SawStop Table Saw

[Jim Hager]

We recieved our new SawStop table saw in the shop here at school on Friday of last week. We still haven't got it put together yet but I'll be letting you guys know some things about the saw in the near future. We felt like that we should get the saw to stay up with technology available for the safety of the students. We haven't been having problems with students getting into the saws but at least we will have the best of the technology out there to help protect them. Kinda like putting a kid in a car equipped with an air bag.http://sawmillcreek.org/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

So far it looks very well made and is heavy as a tank. Much heavier than a unisaw.

It came equipped with a 52" beismeyer fence and table and of course the other goodies that make it a SawStop.

The blade raising mechanism is different than I thought it would be, much like a shaper. Safety device probably required that it be made that way. Looks like changing the mechanism is not going to be as big of a deal as I thought it might be but lets hope we never have to change one.

It did not come all covered up with cosmoline at least, just a light coat of what smells like 3-in-1 oil.

My partner in the building is the one who took care of the order, otherwise I would have had it assembled and tested on a hot dog by now!! http://sawmillcreek.org/images/smilies/eek.gif Guess I'm just gonna have to wait him out on this one.

Once we get it assembled and up and going I'll try to post some pics of it (as if you guys ain't seen one before), maybe I'll even get some action shots.

My first impressions are that it will be just like using any other table saw except for the riving knife and the presence of the safety device.

The dust collection is very well thought out and should be checked out by the rest of the manufacturers out there as a way to improve dust collection on table saws. Sure will beat the heck out of anything else that I have seen.

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks for the preliminary report Jim. I look forward to hearing (and seeing) more.

[Jim Becker]

Jim...you don't want to test it with a Hot Dog...it will be very costly as it means a new cartridge and a new blade!!! ;) (Congrats on the new addition to the school shop!)

[Frank Pellow]

Jim...you don't want to test it with a Hot Dog...it will be very costly as it means a new cartridge and a new blade!!! ;) (Congrats on the new addition to the school shop!)
I was thinking that Jim's school must have a lot of money, if he really is going to test the "saw stop" feature. :D I think that the riving knife, which can be tested for free, is a much more important safety feature than the feature for which the saw is named.

[lloyd morris]

Jim,

Those are lucky students! Thanks for your inital impressions on the SawStop. I am interested in your thoughts on it's dust collection. Keep us posted.

Lloyd Morris

[Steve Schoene]

I'd agree that the riving knife is more important than the stop feature since I have always felt kickback was the more meaningful risk. Splitters work in most, but not all, of the situations where the riving knive adds safety.

[Jim Hager]

No, Frank I ain't really gonna test it out but I have just enough kid left in me to want to test drive that puppy.:p

A agree about the riving knife being the most important feature on the saw. I have had only about 3 students get into the blade in the last 27 years, none of them serious and no amputations. I have however had dozens of students get kickbacks even with splitters and pawls and guards installed. The riving knife should stop that in it's tracks.

The cartridge's are only aobut $80 to replace and that is only a small fraction of the costs involved with sewing up (or back on) a finger. I hope we never have to use it but I'm gonna enjoy not having to be so anal about the practices the students use to operate the saw. I know I can't give up on basic safety because most of them will never use a sawstop saw again after leaving school so they need the education for sure. I might just be able to relax a little when I hear the table saw roar to life when I'm at the other end of the shop helping some other kid learn to weld.

A little extra measure of safety never hurt anybody. :)

As far as the money goes, this saw was purchased with federal funds under the Carl Perkins Vocational Education Act. Thanks guys!!:rolleyes: Your income taxes at work.:eek:



I was thinking that Jim's school must have a lot of money, if he really is going to test the "saw stop" feature. :D I think that the riving knife, which can be tested for free, is a much more important safety feature than the feature for which the saw is named.

[Frank Pellow]

...
The cartridge's are only aobut $80 to replace and that is only a small fraction of the costs involved with sewing up (or back on) a finger. I hope we never have to use it but I'm gonna enjoy not having to be so anal about the practices the students use to operate the saw.
...
Jim, I'm just curious, are you going to stock one or more replacements?

[Michael Ballent]

Jim, I think that since the majority of the kids will most likely be using saws that do not have the stopping capability I would think that you would not let them know that it is there... Let them think that the blade will cut off fingers so they still have a healthy respect for the tablesaw... Even though I too have a SawStop sitting in my garage I still have the guard in place and do not plan on just using the separate riving knife. (for those that are not familiar the guard has the riving knife already there as well as the plastic guard.)

Just in case I did buy an extra cartrige, but only one for the dado blade...

[Jim Hager]

Jim, I'm just curious, are you going to stock one or more replacements?

We will stock one cartridge just in case but do not plan to get one for the dado blade. We will use our remaining "old saw" for dados and such things as must be done there. It is a unisaw with a uniguard. Let's just hope we never have to use it.

[Dave Malen]

for a high school shop. I wouldn't let them know either. Some curious student might put a pencil or ruler into the blade. There goes the blade and cartridge. :mad:

Dave

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

.... I have had only about 3 students get into the blade in the last 27 years, none of them serious and no amputations. I have however had dozens of students get kickbacks even with splitters and pawls and guards installed. The riving knife should stop that in it's tracks.


Thank you. Somebody should cut'n'paste this paragraph into every 'splitter and pawls will prevent kickback' post on every woodworking forum for the rest of time.

KC

[Michael Ballent]

for a high school shop. I wouldn't let them know either. Some curious student might put a pencil or ruler into the blade. There goes the blade and cartridge. :mad:

Dave

The pencil will not trigger the blade, but a metal ruler certainly would kick it off. The saw will let you know if contact will trigger the brake without even turning it on. Once the secondary power switch is on the electronics kick in and as you touch the blade the red light comes on. I have touched the blade while holding an aluminum push stick and plastic handle from Rockler and it indicated that it would not fire, but when I touched the aluminum and then touched the blade it indicated that it would have fired. Good to know that you can test things out. :D