Thursday, 10 August 2017

Despite Proven Technology, Attempts To Make Table Saws Safer Drag On

quote [ It's unclear whether the Consumer Product Safety Commission will finally pass a rule requiring all new saws to have an active injury prevention monitoring system built into them. ]

Guy invents way to stop getting your fingers cut off from a table saw. Nobody adopts the method, so he starts selling it on his own and lobbies for more regulation. Conflict of interest? Sure. But also a pretty smart idea.
[SFW] [health] [+4 Interesting]
[by mechavolt]
<-- Entry / Comment History

Space_1889 said @ 6:02pm GMT on 10th August
The monopoly argument is a bit of a red herring - Bosch already has a competing saw safety system on the market.

I look forward to when the safety systems come down in price, however. The cheapest currently available Sawstop saw sells for $1,400, and the cheapest Bosch for $1,600. For comparison, an equivalent Bosch saw without the safety system goes for $600 (Sawstop makes only saws with the safety system, so there is no comparable unequiped model).

All power tools with blades make me nervous when I use them, so I try and take care. Proper safety precautions can limit the chance of injury, though never totally eliminate them. The problem is the pressure of the workplace - doing things in a less safe fashion speed things up, and when you are tired you tend to forget the safe way.

Fortunately, as an amateur woodworker I can choose where and when I use my Dad's table saw. For example, last month I had to rip to size more than fifty boards to repair my parent's back fence. I did it over two days, and I took plenty of breaks, so I was always rested and on my guard, and so did not come close to having an accident. Somebody doing that job for pay would probably not have that luxury.

However, spending all that time with the table saw did make me think about safety, and I was actually researching Sawstop saws last week. The cost is a barrier, but I think I am going to buy one if I need to do another job that requires a table saw to complete.


Space_1889 said @ 7:11pm GMT on 10th August
The monopoly argument is a bit of a red herring - Bosch already has a competing saw safety system on the market.

I look forward to when the safety systems come down in price, however. The cheapest currently available Sawstop saw sells for $1,400, and the cheapest Bosch for $1,600. For comparison, an equivalent Bosch saw without the safety system goes for $600 (Sawstop makes only saws with the safety system, so there is no comparable unequiped model).

All power tools with blades make me nervous when I use them, so I try and take care. Proper safety precautions can limit the chance of injury, though never totally eliminate them. The problem is the pressure of the workplace - doing things in a less safe fashion speeds things up, and when you are tired you tend to forget the safe way.

Fortunately, as an amateur woodworker I can choose where and when I use my Dad's table saw. For example, last month I had to rip to size more than fifty boards to repair my parent's back fence. I did it over two days, and I took plenty of breaks, so I was always rested and on my guard, and so did not come close to having an accident. Somebody doing that job for pay would probably not have that luxury.

However, spending all that time with the table saw did make me think about safety, and I was actually researching Sawstop saws last week. The cost is a barrier, but I think I am going to buy one if I need to do another job that requires a table saw to complete.



<-- Entry / Current Comment
Space_1889 said @ 6:02pm GMT on 10th August [Score:2 Informative]
The monopoly argument is a bit of a red herring - Bosch already has a competing saw safety system on the market.

I look forward to when the safety systems come down in price, however. The cheapest currently available Sawstop saw sells for $1,400, and the cheapest Bosch for $1,600. For comparison, an equivalent Bosch saw without the safety system goes for $600 (Sawstop makes only saws with the safety system, so there is no comparable unequiped model).

All power tools with blades make me nervous when I use them, so I try and take care. Proper safety precautions can limit the chance of injury, though never totally eliminate them. The problem is the pressure of the workplace - doing things in a less safe fashion speeds things up, and when you are tired you tend to forget the safe way.

Fortunately, as an amateur woodworker I can choose where and when I use my Dad's table saw. For example, last month I had to rip to size more than fifty boards to repair my parent's back fence. I did it over two days, and I took plenty of breaks, so I was always rested and on my guard, and so did not come close to having an accident. Somebody doing that job for pay would probably not have that luxury.

However, spending all that time with the table saw did make me think about safety, and I was actually researching Sawstop saws last week. The cost is a barrier, but I think I am going to buy one if I need to do another job that requires a table saw to complete.




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