saw stop question

[Bob Potter]

Ok every one is entitled to one dumb question so here it is. I do not have a saw stop but was wondering if after making a cut you shut the saw down with your left hand and while the blade is still winding down your right hand makes contact with the blade. Would this make it fire like it would if it was running?

I think I know the answer but not sure.

Thanks, Bob

[Shawn Pixley]

Yes the brake is supposed to fire even when winding down. You can't turn it back on until the blade stops and a second after the mechanism resets.

[Bob Potter]

Thank you that is what I thought.

Bob

[james bell]

when you turn it off, the green light flashes until the blade comes to a full stop, thus it will trigger if you touch it. once it stops flashing you can touch it or turn it back on for another cut.

[Craig Behnke]

the way the switch is positioned on a SS, I used to turn it off with my thigh and keep my eye on the workpiece and my hands. my leg actually shut it off by mistake a few times just by being close to the front of the cabinet. it is such a large shut off button and right at thigh height. not sure if it was designed for that though so don't take that for advice...it's just my observation, that's all.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

The longer answer is it depends on how you shut the saw down. If you hit the paddle switch the saw will brake if flesh/metal etc contacts the spinning-down blade. However if you turn off the power switch as well, there is no safety brake activation in event of blade contact.

[Mike Heidrick]

the way the switch is positioned on a SS, I used to turn it off with my thigh and keep my eye on the workpiece and my hands. my leg actually shut it off by mistake a few times just by being close to the front of the cabinet. it is such a large shut off button and right at thigh height. not sure if it was designed for that though so don't take that for advice...it's just my observation, that's all.

That is exactly what it is sized for. Works great. I dont stand so close as to do it accidentally but I use my thigh to turn it off about every time.

[Keith Hankins]

I just started using mine on Saturday, and as the others have said the light flashes as it spins down and goes solid when it's stopped and ok. If you touch during spin down (not long) it will fire. Of course I've never wanted to touch a blade spinning down anyway, but hey.

I will say it stops in a hurry. Something else to note. When you first turn the power on with the on/off switch it takes about 10 seconds to go through it's self check. Then you pull the paddle to get it to come on, but unless you turn off the on/off switch you don't experience the 10 sec delay to start it. I love the pull on and tapping it with my knee to cut it off. So easy and keeps my eyes right where they need to be.

[Roger Feeley]

Those are the worst sort of firings because there is very little kinetic energy in the blade. The spring in the brake is released but the brake doesn't bury itself into the blade. The result is that there is a tremendous amount of pressure between brake and blade. Removing the blade and brake is very difficult but not impossible. You just need a good pry bar and patience.

Tech support at SS tells me that this sort of brake fire is most often caused by people using tape measures against the fence while the blade is still spinning down.