-MIKE- wrote:


If you're in an awkward position *with* a foot switch, you're in an
awkward position *without* it. I'm not in the habit of moving around
when using my router table. If anything, it encourages you to find
safer methods to move the work piece across the table.


I think this is the aspect we disagree on Mike. I do find that I move
somewhat while working at my router table. Not a lot, but some. Having a
foot tied to one place just to keep a switch on strikes me as awkward.
Prior to using a foot switch, I simply turned my router on, and went to work
on the piece - the same way that (probably) 90% of people do. Never
presented any real problem that was attributable to simply having the router
switched on. Any grab or other router anomoly typically happens so fast
that it's over before you could realize it and let your foot off the switch
anyway. The thing that made me go to a foot switch was simply that I really
disliked the process of reaching underneath the table - sometimes having to
look where I was reaching, to turn the router on and off. That always
struck me as an opportunity to do the bad stuff - slightly shift the
workpiece, etc.


I
disagree that any safety aspect is negated - in fact as I said - it
could be argued that momentary can create its own unsafe environment.


Not in my experience. If something sudden were to happen, your
instinct would be to step away, stopping the router.

I agree with the instinct part, but to me, it's too late at that point so
any perceived safety aspect is only perceived. That said - perceived things
do have some value in our minds.

--

-Mike-