SawStop safety table saw

David Ilvedson ilvey@sbcglobal.net
Wed, 22 Dec 2004 19:55:48 -0800


It is really simple...have someone else do the cutting.

David I.



----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
From: Sarah Fox <sarah@graphic-fusion.com>
To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
Received: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 22:33:30 -0500
Subject: Re: SawStop safety table saw

>Hi Greg,

>My dad was an architect, so I've been around the construction for a huge 
>chunk of my life.  I've known a few VERY careful professionals who have 
>removed parts of their bodies, including a very good friend, who chopped her 
>left index finger off with a miter saw.  All it takes is a bit of fatigue 
>and a fleeting moment of inattention.  While I, too, squirm at the thought 
>of more government regulations, I'm also baffled at why people don't WANT or 
>even DEMAND these sorts of safety features on their equipment!  They're 
>similar to the folks who drive without seat belts and leave loaded, unlocked 
>guns around for their kids to play with.  They think that accidents always 
>happen to OTHER people.

>When groaning about the added cost of safety equipment, don't forget to 
>weigh that cost against the cost of reattachment surgery, down-time, and 
>impaired functionality.  What's the real cost?  What is the fraction of 
>people you know, of your skill level and attention to safety, who have 
>de-fingered themselves?  Multiply that fraction by ten or twenty thousand 
>(or much more) dollars.  That's your estimated lifetime cost of finger loss, 
>on average, thinking like a gambler.  Now compare that cost against the cost 
>of the equipment.

>And that's just dollars and cents.  How much are your fingers really worth 
>to you?  Much more than the cost of reattachment surgery?  (Mine are.)

>I applaud the technology -- "air bags" for power tools.  You can bet that my 
>next table saw will have one, provided it's available.

>Peace,
>Sarah


>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Greg Newell" <gnewell@ameritech.net>
>To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 3:51 PM
>Subject: Re: SawStop safety table saw


>> Not only that Cy and Ron but the first I heard of this unit, the inventor 
>> was pushing to get this as a mandatory thing for all saws sold. Trying to 
>> work himself into guaranteed profits it sounds like. Besides even the 
>> unseemliness of that do we really need one more level of government 
>> involved demanding that we have safeguards on our equipment? When will we 
>> learn? Some things are just inherently dangerous. Can't we just understand 
>> that and exercise caution without something more being demanded of us? 
>> This item would certainly cost more and break down on occasion. I, for 
>> one, am not willing to undergo more expense for someone's careless 
>> behavior that cost them a finger. Why punish everyone for something like 
>> that? As an add on? Fine! As mandatory? I'm against it %1000.
>>
>> my 2 cents
>>
>> Greg Newell
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> At 03:27 PM 12/22/2004, you wrote:
>>
>>>>Ron, why wouldn't professional woodworkers like it?  What are the 
>>>>downsides, besides the initial expense?  (Assuming you don't trigger the 
>>>>safety device a few times a day...)
>>>>
>>>>--Cy Shuster--
>>>
>>>
>>>Hi Cy,
>>>Typically, the first thing the professional does is take off all the OSHA 
>>>approved guards and toss them in the shed. They tend to want to be able to 
>>>see the blade so they know where their hands are in relation to it. In 
>>>this case, the brake doesn't create a hazard by hiding the blade, but it 
>>>adds extra cost for magic that looks altogether too good to be believable. 
>>>Professionals tend to get hurt on table saws by kick-backs while sawing 
>>>something. Can this braking system tell the difference between cutting a 
>>>piece of maple and cutting a piece of maple AND a couple of fingers? Seems 
>>>like that's asking a lot, especially to a professional who has spent a lot 
>>>of years experiencing the limitations as well as the capabilities of 
>>>machinery. It supposedly can, but how far can it be trusted, what kind of 
>>>maintenance is required, does it reset automatically, and do you have to 
>>>risk an occasional hot dog to verify that it is still working? Electronic 
>>>ignitions come to mind. I've spent thousands of dollars through the years 
>>>having electronic ignition systems on furnaces and cars repaired 
>>>(replaced, actually), when I could have fixed something with a standing 
>>>pilot or gapped points easily, cheaply, and quickly myself. Does it affect 
>>>changing blades quickly and easily? Maybe I'm wrong, but professionals 
>>>I've known want simple sturdy precise indestructible machinery that 
>>>doesn't get in their way, or depend on something they can't see to work. 
>>>Ah, that's another thing I didn't read. Will a saw thus equipped still 
>>>work if the sensor dies, or is there a "dead man" switch that shuts down 
>>>the power? Is it self-diagnostic? Can replacement parts be gotten for 
>>>self-maintenance, or is the saw down until it can go in to the service 
>>>center for authorized, and presumably expensive, repair? None of this 
>>>would look awfully good to the professional. Is there a site that has some 
>>>detailed practical information?
>>>
>>>Ron N
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>
>> Greg Newell
>> Greg's piano Forté
>> mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>
>> 


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