Sawstop vs. nail...

[Rob Price]

and the saw wins- thank goodness.

So I'm ripping a piece of scrap 1.5" pine I had left over from a recent project on my saw, and in the middle of the cut there's a change in the pitch of the blade for a second and then it goes back to normal. Hard knot? I shut off the saw and look at the waste piece, there it is, a brad that apparently I fired into this scrap, maybe I was setting the depth on my nailer, I don't remember doing it, maybe it came that way, although when I planed it down I didn't notice any metal.

I look down at the lights and the saw is blinking as usual as it coasts down.

I've read of misfires from metal etc and I'm really careful with my miter gauge etc to avoid this. I know sawstop is working on their metal vs flesh detection algorithms. I wasn't touching the brad when it went through so I guess the thing works at detecting metal not in contact with flesh. When I test it in standbye mode it picks up my hand, or metal in my hand, every time.

Maybe I'm just lucky- but glad to have not fired this thing off.

Carry on.

[Matt Armstrong]

If your biggest potential problem is that your sawstop might accidentally go into safety mode, you're doing pretty good. It doesn't seem like it's a real risk anyway, based on your recent findings. And even if it did, it's better than the alternative - imagine if the sawstop was sort of lax about detecting flesh... :)

[Rob Price]

I agree, I've always been careful about my hands, but the added risk of trashing a blade makes me a little more careful in general with my miter gauge, looking for metal in wood, etc. I'm still very much afraid of getting my hand anywhere near that blade...

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Woodcraft has a cheapo metal scanner on sale right now...

I just ripped out some hardwood flooring from a tear down, and NOT looking forward to finding any nails..... Hopefully it will save me a few dollars. I scanned the recycled lumber, found the large nails, but I always worry about that small brad or nail fragment too small for a cheapo metal finder to find.

How'd the blade do?

[Matt Armstrong]

You're smart not to think that the safety features of your equipment would allow you to be careless! Happy woodworking.

[Paul Ryan]

I'm still very much afraid of getting my hand anywhere near that blade...

Every time someone argues that SS makes woodworkers more complacent or less carful. I think the same thing, why in the world would I want to put my self in any more danger just because it is supose to stop and not cut my arm off. I am still leary of that large hunk of sharp metal spinning around in there. I don't believe it makes the average person any less careful.

I have put my saw into by-pass mode once. When making the outfeed table for it, I made it too long. My table folds down so the saw can be parked against the wall. Well I didn't take into account the thickness of the table so I had to cut some off that I knew had brads in it. I didn't know if I would hit them but I knew they were there. The SS mauel says you should be able to cut small nails with it and not have to worry about the brake firing but I wasn't going to take that chance.

A couple of weeks ago I built a large wooden swing set out of green treated for my son. When I got the lumber home I check it against the blade and it was too wet, it would have fired the brake. I didn't need the table saw for any of the cuts, my miter saw was all I needed. A week after the wood had a chance to dry I tested a piece of scrap against the blade and it would have been dry enough to cut with out setting off of the brake.

[Rob Price]

the blade (fresh from the sharpener) seems to be okay. I don't see any chipped or cracked teeth. it still cuts very well, sharp and smooth cuts without vibration or scoring. I think I'm good to go. :D

[Bob Genovesi]

I don't own a Saw Stop but the technology seems pretty amazing! I saw a high speed video of the safety technology in action and it's amazingly quick but violent as well. To stop a rotating mass and drop it away that quickly has to be violent.

If a mishap or accident were to occur and the Saw Stop safety activate what is the cost for repair? Does the saw come with any information regarding the replacement of this mechanism?

Just curious is all....

[Ben Davis]

Yep... you're out the cost of a new brake and at a minimum a retoothed blade... likely a whole new one. The brake mechanism is in the $100 ball park (not the $500 ball park). The blade is what it is.