Saw stop

[Inspector]

Jacob claims that people are going to switch off the brake when they use it because......

To use the saw in bypass mode require the use of BOTH hands. One to turn on the bypass key and hold it for a few seconds and the second hand to pull the paddle switch out to turn on the saw. So if you are a normal woodworker you will be turning off the saw frequently throughout the session, sometimes every cut. That will grow old very fast and you'll trot off to get another saw. Now if you are the one woodworker :roll: that turns on the lights, switches on the dust collector and then the table saw, planer, jointer, sanders, bandsaw etc., and leaves them all running until you go home.....well it isn't the machine for you either.

SawStop strongly advocates the use of all the safety equipment for the saw, in and out feed support if needed, PPE, push sticks, established safety practices, et cetera. There is nowhere that they even hint that the brake replaces anything in the preceding sentence.

This thread has gone the way of virtually every SawStop thread I've ever seen so I'll leave it to you guys.

Enjoy your shop time and be safe.
Pete

Almost forgot. Oscar most kickbacks occur from between the fence and the blade. So I't is best to stand to one side of the blade, usually the left if you are right handed and the fence is to the right of the blade.

 

[Jacob]

Jacob claims that people are going to switch off the brake when they use it because......

To use the saw in bypass mode require the use of BOTH hands. One to turn on the bypass key and hold it for a few seconds and the second hand to pull the paddle switch out to turn on the saw. .........

Shouldn't be a problem to bypass. :roll: Seriously - you'd have to if you kept losing saw blades for no good reason. The Bosch alternative sounds infinitely more sensible.

This thread has gone the way of virtually every SawStop thread I've ever seen so I'll leave it to you guys.
.....

Yes it has. (Yawn)
Do you have a commercial interest Pete? I get the firm impression that Sawstop are getting up a marketing campaign.

 

[Inspector]

No commercial interest.

 

[custard]

Oscar most kickbacks occur from between the fence and the blade. So I't is best to stand to one side of the blade, usually the left if you are right handed and the fence is to the right of the blade.

That's certainly the best place to stand, but there's no where in the workshop that's 100% guaranteed to be out of the firing line.

Some while ago Peter Sefton posted about a professional sawyer who was doing a repeat cross cutting operation, with small off-cuts building up on the table next to the blade. One was picked up by the blade, carried right over the blade to his side in the "safe zone", and struck him in the hand with such force he lost a finger.

The post stuck in my mind because that was exactly what I regularly did, and I've seen that same working practise repeated hundreds of times in different workshops. I guess it underlines that no matter how often you've gotten away with something there's always that freak occurrence where it can catch you out.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Here is my cross-cut sled. I can't show it in operation as the runners no longer fit my mitre slots.

The tunnel guard sits on top of the workpiece retained in two pairs of grooves in the front and rear rails. It's not much use if I want to cut a board standing up on its edge though.

I've never used it since getting a SCMS, so I haven't had much incentive to rebuild it, but if I were to do so I would try to address that issue.

I have another, which I can't find at the mo, which is more like Jacobs, push the workpiece against the fence rather than the fence against the workpiece, and that uses the normal saw guard. It has some merits, but the workpiece is more prone to spelching that way.

 

[OscarG]

Here is my cross-cut sled. I can't show it in operation as the runners no longer fit my mitre slots.



The tunnel guard sits on top of the workpiece retained in two pairs of grooves in the front and rear rails. It's not much use if I want to cut a board standing up on its edge though.

Ah so it just drops in? That's clever might see if I can adapt mine like that. Like the way you can quickly remove it if needed. I suppose as well as covering the blade it helps stop any offcuts being launched at you!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[OscarG]

Some while ago Peter Sefton posted about a professional sawyer who was doing a repeat cross cutting operation, with small off-cuts building up on the table next to the blade. One was picked up by the blade, carried right over the blade to his side in the "safe zone", and struck him in the hand with such force he lost a finger.

Holy s*** that's unlucky.

So to be clear, it was one of the previous offcuts that got launched at him not the last one he cut?

 

[ScaredyCat]

Here is my cross-cut sled.

What's the hole for?


.

 

[OscarG]

Hanging it on the wall I'm guessing.

 

[ScaredyCat]

Do you have a commercial interest Pete? I get the firm impression that Sawstop are getting up a marketing campaign.

That's pretty weak Jacob. Suprised you didn't just shout "Fake News"

Hanging it on the wall I'm guessing.

hahah yes, seems obvious now... (hammer)
.

 

[Steve Maskery]

It is hanging on the wall in that photo, I turned in round so that you see it as it would look on the saw
The guard doesn't just stop bits flying up, it stops me sticking my fingers in there, too.

 

[Jacob]

Do you have a commercial interest Pete? I get the firm impression that Sawstop are getting up a marketing campaign.

That's pretty weak Jacob. Surprised you didn't just shout "Fake News".....
.

Why? It was fair comment I thought.
There seemed to be a sudden outburst of enthusiasm for what is in the end just another expensive but largely useless gadget. You have to be very sceptical of the gadget salesmen!

 

[OscarG]

Why? It was fair comment I thought.

Because it looked like you were questioning his integrity perhaps?

Unlike most of us (possibly all of us) Inspector has one of these saws, so he's in a great position to comment on them. If he likes his machine, doesn't mean he's a Sawstop salesman!

I love my DeWalt 7491, I've sung its praises many times on here, however I'm not (if you excuse the pun) getting a kickback from DeWalt.

There seemed to be a sudden outburst of enthusiasm for what is in the end just another expensive but largely useless gadget. You have to be very sceptical of the gadget salesmen!

Not really, every now and then Sawstop comes up in conversation, wasn't even Inspector who started the thread.

You might think it's useless, others who've been saved from having body parts cut off might disagree.

 

[Jacob]

........

You might think it's useless, others who've been saved from having body parts cut off might disagree.

Actually nobody has come forward to say that sawstop has saved a body part during a particular incident. Has anybody ever had real reason to be grateful to sawstop - bearing in mind, thankfully, that losing fingers is a very rare occurrence in the first place?
Push sticks will save body parts AND nasty cuts (which sawstop won't - not what you'd expect from a very expensive safety gadget).

 

[OscarG]

Actually nobody has come forward to say that sawstop has saved a body part during a particular incident. Has anybody ever had real reason to be grateful to sawstop - bearing in mind, thankfully, that losing fingers is a very rare occurrence in the first place?

Not on this thread no, but there is a gallery of "finger saves" on Sawstop's site. Scroll down on this page >
https://www.sawstop.com/why-sawstop/testimonials

Tiny cuts, bit of nail gone etc. Looking at those pics it's easy to see how without Sawstop they'd be some very nasty injuries and possible missing digits on some those chaps.

If my memory is right they used to have a deal where if your saw activated and saved you, if you uploaded a pic and shared your story they'd send you a new brake cartridge for free. Don't know if they still do that.

Push sticks will save body parts AND nasty cuts (which sawstop won't - not what you'd expect from a very expensive safety gadget).

I don't see Sawstop as a license to be abandon standard safety measure. No reason you can't use 2 pushsticks, riving knife, crown guard, a healthy amount of fear/respect for the machine and Sawstop as an extra layer of protection. Apart from the initial dent in the wallet, where's the downside?

I'd love to have one.

 

[Noel]

Oscar, read my post, don't use Perspex. Safety.

Noted. Will use polycarbonate if I go down that route.

And not the best design of sled, metal in front of the blade not a good idea and the clamps, do you need so many? If any?

When you mean metal in front of blade, you mean the toggle clamp?

Well, I've seen vids with people holding workpieces with their hands, didn't like that. Seen vids where when cutting small pieces they used the rubber end of a pencil to hold the workpiece.... especially didn't like that! I figured 3 were handy, the right one prob only used to hold right side workpiece with dado type stuff (haven't tried it yet).

I kind of wanted something where I could quickly clamp it all down and be totally hands free except for pushing the sled at the extreme edges.

I tried to take elements from this fella's sled > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtwK9X8o1Gw

Maybe a removable polycarb' guard is way to go.

Is the middle toggle clamp on the blade line? Not good, especially with the steel base. I was actually referring to the alu T track. Won't do too much damage to most blades but personally I keep any type of metal as far away as possible from the blade.
But if you're happy, no worries.

 

[Tasky]

Push sticks will save body parts AND nasty cuts (which sawstop won't - not what you'd expect from a very expensive safety gadget).

To be totally fair - Seat belts and airbags will often save your life, but that doesn't always mean you walk away without any scratches, abrasions, contusions and other (comparatively) minor injuries...
And in just my short time on this forum, I've watched/heard of people accidentally slipping with push sticks, pads and the like.

 

[transatlantic]

I use the long push sticks like this :

Where when you finish the cut, your hand is still infront of the blade. What I don't understand is why people use ones like this :

Your hand is just as close as if you were not using pushing sticks as you have to pass your hand passed the blade. I can see how they make pushing the material through easier, but certainly no safer. I shudder when I see people using them where their fingers are a few inches from the blade

 

[OscarG]

Is the middle toggle clamp on the blade line? Not good, especially with the steel base.

Well all 3 clamps can move wherever they're needed. The one in pic is close (as that workpiece is small) but still to the side of the kerf line, I'd never place it on the blade line.

I was actually referring to the alu T track. Won't do too much damage to most blades but personally I keep any type of metal as far away as possible from the blade.
But if you're happy, no worries.

My sled doesn't really allow for very deep cuts. I didn't feel I had enough wood on there to raise the saw to it's max height, I'm well within that, so the max stock I can cut is about 35mm which is probably enough for me. If I ever need more, I'll build another sled.

It's not easy to see from the image but even if had the blade set to cut my max of 35mm, that t-track would have loads of clearance.

 

[acewoodturner]

What are the replacement costs if the sawstop is triggered (apart from a new blade) and how long is the time to deliver the parts. I take it the bits have to come from Canada/US?

Mike