Third party or DIY crown guards?

[Kicked Back]

I recently got an Axminster AT254LTS.

The crown guard is this:

I hate it. It's too wide and makes it basically impossible to rip with less than 40mm against the fence using push sticks. The side panels that rise and fall cause inconsistent friction on the wood which leads to less than smooth pushing.

I want a replacement that can also attach to the riving knife, but can only find cheap Axminster ones with reviews that say they fall apart, which I wouldn't want happening over a spinning saw blade...

Is anyone aware of some alternatives or plans/advice on how to make a more suitable replacement?

Thanks

 

[Ttrees]

Take this with a pinch of salt, as I am not experienced, but provided you are working a consistent depth, might it just be easier to make a slip on short fence which is about the same height as the work?
Steve Maskery has some articles and youtubes about the slide on fence.

I suppose you could add another cleat to get the height right.
various magnetic strips might be the handiest, stuck to the machine somewhere, might be the fanciest way, or melamine and screws.

It appears from a newbies perspective to be a good solution.
For anyone who disagrees, I'm quite up for getting a good scolding, as I said I'm not experienced, so... if you can be bothered.

Thanks

Tom

 

[Doug71]

A few places sell the standard kind of thing, don't know if they are any better than the Axminster version.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15337793...96b9SvweHnYTnnPr3QnVwL_xyT23b6vwaAhHhEALw_wcB

 

[baldkev]

Ive got one of the ones linked above by doug. Its got a 60mm dust port, which is an improvement over the little one on the axi picture. The clear guards are better for visuals though. I like to see it cutting.
I modified mine ( cut the front off ) as its a spare to go on my dewalt t/s to improve extraction. I'll almost certainly be building an overhead one soon and cutting a riving knife down to blade height.
Lots of them on the forum though, try the search bar, a couple of really posh ones were posted last year

 

[Ollie78]

The design of all of the riving knife based ones is rubbish. Never seen a decent one.
The overhead crown guard is certainly the best way to do it.

Ollie

 

[Ttrees]

Here's another two ways to skin the cat


Or Kelly Mehler's suggestion, (it's timestamped to demonstrate the solution)

 

[Spectric]

I hate it. It's too wide and makes it basically impossible to rip with less than 40mm against the fence using push sticks.

I can see why, it looks way to complicated and I would say it's sole purpose is to please health & safety. When a guard is badly designed so that it detracts from the task in hand it can just increase your risk of injury if you are having to fight against it. More important measures are ensuring a clean & tidy work area with no trip hazzards and using push sticks, then even a simple guard like the S Maskery one would suffice.

 

[Kicked Back]

Here's another two ways to skin the cat

Magnets.... why didn't I think of that - even when I have one of those magnetic dial indicator holders that I use on the saw... Really like that design. Cheers!

 

[Kicked Back]

I can see why, it looks way to complicated and I would say it's sole purpose is to please health & safety.

Yeah that's the exact vibe I had from it. The anti-kickback pawls (for some reason not pictured in the stock image) are ridiculously tightly sprung as well, and then smash back into the table so hard that they leave craters that have to be sanded flat. Luckily I had the saw replaced due to a mechanical fault and haven't used the pawls on the new one.

 

[Ttrees]

How about this one on Cosmas Bauer's channel.
Looks simple enough and possibly worth looking into further.

 

[Jacob]

I'd stick with the standard riving knife type. They are cheapest and very effective.
The basic design comes standard with most machine so it shouldn't be difficult to find another brand. All it would need is a hole in the right position on your riving knife