In the first place I ever worked where I used a table saw, the rule was that the first thing that you did after turning off the saw was to crank the blade down below the table. I still do that now. On the few occasions that that is not practical, being in the habit of cranking it down forces you to think about that blade being exposed.
My misinterpretation. I equated "saw off" with saw not running, i.e. blade not spinning.
The only breaking of skin I've ever had on a floor power tool was on a bandsaw that wasn't running. I was spinning the wheels by hand after putting on a new blade to get it tracking properly. Somehow, I got a finger too close to the blade down near the cutting area and caught a tooth just as the blade came to a stop.
I was taught in 7th grade IA to watch all blades or bits stop, and to especially never leave a machine until the blade has fully stopped. The practice, as well as other safety practices drilled into me by "Mr. Messer", have served me well for 30 years.
That said, if I owned a saw that others used, in a multi-person pro shop or _especially_ a school or ww'ing club environment, I'd buy a SawStop today.
I can see a personal injury lawyer making an argument of "The safety technology is readily available at a reasonable price."
What I think of that statement is meaningless compared to what a personal injury jury unfamiliar with woodworking might.
I do not remember the specifiv details of what happened but I also was taught to watch for the blade to stop and to be aware that under floresent lighting the some tools may appear to be stopped under the right lighting conditions. Apparently a lapse of good judgement or thought that the blade had stopped as I had begun the adjusting the fence, I guess I was "only human" after all. For several months I thought that I'd had a kick back.
I can see that plus I can see it actually preventing injuries, which would be the most important reason to buy the saw.
Yeah, I suspect the vast majority of people will believe that the SawStop should be in placed in a multi user setting. Given that thought, it may actually be a good thing if the government mandates this type of safety device, to protect the employer from such claims.
It is easy to release the tension of the sphincter muscle as soon as the power is off. I've found myself reaching into the bandsaw a couple of times.
Discussions of accidents come up here from time to time and they serve as a reminder not to become too complacent with our tools. Easy to do. Very easy.
Precicely, many safety steps become routine and when we are focused on the job at hand the time it takes for a tool to come to a "complete" stop may be perceived as shorther than it actually takes. My cut was rather violent. Have you noticed how smooth a blade cuts through wood? Yes, my saw blade should have cut through my thumb with ease and smoothness also. Because the blade had "almost" come to a stop the cut was not smooth at all. I still recall the violent vibration through my thumb as the teeth ground through bone. That violent vibration was the primary reason that I thought for several months that I had had a kick back. Retuning to the shop from the ER I found all my wood neatly and safely stacked with no blood.
I really like the saw, and the features.... I, too, don't really like the legislative approach...and hope it's not successful. If the technology was public domain, it'd be a different story...
I do use our shop saws here too.... and I don't think having a saw stop will make people more sloppy... just like with air bags in the car... who wants to *really* find out how well they work?
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