SawStop Brake Cartridge Trips

[Bob McBreen]

During the last week I tripped the brake on my StopStop three times. The first trip when I was cutting a piece of MDF that had been veneered on both sides using regular Titebond. The piece had been out of the press for over 48 hours. I thought that the glue must not have completely cured.

The next trip was three days later. The piece that tipped it was from the same batch of veneer and was out of the press for over five days. I didn't understand how it could have tripped.

The last piece was the next day it it was just a piece of MDF. I was shocked that it tripped the brake and called SawStop support. I was told that this has been happening frequently. The data from the returned cartridges shows that the MDF has tiny metallic strips as filler. The believe that the pandemic has caused the problem, both at the factories using new materials to make MDF along with retail stores having to use different sources to get product to sell. They said that a large cabinet shop had been tripping five cartridges per week and traced the start of the problems to the start of using a new supplier for MDF.

I will be running MDF cuts in bypass mode for a while.

[Patrick Varley]

Wow, thanks for the info. Haven't cut any "new" pieces of MDF recently, but I'm certainly going to consider using bypass mode as well.

Where did you get the MDF? Do you happen to know the manufacturer?

[Bob McBreen]

I was only doing a small job so I purchased a pre-cut 2'x4' piece of 1/2" MFD from Home Depot in Portsmouth NH. I will check if I can find info about the manufacturer.

[mreza Salav]

Wow, that has been a costly experience. Thanks for the heads up. Why would they use metal in MDF, that is abrasive on the blades regardless.

[Bob McBreen]

Three cartridges and two blades. I think that the third blade is ok, but will sent it out to Ridge Carbide be sharpened.

The SawStop rep said that some factories use the cheapest filler that they can get. He mentioned that the products that they have been able to trace have been made offshore.

Wow, that has been a costly experience. Thanks for the heads up. Why would they use metal in MDF, that is abrasive on the blades regardless.

[glenn bradley]

Ouch. Sorry that happened and thank you for reporting it here.

[Charles Coolidge]

Major bummer but so appreciate the heads up on this thanks.

[Bill Dufour]

I would contact homer depot. there is an implied contract that what they sell as mdf is mdf and it can be used and handled by ordinary wood working tools. I feel they sold you faulty "wood" and should reimburse you for destroyed tooling costs. It would be different if it just caused faster wear. Reminds me of formica as filler in cat food.
Now I know why MDF is denser then real wood.
Bill D.

[Jim Dwight]

Seems like another reason to avoid MDF. Besides the terrible dust.

Sorry you had this experience and thanks for the heads up.

[Andrew Hughes]

Glad I don’t have a sawstop.
When I get a good tablesaw blade I’m very careful how I treat it.

[Jerry Bruette]

Could you stick a magnet in the sawdust and see if any of it sticks, to verify if there's metal in the MDF?

[Alex Zeller]

I would try using a multimeter on the factory cut edge. Since you have a "bad" piece you could try both the resistance and capacitance settings to see what you get for a measurement. I'm assuming that you can't see shiny flakes of metal in the MDF. If you have a piece that you cut successfully you could see if you can measure a difference. It could be something like aluminum or so small that a magnet may not be useful.

[John Lanciani]

Seems like another reason to avoid MDF. Besides the terrible dust.

Sorry you had this experience and thanks for the heads up.

Seems like another reason to avoid SawStop...

[Frank Pratt]

Seems like another reason to avoid SawStop...

Please don't tell me we're going to resurrect that tired old rant again.

[Stan Calow]

Thanks for the warning.