Saturday, February 19, 2011
SawStop Might Meet a Competitor: ‘SawDrop’
Popular Woodworking: "Ten years ago, table saws were about to change. In 2001, you could buy a cabinet saw, such as a Delta Unisaw, a Powermatic 66 or a clone of the Unisaw made in Taiwan. Or you could get a contractor’s saw, a heavy but relatively portable table saw. Benchtop saws were not a significant part of the market, and things hadn’t changed much since the end of World War II. All the saws at the time had one thing in common: awful guards that were rarely used. Things were changing on two fronts. Underwriter’s Laboratories and the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) were looking into bringing American saw’s guard systems into the modern age, spurred in large part by a pesky woodworker from Berea, Ky., named Kelly Mehler.
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3 comments:
I'm not a big fan of SawStops. The replacement is expensive and can take the tool out of operation for half a day in order to repair correctly. But more importantly (and on a philosophical level), I think it takes a lot of responsibility out of an operator to practice safe working habits in front of this particular tool. Know (and learn) what dangers are present and by keeping your head and keeping focused you can avoid getting injured. Yes, there are dangers in the learning; but so is there in everything.
Originally, I understood part of Stephen Gass's intention behind wanting to mandate flesh-detecting technology was to ensure himself a place (legacy-wise & economically) in spreading it across the country. It'd be interesting (and hilariously ironic) if, in conceding to his demands, he was pushed out of the picture by better technologies.
I agree with Jake that instead of needing to create technology to stop injuries, it would be better if we could ensure that everyone gets proper training and everyone pay attention and use safe practices to prevent injuries. But unfortunately, that isn't going to happen. There is always going to be someone somewhere using tools they are not trained to use, or someone getting distracted and not paying close enough attention to what they are doing.
While the SawStop is an issue of controversy for many, it is something worth looking into. Though a healthy dose of fear and respect for the tool would be better suited, for those who are not going to do that, this technology is an item where the price and inconvenience outweighs the possibility of loosing a finger. However, this new technology they are talking about seems even better. While it still drops below the table surface, this one at least doesn't destroy the blade, becoming more cost efficient. It also claims here to be able to sense the difference between flesh and wet wood, which was another argument against the SawStop. As different companies delve into enhancing this technology, eventually someone will invent a safer and convenient alternative to the SawStop, which in the end is a better thing for everyone.
Besides all of the personal liability, etc...
This technology is more exciting to me then the whirl wind or the saw stop. I like that they are thinking about the multiple materials issues that have arisen with the original saw stop and that the blade is cleared from the offending area with out damage. I would be excited to give this one a try.
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