Shark Guard SGK1

Link to Installation Information

What you should know before ordering

This Shark Guard fits Steel City 35618 model table saws. This model is similar to the Powermatic 66, Unisaw and the Grizzly 1023 in the way that the splitters mount. You get 3 different sized splitters with this version. These are for different thicknesses of stock that you cut. There is a shorty splitter that is for use when you want to make a non-through cut or when you need to remove the guard for some type of cuts.

Here is a link to my patterns for these splitters

You can order the splitters only without a guard here.

All splitters and anti-kickback pawls are powder coated semi-gloss black. Below in the shopping cart, you can chose your dust port size, your color choice, splitter / riving knife thickness and other options. Scroll down to see these.

How to determine splitter or riving knife thickness

These are my typical recommendations on which thicknesses to choose when ordering. The thicknesses we 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 older factory supplied guards use 14 gauge and even less in some cases. Until recently, this was typical. Now with newer saw designs coming out that are equipped with riving knives, more and more are shipping with .090 inch thick factory knives. These are the thicknesses we start out with. Then when we powder coat them, it adds a couple mils of coating to each side. There is a tolerance and generally my material is a bit under my posted thicknesses and rarely do they finish out above it. When it is thicker, it is very minimally so.

It has been our experience that getting a splitter very close to the blade thickness is bad. It can often result in sticking, pinching or otherwise binding 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. The reason that works is because the splitters are so small in area, they don't have enough surface to cause much friction. The larger area of bigger splitters will cause issues if they are too thick. We only sell 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.

We sell the thin kerf the most. .090 inch thickness. We 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 inch. These are just a little thicker and may even support the guard just a bit better because of it.

You need to check your thin kerf blades with a caliper or micrometer before ordering. In the past few years, some blade manufacturers are pushing the limits with ultra thin kerf blades. We feel theses are too thin to use safely. The best option is not to buy blades that thin. If the blade is too thin to use the factory safety equipment, then how wise of a purchase can it really be?

We can make special order thinner splitters and riving knives, but for each different model we sell, there are issues that will arise when using thinner stock. Just email if you need something thinner and we will let you know what differences you might see.

To sum up, a good splitter or riving knife 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. One that is too thin is just as bad.

Payment Methods and Shipping Information

The standard shipping rates apply to US shipping ONLY. US 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. This same Cart item is valid for shipping to Mexico as well.

The only payment methods that We accept are Credit Card Payments through PayPal, US bank check or US money order or International Money Order in US Dollars. We cannot accept credit card information over the phone. Paypal takes the credit card information for us, so that we never see your card numbers or information.
You can E-mail for more details. If you are wanting to send a check or money order, here is our mailing address and other contact information. If you live somewhere other than the US or Canada and want to know the shipping, just email us 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. We will turn your order around as fast as possible. It may be that we have the items you want on hand. Just be prepared for possible delay. You can contact us to get a rough estimate as to how long an order might take.

We 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 number. It generally takes two days, but three days for some. We don't mind shipping to a PO Box. Special arrangements can be made for other shipping methods, but they are far more costly.

Extra Shipping costs to Canada and Mexico

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. This price will work for Mexico as well. 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.

Steel City 35618 Shark Guard Packages

This version also fits the saw models mentioned above. This includes a clear Shark Guard SGK1 with a 2 1/2" od dust port - A 10 mm ratcheting handle to replace the OEM splitter mounting bolt making mounting splitter swaps a tool free operation - 3 Steel Splitters with semi-gloss black powder coated finish - one is a shorty splitter for use when you can't use the bigger splitters and guard - Adjustable Clamp assembly. Shark face decal. Please choose your dust port size, splitter or knife thickness and color below

Dust Port Size

2.5 inch port $148.003 inch port $153.004 inch port $163.00No dust port $146.00

Splitter Thickness

.090 inch thin kerf .105 inch standard kerf .120 inch extra thick kerf

Color

Semi-gloss black Bright red Maroon John Deere Green Silver

These pawls are semi-gloss black powder coated hardened steel. These are spring loaded and have keepers in the design. This lets you disengage them and lock them up out of the way when not needed. This link shows the expoded clamp to help if they come apart. It is for version 10, but we will have this updated for the SGK1. The SGK1 is similar, but easier.

We are 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, we now offer thin brass blade shims. If you feel that your saw may have such an issue, this is the best solution we have found.
These currently come in two thicknesses and should help line up your blade with your splitter. We 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. Saws like Delta's where the inner blade washer is not removable may need a different soloution. I don't recommend these for those type saws. See illustration for mounting details. These will be mailed in a standard envelope if ordered separately.

These are standard steel zinc plated screw type hose clamps. Good quality. This is for one hose clamp sold with a guard package. If you want these seperately, there will be an additional shipping charge.
$5 in the US.

Sizes

2.5 inch $2.00 3 inch $2.00 4 inch $2.00