My SawStop may have just injured itself!

[Dave Sabo]

To some, this will seem like stirring the pot.

This has always been the biggest drawback to me of the SS system- it destroys blades.

Kudos to Gass and co. for getting the idea to market, but I suspect that better mousetraps like Bosch's reaxx and Alt
endorf's ASA will eventually replace sawstop because they don't ruin tooling.

[Johnny Barr]

The warning of using the wrong dado types from SS has been around a long time, at least 5 years pushing 10. I ended up selling my wonderful Freud set (SD 508) to get one of their recommended types. That list of suitable sets has also been around a long time. I even wrote to them about the Freud set and they said it wasn't suitable. I also got the 0.010" tolerance rubbish from them between blade and slot. How could you accept that? I adjusted it to 0.001" which is easy on my PCS

[Thomas McCurnin]

Interesting information. I did not know that.

I don't have a saw stop and having this feature would probably not make it a deal breaker. But it does sound like a trade off.

If the saw detects an object (your finger) in the saw blade it throws a quick brake to the arbor, saving the object from serious destruction but destroying the arbor in the process.

[David Utterback]

So there are two types of dado stacks. Both use full saw blade plates on the outside. The expensive ones also use full plate blades for the cutters on the inside that stack up to make the width of the cut you want. The less expensive ones (and the ones that SawStop now recommends) has what are called "wing cutters." These use rectangular insert plates that have less metal and reduce the weight of the stack. Here is what SawStop says ...

"SawStop recommends only using 8” stacked dado sets, with a maximum thickness of 13/16”. “Wobble” dado sets are not recommended, as they may not engage correctly with the dado brake cartridge. Do not use dado sets with solid-plate interior chippers or blades with molding heads, as neither brake cartridge is designed to stop those blade types."

Thank you for this information.

[mreza Salav]

I have replaced arbor assembly before.
Recommendation of not using daado bladws with full middle cutters have been in the manual since 11 years ago. Definitely not a new thing.

[Brian Tymchak]

If the saw detects an object (your finger) in the saw blade it throws a quick brake to the arbor, saving the object from serious destruction but destroying the arbor in the process.

More correctly the blade brake hits the saw blade, not the arbor, as the pictures in the original post clearly demonstrated. I think you are drawing too broad off a conclusion. It is my humble opinion that the arbor damage, if that is what truly happened, in the original post is likely aggravated by the large rotating mass of the full dado stack. I've seen the Sawstop brake engage on a standard blade and destroy the blade, but not the arbor.

[Stephen Roth]

Thanks. My manual didn't have it. But I am glad that SawStop is warning people about it. I guess like all engineering fixes, others must have experienced the problem and SawStop made the correction.

By the way, why did you have to change the arbor?

------------ FYI for the readers, I have had three activations in 10 years. The first two (cutting aluminized foam, and hitting the miter guage with the dado blade) were clear SawStop user mistakes. My third activation was hitting a screw that was holding down a plastic handle to a jig. I was surprised that the detection feature was able to sense my hand through the plastic handle. But I guess I would rather have it activate than not. So I'm considering that one to be a "save."

[Stephen Roth]

I agree with Brian. Hitting a normal blade has not damaged the saw. The brake just jams into the blade teeth and stops the rotation within one or two teeth. Amazing in fact. (And it drops the blade/arbor assembly down at the same time.)

But the full dado stack is a huge hunk of metal. And I was using all the cutters. ( I'm sure some engineer can calculate the force of that deacceleration. It must be huge. I calculate the weight of the blade at 10.7 pounds!)

[George Yetka]

Is the Forrest Dado King not considered an expensive one? Because it comes with the "chipper" inner blades, not full sized ones.

It is an excellent one, it is what I run(and love). But Im sure there are more expensive ones available It seems most have chipper inners now.

[Frank Pratt]

More correctly the blade brake hits the saw blade, not the arbor, as the pictures in the original post clearly demonstrated. I think you are drawing too broad off a conclusion. It is my humble opinion that the arbor damage, if that is what truly happened, in the original post is likely aggravated by the large rotating mass of the full dado stack. I've seen the Sawstop brake engage on a standard blade and destroy the blade, but not the arbor.

This is correct. The local Lee Valley store has demo'd the SawStop brake probably dozens of times with no ill effect on the arbor.

[mike stenson]

It is an excellent one, it is what I run(and love). But Im sure there are more expensive ones available It seems most have chipper inners now.

Less rotating mass, they come up to speed faster, and stop faster. There's also really not a huge benefit from a full plate. For reference, if the 10.7lbs is correct, that's more rotating mass than the wheels on my car.

[Thomas McCurnin]

In any event, not using a full scale dado set would be a deal breaker for me. I use the dados for 3/4 plywood projects, and would have to use a router.

[John Lanciani]

For reference, if the 10.7lbs is correct, that's more rotating mass than the wheels on my car.

Not likely, F1 magnesium wheel with tire is +/- 10 kg (22 lbs.), Konigsegg carbon fiber rim only is 13 lbs. Then add the hub and brake disc...

[mike stenson]

Not likely, F1 magnesium wheel with tire is +/- 10 kg (22 lbs.), Konigsegg carbon fiber rim only is 13 lbs. Then add the hub and brake disc...

Wow, you're right. I have no idea what I was thinking there. ROTOR, not wheel.

[Frank Pratt]

In any event, not using a full scale dado set would be a deal breaker for me. I use the dados for 3/4 plywood projects, and would have to use a router.

The SawStop handles full size dado sets fine. I've done cuts with all the chippers & all the spacers and it ran perfectly. I didn't have a brake activation, but SawStop doesn't say don't do it.