SawStop Demonstrations Don't Impress Me


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I have seen the SawStop demonstration with the hotdog a dozen times.

But I always felt that it was done under premium conditions to ensure that it worked properly with optimal results.

At several of the demonstrations I had questioned the demonstrators about what would happen if someone was wearing a glove and it got caught in the blade. I requested that they place the hotdog in a glove so we could see the results.

My request was always denied and I was always told, “You shouldn’t wear gloves at the table saw.”

Well, I live in the real world where other contractors are on my equipment, we work in extremely harsh conditions, and I can’t keep control of everyone every time they use the table saw.

So, even though it is unsafe, contractors wear their gloves at the table saw all the time. That is just reality.

My local cabinet hardware supplier, A&H Turf, recently became an authorized SawStop dealer and so I made the request to them and they took me up on it.

This video shows how far a SawStop will drag the glove into the machine before it kicks off.

I hope you enjoy my version of the SawStop test.

Your friend in the shop,
Todd A. Clippinger
Let your work be your signature.

 

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Just now, Mike. said:

Interesting.  Sawstop debates are a guilty pleasure.  I love and hate them at the same time :)

Well in the real world people drive drunk so lets just get rid of seat belts.

 

Dang Mike, you and I are completely inline with our opinions and you really nailed it with the analogy. Well stated!

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Just now, Mike. said:

Total click bait Todd!  Based on your description I assumed the results were a disaster.... I will play nice and not spoil it for everyone else....

I admit that I did use a provocative title;) But the truth is that it was a genuine question and doubt that I had about the saw. That is the first time, ever that anybody would perform the SawStop test as I had requested. So I got the answer in this demonstration. 

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1 minute ago, Janello said:

That's all fine and dandy, but what happens if your scarf  that's wrapped around your neck 3 times falls in the blade? I can't watch every 6 year old that works in my shop.

I guess that I will have to go back and ask them to do the demonstration with a scarf wrapped around their neck. Stay tuned for the next SawStop Demo video!

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Just now, toddclippinger said:

Thanks! I tried to add some entertainment value. 

There certainly was that. But seriously, I've often wondered how the test would go with gloves.

I think the no-gloves rule is a little dated though. I wear those tight fitting gloves with the nitrile palms & fingers sometimes when using the table saw. With them I have much better grip, they greatly reduce the sliver factor, and with the snug fit there's no loose fabric to easily get caught in the machinery.

Just now, toddclippinger said:

I guess that I will have to go back and ask them to do the demonstration with a scarf wrapped around their neck. Stay tuned for the next SawStop Demo video!

Well, the scarf will pull you head down to the spinning blade but as soon as your nose touches it, you'll be OK.

Man, that'd be a trip!

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1 minute ago, drzaius said:

There certainly was that. But seriously, I've often wondered how the test would go with gloves.

I think the no-gloves rule is a little dated though. I wear those tight fitting gloves with the nitrile palms & fingers sometimes when using the table saw. With them I have much better grip, they greatly reduce the sliver factor, and with the snug fit there's no loose fabric to easily get caught in the machinery.

A friend of mine was wearing gloves, just like the one we used in the demonstration and his saw blade grabbed it and dragged his hand into the machine cutting off 3 fingers and damaging a 4th. 

That was why I wanted to know what would happen if he had a SawStop. It seems taboo to bring up the topic of gloves at the table saw but the reality is that it is commonly done in the trades. 

I simply wanted an answer to this question. 

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30 minutes ago, toddclippinger said:

A friend of mine was wearing gloves, just like the one we used in the demonstration and his saw blade grabbed it and dragged his hand into the machine cutting off 3 fingers and damaging a 4th. 

That was why I wanted to know what would happen if he had a SawStop. It seems taboo to bring up the topic of gloves at the table saw but the reality is that it is commonly done in the trades. 

I simply wanted an answer to this question. 

That's my point. Those gloves are loose fitting & there's lots to get grabbed by a machine

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I wonder if the reason they never wanted to try it was because they were worried that when the blades stopped and shot into the table it might grab the glove and try and take the finger with it. I know it's not exactly the least expensive demonstration to do but with the gloves being rubber coated i wonder if leather or pure cloth would have any different of an effect.

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8 minutes ago, bleedinblue said:

I'm not at all surprised by the result.  I am surprised that other demonstrators didn't want to do the same test.  In a glove, I can't see how the skin would be in any longer contact with the blade before the brake would be triggered.  I understand the hand may go into the blade faster, but everything I've seen has proved to me the brake operates faster than I could ever jam my hand into the blade.

I wondered the same thing about gloves of other material. The demonstrator used that glove because I gave it to him. I chose that glove because a friend was wearing the exact same type and his saw blade grabbed it and dragged his hand into the machine cutting off 3 fingers and damaging a 4th. 

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I look at the saw stop and think, man if this thing isn't powerful enough to cut thru a hot dog why would I want it or why does that guy have his lunch on the table saw, keep your dogs away from the blade. ;)

For those with safety issues and don't trust they are working safely it would be a good purchase, but I have heard that once they have activated the trap they are a pain to re-calibrate. I like a good ole uni.

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1 minute ago, Brian Noel said:

I look at the saw stop and think, man if this thing isn't powerful enough to cut thru a hot dog why would I want it or why does that guy have his lunch on the table saw, keep your dogs away from the blade. ;)

For those with safety issues and don't trust they are working safely it would be a good purchase, but I have heard that once they have activated the trap they are a pain to re-calibrate. I like a good ole uni.

Uni's are LEGENDARY - they set the standard for everything to follow. 

 

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4 minutes ago, Mike. said:

Not true.  You just replace the cartridge and blade.  Takes 5 minutes max and everything is fine. I set my brake off and no additional "re-calibration" was necessary.   Sounds like more internet echo chambering to me.  

Thanks for dampening the "internet echo chambering" Real experienced feedback is good for that. 

 

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I've seen the slam into the blade demo. I asked at the woodshow when the guy did the demo. I said I get you go all slow on the saw, but what happens if the hotdog hits the blade quick like like If i reached over and my arm hit the blade. He smacked the top of the blade with a limp hotdog and the blade shot right down and the hotdog was barely harmed. Flesh sensing technology on a saw is like a condom, "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it"

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41 minutes ago, Tom Cancelleri said:

I've seen the slam into the blade demo. I asked at the woodshow when the guy did the demo. I said I get you go all slow on the saw, but what happens if the hotdog hits the blade quick like like If i reached over and my arm hit the blade. He smacked the top of the blade with a limp hotdog and the blade shot right down and the hotdog was barely harmed. Flesh sensing technology on a saw is like a condom, "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it"

Sound advice!

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