# Table saws - public scourge!!



## oh'mike

The Saw Stop guy is making progress ---he holds the patent and finally found some politicians to back his play.


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## Bud Cline

*That's a lot of crap.* Table saws have had blade guards and anti-kickback spurs and slap switches for years and years. When will people be responsible for their own actions and stupidity. Like the guy in the photo with the hot dog and no blade guard. He deserves whatever happens to him if something does.

In the interest of consumer safety that inventor of the Saw Stop guy should place his invention into the public domain.:yes:

Yow right.


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## Leah Frances

Dont get me wrong. I wish my table saw had one and would be willing to pay for it. 

It's just funny to hear politicians talking about it in such as histrionic manner. You would think every contractor is missing a finger, hand or arm :laughing:


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## Bud Cline

Several years ago I had a dumb a$$ that worked for me run his thumb into my table saw. Of course we were out in the boonies when it happened and of course everything screeched to a grinding halt so I could carry his dumb a$$ to the Emergency Room. And of course I paid cash for his repairs to avoid a Comp claim and of course I paid him to ride to the hospital and back to the job after three hours in emergency in addition to paying his dumb a$$ to sit in the hospital for three hours.

Though slightly sympathetic I took a large chunk out of his a$$ all the way into town and all the way back to the job and all the way home that evening. Yup..."that evening". Because we worked well into the evening to get done as originally planned before the dumb a$$ did his dumb a$$ thing.

And that's all I have to say about that!:yes:

Oh one more thing! Did I mention I think the guy was a dumb a$$?


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## rusty baker

Anyone using common sense will be OK using a table saw. But common sense isn't very common.


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## kwikfishron

rusty baker said:


> Anyone using common sense will be OK using a table saw. But common sense isn't very common.


There are situations with table saws where until you’ve actually experienced them a few times and figured out how to deal with the situation can get you hurt, common sense or not. 

A couple of quick ones come to mind are like the wood trying to walk off the blade, especially with miters. Or the material actually closing up and binding the blade the further you get into the cut. 

Knots have there own bag of tricks they sometimes play and you never know which one it is until it is about to or is happening. Small pieces of wood can be good for an unexpected surprise too. 

I guess what I’m saying is there is more than just simple common sense involved with table saw safety. A novice with all of the common sense in world will never replace experience. The experienced know to always expect the unexpected with a table saw.


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## oh'mike

kwikfishron said:


> There are situations with table saws where until you’ve actually experienced them a few times and figured out how to deal with the situation can get you hurt, common sense or not.
> 
> A couple of quick ones come to mind are like the wood trying to walk off the blade, especially with miters. Or the material actually closing up and binding the blade the further you get into the cut.
> 
> Knots have there own bag of tricks they sometimes play and you never know which one it is until it is about to or is happening. Small pieces of wood can be good for an unexpected surprise too.
> 
> I guess what I’m saying is there is more than just simple common sense involved with table saw safety. A novice with all of the common sense in world will never replace experience. The experienced know to always expect the unexpected with a table saw.


Well said---


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## rusty baker

Have been woodworking for many years. Never had a problem. Always follow the rules.


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## kwikfishron

rusty baker said:


> Have been woodworking for many years. Never had a problem. Always follow the rules.


Although I quoted you Rusty my comments weren’t pointed at you.

I’m glad to here you’ve never had problems. You must not have to deal with very much green wood.


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## rusty baker

No way I would cut green wood on my cabinet saw.


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## Mr Chips

I met the guy that invented the Saw Stop years ago at a trade show ( national hardware show or builders show, i forget which). I spent some time talking to him and he told a pretty amazing story as he thought for sure the tool companies would be lining up to license this technology but he found that no one would touch it because of the added liability in promoting a safer table saw.

I know at that point he'd sunk a fortune into developing and promoting this so it's nice to see he's finally gaining a little traction


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## rusty baker

I read on one of the wood working forums, that every time the stop works, there is an expensive part that must be replaced. Any one know if this is true?


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## Mr Chips

Yea, there is definetly a part that needs to be replaced after any use ( think: air bag in a car) but I have no idea what the cost is. I guess it's got to be cheaper than a workmans comp claim or trip to the ER

EDIT: just looked it up online, only looked at the first site that i found that had them for sale, the replacement cartridge was $69 which is still pretty cheap if you aren't setting off false alarms


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## Bud Cline

So if the device is accidentally triggered then the saw is rendered useless until the device can be renewed???

That's real handy.

Obviously a gizmo for the home-hobbyist and not useful on a job somewhere by a serious contractor.

No wonder the damned thing hasn't gone anywhere.


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## Mr Chips

Bud Cline said:


> So if the device is accidentally triggered then the saw is rendered useless until the device can be renewed???
> 
> That's real handy.
> 
> Obviously a gizmo for the home-hobbyist and not useful on a job somewhere by a serious contractor.


Yea, because we all know serious contractors never have get workers injured on the job due to carelessness:laughing:

I'd think a contractor with blood gushing out of the nub where his finger used to be would be just as useless until he was repaired or replaced


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## Bud Cline

...and next thing you know you guys will want air-bags on chain saws and harnesses on eight foot step ladders.

Sure accidents happen and all of them are preventable if a person is paying attention. I've had a few injuries of various descriptions myself over the years and I can honestly say that each and every one of them can be attributed to my own negligence and could have been prevented.

This is exactly the trouble with later generations, everyone these days wants some one else to protect them and think they are due entitlements. Everything is always someone else's fault.:yes:


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## jbfan

I have a friend that is a ahndy guy, remodeled several houses over the years, bought a new saw with the option of the saw stop.
He did not buy it, and later, after a thumb tip and 2 fingers were missing, said it could have been the best $300 he could have spent.


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## Bud Cline

One can read the owners manual and apply the warnings that come with it for free.


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## Mr Chips

I'm not suggesting that every tablesaw on the market be REQUIRED to have this feature, all I'm saying is that it is viable in the market as an option, and would speculate that if it works as advertised it would be quickly embraced in both the pro and DIY markets by a fairly large percentage.

My understanding is it hasn't taken off because insurance companies would rather pay out a little a lot more often when a someone is injured on a tool that has a reputation of being dangerous is involved, rather than a lot more money less often when someone is injured on something that is sold as being much safer


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## ihildreth

Mr Chips said:


> EDIT: just looked it up online, only looked at the first site that i found that had them for sale, the replacement cartridge was $69 which is still pretty cheap if you aren't setting off false alarms


Plus the cost of a new blade. When the emergency brake fires, the blade chews in to the soft metal (whatever it is) and is pretty much destroyed.

We had one in the scene shop in college. If I recall, there is a way to bypass the sawstop when working with materials that can potentially trigger a false alarm (wet wood, for example). I never saw it go off while I was going/working there, but shortly after I left it saved some meathead no-neck guy's fingers or so the story goes.


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## rusty baker

Anyone who would saw wet wood on a good tablesaw, should be shot.


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## B.D.R.

*sawstop*

When it was offered to the other manufacturors, it was originally supposed to add about $100 to the cost of a new saw. They all told him to take a flying leap, so he developed his (their) own saw. It is very nice but more than $100 difference to a good General.
I personally bought a cheaper cabinet saw and recenly touched the side of the blade during a procedure, took off a couple of layers of skin and felt like an electric shock, didn't even bleed. Made me think about my choice.
I have been using a table saw for over thirty years. Didn't wreck a blade though.:thumbup:


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## B.D.R.

*sawstop*

They have come out with a new saw designed for the jobsite,, mobile base and all. It retails ( in Canada) for around the $1700.00 dollar mark.
Way nicer than my Boshe.


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## md2lgyk

rusty baker said:


> Anyone using common sense will be OK using a table saw. But common sense isn't very common.


Oh so true. I'm not a professional but just finished building my own house by myself. I've been using tables saws for many years and still have all my fingers. And the first thing I do with a new saw is take off the blade guard/antikickback thing and throw it away. Common sense, featherboards, and push sticks are all you need. Oh, and safety glasses.


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## rusty baker

md2lgyk said:


> Oh so true. I'm not a professional but just finished building my own house by myself. I've been using tables saws for many years and still have all my fingers. And the first thing I do with a new saw is take off the blade guard/antikickback thing and throw it away. Common sense, featherboards, and push sticks are all you need. Oh, and safety glasses.


The blade guard/anti kickback are dangerous. They can cause the wood to bind.


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## algored2deth

Here is another angle to this story

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/ite...ame-insulation&utm_campaign=fine-homebuilding

Seems to me that some people just cannot have their own self responsibility. Beyond a table saw, I say get them a knife and a toaster and let them go at it.


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## iminaquagmire

The SawStop does nothing for kickback or any other binding accident, which IMO is more dangerous and occurs more frequently than blade accidents.


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## B.D.R.

*sawstop*

As a buisiness owner who uses tablesaws every day, I am not so worried about my own safety, as that of my employees.I do not own any sawstop equipment, but believe me, I think about it and constantly remind them about safety.
Two of my employees have had the misfortune of having had an (incident).
Fortunately for them, it only resulted in a nasty scar and a life lesson.
I can only imagine what workmans comp would have to say.
My next jobsite saw will probably be a saw stop


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