Lower Blade guard fitment

[Chasboy1]

Hi Folks, I bought a blade guard for my 1954 Mark V a long time ago, when Shopsmith ‘resurrected’ itself. It recently broke at the mounting clamp area and could not be fixed. I thought I could live without it but after a bunch of sawing today I realized how much it helped. I’ve located a few used ones on Ebay, but I’m unsure if they will fit, and could use some advice. One seller mentioned I’d need a new saw arbor. The serial # is 269862.
Thank you!

[br549]

I wasn't sure what a lower saw guard from 1954 looked like, but found this picture in the restored Mark 5 Owner's Manual that Everett Davis has posted on his Google Drive.

Mk 5 saw guard.jpg (293.27 KiB) Viewed 12861 times

If your saw guard was actually a newer model, it may be like the ones used on the Mark V 500.

505627 Upper and 505628 Lower Saw Blade Guards.jpg (175.28 KiB) Viewed 12861 times

These are frequently found on ebay for sale.
The latest version available from Shopsmith is all plastic, but even that should not require different arbors.
The Models 505, 510, 520 and Mark 7 with their larger tables and different saw guards do require longer arbors. The saw guards for those models will not work on a Mark V 500 (or a Mark 5).

[chapmanruss]

If yours is the gray guard shown in the second picture above P/N 505628 which is the first guard set made by Shopsmith Inc. than all you would need to buy is the main part that isn't broken at the mount. There has been one for sale on eBay with a repaired mount clamp area but there are plenty without damage or repairs. All the other parts you have can be switched over to the replacement purchased as needed. Although your Mark 5 made in June of 1954 was designed to use 9" blades this guard can use 10" blades. The early Mark 5 guard shown in the first picture is limited to a 9" blade. Also original length Mark 5/Mark V 500 arbors are the ones to use. The longer arbors for the Mark V 510/520 & Mark 7 will put you blade too far away from the quill end to use this guard without the 1" spacer that is generally used for dado blades and molder heads.

Do not confuse the lower saw guard with the Sanding Disk Dust Chute P/N 555167 which is a stripped down lower blade guard from the Mark V 510/520/Mark 7 made for the Mark V 500 to use with the 12" Sanding Disk only.

[everettdavis]

I recently wrote a new member about the original Mark blade guard referenced in the manual and commented how the lower guard dust chute rectangle resembled its predecessor blade guard dust chute in the 10E & 10ER versions in the late 1940's.

I snagged pictures from an eBay auction I lost, some time ago as I tried to acquire a set. I later bought a lower guard only from a fellow who was parting out what was left of a greenie, on Craigslist. I posted photos of those a few moments ago in a different thread where the subject was being discussed for different reasons.

Here's what they looked like. I am still searching for the top portion of that vintage blade guard to complete mine.

If you look at the gray-scale version above, there is actually two versions of the early blade guard. Look at where the top section mounts to the lower section of the guard. They are different.

Kindest Regards,

Everett

BG02 resized fo SS Forum.jpg (839.13 KiB) Viewed 12746 times

BG03 resized for SS Forum.jpg (777.72 KiB) Viewed 12746 times

10E and 10ER lower saw guard 09.jpg (64.78 KiB) Viewed 12746 times

[everettdavis]

Here is the actual description that accompanied the photo (Fig 37) in the 1954 Manual

Update: for the inquiring minds, those are R. J. DeCristoforo's hands in the photo

Everett

1954 Manual p11 M5 Saw Guard.jpg (534.84 KiB) Viewed 12730 times

[chapmanruss]

It is interesting that the Guard set shown in the post above, fig. 37, is only shown in a manual. It must have been a prototype as it apparently was never in production. Note the splitter and how it mounts to the Lower Guard. I have never seen this style of a Saw Blade Guard set for sale with or without a Mark 5. The Greenie Guard set shown in the two pictures on the wood table in the post above was the one an owner could purchase separately as the Mark 5 did not come with a Guard set. The two Greenie Guard sets I have had (and I still have one) are that style which was Part Number 22 370.

The Manuals continue to show the same picture into the first Shopsmith Inc. Manual but the description changes between the 5th and 6th editions of the Manual. It drops the wording "with rubber covered fingers" and the second paragraph about the plastic window. I have never seen the upper guard with a plastic window either.

[Chasboy1]

Thanks guys. The one shown in the second picture, part #505628, is what I had. Unfortunately I got pissed off when it broke and thought I could live without it. Turns out I was wrong. So am I correct in assuming that the only one I can use is the for the Model V or 500? I found a few on ebay but I’m not sure if they will fit. A number of them mention the need for drilling/tapping holes in the table frame.

[br549]

Yes, only a lower guard meant for a Mark 5/Mark V 500 will work. Not one meant for a 505, 510, 520, or Mark 7. However, there are at least three choices. The 505628 in picture above should be a direct replacement for the one you had that broke. It is no longer made, but is still found on ebay. Sometimes you see them sold with the upper guard too.

In the evolution of lower saw guard upgrades, I believe the next version was mostly all plastic, had a metal shield that required drilling and tapping the table frame, and 1.5" dust chute discharge.

sawguard.jpg (176.34 KiB) Viewed 12622 times

sawguard2.jpg (189.05 KiB) Viewed 12622 times

And the third option is a newer version of the second, with dual 2.25" dust chutes. I am not sure if the third version is available from Shopsmith or not ... the link to it was broken when I just tried. There is even an upgrade offered (555294) to upgrade the mostly plastic single 1.5" discharge to a dual 2.25" discharge. See picture below from website.

Mark V Model 500 Lower Saw Guard Upgrade.jpg (201.24 KiB) Viewed 12622 times

Either the second or third versions require drilling and tapping the cross bar of the table frame for the metal shield.

If you stay with the 505628, no drilling or tapping into the cross bar is required, HOWEVER, if you don't already have the upgraded upper see-thru saw guard, the mounting bracket for it does require drilling and tapping into the table frame (but in a different place). The upgraded upper saw guard is not necessary to use the 505628, but it is an improvement over the cast aluminum upper guard.

[chapmanruss]

The guard systems shown in br549's post above are the next two Saw Blade Guards for the Mark 5/V with the original table system. The first had poor dust collection with only a 1-1/4" connection for the dust collector. The later version changed to the 2-1/2" ports and was also available as an upgrade for those with the 1-1/4" version. It does require drilling and tapping holes in the Table Tie Bar as was said above and in the rear Table post for attaching the Upper Guard Mounting Block. If you do not mind having the solid cast aluminum upper guard than stay with your current Saw Blade Guard System.

[Chasboy1]

Thanks again. I will research the ones I found on ebay, leaning towards the one I had with the larger vacuum outlet. However, after seeing the newer ones I’m intrigued by what looks like a portion of the shield that moves up and down with the table?
I was a Metal Shop teacher for awhile so drilling and tapping are not a concern.
I don’t like the upper blade guard, (and something a shop teacher should never admit to), and uninstalled it soon after I got the set when I bought it new.
Another mistake I made early on after my father in law gave me the machine was the purchase of a guard for the 12” disk sander, made entirely of plastic that never fit because either the mounting area of the disk OR my main drive shaft was not long enough. I thought I could adapt it for the saw but it gets in the way of the table.

****One last question, is it possible to adapt any of the newer ones to my machine? I enjoy fabrication, and if I don’t find one fairly soon, I may just pull out my sheet metal tools...I did make one from a cardboard box, but it’s fit was not close enough to the blade to be very effective. FWIW, I discovered that the spout and cap of certain liquid laundry detergent fit a 2.25” vacuum hose perfectly!