife installed using a 10" blade. You can't use a riving knife with a stacked dado blade.

One aspect of the shark's design that isn't always apparent at first is how it actually works. I guess it looks kinda cool when sitting up high on the table like you see in most of the photo's of it on this site. In actual use, it sits much lower on the table. It would only sit up high for cutting very thick stock and then it would level out when stock is fed under it. On the Shopsmith's, you adjust the table to the correct height for the stock that you are cutting. The stock you are wanting to cut should just fit between the table and the shark clamp that sits atop the RK. This effectively closes any gaps at the rear of the guard and actually prevents the guard from being removed when there is stock under it. The Shark Guard was originally designed for use with a riving knife and has the widest range of safety and features when used with one.

This guard is the thinnest one that I make. The dust port ID fits a Shop Smith vacuum hose as well as a Fein vac. The OD fits standard 2.5 inch hose. It was necessary to make this model thinner because of the miter guage. It is very close to the blade. The outer thickness of the guard is 1.5 inches. The standard 8.0's are 2 inches and the 8.4's are 2.5 inches. You may have issues using a standard shop vac, but it may work okay due to the shape of the dust port.

If you would like to add Anti-kickback pawls to your order, they are an additional option and are located farther down this page.
8.4 model posed while cutting. Riving knife models. Shopsmith 505, 510, and 520 ShopSmith ShopSmith ShopSmith SS SS

Disclaimer!
All of the items that you get from me are guaranteed to be of good quality, handmade from the best material available. If you aren't pleased with the condition of what I send you, you get your money back. As with any aftermarket accessory, you must decide if these are the right additions or modifications for your comfort and safety. There is no way to use your table saw and be risk free. The items that I make are merely aids. They will not prevent injury. Saws are very dangerous machines. Saws can KILL or MAIM you. These accessories may not comply with rules and regulations in your area. You must decide for yourself whether to use these accessories or not. It is your safety that is at risk when using any power tool or accessory. Since I can not be there at each and every setup and cut that you make, I can not be held responsible for any accidents that occur as a direct result of any information or equipment that you receive from me or this website. Any responsibility for the use of these product(s) ultimately rests on your own shoulders. Ordering anything from me is an acknowledgement that you understand these risks and responsibilties and that you are willing to accept the consequences of using them. If you are un-certain as to who is responsible for the setup and usage of any of these accessories, DO NOT PURCHASE THEM.

Payment Methods and Shipping Details.
The standard shipping rates apply to US shipping ONLY. Shipping is now INCLUDED in the price shown on this site. Canadian orders can use the cart item provided to bring Canadian shipping to the correct price. The only payment methods that I accept are Credit Card Payments through PayPal, US bank check or US money order or International Money Order in US Dollars. I cannot accept credit card info over the phone. Paypal takes CC info for me so that I never see your card numbers or info.
You can E-mail for more details. If you are wanting to send a check or money order, here is my mailing address and other contact information. If you live somewhere other than the US or Canada and want to know the shipping, just email me with your address.

There has always been a lead time of weeks when you order. This is due to the popularity of the Shark Guard. These require a lot of time to produce. I will turn your order around as fast as is possible. It may be that I have the items you want on hand. Just be prepared for possible delay. You can contact me to get a rough estimate as to how long an order might take.
I always ship using USPS Priority or International Priority mail. You should receive an email from them on the day that your order ships. It will have a delivery confirmation #. It generally takes two days, but three days for some. I don't mind shipping to a PO Box.

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How to determine your splitter/riving knife thickness.
These are my typical recommendations on which thicknesses to choose when ordering.

The thicknesses I offer are actually just standard steel gauges. 13, 12 and 11. The smaller the number, the thicker the stock. Here is a link to standard steel sheet gauges. Steel Gages. Most factory supplied guards use 14 gauge and even less in some cases. Very few use thicker, but there are some. These are the thicknesses I start out with. Then when I powder coat them, it adds 3 or 4 mils of coating to each side. It has been my experience that getting a splitter very close to the blade thickness is bad. It can often result in sticking and pinching on nearly every cut. This is also not safe. It will cause you to want to apply more pressure to feed and that is undesirable. You may have seen guys cut lumber the exact thickness of the kerf and use this as a splitter mounted into the throat plate. I think the reason that works is because the splitters are so small, they don't have enough area to cause much friction. The larger area of bigger splitters will cause issues if they are too thick. I only sell just a few of the thickest versions. They would be ideal on a saw in a cabinet shop that was dedicated for sheet goods. They also work on saws that have an easily adjusted splitter mounting bracket. Some are easy and some can be a bear. I sell the thin kerf the most. .090 inch thickness. I recommend these for guys that use both type blades. Thin kerf and standard kerf. It actually works well for both because of the area of the splitter surface. Guys that don't own any thin kerf blades usually order the .105". These are just a little thicker and may even support the guard just a bit better because of it. I would say that a good splitter should be just a bit less than the thickness of your kerf. Safety should be easy and trying to use a splitter that is too thick is a step in the wrong direction.

Canadian Shipping $12

This is for those in Canada that would like to use Paypal to order the complete package. Add this to your cart and it will correct the site price for shipping to Canada. This is anywhere in Canada. I will need you to send me your phone number in an email. This is for the shipping slip. I ship these using Priority International.
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Shopsmith 505, 510, 520 Shark Guard Packages
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Shop Smith Shark Guard 10.0 including US shipping. $125
This package includes the clear Shark Guard, the adjustable clamp assembly, a riving knife, The dust port is 2 1/2 in. od and 2 3/8 in. id. This guard is the thinnest one that I make. The dust port ID fits a shop smith vacuum hose as well as a Fein vac. The OD fits standard 2.5 inch hose. It was necessary to make this model thinner because of the miter guage. It is very close to the blade. The outer thickness of the guard is 1.5 inches. The standard 8.0's are 2 inches and the 8.4's are 2.5 inches. You may have issues using a standard shop vac, but it may work okay due to the shape of the dust port.
Clamp and screw color
Riving Knife Thickness
Semi gloss black gold rush silver rush Click to see a deep red Shark Guard maroon/garnet John Deere green Silver Gloss orange

Shark Guard 9.4 (Mega Mouth) Upgrade $15

This is the upgrade for the Mega Shark. The dust port is 4 in. od and 3.75 in. id. Just add this to your cart. It will bring the total of the Shark Guard to the correct price for this model. If you order this model for this saw, be aware that the guard will interfere with the use of the miter gauge. It is nearly an inch wider than the standard version for this saw. If you intend to use the Shop Smith miter guage, it will have to be modified.

Add Shark Pawls to the Shark Guard package. $10
These pawls are semi-gloss black powder coated hardened steel. They come with special brass bushings for use on the adjustable clamp. These are now spring loaded and have keepers in the design. This lets you disengage them out of the way when not needed.
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Brass Blade Shims.
Brass Blade Shim assortment $6
I have become aware that many different tablesaws require shims behind the blade even to mount the OEM splitter assembly. Some tablesaws have an adjustment to align the splitter to the path of the blade, but the process is very difficult. For those saws that simply have this alignment issue, I now offer thin brass blade shims. If you feel that your saw may have such an issue, this is the best answer I know of. No splitter bending, contortionist adjustments or running with an unsafe splitter alignment. These currently come in two thicknesses and should help line up your blade with your splitter. I ship a package of 5 shims. Two at .005" thickness and three at .010" thickness. These have a 5/8" id and 1" od. These should fit all standard 10" table saws with a 5/8" arbor. These slide onto your arbor inside your inner blade washer. See illustration for mounting details. These will be mailed in a standard envelope if ordered separately.
Click to see a Flash Guide
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