Best upper and lower guard option for Mark V 500?

[eagspoo]

I have two Mark V 500s, one I'm restoring and the other I'm cannibalizing and will sell in a few weeks. Both came with lower saw guards (3 total actually) but neither came with a complete upper guard. I do have two of the solid aluminum upper guards but not the piece that attaches it to the lower guard. Also this thing just doesn't look as safe to me as modern options. In looking on Ebay and Shopsmith.com, it looks like I can upgrade my entire table system to the 520 but that is a little more than I want to spend right now. There are a variety of guard options on Ebay (solid upper, clear, different attachment mechanisms, etc). On shopsmith.com, I think they aren't selling the complete upgrade anymore or at least I can't find it. Also looks like it was pricey.

What do people recommend? Are there good aftermarket options? If you can provide a link to options or specific way to differentiate between recommended options, I'd appreciate that since trying to track something down has been a little confusing.

Thanks!

ps. for the lower guard, I have the standard cast piece that connects to the quill but doesn't have the sliding section, should I also upgrade that? Do people recommend the plastic option shopsmith sells?

[eagspoo]

This seems like what I want if I'm sticking with the old stock system:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154468646313

I could try and get it but I have very bad luck bidding on stuff on Ebay.

[lahola1]

I have an upper guard (I think 505627) from a mkV (attached pic; selling upper guard only)I'll sell for less than that plus economy shipping from sedona.AZ.
PM me if it's the one you need.

[lahola1]

Sorry, the pic I posted earlier is not mine. It's some pic I copied off the internet.
This is the upper guard I have.

[eagspoo]

Sorry, the pic I posted earlier is not mine. It's some pic I copied off the internet.
This is the upper guard I have.

I just may take you up on that offer but I'm also curious if these are even good guards or I should try another option. I've read a couple comments that people weren't fans of these guards to the point where they just didn't use them.

[br549]

First, be aware that the upper guards you presently have and the one on ebay that you linked are missing the heavy wire loop at the front edge, rendering them unusable because the stock won't be able to lift the guard as the stock is advanced.

As far as the best Shopsmith version, I favor the original cast iron lower guard with the upgrade clear plastic upper guard. The heavy aluminum bracket on the lower guard is not required with the clear upper guard, because the clear upper guard instead attaches directly to the table via a mounting block.

The plastic version of the lower guard is also an option, but I have no personal experience with it. The first version had one 1-1/2" (?) dust collection port, and later an upgrade was offered with two 2-1/2" ports.

Dust collection with any lower guard option may require some tweaking to get the best performance. I use a permanently installed and sealed aluminum spacer to make the lower guard wider (makes blade changes easier for me) and a foam filler between the lower guard and the underside of the table, which is where most of my dust escaped.

The clear plastic upper guard shows up occasionally on ebay, if you are patient. Be sure it includes the mounting block.

[chapmanruss]

You have one complete Lower Guard P/N 505628 and can use it with a complete Upper Guard if desired. The one in the picture lahola1 first posted shows a complete Upper (P/N 505627) and Lower (505628) set the same as the one I am posting below. As br549 said you can use the later clear plastic Upper Guard with the Lower 505628 Guard if you wish and you do not need the bracket on the Lower Guard if you do. Which Upper Guard you use would be a matter of preference. Some are fine using the cast aluminum Upper Guard while others prefer the clear Upper Guard to be able to see the blade. There are pluses and minuses for both Upper Guards. The Aluminum Upper Guard attaches directly to the Lower Guard and if left together is already aligned to the blade but you cannot see the cut being made. The Clear Upper Guard allows you to see the cut being made but has to be aligned to the blade each time it is attached to the mounting block. Adding the later Clear Plastic Upper Guard to your Mark V does require drilling and tapping holes to mount the attachment block to the table assembly unless the holes are already there. As was already said there is a heavy wire loop called the "shoe" that attaches to the front of the Aluminum Upper Guard to lift it up over the material being cut. It is circled in the picture below. That shoe is a common missing part on the 505627 Upper Guards I have seen for sale.

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505627 Upper and 505628 Lower Saw Blade Guards - shoe.jpg (129.35 KiB) Viewed 2137 times

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There is a spacer that was available for the Lower Guard for more clearance when using a Dado Blade or Molder. The Upper (505627) and Lower (505628) Blade Guard set will also work on the Model 10E and 10ER to give it a lower Blade Guard and dust collection.

[lahola1]

I do have the attaching bracket for mine (see pic).

[eagspoo]

As far as the best Shopsmith version, I favor the original cast iron lower guard with the upgrade clear plastic upper guard. The heavy aluminum bracket on the lower guard is not required with the clear upper guard, because the clear upper guard instead attaches directly to the table via a mounting block.

The plastic version of the lower guard is also an option, but I have no personal experience with it. The first version had one 1-1/2" (?) dust collection port, and later an upgrade was offered with two 2-1/2" ports.

Dust collection with any lower guard option may require some tweaking to get the best performance. I use a permanently installed and sealed aluminum spacer to make the lower guard wider (makes blade changes easier for me) and a foam filler between the lower guard and the underside of the table, which is where most of my dust escaped.

The clear plastic upper guard shows up occasionally on ebay, if you are patient. Be sure it includes the mounting block.

I got the exact upper guard you pictured (looks identical) however it unfortunately didn't come with the mounting block. Even so, it isn't clear to me how it is supposed to mount directly to the table. Can you share a clearer picture of the attachment with the mounting block to the back of the table?

Thanks!

[eagspoo]

Also, would anyone happen to have a mounting block for the clear plastic 500 upper guard (pictured above) that they'd be interested in selling?