SawStop

[Melbosa]

Saw a live demo of this today (not new but man very kewl): http://www.sawstop.ca/

You can see a "how it works" on their site in slowmo: http://www.sawstop.ca/how-it-works/monitor-and-detect/ - check out the top video in the right side.

Very kewl.  Wish my shop class in High School had one of these, I wouldn't have lost the side of my finger to a router (that is if they make a device for the router on a table top saw).

[Thorin]

Good grief, that would be cringeworthy to watch live.  The hot dog I can sorta see, but if they touch it with their finger?  Yikes!

[Melbosa]

Yeah NAIT has 5 of these in just one classroom.  If you watch the "Hot Dog" video on their site, you can get a sense of how loud it is when it jams.  Sounds like a balloon pop but as if it was made of metal - yeah I know not a great description.

[Tom]

ENTS wants one of those things. I think its a good idea, but those saws are quite expensive.

[Lazybones]

The break sacrifices it self much like an airbag if I recall.. FARE better than loosing a finger but not too cheap to fix.

Always thought classrooms would be the ideal place for these.

[Tom]

Yeah. It's TOTALLY worth it.

[Melbosa]

The instructor said that while the table is $5K, the replacement part after the act is only $$35 plus the blade you ruin. The labour is on top becuase not just anyone can service.

[Lazybones]

If the break is not user replaceable, knowing the service cost might be significant.

[Melbosa]

If the break is not user replaceable, knowing the service cost might be significant.

I believe the instructor said it went up from last year to $90/h and is usually done in 30m or so.

[Lazybones]

$35 - break
$90 - labor
$40 - new blade

$165

Not too bad. Much less costly than fingers by all accounts.

[Thorin]

Found out today that the US House added a rider to a bill funding a safety commission that oversees power tools; the rider specifically states the money is not allowed to be used to enforce that table saws have to use the SawStop or similar safety devices to reduce human-sawblade accidents.

http://www.npr.org/2017/08/10/542474093/despite-proven-technology-attempts-to-make-table-saws-safer-drag-on

The House Appropriations Committee approved a bill for the 2018 fiscal year that includes a clause prohibiting the CPSC from acting on table saw safety.

"None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be used to finalize any rule by the Consumer Product Safety Commission relating to blade-contact injuries on table saws," the rider on the budget bill reads.

Like, what the actual @%&#?  How about allowing the Safety Commission to make things safer?!

[Tom]

The House isn't about making sense or letting the civil agencies do their actual jobs. It's about advancing personal agendas.