Comments on: Sawstop Inventor Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/ Education and entertainment for the modern woodworker. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:19:02 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Victor http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/#comment-45156 Victor Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:36:50 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=2771#comment-45156 Would your car stop quicker if you ran it into a concrete wall, or if you stood on the caliper brakes ? I'm sure you recognize that the difference in how far the car would travel is considerable. Sacrificing the blade and cartridge is necessary to achieve a stop which will only nick your hotdog. Would your car stop quicker if you ran it into a concrete wall, or if you stood on the caliper brakes ? I’m sure you recognize that the difference in how far the car would travel is considerable. Sacrificing the blade and cartridge is necessary to achieve a stop which will only nick your hotdog.

]]> By: jonathan http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/#comment-39290 jonathan Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:33:14 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=2771#comment-39290 I have a sawstop in my shop at school (college) and it is a great table saw, after having a powermatic for years, the sawstop is just as good, and way safer. easy to use, love it. worth every penny. i only have 10 fingers and so do my students. I have a sawstop in my shop at school (college) and it is a great table saw, after having a powermatic for years, the sawstop is just as good, and way safer.
easy to use, love it.
worth every penny. i only have 10 fingers and so do my students.

]]> By: thomas http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/#comment-38594 thomas Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:00:49 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=2771#comment-38594 when is this coming out for circular saws? Next to a tablesaw I reckon that's the next best way to cut yourself. when is this coming out for circular saws? Next to a tablesaw I reckon that’s the next best way to cut yourself.

]]> By: Matt http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/#comment-38407 Matt Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:12:32 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=2771#comment-38407 Interesting, although I think similar could be done with calipers like a disk brake so you wouldn't lose your blade if it goes off. Also, he might as well have touched the side of the blade as lightly as he touched it. I would rather have seen him lay his thumb across the path of blade travel and shoved a piece of wood through as if he was really cutting. Interesting, although I think similar could be done with calipers like a disk brake so you wouldn’t lose your blade if it goes off. Also, he might as well have touched the side of the blade as lightly as he touched it. I would rather have seen him lay his thumb across the path of blade travel and shoved a piece of wood through as if he was really cutting.

]]> By: Steve Ponnath http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/#comment-38150 Steve Ponnath Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:07:24 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=2771#comment-38150 Marc, I asked a Sawstop salesperson that very question about longevity. I could be using the same tablesaw for many years and pass it down to my son. What happens if Sawstop is gone. I got an interesting answer. First, the saw is a good one regardless. It incorporates a riving knife and it's a well built saw. So, worst case I still have a good saw but it's not got a functional brake. Second, if Sawstop is gone, the patent isn't protected and another manufacture could pick up and make the brakes. I did feel a little better with thinking that it would still function regardless. That was my last big issue holding me back. I had several very good conversations with a few folks at Sawstop just to get an idea of what they were like personally. All seemed genuinely nice. And I just placed my order for a contractor version with cast tops this week. I am a systems consultant and injuring my hands just seemed to be a big risk. I do practice good safety but accidents do happen. And there goes the whole tool budget for a year! Marc,
I asked a Sawstop salesperson that very question about longevity. I could be using the same tablesaw for many years and pass it down to my son. What happens if Sawstop is gone. I got an interesting answer. First, the saw is a good one regardless. It incorporates a riving knife and it’s a well built saw. So, worst case I still have a good saw but it’s not got a functional brake. Second, if Sawstop is gone, the patent isn’t protected and another manufacture could pick up and make the brakes. I did feel a little better with thinking that it would still function regardless.
That was my last big issue holding me back. I had several very good conversations with a few folks at Sawstop just to get an idea of what they were like personally. All seemed genuinely nice.
And I just placed my order for a contractor version with cast tops this week.
I am a systems consultant and injuring my hands just seemed to be a big risk. I do practice good safety but accidents do happen.
And there goes the whole tool budget for a year!

]]> By: Joel http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/#comment-38116 Joel Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:07:39 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=2771#comment-38116 This reminds me of Richard Davis a guy who improved the bulletproof vest. The way he marketed his improved vest that he made was to go around the country shooting himself at point blank range to prove that his product works. Check out the video about his story at the link below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y44CdrBsfs This reminds me of Richard Davis a guy who improved the bulletproof vest. The way he marketed his improved vest that he made was to go around the country shooting himself at point blank range to prove that his product works. Check out the video about his story at the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y44CdrBsfs

]]> By: Spacegold http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/#comment-38077 Spacegold Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:35:48 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=2771#comment-38077 What a wonderful invention! After all these years of paimstaking care to preserve my fingers, I can at last throw caution to the wind and not be concerned about a table saw hurting me. No more blade guards, hold-downs, feather boards, or pusher sticks. I can relax and be as sloppy as I want, secure in the knowledge that someone has finally responded to the lowest common denominator in table saw usage. Yup, the ultimate safety device, rendering all other safety devices and practices obsolete or superfluous. I would wager that on a large scale a lot more fingers are going to get lost after this device becomes commonplace. What a wonderful invention! After all these years of paimstaking care to preserve my fingers, I can at last throw caution to the wind and not be concerned about a table saw hurting me. No more blade guards, hold-downs, feather boards, or pusher sticks. I can relax and be as sloppy as I want, secure in the knowledge that someone has finally responded to the lowest common denominator in table saw usage. Yup, the ultimate safety device, rendering all other safety devices and practices obsolete or superfluous. I would wager that on a large scale a lot more fingers are going to get lost after this device becomes commonplace.

]]> By: Bob S in CA http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/#comment-38060 Bob S in CA Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:13:22 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=2771#comment-38060 While new table saws in the US are coming with riving knives, this too has been legislated. They aren't doing it because they wanted to. The problem with the legislation is that it says all new designs/models of table saws must have riving knives after a certain date, not all saws manufactured after a certain date. A manufacturer could continue to sell an older design without the knife as I understand it. Of course once one does it, the others are more likely to announce a new model with the same feature to stay competitive. And riving knives are cheap to add vs. something like the Sawstop brake. While new table saws in the US are coming with riving knives, this too has been legislated. They aren’t doing it because they wanted to. The problem with the legislation is that it says all new designs/models of table saws must have riving knives after a certain date, not all saws manufactured after a certain date. A manufacturer could continue to sell an older design without the knife as I understand it. Of course once one does it, the others are more likely to announce a new model with the same feature to stay competitive. And riving knives are cheap to add vs. something like the Sawstop brake.

]]> By: Schuyler Ingle http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/#comment-38044 Schuyler Ingle Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:28:18 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=2771#comment-38044 I have been using Sawstop for the past year here in Oakland, CA at the Laney College cabinetry and furniture making program (see the video about the program here: http://www.laney.peralta.edu/apps/comm.asp?$1=30163). Five horse power, 220, three-phase screamers. Sweet. Why would a school use anything else? Why would a commercial shop replace old saws with anything else? Insurance will settle the argument, and the industry will ultimately come around, kicking and screaming as seems to be the way of American industry in the face of logical improvements (see: Seat Belts, American auto industry). All it's going to take is a couple of huge lawsuits. I work in a cabinet shop with two Unisaw screamers, and they give me pause. When it came down to buying a saw for my home shop I invested in the EZ Smart system (see, http://www.eurekazone.com/), as close I can get to Sawstop safety this side of Sawstop and without bankrupting myself a la Festool. My thinking is, when my shop can pay for a Sawstop, then I'll invest in a table saw. Why, in my right mind, would I do anything else? Look how long it took for the industry to accept the riving knife, or the blade guard. Kicking and screaming. All this said, Sawstop tablesaws will kickback just as readily as any other tablesaws, so let's get real. What are the real accident statistics? What's most likely to happen? And, from the Laney College shop experience, false firings (7 thus far) have been a big issue. You lose the cartridge and the blade. Do the math. It's an adjustment thing. Cheers, Schuyler I have been using Sawstop for the past year here in Oakland, CA at the Laney College cabinetry and furniture making program (see the video about the program here: http://www.laney.peralta.edu/a.....?$1=30163). Five horse power, 220, three-phase screamers. Sweet. Why would a school use anything else? Why would a commercial shop replace old saws with anything else? Insurance will settle the argument, and the industry will ultimately come around, kicking and screaming as seems to be the way of American industry in the face of logical improvements (see: Seat Belts, American auto industry). All it’s going to take is a couple of huge lawsuits.
I work in a cabinet shop with two Unisaw screamers, and they give me pause. When it came down to buying a saw for my home shop I invested in the EZ Smart system (see, http://www.eurekazone.com/), as close I can get to Sawstop safety this side of Sawstop and without bankrupting myself a la Festool. My thinking is, when my shop can pay for a Sawstop, then I’ll invest in a table saw. Why, in my right mind, would I do anything else? Look how long it took for the industry to accept the riving knife, or the blade guard. Kicking and screaming.
All this said, Sawstop tablesaws will kickback just as readily as any other tablesaws, so let’s get real. What are the real accident statistics? What’s most likely to happen? And, from the Laney College shop experience, false firings (7 thus far) have been a big issue. You lose the cartridge and the blade. Do the math. It’s an adjustment thing.
Cheers, Schuyler

]]> By: Dan Pope http://thewoodwhisperer.com/sawstop-inventor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is/#comment-38034 Dan Pope Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:47:36 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=2771#comment-38034 Mark Those of us with gray hair recall when no automobiles had seat belts and the long drawn out testimonies and arguments regarding tooling, production lines etc. from the auto industry before congress mandated. They became standard equipment only after federal legislation. Then the states had to convince us to change our driving habits through state legislation that require their use. In FWW issue #74 http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ToolGuide/ToolGuidePDF.aspx?id=24107 William Duckworth associate editor has a side bar describing the history of Gass' attempts at selling his patent to the major manufacturers from his perspective (the saw companies would not comment for FWW). I have enjoyed the benefits of an Inca 10" saw for more than 20 years with it's integral riving knife design as an aid to help prevent kickback. It is interesting that only in the last couple of years are they finally appearing on US table saws. In another 20-30 years our children (my grandchildren) will benefit from this design. Mark
Those of us with gray hair recall when no automobiles had seat belts and the long drawn out testimonies and arguments regarding tooling, production lines etc. from the auto industry before congress mandated. They became standard equipment only after federal legislation. Then the states had to convince us to change our driving habits through state legislation that require their use.
In FWW issue #74 http://www.taunton.com/finewoo.....x?id=24107 William Duckworth associate editor has a side bar describing the history of Gass’ attempts at selling his patent to the major manufacturers from his perspective (the saw companies would not comment for FWW).
I have enjoyed the benefits of an Inca 10″ saw for more than 20 years with it’s integral riving knife design as an aid to help prevent kickback. It is interesting that only in the last couple of years are they finally appearing on US table saws.
In another 20-30 years our children (my grandchildren) will benefit from this design.

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