Page 1 of 5 12345 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 62

Thread: SawStop

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
    Posts
    386

    SawStop

    I know a lot of people on the forum will complain that SawStops are too expensive or they should just give their tech away etc. Not starting one of those threads.

    I was at a community shop yesterday and saw someone trigger the SawStop. He was doing a bunch repetitive cuts, reached over the blade, and got his finger. He had a cut, but he put a band-aid on it and was back to work in 10 minutes. This would have been a finger amputation at best on another traditional cabinet saw. The guy knows what he's doing, he just got a bit careless (it doesn't take much) and was lucky it was a SawStop.

    The tech works. And most TS injuries seem to happen to people who know what they're doing and get tired/lazy/careless. Just keep it in mind!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    1,363
    First off, I think sawstop is a great product. That said, I also feel people take chances they really shouldn't because the saw is "safe". So some of those triggers should be attributed to user carelessness imho.
    Last edited by John Kananis; 03-06-2023 at 9:25 AM. Reason: Grammar

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
    Posts
    386
    I think that's always possible. I have to stop people all the time from doing truly stupid things (last example: trying to cross cut a LOG on a tablesaw freehand). Especially in a shared space, I see a lot of people who don't even know that what they are doing is a terrible idea, at best. Its like a gun. Never assume the safety is on. Always be prepared to destroy whatever you're point it at. And don't point it at your finger.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2021
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    652
    Thanks for sharing James.

    I think its important to share these stories to keep the rest of us thinking about what can go wrong. Even if you have a SawStop, there are plenty of other power tools in your shop that can maim (bandsaw, router, miter saw, shaper, mortiser, jointer, planer etc.)

    The most dangerous pilots in military aviation are those with 3K-5K hours. Enough experience to get complacent and start ignoring that inner voice that says "bad idea." The guys with 10K hours made it past this stage and the new pilots follow the rules.

    Whenever I have a bunch of repetitive cuts to do, the hairs on my neck stand up and that inner voice says "danger", because I know that is when I'm at risk.

    I'm sure anyone who has worked around dangerous circumstances knows what I'm talking about (heavy equipment, aviation, firearms, explosives etc.).


    My recommendations: Use PPE, don't get in a hurry, if you are distracted - stop, and listen to your inner voice!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
    Posts
    386
    That's the hardest inner voice to listen to in this situation: "I'm kinda tired, but I only have a few more cuts to go..."

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,492
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by James Jayko View Post
    That's the hardest inner voice to listen to in this situation: "I'm kinda tired, but I only have a few more cuts to go..."
    That's the one (or one like it) that always seem to get you. I would like to hope that people don't let up on safety just because they are using a Saw Stop. I must say that in my career I always preached to not tell people the data network was secure unless the security was top notch. Otherwise they would think they were "safe" and do all sorts of foolish things. I suppose the same could be said for a tablesaw(?). I'm in the camp that believes that if you drive a car carelessly you have a wreck, not an accident. I feel pretty much the same way about tools and machines.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2022
    Location
    Tracy, CA
    Posts
    645
    Quote Originally Posted by James Jayko View Post
    That's the hardest inner voice to listen to in this situation: "I'm kinda tired, but I only have a few more cuts to go..."
    I think this is one of the biggest risks of going into a wood working business and also the reason I would never do this. Work projects become deadlines and deadlines become pressure to rush.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    1,363
    I'm willing to bet a buck that there's far more sawstop brakes triggered every year than there are accidents on the next 3 top tablesaw manufacturers combined.
    Last edited by John Kananis; 03-06-2023 at 11:21 AM. Reason: Grammar

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in the Land of Lincoln
    Posts
    2,545
    Quote Originally Posted by John Kananis View Post
    I'm willing to bet a buck that there's far more sawstop brakes triggered every year than there are accidents on the next 3 top tablesaw manufacturers combined.
    Who cares? Sure there are false triggers. No different than a deer setting of the air bags in a vehicle. Complacency breeds accidents. I've never had an accident with either a non SawStop or my SawStop or a false activation. I still respect the blade like it wasn't there. For whatever the cause it's worth it if it saves my finger/hand or my grandkids.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
    Posts
    386
    Quote Originally Posted by John Kananis View Post
    I'm willing to bet a buck that there's far more sawstop brakes triggered every year than there are accidents on the next 3 top tablesaw manufacturers combined.
    Even if you're right, ~3/3 SawStop triggers don't end in finger amputations. ~3/3 accidents with other saws end up in surgery, best case.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2022
    Location
    Tracy, CA
    Posts
    645
    There are going to be a lot of "false triggers" from people running a nail into the saw blade or using electro-static material such as cutting Styrofoam. I would not necessarily say these are "false triggers" because the Sawstop system is working as designed.

  12. #12
    James, I believe your story but my experience was not the same. I was doing something dumb, I was cutting the opening in a throat plate for a 3/4 wide dado stack. I use a colliflower throat plate in my PCS and the inserts are 1/4 masonite - not at all sturdy. So I put a scrap 2x3 over the throat plate to hold the insert down as I raised the dado stack. If I had used my brain and clamped the 2x3 in place it would have been fine. If I had turned the saw off before lifting the 2x3 to check progress I probably wouldn't have gotten cut. But I raised the 2x3, the stack caught it and jerked my hand into the dado stack.

    I got a broken bone and 6 stitches. I don't think it was the fact that it was a PCS that made me get stupid. But it did kind of contribute. The swapover from the brake for a regular blade to the brake for a dado stack is not super quick and easy to do and it was the first time I did it. So it took me awhile, there was dust buildup around the blade brake and it did not come off easily. So I was a bit frustrated and was rushing when I finally got it swapped and was ready to cut with the dado set. Doesn't excuse my stupidity, I have used table saws for around 50 years and this was my first cut on one. I knew better. But the same brake technology that saved my finger contributed in a way to my frustration and carelessness.

    Nothing is perfect or without drawbacks. I still appreciate the technology. But not all mistakes with a SawStop can be remedied with a band aide. And the brake can also be a source of frustration if you let it which can contribute to bad decisions.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2021
    Location
    New Hampster, USA
    Posts
    130
    Why wasn't the guard in place? Not a through-cut? Most of the people I know who have been injured in TS accidents would not have been injured if they had been using the guard, splitter and anti-kickback pawls. The others were just doing dicey operations like drop cuts that couldn't be done with the safety features and they would probably have been injured with SS anyway because flesh sense doesn't stop kickback. Not saying the flesh-sensing tech doesn't add a layer of protection, but the less high-tech safety features are actually fairly effective and protect against more than just blade contact - but you have to use them.

    I think most TS accidents are job site accidents with job site saws with safety features removed. You could argues that those people know what they're doing but a jobsite saw with a dull blade and wobbly fence isn't quite the same as a cabinet saw in a woodworking business.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Upland CA
    Posts
    5,547
    OK Ronald, I have to ask. How does a deer set off a car air bag? Assuming you don't run into the deer on the road.
    Last edited by Rick Potter; 03-06-2023 at 2:08 PM.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
    Posts
    386
    Quote Originally Posted by Holmes Anderson View Post
    Why wasn't the guard in place? Not a through-cut? Most of the people I know who have been injured in TS accidents would not have been injured if they had been using the guard, splitter and anti-kickback pawls.
    He was using a crosscut sled with a stop block. Lots of ways to do that I guess, but with the sled you can't really use the guard.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •