I've seen the SawStop in action, but this still gave me chills to watch. From what I understand, he would have gotten a deeper nick (perhaps even something deep enough to call a cut) if he was moving his hand across the table with a little more speed, but it still beats amputation.

Even when it hits the hot dog, it only takes off the very outside of the "skin". I wonder how much this device will reduce the amount of care people take when working with their table saw? I can see the number of injuries going from 10 serious injuries a day to hundreds of superficial injuries a day, making the market for replacement units a good one and at 60$ for the replacement module, really good, especially if the unit isn't user serviceable.

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This is a great idea but I've always wondered what else could legitimately go through the saw and carry a charge. What about wet wood or other common building materials?

I can see a bunch of drunk/stoned college students trying it with their balls ...

Tags for this video have been changed from 'slow, motion, saw, stop, conductivity, invention, safety, whew' to 'slow, motion, saw, stop, conductivity, invention, safety, whew, time warp' - edited by jimnms

This is from the Discovery Channel's new show Time Warp.

I know he invented the thing and knows it works, but this guy has some cojones!

We've secretly replaced Steve's SawStop saw with a regular table saw.

Let's see if he notices.

That'd be the next issue: your SawStop needs a replacement module and since you need to cut some cheese for your sandwich, you use your neighbour's regular saw ... and the lady of the house needs to clean up the mess.

I've seen a few videos of the SawStop in action, and I'm left speechless every time I see it in action.

The table saw itself costs a lot of money, and at 60$, the replacement blade/brake modules aren't exactly cheap, but compared to the medical bills, workman's comp costs, and other costs associated with losing fingers, I don't see how most major woodworking companies can afford to NOT replace their older table saws with this system.

>> ^PerfectlySane:
This is a great idea but I've always wondered what else could legitimately go through the saw and carry a charge. What about wet wood or other common building materials?


They've thought of that too. From their faqs:

5. Will cutting green or “wet” wood activate the SawStop safety system?

SawStop saws cut most wet wood without a problem. However, if the wood is very green or wet (for example, wet enough to spray a mist when cutting), or if the wood is both wet and pressure treated, then the wood may be sufficiently conductive to trigger the brake. Accordingly, the best practice is to dry wet or green wood before cutting by standing it inside and apart from other wood for about one day. You can also cut wet pressure treated wood and other conductive material by placing the saw in bypass mode.



6. Can I cut conductive materials?

Yes. You can operate the saw in Bypass Mode which deactivates the safety system’s braking feature, allowing you to cut aluminum and other known conductive materials. If you are unsure if material you need to cut is conductive, you can make test cuts using Bypass Mode to determine if it will activate the safety system’s brake.



7. What happens if the blade comes in contact with a nail or staple in the wood?

Generally, the safety system will not activate when a nail or staple is cut. Although conductive, these objects are not large enough to cause the safety system to activate unless they are grounded to the table or operator when they contact the blade.

This is somebody who absolutely deserves to get rich off his invention.

It's awesome how well this works and I love the slow motion seeing that metal crumple, but shouldn't sticking your finger into a saw intentionally still be *eia?

Invocations (eia) cannot be called by WolfDemon because WolfDemon is not privileged - sorry.

Impressive. I'll go buy one when do tests it with his face though.

>> ^siftbot:
Invocations (eia) cannot be called by WolfDemon because WolfDemon is not privileged - sorry.


Completely no.

This is a man who has spent a LOT of time thinking and using his brain, and is so convinced through so many trials, that this would be safe to do... plus notice that he hardly just throws his hand into the blade, he puts it in really, really slowly, just a touch, so as to have minimal injury even if it did fail for some reason.

Not at all eia

*commercial (thought not officially one,... it is)

Adding video to channels (Commercial) - requested by bamdrew.

Too expensive. Hang a severed finger "reminder" above the saw instead.

well, when I was growing up, we sliced off our fingers with our table saws and we liked it

This is another example of the dumbing down of America. Teach people to use the tool properly. I can see the example given earlier of 10 serious injuries a day jumping to 60+ superficial injuries a day absolutely happening. As an engineer, I applaud the effort and the idea behind it. As a craftsman, I say, learn to use the damn saw properly!

that was almost as crazy as watching a guy testing his bullet proof vest by allowing someone to shoot him.

The interesting thing about this, if I recall correctly, is he tried to just sell the technology to existing tool makers, but none of them wanted to confront the liability issues of the feature, plus those that might come from offering models without the feature alongside models with it. It's actually been a really long road for him to get it commercialized.

Spoon, I see your point, but seriously: 10 a day. Accidents happen. Come on.

But that's the problem right there.

This system is not designed as a liability minimiser, it's designed to save your fingers... X D

If it doesn't work and you were doing something stupid (and let's face it, true accidents such as knotted wood catching or mechanical failure probably account for few cases compared to stupidity/complacency), you're going to get injured and it's your fault...

Having the thing fitted reduces your chance of an injury, not removes it. Sorta like wearing a helmet on a motorbike reduces your chances of head injury, but can't protect you against everything.

>> ^Spoon_Gouge:
This is another example of the dumbing down of America. Teach people to use the tool properly. I can see the example given earlier of 10 serious injuries a day jumping to 60+ superficial injuries a day absolutely happening. As an engineer, I applaud the effort and the idea behind it. As a craftsman, I say, learn to use the damn saw properly!


An uncle of mine, with over 10 years of experience in fine carpentry, slipped due to some sawdust and opened his wrist down through a main artery. He was off for over 3 months, and out several thousand dollars in medical and lost wages even with Workers Comp. With this product, he would have fixed the saw, got a bandaid, and finished out his shift.

Even people who know what their doing can make a mistake. This isn't the dumbing down of anything, it's a safer way to work. Hard hats, steel toed boots, airbags in cars... all things that have almost nothing to do with the proper use of anything.

They should let him test it on his HUGE brass balls.

With some more expensive hardware you could make a system that would yank the saw blade down instead of jamming a stopping device into the blade. It would cost more for the parts that would react and move quickly enough, but it also wouldn't destroy your whole system every time it was set off. I think more companies would be interested in a reusable safety device.

>> ^Psychologic:
With some more expensive hardware you could make a system that would yank the saw blade down instead of jamming a stopping device into the blade. It would cost more for the parts that would react and move quickly enough, but it also wouldn't destroy your whole system every time it was set off. I think more companies would be interested in a reusable safety device.


This thing does both, and there is probably a good reason for that,in that even if you could make it move quicker, it might not be quick enough, and the speed and punch of the movement would also be more likely to damage the saw. With this system, it is both safer,(because the blade stops instantly) and you get away with replacing 2 parts.

The more accidents argument is completely ridiculous, no matter how much you trust this system, you ARE wary of anything that cuts through wood like butter. Even if it stopped without the 60$ replacement cost, and the extra work of replacing the blade/stopper, and without the minor wounds you could still get, I'd still be very, very careful.

Look, if God wanted us to use saws with retractable blades, he would have put the specifications in the Bible!

Possibly the most astounding video I have seen in some time. I guess he felt compelled to prove it really worked. I admire his guts but is there an alternative way of testing this that wouldn't require someone to put themselves at any sort of risk?

I have nothing but respect for Mr. Ten Fingers yet I'd like to know what the impact would be when moving wood (and fingers through) through the blade at work speed. His finger was resting on the surface of the machine, ever so slowly creeping toward the blade.

Looks like our variables are .001" sec. to stop the blade and oh, how about 10"/sec of work travel? That gives us:

10"/sec * .001 sec
= 10" * .001
= .01"

So the maximum depth of a finger cut would be about 1/100th of an inch. Wonder how close that estimate is to their experiments.

^ A hot dog, which is easier to cut than living skin, only loses a fraction of an inch of material. The Sawstop stopped and dropped the blade within 2 teeth of a 100 tooth saw. Which is dick all.

It would leave a very boring scar.

"Hey guys, look at where I cut my hand on a table saw!"
"Where? I don't see..."
"Right here!"
"Fuck off you pussy, you did that with a pencil sharpner. I've had worse paper cuts."

I'm not a woodworker, but I've read a few articles and reviews of the SawStop tables. It sounds like there were a couple of good things that came from the major table manufacturers rejection of his ideas. Everything I've read seems to indicate that they're really great table saws with a handful of thoughtful features even if you don't consider the SawStop technology.

The thing that baffles me is the major table manufacturer's rejection of the tech. The stories I've read and videos I've seen all paint them as fearing litigation by acknowledging the technology while still making tables without it. A part of me wonders if maybe he was asking for more than they were willing to pay.

This still seems to be a work in progress if it completely trashes the saw if this ever happens...

But I suppose its better that the saw gets destroyed than a finger...

^ actually, it's just the $30-$100 blade and a $60 aluminum and steel block. Not much since a decent table saw is like $600+

The litigation argument comes from the possibility it WON'T do what it says, on just one occasion, and they will have to recall all the saws they sold...

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