First tablesaw safety reminder of the new year...

[Tapper]

Trapper  Tapper - Thanks! And while I agree, a foot switch will not prevent many injuries, in my case it is about my only option for now. And not to diminish the truth, it would have prevented my injury as I had turned around to make a measurement leaving the saw running, and the cut happened when I turned back to the saw and reached across for some unknown reason. With the foot switch it would have been off.

My only other option available is to sell it all and stop having a shop. Even though she likes my work, my wife occasionally complains about all the money "tied up" in my tools, but 95% were bought/inherited before we married, so she married them as well as me. As well as my collection of guns, bench full of reloading equipment, and boxes of computer parts (though that is dwindling due to obsolescence). At least we both like to cook, so kitchen gadgets are OK...

jcredding - Please pass along my support to your friend. Let him know he is not alone in prayers for his recovery as well!


All, some of the posts I am seeing are leaning toward the mud puddle of SawStop developer bashing, please don't in this thread, it is about safety (and my lack of). There is a big SS thread with plenty of basing to add to... I too would love to see the tech available to retrofit to existing saws as there is a huge base that will not get replaced just because SS is the only game for the tech (for now). But if TTS will think like that rather than just $$$ (that's what they have Festool for), we may see it one year.

Mike "Dodis"

Mike,

Again, my wishes go out to you for a speedy and complete recovery.

The technology to prevent an accident such as yours (and others much more serious) did not exist before 2004, the year the first Sawstop tablesaw was sold. If you read the link I posted earlier, over 34,000 victims of tablesaw accidents are reported by hospital emergency rooms each year (for some unknown reason this does not include accidents in the workplace). They range in severity from those such as yours to multiple amputations. To me this safety device is much like the safety net trapeze artists use, or the reserve chute parachutists pack. You hope they are never necessary, but if so there is a built-in safety factor.

Fortunately, my wife has never once complained over the years about my investment in tools, motorcycles, classic cars, etc. as I've never complained about the sensible things she enjoys purchasing (in fact in many cases I was the  "purchaser" for her). But rest assured, if she had balked at my Sawstop tablesaw, I would have made an independent decision in favor of the purchase. From my perspective, this technology represents such an order of change in safety it was too important to pass up. 

I do not want to get into another flame war on these pages about Sawstop; I've had my share. Whether you like it or not, the technology works and does what it claims - absolutely prevents catastrophic tablesaw injuries. 

Best of luck,

Doug

[ez-duzit]

...the technology works and does what it claims - absolutely prevents catastrophic tablesaw injuries...

What works even better than this technology is the observance of basic table saw safety rule #1: "Never touch the spinning blade."

[R Clark]

What works even better than this technology is the observance of basic table saw safety rule #1: "Never touch the spinning blade."

That's true.  However, it completely ignores human fallibility and the tendency of every human on the planet to get into routines and take shortcuts.  It also dismisses those instances where other outside factors cause events around the tools.

Us mere mortals have our moments, particularly when doing routine tasks that we've done many times over.  If the solution is for sometimes-complacent people to stay out of the shop, then nobody will be using their home shops anywhere.  And there would be precious little industrial activity. 

This argument can go on and on.  It has before, and will again sometime in the future.  For now, I'm glad I bought a SS years ago; my risk management decision to avoid a significant risk in my shop by the addition of technology was a good one for me.

Go forth and never touch the spinning blade.

[fredhargis]

Someday, in the far distant future all saws will be equipped with some sort of preventative device (because the SS patents have expired)  and we will be able to make a table saw safety post without it getting sidetracked by the never ending SS argument....or not.

[Belle City Woodworking]

Dodis,

I am so sorry about your mishap!  I hope you heal up soon.

John

[Tapper]

That's true.  However, it completely ignores human fallibility and the tendency of every human on the planet to get into routines and take shortcuts.  It also dismisses those instances where other outside factors cause events around the tools.

Us mere mortals have our moments, particularly when doing routine tasks that we've done many times over.  If the solution is for sometimes-complacent people to stay out of the shop, then nobody will be using their home shops anywhere.  And there would be precious little industrial activity. 

This argument can go on and on.  It has before, and will again sometime in the future.  For now, I'm glad I bought a SS years ago; my risk management decision to avoid a significant risk in my shop by the addition of technology was a good one for me.

Go forth and never touch the spinning blade.

EZ, listen up and take notes.

DT

[2beast]

Dude, that gives me the heebie geebies 


Still using my old PM 66s  with blade guards................

[CLETUS]

I recently suffered my first shop injury that sent me to the hospital for 6 stitches.

It was a utility knife.

[Handplanesandmore]

Everybody is fine...until an injury happens.

Whether it is a chisel, a knife or a tablesaw, it is up to the individual to protect himself or herself.

Simon

[jlanciani]

Guards prevent blade contacts, SawStop (hopefully)mitigates the damage after contact occurs...

I’ll take a well designed guard every time.