SawStop - too cool

[Trekbike]

Gotta love the engineering behind this.    

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3mzhvMgrLE

[Guest sL1k]

I was cringing when he stuck his finger up to it .

[xjsnake]

Considering I saw my dad lose a chunk of his finger to a table saw a few years back (he got careless) I can appreciate an invention like this. Fantastic concept if it's reliable.

[gunwhatgun]

I know he knows it works and how it works, and that you must have confidence in your own product...........but.............that shit took BAAAAWWLLS

[TripleDigitRide]

Gotta love the engineering behind this.    
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3mzhvMgrLE

Why can I not see the video?

[Sam1]

dang that is cool

[TripleDigitRide]

Although it is cool idea, the "finger test" was a little lame when attempting to show how it works in a real world situation. He should have been put his finger into the blade at the same speed the average person would be pushing a board through the saw. You may not lose your entire finger, but I'd bet you'll still be cut. Edited February 2, 2013 by TripleDigitRide

[TrickyNicky]

No video here either? I think I get the gist if it though, you all are talking about the saw that Seneca the difference between skin and wood and stops and retracts correct? If so I had heard that this was not really new when it came out a few years ago, the problem was with cost to implement as well as essentially admitting that older products were dangerous.

Am I right?

[TripleDigitRide]

No video here either? I think I get the gist if it though, you all are talking about the saw that Seneca the difference between skin and wood and stops and retracts correct? If so I had heard that this was not really new when it came out a few years ago, the problem was with cost to implement as well as essentially admitting that older products were dangerous.

Am I right?

 

For some reason it the video wasn't appearing while my phone. I am able to view it just fine on the PC.

Yes, the saw has a sensor that detects skin, then stops.

 

Now that I think about it some more, he even dipped his hand in something to add additional moisture. Most folks aren't working with soaking wet hands. Cool idea, but obviously needs some more work.

[dats82]

Although it is cool idea, the "finger test" was a little lame when attempting to show how it works in a real world situation. He should have been put his finger into the blade at the same speed the average person would be pushing a board through the saw. You may not lose your entire finger, but I'd bet you'll still be cut.

 

I don't know, man.  The "hot dog" test seemed to mimic that pretty well without much of anything on the dog.

[TripleDigitRide]

I don't know, man.  The "hot dog" test seemed to mimic that pretty well without much of anything on the dog.

 

The hot dog was quite moist, and it looked like there was a spot on the dog where the blade hit it. No doubt better than losing an entire finger, but I'm still curious about the need for moisture.

[TripleDigitRide]

:rofl:

 

This is a great video about the saw.

 

http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/45040/stephen-colbert-takes-the-sizzle-out-of-sawstop

[runco]

Great invention! In high school I witnessed a fellow student in woodworking class, lose his thumb, that was 30 years ago, and I am still squirmish around any woodworking tools to this day. Wait, just in, the government invented that!

[Romad7]

If you can't see the video it might be because you are on an iOS or other non Flash capable device like me and its probably the Flash version of the video.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

That's all well and good, but if you can't use some caution with a table saw while using, and wish to take the time to

replace all that stuff to get a board cut, more power to you. I will rather use my better judgement than another Craftsman

style productivity killer. No offense to the father who got careless, but that's exactly what happened. By the time you go

and replace the blade and the gear mechanism, you might as well go to Sears and buy another table saw.

 

That's a perfect example of over-engineering failure. Cost/benefit.

[Glenn]

On any except the cheapest saws, $60 is a small amount to pay for saving a finger. Even if your finger is dry, once the saw begins to enter it will be plenty wet. Seems like a good idea to me. As a former carpenter, I can attest to the fact that after long day you can get careless. 

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Sometimes a table saw will grab up and eat a lot more than a digit or two. If the saw "always" limited the damage to only one lost finger per accident it would do some good. It wouldn't have to 100 percent prevent all but minor scratches, in order to improve safety.

 

The "recharge kits" for the saw are pretty expensive if you happen to trigger the cutout. Been a few years since checking, but IIRC about the same cost as my entire cheap table saw. But still lots cheaper and less painful than medical bills.

 

Was there news of some kind of legal risk to this device/company? Can't recall. Too lazy to look it up. If somebody sticks a finger in an un-protected saw, it always eats a digit or three, but if the protected saw failed to work in even one case out of a thousand the company could be sued into the dirt?

[mcurrier]

That was introduced about 8-10 years ago.  Still awesome though.  They didn't have video like this when it was announced back then.

[Gun Smith]

I just came in from the shop a few minutes ago.   I've been a carpenter and woodworker for about 25 years.  It is my full time career.   At present,  I still have all my fingers and have never been even nicked by a saw.   But, as they say, it's not "if, but "when".     I preach safety constantly to my employees and if I catch them doing anything stupid or just unsafe we have a serious little talk, immediately.  

 

Having said all that,  Sawstop is a wonderful idea.  They hit the market after I had purchased my big cabinet saw.   If I were in the market today it's the saw I'd purchase.   I know many guys who have them that swear by them.  They are a quality saw with great safety technology.

 

Sure,  if you are a bench tool hobbyist,  it's not the tool for you.  A Wal-mart Taskforce table saw will do.   But, if you do serious woodworking or have employees using your tools, students for that matter,  it can save a lot of pain and workers comp. headaches.

 

A new cartridge, about $80, and a new blade $40 - 140,  is nothing compare to thousands of dollars of surgery to reattach fingers and repair nerve damage.   It cost my BIL about $20,000 for one of his employees at his cabinet shop.

 

The only thing I don't like about Sawstop is the owner (a lawyer) and his tactics trying to get the government to make it mandatory that all brands of table saws use his safety technology.     

[runco]

I work for a Japanese company, and the term most appropriate here is poke yoke, or in english, foolproof.  I am for foolproofing especially for safety, but only by choice in free enterprise.  I do not like the government mandating certain items, like helmets, seat belts, health insurance, coke cup size, amount of sugar, etc. 

[Superman]

And how many people will just replace the blade after the trigger this safety device?lol

[Bad Habit]

It is not a matter if if- but when- you fuck up.

 

You have to ask yourself how much your finger or hand is worth. For me its a no-brainer. There is a sawstop saw in my very near future.

 

They work. Sometimes too good. I follow a lot of woodcraft forums. The technology is so good sometimes the stop will fire if uncured (wet) wood is cut. When you send the cartridge back to sawstop they can tell what it came into contact with. If it came in contact with your skin you get a free replacement cartridge.

 

I just can't fathom how people can debate on this saw. Bottom line- get the damn saw. It is a hell of a lot cheaper than a finger or hand.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I haven't worn out my ryobi folding portable table saw that IIRC was $199, going on 8 years now. Its a little underpowered for some stuff, and the table is a bit small even with lots of extension supports, but I'm just a weekend guy. Used it enough to wear out several carbide blades.

 

Might get a SawStop when the ryobi finally wears out. But I'm a big chicken using the saw, that makes it safer. Always used pushers and guides and such, and not once ever ran a piece of wood thru the thang without the blade cover, spreader and anti-kickback attachment in place. No dadoes or half-cuts thru wood with that limitation, but it keeps me out of some of the troubles. If I can't do a cut with all the safety gear attached, I figure out some other way to get it done.

 

Even if I had the SawStop, doubtful I'd ever run any cuts without a spreader and anti-kickback in place (because of being a thumb-fingered chicken). So would at least need to get one of those fancy setups which holds the anti-kickback and blade cover "above the table" rather than mounted on the table, to try ambitious cuts.

Edited February 2, 2013 by Lester Weevils

[Guest RonB]

My father sold these for a few years...he has seen the demo in person.  Basically there is a small electrical charge that runs though the blade and any deviation in voltage causes the mechanism to engage.

 

It is pricey to replace once used but as others have said, Ill gladly pay a few hundred bucks to save my finger.  There have been some issues with too much moisture content in wood, it will trigger it as well.

 

All in all, it is a great idea, save the part for the inventor trying to make it a government mandate.

[Poor_Dog]

I been in the cabinet bidness for many years... This really works.