Saw Safety

Wonderful! (I was going to give you a GA, but I guess that can't be done for the OP ;-)

It's wonderful to have an alternative to the "Saw Stop"! Without really remembering, though, my recollection is that the Saw Stop technology has been around much more than 3 years--if anybody knows, I'm curious. Or maybe I just saw pre-production blurbs or teasers much longer than 3 years ago?

Ahh, ok here's one data point--a youtube video dated Dec 6, 2006, but I think it's even older than that. I guess I could do a patent search, but I probably won't.

Here's another data point, the Wikipedia talk page for the Table Saw entry has comments on the SawStop at least as early as 14 June 2006. But, I still think I saw it significantly earlier than that.

You may be right. I think the Saw Stop has been around longer, but may have just been marketed more recently.

I suspect that this could only be made mandatory if no suitable risk reducing alternative were available.

Proper machine guarding and limiting operator access to the dangerous items might be argued to be a suitable (cost effective) alternative. It would probably be better work practice to eliminate the possibility of the injury by judicious design rather than trying to mitigate the accident once it is already happening. (Ounce of prevention better than a pound of cure.)

But then again, you are probably in the USA and I'm not sure where personal "rights" (and responsibilities) and product liability meet.

I have seen "stop" brakes if metal stamping presses that would be considered "ancient", but as with every safety system, the reliability of the trigger becomes paramount.

The other consideration that has not been mentioned is what does this sudden stop do to the rest of the saw mechanism? Armature windings in motors, bearings and such must also suffer significant momentum changes that could be damaging and reduce the life of the saw.

As far as sensing, the first page of the website mentions "proximity detector"--I didn't dig any deeper. Wikipedia: Proximity sensor lists various technologies used for proximity sensing.

The WhirlWind website also touts superior dust collection ability, which hints at using air for sensing, but I would think it would be hard to distinguish flesh from things like wood or whatever you're cutting using air. I suspect the enclosure that seems to be over the top of the blade serves to hold the proximity detector(s) of whatever sort, and by making it an enclosure (rather than an open frame) improves sawdust collection. Maybe that is why the name WhirlWind.

I like the idea of a 3 dimensional "red zone" on fixed power cutting tools. Maybe also on my 6" belt sander when it has a 40-60 grit belt. When I work with these tools there is such a "zone" in my mind. However, the human operator's control system is subject to some deficiencies. Only takes one "error" in a lifetime to cost you a finger or the like.

I wonder how this "Whirlwind" works. The name suggests something to do with air flow.

I wonder if bar code scanner technology would work. Operator wears a pair of light comfortable gloves with a bar code like pattern on them and the scanner sits some distance above the blade ready to trip the shut down when it sees the pattern.

Or maybe gloves or wristbands or even rings with a mini GPS like system whose local sensors can detect exactly where each hand is in 3d space. Aren't the video game people already employing similar technology?

Also I'd like to see it be adjustable by the operator or at least the machine owner for special situations.

Ed Weldon

Just today, the consumer safety council announced a proposal to make the Saw Stop system mandatory on all new table saws.

I don't see it going ahead due to the massive costs involved. Manufacturers have quite a big say in the standards and safety approvals committees and process, so hopefully a practical solution will be found to what is a good safety product concept that is just not economically viable or necessary for many applications.

This fiasco began when some idiot sued Ryobi because he got injured using the saw and claimed the injury would not have happened if he had been using the Saw Stop.

That is what happens when you don't read the manual.

An idiot judge agreed and awarded the other idiot millions of dollars. That's the same as trying to sue because of being injured in a pre-airbag car.

I would hope there were other deciding factors and circumstances that drove the judges decision (blade guard problem perhaps).

I don't KNOW about the judge, but a friend who has worked for the US Houses of Congress for many years points out that the way to get a Congressperson to make a stupid decision is to convince him/her that a smart one would harm his/her chances of re-election, or, more commonly, that not making any decision would do so. The result is usually a stupid decision, either way, because of the panic engendered by fear of loss of power/perks/position/etc.

I suspect, given many recent decisions from the judicial bench, that judges are just as easily swayed to stupidity.

The operator in the Whirlwind video stops feeding the hotdog before it gets to the blade. It appears just as quick as Saw Stop.

Either way, this type of technology is a great retrofit for hobby shops and schools where liability is an issue. Should be an insurance break in there somewhere.