Portable table saw w/SawStop

[Benjamin Miner]

This is an opportunity for Festool to lead (in a different way from the usual, that is). If they can get people to pay 3x what anyone else's SCMS costs, it should be a simple matter to get folks to shell out similarly for a truly superior portable table saw. It's criminal that SawStop hasn't been incorporated into the general market. While I appreciate Bosch's re-imagined blade guard (which does seem like it could be usable), I'm willing to bet Festool could see that and raise them.
Yeah, I know sawstop's making a contractor saw, but I've never seen a finish guy schlep one of those to the 2nd floor...

As you may have guessed by now, I "got religion" recently...see photo...

 

[Michael Kellough]

Damn Benjamin!
I can't imagine how much that must hurt.
That looks way worse than any of my close encounters.
Hope it heals quickly.

You are almost right about the reluctance of the industry to adapt SawStop tech.
Unfortunately is was merely immoral to shun it rather than criminal.

Thanks for the quote from Utah Phillips. About 15 years ago I got to spend and afternoon with him.

 

[Benjamin Miner]

I'm happy to report that, in spite of it all, pain hasn't been a big feature of this experience. Being royally pissed with myself, on the other hand...as it were...
A simple case of spacing out, really. After 12 years...guess it can happen to anyone. My saw has a splitter and I use featherboards and all that stuff - but they don't protect you from just plain sticking your thumb into the blade. Sutures come out Monday. Skin is doing its damndest to regenerate that missing 1/8 x 1 1/4 kerf...

You're right - let's hope criminal is close at hand. For now, immoral it is.

I'd like to be Utah Phillips when I grow up, though I'd prefer not to graduate Magne Cum Laude from the School of Hard Knocks, as he did. (Though, come to think of it, I'm gaining on him after this last week...) Is he really like that?

 

[Michael Kellough]

Benjamin, I don't know if you knew this but Utah passed away back in May.

I got called to work on a small documentary film on trains and hoboes and Utah was the expert witness. I'd never heard of him and was busy making steam effects during the shooting of antique trains parked at the train museum in Lancaster PA.

I don't think he was even there for that first day of shooting but he was the main attraction the next day. Most of the time I was helping to push one of those old lever propelled track trolleys while the director and Utah talked (in the company of the DP) on top of the trolly. We simply pushed it instead of making cranking noise so I could hear some of what Utah was saying and occasionally singing about his train tramping days.

He spoke quietly but what I heard was fascinating, as you can imagine. He was the kind of guy anyone would like to spend some time with. He was a national treasure.

As I said, I'd never heard of him until I met him so my appreciation has increased since then.

 

[vteknical]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. 

Side note: Did you go to a studio to get that picture professionally shot? 

 

[Benjamin Miner]

I'm flattered, but no - I just used the "Photo Booth" application on my macbook. Works well when your real camera is out for repair...I'm taking 1 a day to document the healing process!

 

[Mr Jones]

Sorry to see your injury, hope it's healing.

As far as the portable table saw goes, I have the CMS table with TS55 module, I would probably have gone down the 75 route if I had known how many uses I would have for it, so apart from the fiddly setup it is a portable saw table with sawstop. Of course it's not really up to large sizes/quantities, but it is portable.

 

[Steve Jones]

Mr. Jones

I think you may have misunderstood the term "SawStop", I'm deducing from the fact that you mention owning a CMS (not available in North America presumably because North Americans would hurt themselves with it) We have a Tablesaw sold here under that brand name, it's claim to fame is that it protects incompetents who can't resist sticking their fingers into the sharp moving bits.

SawStop is a brand of tablesaw designed for folks who shouldn't own a tablesaw.

 

[Mr Jones]

OK so not the fast brake on the saw that stops it from spinning way after it is turned off. Thanks for the insight, sorry the CMS is not available in the US, but it can lead to wanting two saws, depending on your workflow, it also cuts great mitres, but since the Kapex there has been less need for that. There are several potential problems with the CMS module that you need to be careful not do overlook when setting it up, if you only have one saw that can be a few times some days. As far as North Americans hurting themselves, I think it's more the case that North Americans have more grounds for legal action if they find fault with a product, it would scare me to make a coffee table if I could get sued every time someone knocked their ankle on it.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Mr. Jones

I think you may have misunderstood the term "SawStop", I'm deducing from the fact that you mention owning a CMS (not available in North America presumably because North Americans would hurt themselves with it) We have a Tablesaw sold here under that brand name, it's claim to fame is that it protects incompetents who can't resist sticking their fingers into the sharp moving bits.

SawStop is a brand of tablesaw designed for folks who shouldn't own a tablesaw.

And seatbelts and airbags are made for people who shouldn't drive?

 

[Steve Jones]

Well 80% of the lawyers in the world all live and work here and they all have to find something to do with their time.

CMS does sound handy for the times I'm on site (installation of cabinets) probably much more portable than a tablesaw. I believe it's the fact that it contains a power switch that puts it under the control of the UL (which astonishingly enough is a private organisation) who indirectly control what we're allowed to buy.

I think with the CMS available, I'd probably go for the TS75 (I have the TS55) to use in the CMS and for those odd occasions when I need the extra capacity or power.

 

[Bob Swenson]

Gee Mr S. Jones

We own one of those jewel like, precision cabinet saws that won't
turn your hand into lunch meat. I didn't know that after 60 years
of using a table saw that I shouldn't upgrade to a safer machine.
Sort of reminds me of the guy that said, "B&W TV is good enough for
me" and the other guy said, " I can't afford Color either.

Ten finger Bob  :

 

[Per Swenson]

Benjamin,

Flippin ouch!

Pitcha makes me hurt.

I am glad it ain't worse.

As fer Utah, and the fact you have his a quote in your signature......

Well, my Father calls me a Fellow Traveler, so I can't wait to point

out to him when he returns, that there are more of us.

Per

[flash=200,200]http://youtube.com/watch?v=n9C93WLtpYc&feature=related[/flash]

 

[Mr Jones]

I found the CMS is more useful as a router table, with the 1400 in my case, it's really stable and reassuring, the new CMS for the MFT3 looks great. Great sliding saw table, but the TS55 does so much you would do with a table saw anyway.

 

[dirtydeeds]

to the guy who said sawstop is designed for those who shouldnt use a bench saw

the very first portable circular saws had NO GUARD whatsoever

a modern angle grinder has better guarding

ive seen a photo of one but cant find it now

i DO hope somebody can give us a link to show how dangerous the original saws where

when our friend has seen it

i hope he has either the grace to modify his opinion

or the cahones to ditch his current saw and use the original unguarded one

 

[Warrior]

Mr. Jones

SawStop is a brand of tablesaw designed for folks who shouldn't own a tablesaw.

I hope I am misunderstanding this. If I am not, that is the most ignorant statement I have read in a long time. And to post it on this thread is just plain mean.

 

[vanderpooch]

Eiji,

I'll second that! WTF?

- Kit

 

[Mirko]

Mr. Jones

I think you may have misunderstood the term "SawStop", I'm deducing from the fact that you mention owning a CMS (not available in North America presumably because North Americans would hurt themselves with it) We have a Tablesaw sold here under that brand name, it's claim to fame is that it protects incompetents who can't resist sticking their fingers into the sharp moving bits.

SawStop is a brand of tablesaw designed for folks who shouldn't own a tablesaw.

Steve Jones,

By way of your statement, I'm assuming you think people who get caught by a saw blade, to be incompetent?
Accidents happen when mistakes are made... I believe everyone makes mistakes, no?

Mirko

 

[Warrior]

Another thing:

Pride comes before a ....

 

[Steve Jones]

nothing to do with pride, accidents are caused by stupidity, that's not a critism of anyone, it's a simple fact. I've had the odd accident myself in a lifetime of woodworking - in every single case, by definition, I was doing something stupid.

Even those close calls when I got close to being hurt in the shop, I was doing something I should not have been doing (or at least not that way)

If we keep trying to hard-wire safety into every tool, those tools willl get less usefull, you can't make a chisel safe and effective - it's a choice, you can't have both. the point is a chisel is perfectly safe if used correctly, can you imagine the safety features you have to add in order to make it safe against accidentally hurting yourself?

I have the greatest respect for Bob Swenson and his work, and everyone else who have kindly responded to my comments here, I respect your opinions, I just happen to disagree with them. If you manage to stick some part of yourself into a moving blade I'm sorry, I don't see that as anything BUT incompetent. 

As it happens, I find many situations when I remove the safety features from my tablesaw, when I do that I make a decision to accept the responsibilty to provide the extra safety requirements myself (like not sticking my hands where they can possibly enter the area of the sharp spinning bits). Now do ALL of you keep the safety guards on your tablesaws in place at all times, under all conditions, never take them off to cut a dado for example? of course not, you CAN'T cut a dado on a tablesaw with a splitter or riving knife in place, but under the logic of sawstop you should not be allowed to cut dados on a tablesaw (because you can't do it with the safety features in place).

My point is, be carefull what you wish for (and vote for with your dollars) you might end up with safe tools.