Well for those of you that managed to find the splinter post that was
started concerning the SawStop, I have a proposal and or a suggestion. Most
of you know my views on the subject and I am not going to repeat them. I
certainly know most of your views and you need not repeat them here unless
they can be constructive.
As it seems the SawStop idea is for the most part accepted as a good
idea by most every one that has seen it or read about it. We are not so
fond of the method of delivery to the public. Some less fond of it than
others. If the SawStop proposal goes through and is approved by the
government many of us have indicated that we are simply not going to
purchase a tables saw as our way to protest the SawStop company and its
tactics. Some of us will buy the table saw despite the tactics used to
market the SawStop. Some of us simply will not be able to afford a new
table saw with the mandated modification. For most this is not a rosy
picture that we see before us. We want the freedom to buy a new table saw
and have a choice over the options that come with the saw. We want to be
able to afford to buy a new table saw with out the government and or an
outside company dictating how the table saw will be equipped, and some of us
will simply look at this modification as just another government mandated
requirement, buy the saw, and go on with life.
Not all of us are professional woodworkers and only perhaps a few of us
in this group are students. Some of us as individuals want the right to be
able to choose or not choose this SawStop modification and fiercely oppose
the tactics used by the Saw Stop company. Some of us work for a company and
use a table saw but have absolutely no say in what equipment is purchased
and or with which options. Some of us may be students in school just
learning this great skill of wood working. Those that are individuals that
do this for a living or as a hobby feel that their personal safety is
totally up to themselves and want to decide for themselves what and what not
to buy with out government intervention. Some of us would love to see this
option implemented on the saws at out work place as we have seen and heard
stories about the dangers of operating a table saw. We work day in and day
out sometimes for hours on end doing tedious work on the table saw and may
become complacent about our safety. We have mouths to feed and bills to
pay. We cannot afford to be out of work because of an injury and yet we
want our freedom. A few of us take shop in school and we are working in a
learning environment with machines every where we look. We spend an hour or
so a day taking in all the instructions, safety rules, building techniques,
and all the noises that the machines make. It can be a bit overwhelming to
many of us in this class room filled with machines that can do much harm to
us unless we are 110% focused. Not totally unlike driving the car for the
first time in traffic with all the other motorists. There are all kinds of
outside elements to distract us from what we must remain focused on, that
being our personal safety. A horn honks beside us and we quickly look
around to see what the trouble is and look back down the road to find that
we changed lanes or hit the curb. Back in the shop we are ripping a board
for the very first time and some one else is cranking up the planer to
plane a board to the correct thickness. We jump when we hear the planer
roar as the wood passes through and when we look back down at our push stick
we realize that some how it has slipped and slid down the board when we
jumped, our hand coming way too close to the blade. Or maybe we just
sneezed and jumped a bit. Perhaps you have a child in this school shop
also. An added element of safety would certainly be appreciated to the
uninitiated.
We are all in this boat together and we all have different priorities.
What a dilemma. I mentioned a couple of different woodworking scenarios in
the other thread concerning those that have no say in the purchasing of
equipment. They should also have the right to be able to work or learn on
equipment that is as safe as it can be manufactured. The Saw Stop or a
similar safety devise would probably be requested by those 2 groups with out
question if only they had any say. So here we are, at a cross road. The
Saw Stop is a remarkable new product that most certainly will prevent
accidents from becoming major injuries, but not all of us can afford the
luxury of having such a product or simply will not have such a devise
because of his or her beliefs in what freedom to choose means. Freedom like
everything else worth having comes with a price. Many of us, our fathers,
grand fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, cousins, sons, daughters, and
friends have given to our country above and beyond the norm to preserve our
freedom. A courageous and admirable group of individuals they are. I hold
a great respect and admiration for all of these relatives and friends of
ours for they have gone the extra mile for what they believe in and would go
many more to insure that what they have accomplished remains in place for
them selves and the rest of us. We owe them more than we could ever express
in words. Too many of them have given the ultimate price for us.
With this long winded thread I have taken the first step in trying to
pull this group together on this issue so that we can all come to terms with
what may be a crucial turn of events in the wood working industry and for
the individual hobbyists. The SawStop company is going after the
requirement that most all 12" and smaller new table saws be required to
have their product or one like it. They have invested their time and money
into coming up with a product that appears to be quite complex and effective
for the avoidance of injuries resulting from personal contact with a
spinning table saw blade. They have demonstrated their product and seem to
have been well received at numerous wood working shows and events . They
have contacted numerous table saw manufacturers and have had built what
appears to be a few prototypes of the finished product that they are now
taking advanced orders for. But now they have legally approached the
government with patents and a petition to require their product be use on
most all the table saws that you or I would ever buy. IIRC this group of
people are patent attorneys and have done their home work. IMHO they have
better that a 50/50 chance of having this proposal mandated by the
government. Not so good news for some, Ok news for others, and good news
for the rest. So for those that fall in the "Not so good news or OK news"
group, what are "you" going to do to preserve your freedom of choice
concerning this issue.
Tim Douglas, another long time contributor to this news group came up
with one of many possible great suggestions. Its suggests an avenue to take
that may make this pill not so bitter.. His post was the first that I
recall reading that has actually has gone past the stage of public out cry
about ones rights or freedoms of choice being compromised by this situation.
In a nut shell he said, ask that the proposal to be modified so that the
SawStop only be mandated for schools and small shops with 5 or more
employees. This would most likely be well received by students and their
instructors and the employees of shops that profit enough to have 5 or more
employees. Those of us that do not fall in that group would still be free
to choose a table saw with or with out a SawStop. This suggestion may not
work but it certainly gives those that oppose the SawStop petition a
compromise that is more palatable to the Saw Stop company than simply
sending in an opposing petition. They have a big investment in time and
money in their product and they apparently do what they do, well, as they
have gotten this far in so many years. While this will not be a cake walk
for them, they seem prepared for the long haul but would probably welcome
suggestions that are more fare to both us and them. So far they are either
getting great praise or great opposition and probably no suggestions for
compromise. Several magazine have praised their endeavor. Tim has
submitted to this group one idea for compromise, lets see who may have
another suggestion.
In closing, freedom is an invaluable privilege that is easily lost if
not fought for and guarded. For those of us that feel this way, remember
that freedom of choice comes with a cost. If we truly feel that the SawStop
mandate will restrict our freedom of choice then we have to do something
constructive and not just moan and groan and sit back and watch that freedom
be taken away from us. Arguing among ourselves ain't gunna get it. Go to
the bargaining table and make suggestions. Go to the bargaining table with
the willingness to compromise on some details or issues. Go to the
bargaining table and be a respectful and "truly knowledgeable"
representative of your fellow wood workers with offers that SawStop would be
interested in.

I have respectfully teed the ball up for you. Its now your shot.

Any non constructive comments need not be posted.

With great respect and admiration for this great group of wood workers I
wish you all the good luck.

Leon