Tripped my SawStop brake

[Alan Lightstone]

I have a decorative item like that ;-)

My local Woodcraft uses mine for their show-and-tell.

[Ted Baxter]

I put mine on the wall today.

[John Goodin]

I agree, Prashun. No sense paying a premium for a safety feature and then careless try to save a hundred bucks when it works. I think Dynamic Saw in Buffalo can inspect and repair. They do retipping and flattening.

I wouldn’t use the blade even if you think it looks fine. Get a new one unless you have a way of sending the blade for an inspection that can ensure it is balanced and not at risk of premature failure.

[Jack Frederick]

I took a tripped blade to my local Rockler a couple years ago. I had worked the cartridge carefully off the new blade and it was missing a tooth. Rockler said their guy could replace the tooth an it being a new blade I thought I’d try it. Picked it up, mounted it turned on the saw and boom another trigger. I had carefully set the clearance on the blade, but did not do so on the new tooth. Turns out, upon inspection that the replaced tooth was substantially high. Essentially it was a one tooth saw blade. I was ready to throw a show at Rockler, but ended up throwing the show in the mirror for not doing my own careful inspection. I did ask that they talk to their saw sharpener. When the saw was new I tripped it. I have an Accumiter and was doing a cross cut an boom. SS gave me a one time replacement with the suggestion that I not set that AL bar so close to the blade. It’s been a great saw

[Jim Dwight]

It is implied by the other replies but for anybody who has not experienced it, the brake actuation is VIOLENT. Loud Band and the blade disappears. Mine might have been worse due to the 3/4 dado stack I was using at the time, I don't know. The cartridge is engineered to stop the blade quickly so it has to absorb the energy in the rotating blade, and arbor, and motor, and belt. The motor bracket is set up to flip to a new position which may help absorb energy and it gets the blade down below the top of the saw. You have to reset it after you replace the cartridge.

I thought at first the violence of the brake actuation broke my finger but I think it was the blade contact. I was not surprised the blades were badly damaged. The emphasis of the design is stopping the blade as quickly as possible. SawStop claimed early that their device could not be easily retrofitted to other saws and after experiencing an activation I think they have a point. I'm not sure all saws can take it. I also believe I've seen reports of even SawStops being damaged (mine is fine).