Cut a nail today with my jobsite sawstop..

[Patrick Walsh]

The break did not go off. Should it have? I tend to think yes...

[George Bokros]

I think the safety trip is driven by moisture. Don't have a SS but I have seen it demo'd.

[Kurt Kintner]

The break did not go off. Should it have? I tend to think yes...

If you had been touching the nail, it probably would have triggered the brake....

[Van Huskey]

The break did not go off. Should it have? I tend to think yes...

It is kinda interesting that the blade brake is also a blade break(er). :D

The sensing circuit detects changes in capacitance not conductance (though you have to have conductance for it to sense the change in capacitance). Particularly, if the wood was "dry" there was probably not enough change in capacitance to reach the trip threshold. I personally wouldn't think a thing about it, thought if you have concerns Sawstop is just a phone call away.

[Ted Prinz]

Not an issue. There's a considerable amount of information out there from a variety of sources (SawStop included) that says the brake won't activate when that happens. Has to do with how much mass is interrupting the charge that is impressed on the blade. The mass of the nail alone isn't great enough. But, yes, if you had been in contact with the nail, the system would have "seen" both you and the nail and would have tripped.
You can check it by leaning a nail in contact with the blade (saw not running of course). The system light should be green. Touch the nail and the light should blink red.

[Wade Lippman]

You can check it by leaning a nail in contact with the blade (saw not running of course). The system light should be green. Touch the nail and the light should blink red.

That's safe to do?!

[Patrick Walsh]

I figured so much.

I also have had a ICS Sawtop for a few years now. Being the case one would think would know the answer by now. Actually its kinda. Good thing i dont guess being i use my saws constantly amd have yet to put something through one of them i shouldnt. Well until today i guess.

The truth is this new jobsite saw has seen as much use in the few months i have had it than my ICS has in the few years i have had it. Plus i guess i mostly use the ICS for cabinetts and furniture and pretty much never for general construction purposes like ripping up 2x4's to pack out 2x4 walls to 2x6.

Thanks for the help.

[Van Huskey]

That's safe to do?!

Sure, the saws have a test mode to determine if something is safe to cut without tripping the brake.

[Dick Brown]

There was a thread a while back about the SS firing when the saw was turned off but the blade was still turning and touched with a tape measure. Just because there was a person on the other end of the tape???

[Ted Prinz]

Wade - Absolutely (saw not running, of course :eek: ).

[Frank Pratt]

Correct. And the safety function is active until the blade comes to a complete stop


There was a thread a while back about the SS firing when the saw was turned off but the blade was still turning and touched with a tape measure. Just because there was a person on the other end of the tape???

[Nick Decker]

I've tested it myself. Turned the power switch on, but not the red paddle switch that spins the blade. Took a screw driver with a plastic handle, holding the handle, and touched the blade. Nothing, green light stayed on per usual. Held the screwdriver by the metal blade and touched the saw blade, red light flashed, telling me that if I spin the blade in that condition there will a loud noise and money spent.

[johnny means]

Sawstop actually modified the brake cartridges a few years ago to prevent triggers caused by small bits of metal. If you look at the current brakes they have a plastic strip on the braking surface. This was put their to prevent bits of staples and other loose metal shards from grounding the blade to the brake. Don't worry, your saw didn't fire because it was designed to tell the difference between you and a brad.

[jack duren]

Sawstop actually modified the brake cartridges a few years ago to prevent triggers caused by small bits of metal. If you look at the current brakes they have a plastic strip on the braking surface. This was put their to prevent bits of staples and other loose metal shards from grounding the blade to the brake. Don't worry, your saw didn't fire because it was designed to tell the difference between you and a brad.

And yet it still does:)

[Patrick Walsh]

Hmm,

Now i cant hep but woder if my ICS has the same strip built into its "new" replacement cartridge.

I will add after i cut through the nails i was ripping some short narrow pieces "fingers pretty close to the blade" and i could not help but think. What if for some reason the saw was malfunctioning or defective. Then i thought before i had a sawstop jobsite saw i woulda made the same cut on my old non sawstop jobsite saw.

Regardless im glad to know that my 2k investment "dado blade set, cartridge, throat plate" is still keeping me safe even if it only be my fingers.