Shark Guard Kits?

[Stytooner]

Guys, I have had enough questions on this to seriously consider it. I worked up some numbers and I think it is doable. The 2.5" port kit for a riving knife saw like the BT's would be $80.00 shipped in US.
Nothing would be finished except perhaps the clamps and bushings.

The riving knife would need sanded and deburred and painted.
The guard part would have the dust port bent already, but it would all have to be glued together.

All parts would need painting. Decals would be included of course.

I would have detailed step by step plans on the build. I would include a deburring tool as well as a syringe and teflon needle for gluing up.
You would need a drill, glue, both tube and solvent types which may be available locally. I would provide links if not.
Bandsaw would help, but jigsaw could be used. Even the table saw with the right blade. This is for trimming the guard parts flush after glue up.
You would need a square to use when gluing up to insure squareness.
Your choice of paint colors.

All the pertainent hardware would be included.
4" dust ports would be $7 more. I now offer 3" ports and they are $3 more. Saws with splitters would be $7 more.
I could likely build up stock on something like this.
It could ship like within the week. I hate having such a long lead time like I have. At least this would give some of the DIYer's another option.
What are ya'lls thoughts on something like this?
Thanks.

[smorris]

Interesting, the problem that has always stopped me from ordering one was not the price but the lead time. If it was available from stock I would certainly be interested.

[pelligrini]

That sounds like it would work well. I assume it would dramatically cut down lead times too.

The only drawback that I can see is the quality of the assembly. Everyone is using at their own peril anyways, so I don't think it's a big issue.

[Sam Conder]

I dunno Lee, I worry it may devalue what is IMHO the best aftermarket guard around. Think about it, what if someone assembled one incorrectly, had a bad experience (heaven forbid an injury) and then posted all about it in an online forum.

I may be wrong, but if it were my product, I would want to protect the integrity of it.

What do others think?

[dbhost]

I tell ya Lee... I have one, and it is a great guard. does an excellent job at keeping the blade covered, and dust in its place...

I completely understand your insistence on quality control. I know you could sell a LOT more shark guards if you had the stock to do it...

I am happy as all get out about mine for sure.

Have you thought about maybe hiring some help to build these?

[jziegler]

I've thought about a Shark guard from time to time, the kit might get me to finally buy. It sounds like a good idea to me.

Jim

[HauntedBranch]

I have wanted a Shark Guard for a long time and a kit like this sounds good. You might have a lot of questions and requests for help to deal with. I would volunteer to be a klutz-beta tester.

Phil

[Stytooner]

Well, I have hired someone. Part time. My son has been making all the guards for awhile up until about 6 weeks ago. He has just been working too much OT at his day job. They expect it to be over soon. He still makes me a couple a week, but that is a drop in the bucket. So, I have been making almost all of them lately, which has really killed the flimsy handle I had on lead times anyway.

I have tried to get other fabricators to come up with something I could use and I never liked the results. I make so many different sizes and options that any real mass production would be too costly. I'm not at the end of the road on that though. Always looking for a better way.


On the kist, I would engrave "KIT" inside somewhere at the back. That way upon inspection, one would know if I made it or QC'ed it.
Good thoughts so far. Things I haven't thought of for sure.

[Stytooner]

I have wanted a Shark Guard for a long time and a kit like this sounds good. You might have a lot of questions and requests for help to deal with. I would volunteer to be a klutz-beta tester.

Phil

It could not be any more than I already get.

I would have step by step instructions with pictures both available online and shipped with the kit.
If I do need a beta tester, you will be the first.
Thanks.

[pelligrini]

We might see some customizations & modifications that you haven't thought of either.

[Bruce Cohen]

Lee,

This is one of your BETTER ideas, go for it, and the H**l with what Sam says, he probably hasn't used a table saw in years..

You've always done right by this Yankee.

Bruce

[LarryG]

Lee, do you have the design of the SG patented? A determined copycat could reverse-engineer the thing pretty easily, working from one of your factory-made examples; but it seems to me that selling kits could amount to putting a set of templates into the hands of anyone who wanted to rip off your design. (I'm not suggesting anyone HERE would do that, of course.)

[poolhound]

Lee,

Fundementally I think it is a good idea although the exact implementation will need some thought.

As business and marketing strategy is my business I do have some concerns similar to those raised by Sam. If not done correctly it could have the potential to hurt your business and reputation which of course would be counter productive.

You, and your product, currently have a GREAT reputation and the only downside is lead time. Given how much we all spend on tools price is not so much the issue. Discount strategies can always help but only if you can maintain a steady and profitable manufacturing output.

Have you looked at the business math to see how you might scale operations to meet demand and still make money? This is what I do and I would love to be able to help you. Nothing would please me more than to see you take your company and the SG to the next level.

Please feel free to email or call me and we can discuss further if you are interested in some help.

[poolhound]

Lee, do you have the design of the SG patented? A determined copycat could reverse-engineer the thing pretty easily, working from one of your factory-made examples; but it seems to me that selling kits could amount to putting a set of templates into the hands of anyone who wanted to rip off your design. (I'm not suggesting anyone HERE would do that, of course.)

Larry, this is a legitimate concern, although any compnay with the manufacturing resource to build guards in some volume would have no problem reverse engineering from the current finished product.

[LarryG]

any compnay with the manufacturing resource to build guards in some volume would have no problem reverse engineering from the current finished product.

Yes; that's what I meant about a "determined copycat." But I was thinking more about would-be competitors operating on a much smaller scale ... those who might take one of Lee's kits and use them as a guide to knock out eight or twenty or a hundred copies. That might be enough to make a significant dent in his sales (I don't know how many SGs he sells). And if they put the things together wrong, or cut corners, and these inferior copies end up being confused with genuine SGs ... you see where I'm going.

I agree there's little that can be done to stop such thieves, if they really want to steal an idea; but if it were me, I wouldn't want to make it any easier for them.