Adjusting kickbacks on a older 500 upper guard

[ehbowen]

When testing out my new-to-me Mark V/500 (vintage 1980) earlier this week, one problem I encountered repeatedly while table sawing was the kickbacks on the upper guard falling into a reverse position, preventing wood from being pushed past the blade. This generally happened whenever I raised the guard to make an adjustment or take a measurement. But, while the kickbacks were quick to reverse on me, I had the devil of a time getting them back in proper position...they repeatedly caught on the slot cover and there wasn't enough clearance to flip them back. Has anyone else run into this problem, and is there some kind of a workaround?

I have the solid sheet metal upper guard, BTW...not see-through plastic.

[dusty]

Could the kickback pawls possibly be installed backwards????

[ehbowen]

Could the kickback pawls possibly be installed backwards????

Picture worth a thousand words department:

Photo of Shopsmith saw guard

20200717_183546.jpg (52.51 KiB) Viewed 4832 times

When the guard is lifted to clear it out of the way, that screw/pin at the back of it acts as a lever and 'pops' the anti-kickbacks forward so they're facing the wrong way. There's enough spring in the system that, when not being held up, they remain pointing the wrong way and flipping them back requires overcoming that spring...which is difficult without popping them back the wrong way again.

Any suggestions?

[JPG]

When you 'raise' the guard, are you pulling straight up vertically until it reaches the top end of the slot, then, pushing straight back horizontally to the end of that slot, THEN tilt the front end up?

Tilting too soon I think may cause yer 'problem'.

I have never had my hands on one of this version.

[br549]

Mine is opposite of yours. Longest edges are towards the front on mine. I've never taken it apart, it is as it came with my machine in 1980. Mine have no "spring" action ... they pivot freely.

[chapmanruss]

I have and have had several sets of this guard. Mine have all been like the one in my picture below. Someone has reversed the anti-kickbacks on yours.

505627-505628r.jpg (129.23 KiB) Viewed 4779 times

Yes I know the blade is on backwards but it shows the Shopsmith name that way. Also this is on a Model 10ER not a Mark 5/V. They work very well on the Model 10's and give it a lower guard with dust collection.

[ehbowen]

I have and have had several sets of this guard. Mine have all been like the one in my picture below. Someone has reversed the anti-kickbacks on yours.

It must have happened at the factory then because the anti-kickbacks are secured with a rivet and there's no sign that anyone ever tampered with it. You think 40 years might be a bit long for a warranty repair authorization?

I want to make sure the anti-kickbacks work properly, yes, but my immediate issue seems to have been caused by having the table too high when cutting. I was taking that line in the book to minimize projection of the saw above the work too literally, and it was setting up the lever/fulcrum situation. With the table lowered so that the longest anti-kickback just clears the table, the immediate problem goes away.

[dusty]

Huh??

Doesn't the saw guard (along with the kickback pawls) move up and down with the table??? What am I missing?

[ehbowen]

Huh??

Doesn't the saw guard (along with the kickback pawls) move up and down with the table??? What am I missing?

My upper guard mounts to a screw bracket on the back of the lower guard, which is clamped around the quill. So no, it doesn't move up and down with the table (1980 vintage Mark V/500). Now there's enough vertical "float" for the metal guard itself to move with the table, but the anti-kickbacks are riveted to the support bracket and they're fixed in place.