Customer Reviews

DELTA 34-976 Deluxe Uniguard Table Saw Blade Guard

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a woodworking beginner, I'm very focused on safety. I've read dozens of posts about fingers being severed on table saws. These accidents, it seems, are usually due to removed blade guards.

The uniguard is a blade guard you won't remove. The two split halves rotate back independently, so you can still guard the blade when cutting very thin pieces. And the guard hangs from above and rests on the work, so you can use it when performing non-through cuts.

The splitter that comes with the uniguard is its second great feature. It is easily removed for non-through cuts, and more to the point, easily replaced afterwards. The splitter is separate from the guard, so you can remove it and still guard the blade, unlike the standard blade guard that comes with the table saw.

The quality of the uniguard is first rate. The large tube you see in the picture is heavy gauge steel. The only improvement I might suggest is making the blade guard (the pieces directly over the blade) were a little wider. I like the guard to be centered over the blade, but in this position, you can't fully tilt the blade without hitting the inside of the guard. All that means is that you have to shift the guard to the right an inch or two when you tilt the blade. Not a big deal. The tray on the big black bar is handy, but could stand to be an inch or two deeper and wider.

My uniguard arrived in a rather heavy, long narrow box with 1/4" plywood backing. Set up is relatively straightforward, and takes about an hour. Depending on your saw, you may have to drill a couple of holes in the underside of your extension table to mount the bracket, but that is a pretty simple procedure. Another pair of hands is useful in holding the big black bar while mounting (it gets pretty heavy while trying to adjust it) but I managed to do it alone. The instructions caution against having the power cord from the table saw motor come in contact with the guard. On my saw (Delta 10" contractors platinum edition) this clearance is very tight, but there is no rubbing of the cord.

As you can probably tell, I'm convinced the uniguard adds considerably to the safety of my table saw. And, if for no other reason than I spent a chunk of change to get it, I'll be using it every time I turn on the saw.

I didn't want to but I had to...buy a blade guard! I got my new Delta Unisaw with a 52" Biesemeyer Fence and I assembled it minus the blade guard it came with for obvious reasons...they get in the way! So, I figured I'd just go without until I made my first few cuts with this power horse machine. Well, I started having flashbacks of an accident that almost cost me my thumb a few months ago because the guard that came with the blade kept getting in the way. Remembering the sound of my hand hitting the blade and how quickly bad things can happen...I ordered the Deluxe Uniguard.

It came a day ahead of time on Fedex 3 Day Express. I opened it up and took out the plans AND as usual, there was no indication that this would fit on a saw with Biesemeyer Fence. It only showed the Unifence and some other type but not mine! After looking the situation over, I had a choice. Either send it back to Toolcrib and get the Biesemeyer Blade Guard (which [costs] more) or make it fit! I decided to make it fit. For those of you that have a Biesemeyer Fence, it can be done but you have to turn the three support brackets upside down, mark and drill three 3/8 inch holes along the rear fence rail. What made mine a little harder was that I installed an outfeed table too so I had to work around it. Anyway, three hours and three titanium drill bits later, I had my Blade Guard installed and it works great. I may get rid of the splitter but my mind is at ease now as my hand passes by the blade.

All in all, I like it...for a blade guard. It was hard to spend the money but how much is a thumb or finger worth? Besides the heads up on the Biesemeyer problem, I sure wish they would have included all the stuff to move the power switch to the arm of the guard. Giving us a plug box at the base of the vertical post with a pre-wired switch would have been great. As it is, it just makes for a good picture. I'd give it a five star for quality but it just too hard for me to give a blade guard a high rating!

The Deluxe Uniguard is a good value at $270 - and I took advantage of Amazon's $25 off sale so my final cost was $245. Such a deal!

Now the details:

The UPS people did their usual guerilla routine with the package. So even though Delta packs this guard very well using both wood and cardboard, UPS still destroyed it. On delivery day when I answered the doorbell, I found the 6 foot tall package at my door - one end crushed and wide open and the UPS driver already back in his truck and driving away.

Upon inspection I found that the plastic accessory tray was cracked and that the splitter assembly was nowhere to be found. It's probably on a UPS loading dock somewhere.

I called Delta immediately and to my suprise, a human answered the phone! No waiting, no music on hold and no message telling me how important my call was to them. They took my information and they agreed to send out replacement parts. Satisfied that I wouldn't need to return the rest of the unit, I decided to go ahead and install it.

It was pretty straight forward and the instructions were clear. Just a couple of things I should mention. The clear plastic blade shields slip over a steel pin and are held by allen head set screws. It seemed that they required a tiny allen wrench. I mean really really tiny. Smaller than any I had ever seen before. I am embarassed to admit that I puzzled over this for a full 15 minutes before I figured out that the set screws had been installed backwards at the factory - on BOTH guard shields. Simple matter to unscrew them and put them in right. Sheesh!

Also, the instructions suggest cutting 12 inches off both the top and the bottom of the main "J" shaped steel tube if your fence is less than 52 inches (mine is). Based on suggestions I read here on Amazon reviews I waited to cut mine and I'm glad. In the end, I cut just 9 inches off mine for a perfect fit.

And last, my shop-built right extension table has a double thickness top (one and a half inches thick). This guard attaches to the saw at three points. Two are pre-drilled and tapped holes on the rear of the cast iron top of the unisaw. The third mount attaches with an "L" bracket to the underside of the extension table way out at the corner farthest from the saw. With my thicker table, the third mount was 3/4" lower than the other two. Fortunately, there was enough room on the mount to redrill it. Had my table been any thicker, I would have had to get more creative.

The final installed guard is solid. I don't plan to relocate my table saw's ON/OFF switch to the supplied switch bracket but I installed the bracket anyway. I have found that it's the perfect spot to attach one of those magnetic base task lights. Delta sells a light made just for the uniguard but the mounting holes for it are out on the detachable part of the uniguard. This would put it closer to the blade for brighter light but would also require you to deal with the electrical cord when you remove the guard for raised panel cuts.

***** WARNING - WARNING - WARNING *****

I'm editing my review to warn everyone that the Uniguard will prevent you from fully opening your motor cover. If you have a right tilt unisaw with the metal box-shaped motor cover you'll find that it can't swing open more than about 6 inches before it hits the uniguard's steel pipe. It opens far enough to get a vacuum hose in for cleaning or for one arm to reach in to feel around for that arbor nut you dropped inside ;) but it won't open all the way after you install this guard.

I called Delta and they said that's "normal" and they suggested that I leave the cover off or unscrew the hinge each time I want to get full access. Seems to me that Delta should let us know these things before we buy.

The Delta 34-976 Uniguard blade guard and splitter is a good choice for your Delta Contractor Saw or Unisaw (and works with some other brands). There are similar and superior products out there (Excalibur by Sommerville Design, Biesemeyer, Exaktor, Brett Guard; search google for "Tablesaw Splitters and Blade Covers" for a review by Kelly Mehler), but the Uniguard is very good for the price. I have only minor complaints: no integrated dust collection (as in more expensive units), and it took longer to install and align than I expected.

Once installed, the unit offers a world of convenience and safety compared to the splitter and blade guard that came with your saw. For non-thru cuts, you can easily remove the splitter without tools, but still have the benefit of the blade guard.

However, the big U-shaped tube may get in the way of cross-cutting long pieces of wood. On my Delta Contractor Saw with 32" extension table and the Uniguard installed, I am limited to about 62" to the right of the blade. A workaround is to loosen then bolts on the big tube and swing it back down and out of the way, but of course you won't have a blade guard (unless you re-install the one that came with your saw, and you won't want to do that). The other workaround is to have the long part of the work to the left of the blade, but then you don't get the benefit of the extension table.

As others have reported, the package is rather large and somewhat heavy, partly because of the wood used to crate the unit. Mine arrived in excellent condition but was missing three flat washers for 3/8" bolts.

To install the unit, you'll need some wrenches (socket, adjustable, etc) of the usual sizes, both metric and fractional inch hex keys (Allen wrenches) of various sizes including the somewhat unusual 8mm size, and (if using an extension table to the right of the blade) a 9/64" drill (I got by with a 1/8" drill). A square and steel ruler are useful for adjusting the splitter.

I suggest you put a towel or rug on the floor when setting the U-tube down, to avoid marring it. Another thing I learned the hard way was that while installing the U-tube, which is quite heavy, you have to keep an eye on it until the screws are tightened. While looking down at one of the bolts, the top part of the tube decided to swing down and bonked me pretty good on the forehead. The tube is very heavy, and I was momentarily stunned by the blow, but it served as another reminder to be careful in the shop.

The manual suggests that if you have a 30" Unifence and table extension, you can cut 12" from the large tube. I suggest that you refrain from doing this until you find your saw too bulky with the Uniguard installed. The extra 12" on the tube may come in handy if you want to have a work piece that is more than 52" to the right of the blade.

For step 25, I was unable to position the blade guard in a way that the blade cleared both the splitter and the blade guard when the blade is set to 45 degrees. The solution is given in step 26, which I didn't notice at first.

Overall I'm satisfied with the unit, and believe it will make using my table saw both more safe and more enjoyable. I'll save time over having to remove and reinstall the old blade guard the way I used to, but considering the time to install the Uniguard, payback won't come for awhile.

UPDATE: I decided to build an outfeed table for my saw. Most designs expect to use the same holes in the back of the table that are needed to attach the big tube to the saw. As a result, having this blade guard installed seriously complicates attaching an outfeed table. I ended up using a piece of iron plate (hardware store) to join the wooden outfeed table, using the same bolts that hold the big tube. It works great now, but it was difficult to design, build, and install.

UPDATE 2: I'd like to get an Incra TS-LS fence system, but the screw holes on the back of the saw are required by both the Uniguard and the Incra system. I don't know if it is possible to have both installed on the saw at once - maybe by drilling some new holes?

My experience with blade guards has been limited to the Biesmeyer. However, I did not want to spend as much as the biesmeyer sells for. I have a unisaw with a biesmeyer fence. I had to make some simple cuts in the back L-bracket to adapt the blade guard. (The adaptor bracket is needed if you don't cut these notches). My only complaint is that guard support bar bends down close to the table. I am having to adapt and change some of my push sticks so that they will clear the support bar. On taller material the support bar must be removed.

For too long now I've been operating my saw without a guard (yes, stupid). I removed it once to cut dadoes and never replaced it. I finally bought the uniguard and I never have to remove it-even when cutting dadoes.

The guard is everything you expect from Delta: beefy, well engineered, and everything fits as it is supposed to. I was able to fit the guard on my Contractors saw with a 30" extension table without having to cut the support arm (the instructions suggest cutting it as an option). There is no need to do so if you have the room behind the saw. The support arm is fairly heavy-awkward but you can easily set it up by yourself. Tip: Before sliding the arm through the clamps (3 of them), make sure they are in line. The one clamp attached to the extension table can be adjusted, the others are attached to the saw table and will not need adjustment. An easy way to do this is to push a broom handle or similar item through the 3 clamps and sight down the handle.

The instructions are fine, although more than once I wished for a close up photo and that the photos were better lit, but I managed.

Finally: It does what it is supposed to do - the guard covers the blade at all heights and angles, and moves up easily when passing the material to the blade.

Well worth the investment, ensuring I'll be able to count to ten for years to come.

The Uniguard was packaged in a long corrugated box with a plywood and lumber half-crate providing support. Everything arrived in excellent condition.

Assembly of the Uniguard to my Delta Contractor's Saw with 30" Unifence went without a hitch. The assembly and setup instructions were well detailed and there was no shortage of parts. There is certainly no shortage of quality in this device. Everything fit and aligned perfectly.

Because my saw is located next to a wall on one side, I decided to follow their instructions for the option of reducing the size of the support arm by cutting two (2) 12" pieces from the arm. What they didn't mention is that the steel tubing is very tough and has a wall thickness of about 1/8". A borrowed reciprocating saw was very helpful for this operation.

The guard functions very well and I like the splitter as it's easy to remove and replace. I'm very happy with this purchaase.

I use a Delta X5 contractor's Saw as my primary table saw. I do just enough dado and tenon work that it spends most of its time without the blade guard or splitter in place. As the Delta is set up, removing and re-installing these is just bothersome enough to appeal to my lazy side. I finally put in a Merlin splitter a while back, which gave me some margin of safety, but the simple truth is that I needed a blade guard that floated over the blade. After some price and feature comparisons I decided to use the Uniguard.

The Uniguard is one of the least expensive, and actually has a lot of features. It has a split guard, which means that, on short cuts, the guard is still down. It has an accessory tray and a place to mount an upper switch. It is one of the few guards that can be altered to fit a wide variety of saw tables. And it even looks cool - or as cool as a table saw add-on might look.

I trimmed about 9 inches off of the upper pipe to get the Uniguard to fit with an acceptable overhang for my table placement. As you can see from other reviews installation can be a bit exciting, especially if you are trying to do it yourself. It's actually fairly simple, but the weight of the main body of the guard is enough to make things awkward. The Merlin splitter won't work with the Uniguard in place, but the supplied splitter is quite good, and nearly as easy to switch out.

One everything is in place and adjusted the Uniguard is a pleasure to work with. It never seems to be in the way and there is plenty of clearance. If you are looking for a reasonably priced blade guard with a lot of flexibility, the Uniguard is worth serious consideration. Especially if you have a friend to help you install it.

One interesting thing. Klutz that I am, I managed to bring the guard down into the blade and take a chunk out of the middle piece (the 'upper' guard). While the saw continued to work fine I discovered that there is a wind tunnel effect under the guard and the blade would whistle loudly. When I put in the replacement part (Delta parts and service is excellent, by the way) I found I had to carefully adjust the guard to get rid of the noise. Now it's fine and I'm back to being a happy sawyer.

I purchased this for my Delta Platinum Contractor's Saw with Unifence. Installation is pretty straight-forward, although I have to modified my Rockler outfeed table a bit to accommodate one of the mounting brackets. Once installed, the blade guard works very well. I particularly like the easily-removable splitter -- very handy when I am using my sliding table. My only gripe is that I wish there is a vacuum port in the blade guard. The saw dusts seem to be focused to fly directly back at you -- I guess that is a good reminder not to stand directly inline with the blade!

I wanted to upgrade from the flimsy splitter/guard on my Grizzly G1022SM. The Delta 34-976 Deluxe Uniguard Blade Guard, was the obvious choice. It came with the splitter, sold separately at over $100.

The huge box has everything in it, but the instructions. Using the instructions online, I had it assembled in a couple of hours. I ran into one problem. The index pin should go into a notch in mounting bracket. However the notch was too tight, causing the pin to sit on the notch instead of in it. When tightened, the splitter leaned to the left. I grinded the notch down, so the pin fell inside the notch, and it worked great. Last, the unit has an auxiliary switch mounting bracket, but the switch is hard to order. It appears that the original Unisaw switch or tilting arbor switch can be relocated onto the arm. I would suggest you pick up the switch and Lamp accessory 25-858, with your order. That being said, the unit is awesome. I have no complaints at all!