SawStop is a safety feature that immediately stops and retracts a spinning saw blade if it comes in contact with anything that even remotely resembles your finger. Check out the startling video above, where it practically self-destructs in order to save this innocent hot dog’s life. If that were actually your finger, you would escape with just a scratch and maybe need a stitch or two rather than running around your woodshop looking for your finger.
How does it work?
The SawStop safety system includes an electronic detection system that detects when a person contacts the blade. The system induces an electrical signal onto the blade and then monitors that signal for changes. The human body has a relatively large inherent electrical capacitance and conductivity which cause the signal to drop when a person contacts the blade. Wood has a relatively small inherent capacitance and conductivity and does not cause the signal to drop. A fast-acting brake stops the blade when contact is detected.
This invention has been around for a half a decade, but we’re wondering why every saw in the world doesn’t have this technology on board. It’s not a retrofit; a saw must be built around this mechanism. How many fingers have been lost since its invention, because manufacturers were afraid the extra $100 it would add to the cost of the saw might drive buyers away?
Product Page [SawStop, via TGISFW]
Jared
Tuesday, June 5, 2007 at 8:38 AMThat is amazing, but is saving your finger worth destroying a blade for? Dang those things are not cheap!!
Reckless
Tuesday, June 5, 2007 at 9:35 AMJokes aside (unless you’re not joking Jared, in which case I apologise for misreading you) why are these not compulsory in all tablesaws?
adamnfish
Tuesday, June 5, 2007 at 6:10 PMBecause what’s the point in a saw that you can’t use to chop up a hot dog?
Warren Jones
Thursday, June 7, 2007 at 5:24 PMwithout a push from govornment (make it law) the consumers will never fork out the extra $100 when the whole saw costs only $200 originally.
but i want one :)
Ric Pruss
Monday, July 30, 2007 at 11:10 AMAnyone go an idea of how one can get one in Australia? I contacted them but they said they have no distributor in Aus.
I really want one. I saw one in the flesh in San Francisco, but it was a bit bit to put in my suitcase for the flight home. The table itself is also great quality.
Dave
Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 9:30 AMRic, they are available in Australia through Gabbett Machinery http://www.gabbett.com & appear to have a SawStop demonstration coming up later this month.
Pretty amazing piece of technology!