Honestly, this is just another chapter in the saga of SawStop and I am sure most of you are sick of hearing about it. But one of the things that bugs me the most about this situation is the lack of competitive alternatives to SawStop technology. Well, thanks to a link from Jim in the WTO Forum, a potential competitor was brought to my attention and its called Whirlwind. Here’s how it works, according to the website:

“If an operator contacts the proximity sensors in the electronic fence, this triggers the emergency stop. Our latest prototype can stop a typical bench-top saw motor, without damage, in about 1/8 of a second.”

The site features a number of videos but you won’t get to see a great deal of detail. There are, however, a number of intriguing things about this system. First, the brake is triggered BEFORE you touch the blade, which means no stitches and no bandaids. It passes the “hot dog test” without so much as a scratch on the wiener! Second, the braking mechanism does not destroy your blade and doesn’t seem to require replaceable parts. Third, the system incorporates what looks to be flawless dust collection. Not sure how this part works but they seem to push it as a feature.

From what the inventors say, it looks as though they are trying to market the technology directly to tool companies via licensing agreements. Now I won’t pretend to know how well this product works or how realistic it is to think it could effectively be added to current saws at a low cost, but it certainly is intriguing. And it has me thinking about the big picture.

Forgive me for speculating here, but could SawStop’s efforts to force its way into your shop potentially back-fire on them? Right now, they seem to be enjoying a successful run. In fact, I know MANY of you are satisfied SawStop owners. But with increased pressure from not only the marketplace but also the government (potentially), I have to imagine the big tool manufacturers are thinking long and hard about alternative flesh-detecting technologies. And should a competing technology become available as an add-on for every make and model saw on the market, what would happen to SawStop?? We know they make a high quality saw, but would that be enough to survive in an entire market FULL of high quality flesh-detecting saws that have nothing to do with SawStop technology? I don’t know the answer, but the old saying “Be careful what you wish for!” comes to mind.

So what do you folks think about Whirlwind? Could SawStop be shooting itself in the foot by trying to do more than simply sell a great product? With the little info we have, its hard to make a real judgement call here. But do you think an alternative technology is on its way? Could something like that spell the end of a tool company many folks have grown to love? I welcome your opinions, but I do ask that we keep the anti-SawStop and anti-government stuff to a minimum.

Questions or Comments? You can get a hold of us by either dropping us an email at woodtalkonline@gmail.com or you can pick up the phone and leave us a message on our voice mail at 623-242-2450.

This week, we have a special guest host with us: Rick Waters from the The Splintered Board Podcast and The Sawdust Chronicles.

Show Topics
Using hand tools, even for the boring stuff.
The differences/uses of rabbet vs shoulder vs plow vs router planes
Can you learn ww’ing from books and videos alone?
What’s on the Bench:

Take Popular Woodworking’s Tablesaw Safety Survey.
Check out the new SketchUp series for purchase in the Woodworker’s Book Shop.

Voicemails:
Dave has snipe! – We recommend Episode 52
John wants to make raised panels and needs some advice.
JohnnyNoName wants to know what non-woodworking tools we use in the shop.

Tip Clips:
Tom’s Tip – Brown Paper Bag finish trick.
See more from Tom at TomsWorkbench.com
Kari’s tip – Top 10 Tips for Wives (mention that is FOR WIVES or spouses)
Enjoy more of Kari’s work at Villagecarpenter.blogspot.com

Man Wins $1.5M In First of its Kind Saw Case
by: Jenn Abelson

A Boston jury has awarded $1.5 million to a Malden man who injured his fingers on a saw while installing oak wood flooring several years ago in a first of its kind case that claimed the standard design of American table saws is defective.

Carlos Osorio accused One World Technologies Inc., maker of Ryobi saws, of negligence for failing to include a flesh detection technology that would prevent most serious injuries, according to a copy of the complaint filed in 2006 in US District Court in Boston.

After five surgeries and years of rehabilitation, two of Osorio’s fingers are permanently disfigured and unusable, and he has suffered numbness and loss of feeling in three other fingers.

“Hopefully, this means the industry is finally going to recognize that catastrophic injuries could be averted and they need to make this technology standard so people don’t have these senseless injuries.” said Richard J. Sullivan, one of the lawyers representing Osorio.

One World Technologies said it had been advised of the verdict.

“We are evaluating the results with our lawyers, and evaluating how to proceed.” said Jason Swanson, a spokesman for One World Technologies.

“Notwithstanding the outcome of this trial and any possible appeal, we remain confident that the saw which was the subject of this lawsuit was well-designed and manufactured with all due consideration for the needs and safety of the consumer.”

Osorio’s case is one of more than 50 lawsuits pending throughout the United States against the major table saw manufacturers for failure to adopt the technology, which would stop a power saw blade almost instantly upon contact with human flesh.

During Osorio’s trial, an expert witness for the defense acknowledged that if the saw had the flesh detection technology, it would have created a 1/8-inch deep cut on one finger, Osorio’s lawyers said. Instead, Osorio suffered near-amputation of one finger and severe lacerations on four other fingers.

Now if you ask me, this is up there with the McDonalds hot coffee incident. You guys know I am big on safety. I even created Woodworker’s Safety Week to raise awareness. But if you were a friend of mine and you cut your fingers on a standard tablesaw and tried to sue the company because they didin’t use “flesh-detecting technology”, I would probably smack you upside the head. And on the ironic side of things is the fact that they guy was using a relatively inexpensive Ryobi tablesaw that most likely cost $200-$250, right? Guess how much that saw would cost if it had “flesh-detecting technology”? Given the way SawStop works, and assuming that’s what we’re talking about here, could that Ryobi saw in its current form even handle the impact of a SawStop break in action? Regardless, if all saws were required to have this technology, I would imagine that the $250 tablesaw would be a thing of the past. And whoever bought this saw in the first place, would most likely be shopping on Craigslist to find an old saw in his price range, instead of one of these new-fangled ones with the safety device.

One other question I have that wasn’t answered by the article: was he even using the stock guard? While I admit those guards aren’t the most user-friendly, they DO stop you from putting your fingers into the blade.

Oh and by the way, this is probably a great time to mention a new product we will have in our store very soon. Its called the Wood Whisperer Fun Suit. Now you can throw yourself on top of a spinning blade without a care in the world! (Thanks for the photoshop work Bill!)

So let’s hear your thoughts on this. Its a hot one!

AWFS is always a blast, even though this year we could see the effects of the economy in both corporate presence and attendance. But there were still some great products to see. In this video, you’ll see the following demos:
Rockler: Tapering Jig, Box Joint Jig, Bench Cookies
Tenryu: Festool Blades, Silencer series
Kreg: Beaded Faceframe System
DeWalt: New Lithium Ion Battery technology
SawStop: Professional Cabinet Saw
Gorilla Gripper: The Gorilla Gripper

In this episode of Wood Talk Online we don’t mess around, we get right into answering your questions. OK, we do go off on some tangents but it wouldn’t be the same show without them!

First things first, a huge Wood Talk Online congratulations to Barry Johnson from Ewing, New Jersey! Barry is our very first winner of the monthly ‘WoodSlicer’ Bandsaw Blade giveaway from Highland Woodworking. Don’t lose heart if you’re not Barry, there’s always next month when we give another ‘WoodSlicer’ Blade away.

Marc and Matt love to flex their thinking muscles, so of course we have questions to answer too. Sed left us a voicemail on our new landline number and asked about power carving tools. We also have a few emails to answer, beginning with Glen’s inquiry into the use of a lubricant to keep his tablesaw gears working smoothly. Doug from Memphis is searching for really “cool” ideas to control the heat in his new 20′x30′ outbuilding. Stephane is wondering about a finish for the interior of a blanket chest he’s built, and we also have some feedback from Josh regarding he’s choice of the SawStop Tablesaw after comparing comparable models from more established manufacturers.

If you too have a question or comment you can reach us at either woodtalkonline@gmail.com or you can leave us a voicemail at (623) 242-2450.

Remember, if you haven’t entered for the monthly Highland Woodworking ‘WoodSlicer’ giveaway get your name entered by dropping us a line at wtopromo@gmail.com.