Machine safety

Maybe woodworking tools -- though some (like a router, jointer or planer) are more difficult to make that sacrificial stop for because it depended on the large OD of the sawblade, and the sawblade died along with the sacrifical stop.

There is a lot more room under a table saw for the emergency stop mechanism than in most other woodworking tools, including radial arm saws and the like.

However -- for metalworking -- Star Trek had transparent aluminum. Do you think that they can come up with non-conductive aluminum and steel? Sure -- for what I just spent the afternoon/evening machineing (Delrin) no problem, except that I don't see stopping a big lathe chuck at high speed would be as easy as stopping a circular saw blade at similar or higher speeds.

But a secondary problem is that this requires the cutting tool to be insulated from the workpiece mount. This means something which is softer than steel and cast iron somewhere in the path, and thus a loss of rigidity.

Also -- metalworking tools tend to not be moving that fast, except for tiny high-speed milling cutters or tiny drill bits.

I don't think that it is worth the cost and the tradeoffs for metalworking tools.

Enjoy, DoN.

It is actually using the momentum of the blade to pull the blade down- if the blade didn't stop so quickly, it wouldn't drop so quickly.

Dave

My worry would be false trips, say goodbye to the blade and aluminum stop. BTW, A while ago I saw a show with that same machine and they recommended a $100 moisture meter for wood, if the wood has just a little too much water in it the machine will trip.

Thank You, Randy

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It is actually using the momentum of the blade to pull the blade down- if the blade didn't stop so quickly, it wouldn't drop so quickly.

Dave

Oh ok, the blade appears to stop before it moves down, so I thought that there were two mechanisms.

wow I hadn't thought about false triggering at $60US a go. Is there a "test" function?

$60??? A lot of cabinet-making blades start at $100 and go up from there. God knows what it would do to a dado head. The figure for the actual stop mechanism that I saw several years back was $150 for the parts that destroy themselves and the blade plus $600 or so for the guts. Kind of stupid when a cheap contractor's saw runs $150 or so. These guys are still at it, want OSHA to mandate installation on all power saws.

OSHA's already upped the price on contractor's saws by causing the manufacturers to make a change in the blade guard design this year. The DeWalt guy said it can't be retro-fitted, either, has to be a whole new saw.

Stan

Then there should be a lot of good used saws dumped into the hobby marktet.

SNIP --Have one; wouldn't trade it for *anything*. Cost of replacing the module has dripped significantly; around $65 IIRC. Blades are cheaper than they used to be too. What price a finger or the palm of your hand? More than that I'd venture. Clumsiness isn't the only route to danger; shit happens..

I see some potential problems, even on a table saw; but the device only works because the blade is relatively light. Try doing an instant stop with a 200 lb. lathe spindle and 60 lb. chuck, and the whole machine would probably roll over and crush you to death.

KG

seen lathe chucks roll across the floor almost crushing toes, running in reverse -unthreading from the spinldle. Guess thats a good reason to have the cam lock pins?