Tablesaw Safety Goes Under the Microscope--Again

joedw00 · Post by **joedw00** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:20 am

Here we go again.Tablesaw Safety Goes Under the Microscope--Again

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:59 am

Gass (SawStop) claims to have our safety at interest. I sure wish I could believe that. If he did, he would be doing something to help something other than his bottom line.

If he was really concerned, he would offer a SawStop to all current owners for some unbelievable price, in exchange for the finger gobbling machines that are out there.

Personally, I think that the SawStop technology is fantastic and I expect that it will become a very common piece of equipment (especially in the professional shops).

dasgud · Post by **dasgud** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:06 am

yeaaaa, the saw stop system developers need to keep discussion/debate going in order to press some sort of action. Hopefully the action will be companies developing their own technology or buying his and bringing the price down. Personally, I think the development of the saw stop was a good one. If ShopSmith incorporated the system, offered it for a reasonable price (hahaha), and sold it as a version I might choose to buy it. The key word in that last sentence for me is "choose" though. I would hate to see the technology become mandated.
Oh well... I just wanted to give my opinion on that.

ddvann79 · Post by **ddvann79** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:28 am

[INDENT]Gass says a more expensive saw is a far better option than paying for and living with a devastating injury. “I think the end result is that woodworking becomes a safer endeavor, which will lead more people to engage in it,” he says. “Everybody benefits.”[/INDENT]

As far as the first sentence goes, I tend to agree. Yet it causes me to ponder where that line is between the government's duty to the public safety (i.e. lead paint) and governmental nannying, especially considering the influence of "lobbyists."

As for price, logically, the cost of such technology would decrease if all saws employed it. At the same time, if the interest is really safety and not $$$, then why not mandate government sponsored table saw safety classes (don't get any ideas)? Surely that would cut down (no pun intended) on the digit loss figure.

Don't get me wrong, I think Gass has an outstanding product but his opinion is a bit skewed by implying that increasing the costs of goods will lead to an increase in the quantity demanded. And just think of the maintenance nightmares that come with electronic gizmos breaking down over time (think power windows). Bye bye sensors - hello safety bypass.

On another note, this is a WAY COOL saw and I want one!

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:40 am

If you can't make enough money for yourself chasing ambulances and you are this money hungry bum you will create a way to get rich and force it into being through litigation.

If I was a saw manufacture I would go out of business before I paid this guy a dime. And I will stop wood working before I pay this guy a dime. To me he is that dispicable.

If there is any justice in this world, someone will invent a way to do the same thing for so cheap he will give it to saw manufactures who can add it to their product at no cost. And drive this money grubbing guy back under the rock he crawled out from.

There are two dead carcasses on the road, one is a vulture and the other a lawyer.
Do you know how to tell which is which?

The vulture will have skid marks from the car trying to stop in front of it.

jcraigie · Post by **jcraigie** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:52 am

Very cool product. It would be great to have especially when teaching kids to use a table saw, just in case they get to close to fast.

However I agree with Ed, this guy trying to pass off that he just wants to help people is insulting. Admit that you came up with a great idea and you want to make money on it. Nothing wrong with that at all, but don't try to force me to use your product by legislating its use. When someone else comes up with it I'm in but for now it leaves a bad taste.

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:33 am

Here's some alternate technology for stopping the saw when your fingers get too close to the blade. It stops the blade in 1/8 second and doesn't destroy the anything.

http://whirlwindtool.com/

tdubnik · Post by **tdubnik** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:07 pm

I wonder why it has to destroy the blade and cartridge other than to generate more income from all of the demos and tests that have been run on the saw.

It seems to me that if the arbor was spring loaded with a stout spring; the same technology could be used to yank the blade below the table surface in a microsecond without damaging anything. Then you would just have to reset the depth wheel and you would be back in business (after you change pants, of course ).

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:10 pm

pennview wrote:Here's some alternate technology for stopping the saw when your fingers get too close to the blade. It stops the blade in 1/8 second and doesn't destroy the anything.

http://whirlwindtool.com/

For those who have not been following this 'saga', I mention the following:

The injury award ($1.5 million) mentioned should have never happened. The 'participants' in the activity that led up to the 'injury' were incredibly negligent and were by far the most relevant to being the cause of events that caused the saw to perform as it did.

Guess who the litigants lawyers were!

The second alternative system is suitable for a professional shop(think unisaw) and is currently patent pending/applied.... status(not ready for production).

Finally I do not believe the mechanism stops the blade is 1 ms! If that video was high speed photography, why did they not show the time frame and the sequence of the action?

Finally I liked the developing system hot dog demo better. Short on closeup of the post test hotdog, but the pre trip movement was more realistic than the sneak up on it slowly. Further more, how many of us wet our fingers prior to sawing as Mr. Gass did? If Mr. Gass's product is as good as he claims, why does he need to resort to unrealistic tricks to demonstrate it? Are there any truly honest inventors out there? Mr. Gass does not appear to be one of them!

Finally I assume he is an advertiser in whatever publication those two fellow demonstrators work for.(or at least some $$$ trail!)

cobalt60 · Post by **cobalt60** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:51 pm

I recently cut my thumb with a chisel. I was using it under entirely normal conditions, so I can only conclude the tool manufacturer was negligent in their implementation of safety features.

Looking for advice on how much to sue for, thanks in advance.