Saturday, September 05, 2015
How I Ended Up Buying a SawStop Table Saw
www.protoolreviews.com: I have had a fairly long relationship with table saws, and to be honest, they all scare the heck out of me a little. Second to the chainsaw, no other tool seems so aggressive in its attempts to hurt you. The spinning blade is aimed directly at you, and it has the ability to pull things into its maw. Put your digits too close to the spinning blade, and the potential mayhem that could ensue makes the need for a solution like the one provided by the SawStop Jobsite table saw a very compelling one. In fact this is exactly how I ended up buying a SawStop table saw.
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7 comments:
I must say that I love the idea of a Saw Stop. I first encountered one (in real life) during my college interviews and I was instantly smitten. I've been working with table saws for four years. I know the dangers they present. The thought that the saw itself could prevent a "bite" is reassuring. Saw Stops are amazing technology. Its a saw with a basic computer program in it (do you not see how incredible awesome the fact that this type of technology even exists? just imagine the future possibilities of combining computers and tools. on a side note, laser cutters and 3D printers and CNC machines are amazing and beautiful pieces of equipment and their existence at CMU is a huge factor of why I choose to come here). The cartridge under the saw runs an electrical signal through the blade that, if absorbed (by flesh) causes the blade to stop. How cool is that?
For liability reasons I totally understand why our shop will be equipped with a SawStop. That being said I must disagree with Ms. Miller, I do not think this should be a requirement for our shop. First of all, those who have been working in the shop know the feel and comfort of the perfectly good table saw that is in there. Second, if people know that there is a SawStop, they may be led to believe that they are fully protected from the blade now and in the future, that is not what students should be used to. And thirdly, if people in the shop are not given the key to bypass the SawStop feature then anything moist is going to activate the stop, wreck the blade, and waste time. This is a far more likely occurrence then someone running a hand through instead of the piece.
I fully support the use of equipment like Saw Stop. I have used a fair share of machinery and power tools, but I would by no means call myself a pro. I feel that many people would agree with me on their level of ability, and not that we will not be getting more practice and learning more about the tools, safety measures are always important. Most machinery has some safety measures, even if it is a bit of plastic to act as a guard. But, not many come close to what the Saw Stop has to offer. Their is an argument that because of how protected people believe they will be from the blade, they may be more careless and find the one way to hurt themselves on it. I do not feel that would actually occur. I know whenever I use even just a matte knife I take a bit of caution. Having more safety features and that being the biggest selling point, will not cause someone to use less care when operating the saw. The price is the other main deferer when deciding to purse such equipment, but when compared to what might be spent in legal contracts or in hospital bills when someone does hurt themselves on a standard saw, it does not seem so high.
Right before I left my high school our scene shop bought a Saw Stop, for obvious safety and liability issues, and I personally think it was a great choice for a scene shop at that experience level, where safety takes precedent over experience. Although I think the Saw Stop is a great table saw, I also see merit in not using one to teach students at a college level. Yes, the Saw Stop just makes sense, when any part of your body touches the blade, the saw instantly sends a electrical charge down to a break system that jams the blade to a stop and drops it below the table. It is totally a great safety feature, but I think the problem with teaching on a table saw like that at a professional level is that it provides the illusion of safety. On a saw stop you can still get a kick back and you can still cut yourself (yes, not as severely but you can still do it none the less). The Saw Stop is a great tool, but I think there's merit on teaching students on a big beast of a table saw, where you learn the respect and focus you need to work successfully with any other properly maintained one.
Honestly? It just sounds like this guy doesn’t know how to use a table saw. Sure, maybe there was no way to salvage that first saw, and it should just go into the trash. But if you are trying to cut heavy sheet goods on a table saw that you can PICK UP, you are doing something else wrong, that saw should at least be affixed to something much heavier than itself. His story about how he hurt himself with the deWalt saw doesn’t really garner my sympathy. If he had to rip some ¼” wide pieces of stuff, and decided to put the blade so far down that you can see where it is and all of the force of the cut is directed back at you instead of down into the table, and he doesn’t know what a push stick is, im surprised he didn’t get cut sooner. Really, the most important thing with a table saw is to respect it, but you cant be afraid of them. I truly hope that the new thing with table saws isnt to say “Oh, I don’t know how to use a table saw safely, ill just buy a SawStop and everything will be fine”
Frankly, the author of this article is a total idiot. He justifies his purchase of the SawStop with an example of him using a saw incorrectly. Has he not heard of using a push stick for smaller cuts.. And good for him that he likes to adjust the blade as low as possible for his cut, but he obviously doesn't understand that this heightens the chance for table saw kickback which is THE #1 MOST COMMON INJURY ON A TABLE SAW, not chopping your fingers off. On that note, his purchase of a SawStop does not address the initial problem he faced, kickback, for the very reason that owning a SawStop does not make you any more invincible to flying boards than any other normally operating table saw! Idiot author aside, the SawStop is a product that lulls the user into a false sense of security and invincibility. The #1 preventative measure for shop safety is appropriate tool usage and training. And honestly, what is the point of securing one tool against one possible avenue of injury when there are literally dozens of other ways to hurt or kill yourself in the shop. Forget the productivity arguments regarding the moisture sensor and changing out broken blades.. I simply don't believe that owning a SawStop enhances shop safety. This author will continue to find a way to try and chop his own fingers off..
I gotta say I have mixed opinions about saw stops. On one hand they are great in that they can save your fingers in most cases. On the other hand they provide a false sense of security. I heard a story about a seasoned cabinet maker who had been in the fine woodworking business for 50+ years using a table saw everyday. I have a friend who was his apprentice and in the guys last month before retiring my friend caught 3 of his bosses fingers in his hand when he ran them through the table saw. This shows that anything can happen. Can a sawstop prevent injuries? Absolutely. Now, it is not common that someone just runs their hand over the blade accidently. Typically, table saw injuries happen from kickback in a bang-bang situation. A table saw can be the difference between losing a finger and cutting it almost all the way off, but even still, that’s bad. If I had my own shop I would probably get a saw stop because while it doesn’t compromise performance (as compared to a 220v 3hp Delta Unisaw) it does have that added safety feature. But I always believe you should never feel too comfortable on a saw so dangerous, you should feel confident, but comfort leads to carelessness and a sawstop has the risk of adding too much comfort.
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