Thread: Saw Safety Device

My advice is don't use your table saw to chop your weiner.

Seriously, quite nifty. 'Tis a pitty that these things can't be retro fitted to your existing saw. I'm unlikely to trade-in/up my TSC-10HB anytime in the next 10 years.

It would be good if our or the U.S. legislators mandated the installation of these things on all the power tools capable of chopping our arms off. Economy of scale would then make the price difference minimal.



Grunt

This has been around for a while, and the USA manufacturers were lobbying the govt last year in an attempt to make the sawstop compulsory on all new saws. Interesting approach - if you can't sell it, legislate it. I don't think they had much luck.

Yeah, that was huge news a year or two ago but it hasn't fired. Apparently none of the big manufacturers have adopted it, so they developed their own saw. Last time I looked, they were taking orders for their own unit but I haven't really heard anything since. Bit a bummer really, I would love my unisaw to have this feature.

Check out the guy's index finger in the video clip. Looks like he's been using more than wieners to demonstrate the system

btw - our life is regulated enough as it is. The bureaucrats don’t need more encouragement :mad:

Check out the guy's index finger in the video clip. Looks like he's been using more than wieners to demonstrate the system

Maybe that was his motivation to design the system!

This mechanism was demo'd several years ago. He tried selling the idea to the big manufacturers and so far no one has bit. They're ramping up to sell their own machines now. The attempt to legislate their machine into existence also failed.

Theory is good and as someone that was nicked before, it's something I would seriously consider if I was in the market for a new saw today.

Its a great idea but i doubt if it has legs.

what happens if you cut other things with your table saw? like foam rubber.

It works by static charge. Your body has a certain static charge. Basically, a very large low powered capacitor. The saw blade detects the static charge in your body and puts the breaks on. Foam, wet wood etc. will have no effect.

I checked out the saw that they have on offer and it looks really good. However, with a price tag of more than US$2k it is really expensive for a 10" table saw. Imagine the price after exchange rate, shipping and GST.

They don't mention much about the 'cartridge system' on the site, I quote: "The system's brake is housed in a cartridge that is easily replaced should the system ever be triggered. These replaceable cartridges enable the system to be quickly adapted for use with different sizes and types of saw blades. "

So how much dooes this add to the cost? It appears that if the saw trips, it needs to be replaced.

Gordon.

zymurgy

Yes the cartridge needs to be replaced if it trips, it's a one use cartridge. I saw it demo'd on a public broadcasting program one time. I think they speculated it would run about $100-$200 per replacement cartridge at that time.

How much is a finger worth? I think the idea is that you don't trip them.

It works by static charge. Your body has a certain static charge. Basically, a very large low powered capacitor. The saw blade detects the static charge in your body and puts the breaks on. Foam, wet wood etc. will have no effect.

Do wieners have a static charge? What happens when the wiener is discharged?

I. for one, think it's a bloody great idea. As long as it didnt trip accidentally and cost you $200 each time. And I imagine that it wouldnt be good for the blade. I also read somewhere that it ruins your bandsaw blade.

But hey, when you're in the emergency getting your bloody stumps seen to, I bet you wont be saying, "I just saved my self 200 bucks!" Give this invention time, once a Jet or Delta or Sherwood executive cuts his finger off, he/she'll start thinking more about safety.

Its such a shame that great ideas like this take so long to get a toehold. Really, for all the discussion, it's still a bloody great invention that deserves support.

If only they could retrofit it to my elbow. Then I wouldn't have this nasty cut on my index finger from sharpening a plane blade.

Scary Sharp Safety Tip: If the SC paper is starting to peel off, change it and reglue it. Don't hold it down with your index finger.

LL

Originally Posted by LineLefty

I. ....Give this invention time, once a Jet or Delta or Sherwood executive cuts his finger off, he/she'll start thinking more about safety..... LL

as if one of these execs have ever ventured out of their office to use one.


It's going to become interesting in the near future in relation to workplace safety, as when there's something like this on the market it becomes seen (by the puppeteers) that employers can invest in such measures to prevent future incidents (i.e. general legal test of feasibility: severity of the hazard/risk; knowledge of the hazard/risk and of ways to eliminate it; costs to eliminate it; & availability and suitability of ways to eliminate or reduce the hazard/risk).
Soon, no employer in their right mind will be able to argue to a court that $1K-2k for such a device is out of the question when prosecuted for unsafe plant, equipment or systems of work.<O</O


Mark