Tablesaw Safety Goes Under the Microscope--Again

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 7:15 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:how do you follow the cut line if you can't see the leading edge of the cut?

Table saw Ed, table saw.

Sorry I reverted to the original topic!

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 10:12 am

JPG
I thought it was forum etiquette that once a thread got derailed it had to pass through at least 4 subjects before it could be brought back to the original.
No wonder I was confused.

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:02 am

Ed in Tampa wrote:JPG
I thought it was forum etiquette that once a thread got derailed it had to pass through at least 4 subjects before it could be brought back to the original.
No wonder I was confused.

I didn't even get time to mention my brother-in-law's operation...

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fiatben · Post by **fiatben** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:05 am

I really appreciate articles like this one. One problem with government watchdogs (and others) is that they tend to be myopic in their vigilance.

http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/edi ... oo%21+Mail

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:21 pm

fiatben wrote:I really appreciate articles like this one. One problem with government watchdogs (and others) is that they tend to be myopic in their vigilance.

http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/edi ... oo%21+Mail

Interesting blog. That "life altering" phrase can be a big gray area. My father mangled his right hand pinky finger and the ring finger in a set of bevel gears on a corn picker. It altered his life somewhat but not all bad. While he lectured me constantly he was personally prone to take some unnecessary chances. After that incident he was definitely more careful. Maybe the little incident prevented a big one (I wouldn't recommend doing it on purpose). That could be construed as "life altering". I only heard him complain about two things after that incident. One was that a bit of deformed fingernail kept trying to grow on the stump of the ring finger. The second was that he had a hard time getting his right ear clean with that stump of a pinky. How many dollars is that worth???

One only has to watch some of the AFV shows or a Jackass Movie to understand why the injury rate is so high in the world... "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits"

Anyone can have an accident but it requires a little stupidity to work at them.

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joedw00 · Post by **joedw00** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 6:37 pm

More reading Popular Woodworking Editors' Blog

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Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 8:49 pm

I think the one big question none of us Shopsmithers can ignore is what would any legislation be it simple a rule change or an edict from the CPSC do to the Shopsmith.

I don't see Shopsmith be easily converted to drop the blade or slam it into something so I would think any major change to Tablesaw safety could/would doom Shopsmith.

I know it is all speculation but I hate to see Shopsmith be legislated out of existence.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:01 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:I think the one big question none of us Shopsmithers can ignore is what would any legislation be it simple a rule change or an edict from the CPSC do to the Shopsmith.

I don't see Shopsmith be easily converted to drop the blade or slam it into something so I would think any major change to Tablesaw safety could/would doom Shopsmith.

I know it is all speculation but I hate to see Shopsmith be legislated out of existence.

I believe all this commotion is about 'table saws'. A Shopsmith ain't a Table saw'. Purty thin I agree, but it is radically different from 'tablesaws'.

Wonder how many of those alleged 'ts' mishaps are on Shopsmiths? At least most of the folks on this forum are at not ignorant of the risks.

But we could redesignate it as a Mark IV! or Mark 6! ;>}

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:20 pm

Maybe they could spin off a second company and then sell the Smith without an arbor and blade then you would get the blade and arbor as an after market accessory from the second company.

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Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:57 am

Sales are tough at Shopsmith as it is, can you imagine trying to sell the Shopsmith with out the table saw function? Or selling it without the tablesaw function and telling the customer they can buy the needed parts to accomplish tablesawing from another company.

Then if someone did get hurt couldn't they surely sue the second company because the first in effect admitted they couldn't produce a safe table saw. The second company then ignored that wisdom for the sole purpose of making money and provided the needed conversion parts.

Again if you don't think legislation of this type will effect the Shopsmith talk to European market. There table saws are almost extinct and I don't think SS even tries to sell there.

I think this could be a real problem to whole market and I think it would place Shopsmith in a very bad position if not fatal.

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