To SawStop or not...

[Taz's Master]

Originally Posted by vash

Gives my chills. I still can't run a table saw. Damn.

As tough as it was to turn it on after compromising my counting abilities, it is WAY harder to hear someone else use it.

[slodave]

Originally Posted by dyount

I'd say for the occasional user the saw stop is awesome. I teach "newbies" to use a table saw at a community college and know the system works. All that said it's got limitations of course being that it is so sensitive and functions so quickly. I know it trips with any metallic laminate but never saw one trip from moisture in the wood. I've never used the system with a dado blade or molding cutter etc. I've seen teeth removed from a blade after saw stop has done it's job... actually pretty scary to hear the thing function.
All that aside working inherently safe will save your hand long before technology.... if your hand/fingers are where they belong and you're using push sticks correctly and or finger boards,not overly tired,and clearly focused on the blade...... I'm old school and used to use saws daily with no guards etc and luckily only had my hand sewn back together once

I think it's a great tool for the occasional user and professional. A lot of people focus on the injuries that happen when the operator is not careful. The SawStop also prevents the accidental injuries. The ones the operator did not see. That nail that was hammered into a tree when it was a sapling so many years ago and the tree grew around, hiding it until the person that bought that piece of wood with the hidden nail, runs it through the table saw. The saw wasn't designed so you can watch tv while cutting wood. I'd rather have the added protection of a device that has a good track record in saving digits.

I've conditioned myself to slightly to the left of the wood I am cutting, so that in the event of a kickback, my body is not in the way. I still remember the hole that was halfway across the shop in college, where a board went flying and embedded itself into the wall.

If you are cutting metal or materials that may trip the saw, you can put it into bypass mode, though it's a pain to do (by design).

I tried to post these last night in response to another post, but with the server issues...

Green and ready to go...


If I touch the saw blade before it's turned on and spinning, it senses the finger and prevents the saw from turning on. You can see the red light next to the green in the pic. Once I take my finder away, the red light blinks for a few seconds until going out, still preventing you from turning the saw on, just to make sure the blade is clear.


To those that no longer can count to 10. Did the accidents happen because of your carelessness or other reasons?

[Taz's Master]

Originally Posted by slodave

I think it's a great tool for the occasional user and professional. A lot of people focus on the injuries that happen when the operator is not careful. The SawStop also prevents the accidental injuries. The ones the operator did not see. That nail that was hammered into a tree when it was a sapling so many years ago and the tree grew around, hiding it until the person that bought that piece of wood with the hidden nail, runs it through the table saw. The saw wasn't designed so you can watch tv while cutting wood. I'd rather have the added protection of a device that has a good track record in saving digits.

I've conditioned myself to slightly to the left of the wood I am cutting, so that in the event of a kickback, my body is not in the way. I still remember the hole that was halfway across the shop in college, where a board went flying and embedded itself into the wall.

If you are cutting metal or materials that may trip the saw, you can put it into bypass mode, though it's a pain to do (by design).

I tried to post these last night in response to another post, but with the server issues...

Green and ready to go...


If I touch the saw blade before it's turned on and spinning, it senses the finger and prevents the saw from turning on. You can see the red light next to the green in the pic. Once I take my finder away, the red light blinks for a few seconds until going out, still preventing you from turning the saw on, just to make sure the blade is clear.


To those that no longer can count to 10. Did the accidents happen because of your carelessness or other reasons?

Absolutely my error. I'm not sure what happened, but had I been using a Stop Saw, when it tripped I would have blamed it on a malfunction.

[masraum]

Wow, I hadn't seen this thread the first time around. I'm glad that your fingers lived to fight another day, Dave.

I had an inexpensive table saw (jobsite maybe, folded up for portability) for many years. like a lot of folks, I ran it without the shroud, but I did wear safety goggles and hearing protection.

I remembered seeing posts about sawstop at some point in the past and wanted to post this someplace. Amazing stuff.

[mepstein]

Years ago my dad told me to always pay attention to my fingers and wear eye protection. He's a general surgeon and used to have to deal with the aftermath.

[dad911]

My left pointer is 1/4" shorter, about 2 years ago. Can't play guitar. Well, I never could play guitar. Stupid mistake, rushing, end of day.

[sugarwood]

The hotdog injury at 4:17 looks nasty.
That idiot is downplaying a very real wound.

[mjohnson]

Originally Posted by slodave

...I've conditioned myself to slightly to the left of the wood I am cutting, so that in the event of a kickback, my body is not in the way.

+100

I've never had a bad kickback, and I use the riving thing whenever possible, but I always assume that piece of wood is coming at my head if something goes wrong.

Every now and then I get comfortable with the machine and I have to slap some sense into me. It's a great tool, but it'll eff you up quick! I'm not hesitant to use it for its job - but fingers don't grow back...

[Pazuzu]

We just had two Sawstops trigger from glue which had cured for 24 hours, but that wasn't enough, residual moisture still triggered it.
They're great for saving fingers, but it sucks loosing a cartridge and a blade from glue that is 24 hours old...

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

The hotdog injury at 4:17 looks nasty.
That idiot is downplaying a very real wound.

Really? He basically tossed a hotdog at the blade at high speed and it only went in 1/2 an inch? That's underplaying? That means you could basically trip and fall against a spinning table saw blade, and get yourself bandaged up for the trip to the ER no matter what part of your body hit the blade. No one EVER should have a finger approach the blade at that speed, unless your evil nemesis pushed you into it.

[sc_rufctr]

I bought a Sawstop Jobsite Saw about two years ago to replace a 20 plus year old Triton table saw.
The Triton uses a regular circular saw clamped to the bottom of a steel table. It works well but mine has seen better days. (I'm now converting the Triton into a router table)

I was talking to a GF about the Sawstop and after I explained about the safety system and she immediately said "that's the one I'd want". She's not a handy person but she gets it.

What's one of your fingers worth?

The Jobsite Saw. (It uses the same Brake Cartridge as the full sized table saw)



The Triton it replaced. (not my photo)

[1990C4S]

If you use your saw every day I can see becoming careless. I got my cabinet saw from a kitchen builder, one of his employees lost a finger on my saw, so they bought a new saw with a saw-stop built in.

If you use your saw only occasionally, I do not see the need for a saw stop. The saw has my full attention when I use it. Short of falling into the saw I'm not about to lose a finger. I guess if you're a klutz or accident prone...

[masraum]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

If you use your saw every day I can see becoming careless. I got my cabinet saw from a kitchen builder, one of his employees lost a finger on my saw, so they bought a new saw with a saw-stop built in.

If you use your saw only occasionally, I do not see the need for a saw stop. The saw has my full attention when I use it. Short of falling into the saw I'm not about to lose a finger. I guess if you're a klutz or accident prone...

That's probably mostly true, except that one time when you're busy or distracted. I only used my old table saw occasionally and tried to give it my full attention and respect (especially since I'd removed the guard over the blade). It only takes one time to make for a really crappy day.

[Pazuzu]

Every single person who's ever "personally met" a spinning circular saw blade...or a running chainsaw...or a mandolin slicer...or a lawn mower...or a kitchen knife, or a sharpened pencil...EVERY one of them will tell you that they're always careful and they don't how exactly it happened that their finger and the sharp part met each other and went out on a date.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

Every single person who's ever "personally met" a spinning circular saw blade...or a running chainsaw...or a mandolin slicer...or a lawn mower...or a kitchen knife, or a sharpened pencil...EVERY one of them will tell you that they're always careful and they don't how exactly it happened that their finger and the sharp part met each other and went out on a date.

Not me. I screwed up. Late, rushing, ripping 1/4" plywood for the next day's job. Blade height adjustment broken (I should have tossed the saw). It was getting dark and I didn't take the time to set up a task light, relying on dim garage lights. All preventable, all I take full responsibility for.

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

The hotdog injury at 4:17 looks nasty.
That idiot is downplaying a very real wound.

He blasted that hot dog towards the blade - there is no way anyone with half their senses would try to cut lumber that fast. There is NO saw that could cut lumber that quickly. The demos done in regular speed/motion there is the smallest trace of the skin being cut on the hot dog.

Watch this video for an alternate result:

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

Every single person who's ever "personally met" a spinning circular saw blade...or a running chainsaw...or a mandolin slicer...or a lawn mower...or a kitchen knife, or a sharpened pencil...EVERY one of them will tell you that they're always careful and they don't how exactly it happened that their finger and the sharp part met each other and went out on a date.

Yep, many car accidents are like that as well. I know that it occasionally clicks for me when I'm driving that I'd distracted. I've also had the same feeling when using power tools. I've been lucky so far.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

He blasted that hot dog towards the blade - there is no way anyone with half their senses would try to cut lumber that fast. There is NO saw that could cut lumber that quickly. The demo's done in regular speed/motion there is the smallest trace of the skin being cut on the hot dog.

And a cut, even a bad one, beats the hell out of trying to reattach a finger or piece of finger or dig a finger out of the sawdust at the bottom of the saw.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by dad911

Not me. I screwed up. Late, rushing, ripping 1/4" plywood for the next day's job. Blade height adjustment broken (I should have tossed the saw). It was getting dark and I didn't take the time to set up a task light, relying on dim garage lights. All preventable, all I take full responsibility for.

I said, EVERY SINGLE PERSON. EVERY ONE. ALL OF THEM. You're obviously wrong.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

I said, EVERY SINGLE PERSON. EVERY ONE. ALL OF THEM. You're obviously wrong.

I'm Married, not single, so your good.