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Thread: Sawstop save...could have been bad...

  1. #1

    Sawstop save...could have been bad...

    Another good sawstop save....

    Two days ago was ripping and cross-cutting some pieces of Baltic Birch for kitchen cabinet shelves. I was using a cross-cutting jig and floating dust collection guard. I had the floating guard raised quite high above the table, to allow room for the cross cutting jig. I had been pushing the large cut-offs away from the blade with a scrap piece. I had the garage door open and as I reaching for my scrap piece I was distracted by something outside...ended up attempting to grab the live, spinning blade rather than the push stick. I heard the pop of the emergency retraction mechanism and was left with a very tiny cut on my thumb. Probably would have cut it clean off, and mangled the rest of my hand. Would have been a truly awful day. Instead, I spent 10 minutes changing the brake cartridge & blade, and kept working.

    SB

  2. #2
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    For sure a heart stopping moment. Good to hear you're OK.

  3. #3
    Glad you are ok. Thanks for the reminder.
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  4. #4
    I do wonder that if in the act of saving a hand the sawstop might cause a heart attack.

  5. #5
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    I often work by with the garage door open for ventilation. That is always a fear as I have been startled a few times by movement outside, and just yesterday a neighbor walked up for a friendly visit and startled me. He did admire the sawstop while he was there. Glad you were saved by the brake.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Bernstein View Post
    Instead, I spent 10 minutes changing the brake cartridge & blade, and kept working.

    SB
    You didn't include the time spent to change your pants . Seriously, good save and just kidding about the pants thing.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Barstow View Post
    I do wonder that if in the act of saving a hand the sawstop might cause a heart attack.
    I fired my safety mechanism on some conductive material and the event is so mild it takes a moment to realize that the system fired.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  7. #7
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    Glad it turned out well Scott. That would have been a life changing moment. We all have moments of lowered concentration. I am imagining putting myself in your place.....that must have been quite a moment.

    I picture myself getting off my knees and going in the house to hug my wife, who told me to buy a SS.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

  8. #8
    I'm glad it worked well for you. I think that experience is typical when you move a portion of your body into the blade. If kickback throws your hand more forcefully into the blade, as happened to me, then more damage occurs. But in all cases there is a lot less damage than would occur without the sawstop.

    When I had my shop garage built I did not let my builder put a garage door opener on the garage door. My wife pulled up to the door of the old car garage/shop too many times and hit the button. It never caused me to put my hand into the saw but I was always worried about it. Best to limit distractions when we can.

    I would not call the firing of the dado cartridge mild. I had a 3/4 dado stack in the saw and I thought it was a pretty violent event. A bone in my finger was broken and I still wonder a little if it was the rotation of the blades that did it or the forceful withdrawl of the dado stack below the surface of the saw. Doesn't really matter. It was a loud bang, clear even with hearing protection.

  9. #9
    Yeah, a kickback would definitely be worse. Nonetheless, with this incident I think the blade would have sliced off my thumb and a couple more digits. Scary business.

    SB

  10. #10
    Remember that SawStop will give you a new brake if you triggered it with a flesh contact (at least they used to). Go to their website and see if they have the form to fill out about your contact. You'll have to send them the old brake but they will send you a new one.

    I know this because...

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  11. #11
    Every reminder is a good one. Glad you got out with just a small cut. Whenever these stories come up, I mention them to the wife in hopes that she'll say, "...maybe you should look at replacing your saw with a SS." Without her blessing, it'll never happen. All she really says is, "...then you better be more careful."

  12. #12
    Join Date
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    This is why I considered my Saw Stop investment as an insurance policy. I insure my car, my house, my health and my life. Saw Stop was to insure my fingers. Just think of the financial impact of a hand injury. For me it would be $3K deductible plus any other fees or co pays. Add to that loss of work and loss of whatever body part. I have an employee that ran up a $70K bill and lost 3 months of work losing the ends of three fingers in a home woodworking accident. When I did the math, I went out and got one. It is just me and only time will will tell if I ever need it but glad its there.

  13. #13
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    Scott (OP), glad to hear you suffered only a minor cut. You are right, scary stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Clausen View Post
    This is why I considered my Saw Stop investment as an insurance policy.
    Haven't shopped insurance in quite a while. I wonder if the insurance companies have picked up on this yet.
    Brian

    "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Clausen View Post
    This is why I considered my Saw Stop investment as an insurance policy. I insure my car, my house, my health and my life. Saw Stop was to insure my fingers. Just think of the financial impact of a hand injury. For me it would be $3K deductible plus any other fees or co pays. Add to that loss of work and loss of whatever body part. I have an employee that ran up a $70K bill and lost 3 months of work losing the ends of three fingers in a home woodworking accident. When I did the math, I went out and got one. It is just me and only time will will tell if I ever need it but glad its there.
    I looked at it the same way. It's an insurance policy with only one payment (when you buy the saw). After that, if it saves your fingers, you have to replace the brake and blade. I think of those costs as the deductible.

    That's a LOT less expensive than the medical cost of a serious incident - to say nothing about the loss of feeling and flexibility even if they can sew your fingers back on.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Tymchak View Post
    Scott (OP), glad to hear you suffered only a minor cut. You are right, scary stuff.



    Haven't shopped insurance in quite a while. I wonder if the insurance companies have picked up on this yet.
    They never ask if I woodwork only if I skydive or smoke. Medical rely only cares about family history and smocking. Life ins. is the same but get into asking about extreme sports.

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