Table Saw Question

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Great thread. I've been watching these since before they were on the market. I'm trying to procure contractor model at work because of the relative inexperience of our users. Even with all the guards in place those guys still worry me.

 

[stonykill]

Price is under $3K now and I think they have a contractor style out too...look at their site! I have two hobby woodworker friends with basically ruined hands. Both were minor blade contacts that resulted a good part of the hand being sucked through the slot by the blade and thoroughly mangled, probably cost $50K each for repairs and they still can't do much!

I'm thinking seriously and have the OK from SWMBO.

Part of the lesson here is to use a zero clearance insert....would have saved much of the damage to the friends.

my question is WHAT WERE THEIR HANDS DOING THAT CLOSE TO THE BLADE IN THE 1ST PLACE!!!!????? Push stick. Long push stick. My hands are never closer than 12 inches from a spinning blade. Any closer is asking to lose a finger or 5.

 

[BobL]

It only takes a split second to forget!

This was the closest I got.

I was changing the blade on my 12' table saw and while doing up the nut with my right hand (so right hand down inside the saw) I noticed a lot of dust in the belly of the saw so I reached across to turn on the dust collector and absent mindedly turned on the saw switch instead ! Fortunately I had turned it off at the wall - I get the HeebieJeebies every time I think of that one.

 

[smokechase II]

Ask a simple question

I asked a simple question and what did I get?

About 6 answers and a small discussion.

Great info.

Thanks

AS really has its moments.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

This was the closest I got.

I was changing the blade on my 12' table saw and while doing up the nut with my right hand (so right hand down inside the saw) I noticed a lot of dust in the belly of the saw so I reached across to turn on the dust collector and absent mindedly turned on the saw switch instead ! Fortunately I had turned it off at the wall - I get the HeebieJeebies every time I think of that one.

YIKES! *shudder*

 

[MJR]

The machine is only as smart as the operator. The best engineering will never save an idiot from them selves. Besides, an idiot missing a few fingers is less dangerous…

As for the machine, it is fantastic. For commercial use this technology will be the standard IMO. As soon as someone gets hurt enough on a conventional saw to get the lawyers involved and they realize there is a “safer” technology available, well $$$. As for residential use, I see no use in the near future for it. The cost of the machine and the cost of repair once the device is activated (by a moth cocoon, small piece of buried metal, high mineral/salt wood like cedar) will limit its’ residential market. The machine does have a bypass for questionable material.

If I was seriously looking to buy this machine I would ask to see some life data. For example the device stilled worked flawlessly after 6,000hr especially in a commercial setting.

Bottom line – run the equipment you are comfortable using. There is no perfect tool.

BTW – there is no simple question.

 

[buicken]

We have a tablesaw at work, i was outside and heard it turn on, then a loud, odd noise of wood and metal.
one of the guys was cutting scrap into small blocks. (we do have a chopsaw )
he turned the saw on, walked around to the other side and fed the saw the wrong way, freehand!
i have no idea how he didn't cut his hands off. he said he never used a tablesaw before, but figured he would try it anyway.

 

[stonykill]

We have a tablesaw at work, i was outside and heard it turn on, then a loud, odd noise of wood and metal.
one of the guys was cutting scrap into small blocks. (we do have a chopsaw )
he turned the saw on, walked around to the other side and fed the saw the wrong way, freehand!
i have no idea how he didn't cut his hands off. he said he never used a tablesaw before, but figured he would try it anyway.

omg, I hate to say this....but I will. We have 2 sayings for that around here. The 1st is "you can't fix stupid".
The 2nd is " It's Darwinism"

I mean really what was the guy thinking. Do you get in the passenger side of your car, start it, get out, walk around it, and jump in the otherside to drive? Basic common sense here. Some people have none.

 

[Mike Van]

buickin - Where do you work in Ct? Just want to make sure I never stop there.................:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I wonder what the point of the block that ruins the blade is. I mean, If it snatches the blade below table level at the slightest touch of flesh, who cares if it's still spinning? If it did that and was instantly resettable instead of trashing the blade and the cartridge it would be more accepted.

Ian

 

[buicken]

i work at cedar hill cemetery, lots of people stop in, not to many leave.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Well that was needless wear and tear on your keyboard.

Ian

 

[buicken]

haywire, i was responding to mike van.

 

[BIG JAKE]

Device too expensive for me. Here's a safety tip(what I do) that might work for you. Set the blade just higher than the work-maybe 1/8" or 1/4". Most of the time you don't need 3 inches of blade above a board to make a cut. This does adversely effect feeding and tends to lift the work more the lower you go. Play around with this and find a height that works for you. Tearout can be impacted with some materials-up to you to decide. Bottom line is don't use anymore blade above the work than you need. A groove in a finger is better than an appendage without a home. Hope this helps some.

 

[stonykill]

Device too expensive for me. Here's a safety tip(what I do) that might work for you. Set the blade just higher than the work-maybe 1/8" or 1/4". Most of the time you don't need 3 inches of blade above a board to make a cut. This does adversely effect feeding and tends to lift the work more the lower you go. Play around with this and find a height that works for you. Tearout can be impacted with some materials-up to you to decide. Bottom line is don't use anymore blade above the work than you need. A groove in a finger is better than an appendage without a home. Hope this helps some.

thats the 1st thing you learn (or used to) in shop class. Tablesaw 101

 

[woodshop]

I wonder what the point of the block that ruins the blade is. I mean, If it snatches the blade below table level at the slightest touch of flesh, who cares if it's still spinning? If it did that and was instantly resettable instead of trashing the blade and the cartridge it would be more accepted.

Ian

I actually wondered this same thing... but after seeing the device in action and reading more how it works (a very thin wire is burned through which releases the spring loaded pawl) decided that the pawl that instantly stops the blade is faster than the mechanism that drops it below the table. If it WERE actually in the process of cutting a persons finger off, just moving the blade downwards with it still spinning full power would continue to cut that finger for a fraction of a second as it was dropping. With that blade spinning about 100 mph at the edge of a 10 inch, every millisecond it's moving through your flesh is relevent. Thats my take anyway.

I do cut a fair amount of green wood on my tablesaw for various reasons, and not only would the water in the wood be a problem but toasting my $100 WWII blade because of a borer in the wood (sawstop doesn't know the difference between the flesh of a wood borer and a human finger) would put a serious damper on my day. So... to be on the safe side I'd have the thing turned off half the time anyway.

Again though, it is supposed to be a very beefy well desined saw regardless of whether you have the device turned on or not. Checked it out, and as somnebody pointed out, they are less than $3k now and they are in stock here in SE PA at dealers. If I was in the market for a cabinet saw, I'd certainly concider the Sawstop saw.

 

[A. Stanton]

I saw this demo on This Old House. Tommy Silva put a hot dog in front of a running blade. The thing shut down quicker than a light switch. I would recommend this for anyone teaching a shop class.