Intro & Seeking guidance

[Bridgehook]

Magnificent! Thanks so much (and my apologies for not being able to find the earlier thread on my own).

My unit does not have the original lower guard. Instead, it has the lower guard components that came with the 505875 Saw Blade Guard Assembly. Which means that I have a tie bar shield that has never been mounted because... mounting holes were never drilled and tapped!

How important/desirable is it to mount this shield (and the "small front and rear shields" mentioned in the instruction document)? Assuming it's something I want to do, then I'll need a copy of the templates as well as specs or part #'s for the necessary screws.

Thanks again for sharing your expertise.

[br549]

I don't have the upgraded lower saw guard, so can't be of much help to you there. Here's a thread that explains better than I could about the "original" upgrade and the subsequent upgrade to just the lower guard.
https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/view ... rd#p271921
As far as dust collection, I have read that the front & rear shields, along with dual 2 1/4" ports, were a vast improvement. There are numerous other posts about ways to improve the dust collection ability for a 500 system. I've been happy with changes I made to my original non-upgraded lower guard, so I haven't upgraded the lower. Hopefully someone else can help you with the template(s) and hardware info.

EDIT: Included in the thread linked above is a post by rpd (Ron Dyck), with a link to a more complete set of the instructions for mounting than what I previously found. I've attached it below to make it easier to access. The template for mounting the lower tie-bar shield is apparently Shopsmith Publication PL-5198. Perhaps Shopsmith Customer Service can provide you with a copy.

[chapmanruss]

Bridgehook you asked

How important/desirable is it to mount this shield (and the "small front and rear shields" mentioned in the instruction document)?

Forum post on the subject say it is important. In fact they suggest providing the maximum coverage possible for the under table guard for dust collection. I have only owned one Mark V with this Guard System which was on one I refurbished and resold. Since it was already installed I did not have to drill & tap any holes, only replaced the small front and rear shields that were damaged.