The review of the Sawstop system in the latest issue of FWW contains
the following: "The braking mechanism springs an aluminum cartridge
into the path of the blade as the whole blade assembly drops below the
surface of the tabletop, out of harm's way".

If the blade drops below the tabletop, what's the point of stopping it
? If it doesn't drop quickly enough to be safe, why drop it at all ?


only one p in my real address / un seul p dans ma véritable adresse

A good and fair question - but to me the dangers of this device far exceed
this question. The problem with this device is people becoming dependent on
it and being careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device
fails. After all, it is only an electromechanical device, and such devices
have certainly been known to fail. It remains that the best safety device
ever invented is a clear mind and proper technique. And I realize that the
SawStop has been thoroughly tested on hot dogs without failure, but
1: That certainly doesn't mean that it won't fail. And I believe that
they don't guarantee that it won't fail.
2. When I want to cut up a hot dog I use a knife instead of my table
saw anyway.

Regards,
Fred

"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
The review of the Sawstop system in the latest issue of FWW contains
the following: "The braking mechanism springs an aluminum cartridge
into the path of the blade as the whole blade assembly drops below the
surface of the tabletop, out of harm's way".

If the blade drops below the tabletop, what's the point of stopping it
? If it doesn't drop quickly enough to be safe, why drop it at all ?


only one p in my real address / un seul p dans ma véritable adresse

Bruce Barnett notes:

"Fred" writes:

A good and fair question - but to me the dangers of this device far exceed
this question. The problem with this device is people becoming dependent
on
it and being careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device
fails.


You mean, after 3 or 4 CLOSE calls, and spending several hundreds of
dollars replacing blades and catridges, they will become careless and
lose a hand?

You know, I have a neighbor who accidentally set his house on fire
three times. The last time (he was thawing a frozen pipe with a
propane torch) the house caught fire so bad he lost the whole house
(No, I don't know if the insurance company paid him. And his wife and
two little girls were with him when he did it).

I guess my point is this:

1) Some people are freakin' careless.
2) Some people are freakin' dumb as a post.

These people will ALWAYS be an issue. SawStop has nothing to do with it.
And I can't see how SawStop would make things worse for these people.

Wait - I thought of something.....

If they have SawStop AND they disable it, yes - it could make things
worse. But if it's always enabled, and works, it HAS to help.

Only helps if you stick body parts in the blade.

Charlie Self
"Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to." Mark Twain

Fred said......

The problem with this device is people becoming dependent on it and being
careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device fails.

Sorta like brakes on a vehicle then....?

After all, it is only an electromechanical device, and such devices have
certainly been known to fail. It remains that the best safety device
ever invented is a clear mind and proper technique. And I realize that
the SawStop has been thoroughly tested on hot dogs without failure, but
1: That certainly doesn't mean that it won't fail. And I believe
that they don't guarantee that it won't fail.
2. When I want to cut up a hot dog I use a knife instead of my table
saw anyway.

I guess you then don't use the brakes on your vehicle.....?

I believe a lot of the controversy on this subject was not so much the
technicalities but that the company tried to have legislation introduced
that would mandate this safety device. It would probably greatly minimize
the potential damage done to skin and bone versus the number of failures it
may experience but if you're the one it fails on - then you certainly
wouldn't agree.

Like brakes on a vehicle - they've been known to fail also.


Bob S.

"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...


into the path of the blade as the whole blade assembly drops below the
surface of the tabletop, out of harm's way".

I'm not their engineer, but I thought it was their 2-stage safety system.

If the blade drops below the tabletop, what's the point of stopping it
? If it doesn't drop quickly enough to be safe, why drop it at all ?

To me - the blade stop is safety system #1. Dropping it below the saw is the
backup...

On 13 Dec 2004 16:56:20 GMT, otforme (Charlie Self) wrote:

Bruce Barnett notes:

"Fred" writes:

A good and fair question - but to me the dangers of this device far exceed
this question. The problem with this device is people becoming dependent
on
it and being careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device
fails.


You mean, after 3 or 4 CLOSE calls, and spending several hundreds of
dollars replacing blades and catridges, they will become careless and
lose a hand?

You know, I have a neighbor who accidentally set his house on fire
three times. The last time (he was thawing a frozen pipe with a
propane torch) the house caught fire so bad he lost the whole house
(No, I don't know if the insurance company paid him. And his wife and
two little girls were with him when he did it).

I guess my point is this:

1) Some people are freakin' careless.
2) Some people are freakin' dumb as a post.

These people will ALWAYS be an issue. SawStop has nothing to do with it.
And I can't see how SawStop would make things worse for these people.

Wait - I thought of something.....

If they have SawStop AND they disable it, yes - it could make things
worse. But if it's always enabled, and works, it HAS to help.

Only helps if you stick body parts in the blade.

Body parts?
Is that why they show test it with a wiener?

Gino SameOld asks:

If they have SawStop AND they disable it, yes - it could make things
worse. But if it's always enabled, and works, it HAS to help.

Only helps if you stick body parts in the blade.

Body parts?
Is that why they show test it with a wiener?

Simulates a finger. You were thinking it simulated a...what?

Charlie Self
"Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to." Mark Twain

I believe a lot of the controversy on this subject was not so much the
technicalities but that the company tried to have legislation introduced
that would mandate this safety device.

Yeah - get ready. Whether they understand it or not the Government's is
probably going to help us out on this.

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 17:37:43 GMT, BobS wrote:
Fred said......

The problem with this device is people becoming dependent on it and being
careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device fails.

Sorta like brakes on a vehicle then....?

More like an airbag. If it were to go off at the wrong time, that'd be
bad. If it were to not go off when it should, that'd be bad too.
And if you rely on it as a supplimental safety feature and disregard the
primary safety features (seatbelts, paying attention, not being drunk/stoned/
stupid while driving) then you're asking for a world of hurt.

I believe a lot of the controversy on this subject was not so much the
technicalities but that the company tried to have legislation introduced
that would mandate this safety device.

Yes, that and the fact that they keep not being able to produce it. Having
been in both design and manufacturing, I recognize a "we can't make this
reliable enough to ship" situation when I see one, and I see one.

Like brakes on a vehicle - they've been known to fail also.

But Bob, brakes on a vehicle exist. Much like a retail Sawstop does not.

I am guessing here but if the blade drops it is likely the tension on the
belts will lessen also. If the motor is effectively disengaged from the
blade via the loose belts the blade momentum would not have the motor
momentum added to the force that has to be stopped by the cartridge.


"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
The review of the Sawstop system in the latest issue of FWW contains
the following: "The braking mechanism springs an aluminum cartridge
into the path of the blade as the whole blade assembly drops below the
surface of the tabletop, out of harm's way".

If the blade drops below the tabletop, what's the point of stopping it
? If it doesn't drop quickly enough to be safe, why drop it at all ?


only one p in my real address / un seul p dans ma véritable adresse

"Fred" wrote in message
...
A good and fair question - but to me the dangers of this device far exceed
this question. The problem with this device is people becoming dependent
on it and being careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device
fails.

I would think for the other 95% of the population that may use a SawStop
that the fear of a blade spinning at 3500+ RPM may still be the number 1
reason not to become careless. I am one of those people that does not look
down the barrel of a gun because it has a safety unless I have removed the
shell and am cleaning the gun.

The Sawstop may be like brakes and airbags in some respects, but I have
not seen airbags that cost more than an entry level car. The SawStop
would eliminate entry level tablesaws completely as you can't add it to
a $200 benchtop. Even if you could somehow manage to fit this thing
into an entry level saw, the base price would have to double or triple
and the cost of it going off would be more than the pre-SawStop cost of
the saw. Incremental safety equipment additions to cars and such have
certainly added to the cost of such items substantially, but they have
not doubled or tripled the entry level price. The cost of an airbag
replacement hasn't yet reached the cost of the rest of the car.
Dave Hall

I would think that the blade would stop before the saw drops. However, the
act of dropping could be a problem in itself. Suppose you slip and your hand
goes onto the blade. Thank god the saw blade witll stop spinning (perhaps),
but then the blade starts to drop and pulls down. Trapping your little pinky
between the tooth of the frozen blade. Suddenly you regret that you made
that nifty zero clearance plate....

-j


"Leon" wrote in message
news
I am guessing here but if the blade drops it is likely the tension on the
belts will lessen also. If the motor is effectively disengaged from the
blade via the loose belts the blade momentum would not have the motor
momentum added to the force that has to be stopped by the cartridge.


"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
The review of the Sawstop system in the latest issue of FWW contains
the following: "The braking mechanism springs an aluminum cartridge
into the path of the blade as the whole blade assembly drops below the
surface of the tabletop, out of harm's way".

If the blade drops below the tabletop, what's the point of stopping it
? If it doesn't drop quickly enough to be safe, why drop it at all ?


only one p in my real address / un seul p dans ma véritable adresse

I saw a Sawstop demo in person 2 yrs ago. From what I remember the rep
saying.... the blade is stopped within 2 or 3 teeth on a blade.
Stopping the blade so fast takes a lot of energy and dropping the blade
helps absorb some of the energy.

I got an e-mail from sawstop saying my cabinet saw is ready to be
shipped to me. I put my name on the mailing list 2 yrs ago at IWF. So
it looks as though there are actually starting production.

Mike

"Dave Hall" wrote in message
ups.com...
The Sawstop may be like brakes and airbags in some respects, but I have
not seen airbags that cost more than an entry level car. The SawStop
would eliminate entry level tablesaws completely as you can't add it to
a $200 benchtop. Even if you could somehow manage to fit this thing
into an entry level saw, the base price would have to double or triple
and the cost of it going off would be more than the pre-SawStop cost of
the saw. Incremental safety equipment additions to cars and such have
certainly added to the cost of such items substantially, but they have
not doubled or tripled the entry level price. The cost of an airbag
replacement hasn't yet reached the cost of the rest of the car.
Dave Hall

You might be interested in knowing that an accident that causes 4 or 5
thousand dollars worth of body damage on an entry level car that is a year
or two old may very well total the vehicle when you add in the replacement
cost of the air bags and interior trim parts that are damaged when the air
bags go off.

"J" wrote in message
...
I would think that the blade would stop before the saw drops. However, the
act of dropping could be a problem in itself. Suppose you slip and your
hand
goes onto the blade. Thank god the saw blade witll stop spinning
(perhaps),
but then the blade starts to drop and pulls down. Trapping your little
pinky
between the tooth of the frozen blade. Suddenly you regret that you made
that nifty zero clearance plate....

In that event even if the saw is off and the blade not turning at all you
are going to get cut. The stationary blade is not going to pull you in as
it drops, it is simply going to cut, not snag and pull.

"Mike S" wrote in message
ups.com...
I saw a Sawstop demo in person 2 yrs ago. From what I remember the rep
saying.... the blade is stopped within 2 or 3 teeth on a blade.
Stopping the blade so fast takes a lot of energy and dropping the blade
helps absorb some of the energy.

I got an e-mail from sawstop saying my cabinet saw is ready to be
shipped to me. I put my name on the mailing list 2 yrs ago at IWF. So
it looks as though there are actually starting production.


Mike be sure and give us blow by blow details about the saw when you get
it, Please.

"Leon" wrote in message
. com...

"J" wrote in message
...
I would think that the blade would stop before the saw drops. However,
the
act of dropping could be a problem in itself. Suppose you slip and your
hand
goes onto the blade. Thank god the saw blade witll stop spinning
(perhaps),
but then the blade starts to drop and pulls down. Trapping your little
pinky
between the tooth of the frozen blade. Suddenly you regret that you made
that nifty zero clearance plate....

In that event even if the saw is off and the blade not turning at all you
are going to get cut. The stationary blade is not going to pull you in as
it drops, it is simply going to cut, not snag and pull.

My saw blades seem to have a hook to them. I can certainly imagine that a
finger caught under one of those hooks might see some shearing action as the
blade drops below the zero clearance insert. Remember, the blade is
immobilized so it isn't going to spin backwards to release the finger.

Of course this is just speculation. So neither one of us really knows what
will happen.

-j

Gino wrote:


Body parts?
Is that why they show test it with a wiener?

Ain't gonna test it with my weiner!

Glen

"Glen" wrote in message
link.net...
Gino wrote:


Body parts?
Is that why they show test it with a wiener?

Ain't gonna test it with my weiner!

Glen

Everyone knows that tablesaws are to cut wood.

-j

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 00:56:28 GMT, Glen wrote:

Gino wrote:


Body parts?
Is that why they show test it with a wiener?

Ain't gonna test it with my weiner!

I agree.
Nude woodworking is not for the faint of heart, especially if you happen to be a
wood turner.

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 17:06:22 -0800, "J" wrote:


Ain't gonna test it with my weiner!

Glen

Everyone knows that tablesaws are to cut wood.


Yeah, so flaccid wieners don't count!


Barry

If SawStop is such a great product, why doesn't the demonstrator use his
finger
instead of a hot dog? Where is the faith and confidence in his product?

If the manufacturer want to claim he has a real safety device, lets see the
live
body part demos!

Jack

--
"Most Folks Are As Happy As They Make Up Their Minds To Be"
-Abraham Lincoln



"Fred" wrote in message
...
A good and fair question - but to me the dangers of this device far exceed
this question. The problem with this device is people becoming dependent
on
it and being careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device
fails. After all, it is only an electromechanical device, and such
devices
have certainly been known to fail. It remains that the best safety device
ever invented is a clear mind and proper technique. And I realize that
the
SawStop has been thoroughly tested on hot dogs without failure, but
1: That certainly doesn't mean that it won't fail. And I believe
that
they don't guarantee that it won't fail.
2. When I want to cut up a hot dog I use a knife instead of my table
saw anyway.

Regards,
Fred

"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
The review of the Sawstop system in the latest issue of FWW contains
the following: "The braking mechanism springs an aluminum cartridge
into the path of the blade as the whole blade assembly drops below the
surface of the tabletop, out of harm's way".

If the blade drops below the tabletop, what's the point of stopping it
? If it doesn't drop quickly enough to be safe, why drop it at all ?


only one p in my real address / un seul p dans ma véritable adresse

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 01:33:29 GMT, Ba r r y
wrote:

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 17:06:22 -0800, "J" wrote:


Ain't gonna test it with my weiner!

Glen

Everyone knows that tablesaws are to cut wood.


Yeah, so flaccid wieners don't count!

More evidence of The Wreck discrimination against 'soft' woods.

Have you watched the videos? Sawstop stops and drops the blade so fast you
could not hurt yourself with one if you wanted to! No way you could hook a
pinkie in a tooth of the blade!
Greg

"J" wrote in message
...
I would think that the blade would stop before the saw drops. However, the
act of dropping could be a problem in itself. Suppose you slip and your
hand
goes onto the blade. Thank god the saw blade witll stop spinning
(perhaps),
but then the blade starts to drop and pulls down. Trapping your little
pinky
between the tooth of the frozen blade. Suddenly you regret that you made
that nifty zero clearance plate....

-j


"Leon" wrote in message
news
I am guessing here but if the blade drops it is likely the tension on
the
belts will lessen also. If the motor is effectively disengaged from the
blade via the loose belts the blade momentum would not have the motor
momentum added to the force that has to be stopped by the cartridge.


"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
The review of the Sawstop system in the latest issue of FWW contains
the following: "The braking mechanism springs an aluminum cartridge
into the path of the blade as the whole blade assembly drops below the
surface of the tabletop, out of harm's way".

If the blade drops below the tabletop, what's the point of stopping it
? If it doesn't drop quickly enough to be safe, why drop it at all ?


only one p in my real address / un seul p dans ma véritable adresse

Greetings and Salutations...

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 17:37:43 GMT, "BobS" wrote:

Fred said......

The problem with this device is people becoming dependent on it and being
careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device fails.

Sorta like brakes on a vehicle then....?

No...actually more like the Automatic Braking System
included in many cars today.
It is a device which is added to the basic, perfectly workable
mechanism, which is designed to replace skill and ability on the part
of the driver with robotics.

After all, it is only an electromechanical device, and such devices have
certainly been known to fail. It remains that the best safety device
ever invented is a clear mind and proper technique. And I realize that
the SawStop has been thoroughly tested on hot dogs without failure, but
1: That certainly doesn't mean that it won't fail. And I believe
that they don't guarantee that it won't fail.
2. When I want to cut up a hot dog I use a knife instead of my table
saw anyway.

I guess you then don't use the brakes on your vehicle.....?

I would not if I had to replace the wheels and tires on
the vehicle every time I hit them to the tune of several hundred
dollars.

I believe a lot of the controversy on this subject was not so much the
technicalities but that the company tried to have legislation introduced
that would mandate this safety device. It would probably greatly minimize
the potential damage done to skin and bone versus the number of failures it
may experience but if you're the one it fails on - then you certainly
wouldn't agree.

Like brakes on a vehicle - they've been known to fail also.


Bob S.


Yea...the end run that the company tried to make to FORCE us
to use this mechanism did not sit well with the consumers that would
be affected by it. However, I had issues with it beyond that, in
that I am part of the group that believes that it would bring an
illusion of safety, causing a decrease in attention and awareness
when using the tablesaw, and, therefore would actually increase the
likelihood that an accident would occur. The fact that the RESULTS
of that accident would be more painful to the wallet than to the
body is of little relevance to me, actually.
Beyond that, there are the issues of cost and reliability that
have yet to be answered in any serious fashion. I should note that
this device DOES have an override that will disable it for "special
cutting circumstances". Want to bet that some woodworkers would
find a way to turn it off permanently and...there is a good chance
that those are exactly the workers that would be taking chances,
working stupid, and, therefore more likely to get hurt? A friend
of mine has a drycleaning shop. The pants presser, which is a large
machine that calmps the pants between two, steam-heated platens to
press out the wrinkles, has a safety interlock requiring the user
to have their hands on separate switches, out of the way, before the
machine will close. The last time one of his workers got burned by
this bad boy (and having your hand clamped in this thing, with
the 250 degree temps and steam is NOT a happy thing), it turned
out that (against company policy) the worker had used some cardboard
to jam one of the safety switches, so they could just step on the
close pedal, while arranging the pants with one hand.
Assuming that this thing will work perfectly EVERY time,
no matter how old the saw is, or how it has been used, there have
been no real data presented on how often it will trigger at the
WRONG time. I suspect that the probability of it hitting a false
positive and destroying the blade will go up as the electronics
age...
The bottom line is that using a tablesaw is a dangerous
thing to do. I want myself and everyone that DOES use it to
maintain a cautious nervousness around it, and, not get lulled
into a false sense of security. That sense of security is
exactly what ends up with folks in trouble.
Regards
Dave Mundt

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 20:37:16 -0500, "John Flatley"
calmly ranted:

"Most Folks Are As Happy As They Make Up Their Minds To Be"
-Abraham Lincoln

Thanks, John. (Stolen/added to my sig collection!)

--
"Most Folks Are As Happy As They Make Up Their Minds To Be"
-Abraham Lincoln
-----------------------------------------------------------
www.diversify.com - Happy Website Development

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 20:37:16 -0500, "John Flatley"
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

If SawStop is such a great product, why doesn't the demonstrator use his
finger
instead of a hot dog? Where is the faith and confidence in his product?

If the manufacturer want to claim he has a real safety device, lets see the
live
body part demos!

He has...it just nicked his finger.
---
Only worry about the things you can control.

Then you have stuff all to worry about!

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 23:44:22 GMT, "Leon"
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email


Mike be sure and give us blow by blow details about the saw when you get
it, Please.

......and we will all chip in amd pay for the new balde and repair of
the sawstop.

BTW. If the SS does go off, do you have to return the saw to SS to get
it repaired?
---
Only worry about the things you can control.

Then you have stuff all to worry about!

In article ,
"Fred" wrote:

A good and fair question - but to me the dangers of this device far exceed
this question. The problem with this device is people becoming dependent on
it and being careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device
fails.

That's a good point, but do most people drive recklessly simply because
their car has airbags?

The inventor of the SawStop actually tested it with his own finger. He
said that despite his confidence in the product it was unbelieveably
hard to force his finger into the spinning saw blade.

--
Hank Gillette

In article ,
"John Flatley" wrote:

If SawStop is such a great product, why doesn't the demonstrator use his
finger
instead of a hot dog? Where is the faith and confidence in his product?


He did it once. I don't know if there is a video of that, but if there
isn't, it's probably because he didn't want to release a video of him
crapping in his pants.

--
Hank Gillette

In newsave Mundt typed:
The bottom line is that using a tablesaw is a dangerous
thing to do. I want myself and everyone that DOES use it to
maintain a cautious nervousness around it, and, not get lulled
into a false sense of security. That sense of security is
exactly what ends up with folks in trouble.
Regards
Dave Mundt

Yeah, and I use my powermatic 66 and my grizzly 1023Z every single day, bar
none. And I would love to know that if I had an accident and stuck my hand
into the blade that I would be even more protected than I am now. Knowing
this will not make me lackadaisical at all. It is simply another safety
measure. I mean really, it is a no brainer.
--
Ted Harris
http://www.tedharris.com

In news:John Flatley typed:
If SawStop is such a great product, why doesn't the demonstrator use his
finger
instead of a hot dog? Where is the faith and confidence in his product?

If the manufacturer want to claim he has a real safety device, lets see
the live
body part demos!

Jack

Steve Gass has stuck his fingers into the blade twice, I believe.
--
Ted Harris
http://www.tedharris.com

Dave Mundt writes:

Fred said......

The problem with this device is people becoming dependent on it and being
careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device fails.

Sorta like brakes on a vehicle then....?

No...actually more like the Automatic Braking System
included in many cars today.
It is a device which is added to the basic, perfectly workable
mechanism, which is designed to replace skill and ability on the part
of the driver with robotics.


You want some real fun, pump the brakes on an ABS equipped vehicle.

Been there, done that, got the skid marks to prove it.

Charlie Self
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." Sir Winston
Churchill

Hank Gillette asks:


In article ,
"Fred" wrote:

A good and fair question - but to me the dangers of this device far exceed
this question. The problem with this device is people becoming dependent
on
it and being careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device
fails.

That's a good point, but do most people drive recklessly simply because
their car has airbags?

Not a good analogy. I don't know if it's the airbags, but there do seem to be
more and more idiots on the road today, people who tailgate, speed, cut in and
out. Possibly it's more noticeable because traffic is heavier than ever in just
about every location, but it sometimes seems to me that adding extra safety
gear to cars and SUVs gave a lot of people a sense of invulnerability that is a
bit frightening.

Charlie Self
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." Sir Winston
Churchill

"Dave Hall" wrote in message
ups.com...
The Sawstop may be like brakes and airbags in some respects, but I have
not seen airbags that cost more than an entry level car. The SawStop
would eliminate entry level tablesaws completely as you can't add it to
a $200 benchtop. Even if you could somehow manage to fit this thing
into an entry level saw, the base price would have to double or triple
and the cost of it going off would be more than the pre-SawStop cost of
the saw. Incremental safety equipment additions to cars and such have
certainly added to the cost of such items substantially, but they have
not doubled or tripled the entry level price. The cost of an airbag
replacement hasn't yet reached the cost of the rest of the car.
Dave Hall


There's no reason it has to add that kind of cost to a table saw. There's
nothing in it that costs that much. Granted, it's a capitalist world and
the owner of the idea is entitled to charge what the market will bear, but
there's no reason for it to double or triple the cost of a low end saw.
--

-Mike-

"Hank Gillette" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Fred" wrote:

A good and fair question - but to me the dangers of this device far
exceed
this question. The problem with this device is people becoming
dependent on
it and being careless, and then at a most inopportune moment, the device
fails.

That's a good point, but do most people drive recklessly simply because
their car has airbags?

The inventor of the SawStop actually tested it with his own finger. He
said that despite his confidence in the product it was unbelieveably
hard to force his finger into the spinning saw blade.


Despite his confidence in his product, it was an unbelievably stupid thing
to do.

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message

The inventor of the SawStop actually tested it with his own finger. He
said that despite his confidence in the product it was unbelieveably
hard to force his finger into the spinning saw blade.

Despite his confidence in his product, it was an unbelievably stupid thing
to do.

Ahh, but does it take a hard shove of a finger or just a light touch? From
the description of the sawstop, it just takes a light touch. With that in
mind, it's not as unbelievably stupid as one would know they are only
risking a slight piece of fleshy skin.

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message

the owner of the idea is entitled to charge what the market will bear, but
there's no reason for it to double or triple the cost of a low end saw.

Yeah there is ... it's called "manufacturer's liability insurance".

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04

From my conversations with the rep at IWF 2002....

cost of cartridge was about $80 and replacing it was a DIY project of
very short duration. (they could do it in a few minutes - they did a
demo every hour on the same saw). Sawblades were said to not be
destroyed - maybe loose a couple of carbide teeth. If it were to
happen with my WWII, then I would hang it on the wall as a reminder and
gladly shell out for a new one. (now if it was a misfire, then it
would be a different story)

Since my day job invloves keeping people asleep while the hand surgeons
try to sew fingers back on, I can easily justify this device for my
shop. About once a week I see someone cut off fingers. (My worst week
ever I personally took care of 8 severe hand injuries in 5 days) If
you think a couple hundred dollars is too much for this product, and
that $80 for a cartridge is out of line, then you would really be
shocked at the hospital bill if you ever have the misfortune to have a
bad accident and you and your fingers go to the hospital in different
vehicles. My insurance.... $150 for the ambulance ride, $150 ER
copay, surgery would be free, $40 copay for each specialist, each visit
(think of a couple of months of physical therapy @ $40 a pop), $25 for
each prescription; then add in a pain factor, loss of wages, loss of
use, and the 20% copay that I almost forgot about for several days in
the hospital. Sawstop is pretty cheap insurance after all (IMHO -
YMMV).

and if/when I do get a SS, I'll still be super careful around it - as I
am now with all of my shop tools.

BTW... I keep a picture of a mangled hand right next to the on/off
switch on the TS just as a reminder. (posted to APW or APBW a few
years back)