Table Saw Disconnect (Poll)

[Ole Anderson]

Yea, I know I am supposed to unplug my TS or hit a disconnect or switch it off every time I change a blade, but... I am usually in too much of a hurry or just too lazy, and I guess I am inherently a risk taker. Although is most other endeavours, I seem to be a "but what if" person. So I thought it would be interesting to see how Creekers are split on blade changing safety with regards to doing more than just making sure the blade isn't spinning before grabbing the blade to change it. And by the way, I have been quite anal about using my blade guard and splitter. Go figure.

[Bruce Page]

I have a shop sub panel a few feet away from the TS and always flip the breaker to off.

[Neil Brooks]

Mine goes into a switched power strip. I flip that switch.

And .... I turn ON and OFF the TS ... just to verify.

[Alan Schwabacher]

I had a tablesaw switch fail by turning itself on while I was in the shop about 15' away, so I am certain nothing even bumped it then. The blade wrench was attached to the cord near the plug even before that. I like my fingers.

[Greg Peterson]

My table saw had a long cord. I cut the cord to about 1', made a 10' 12 AWG extension cord that remains plugged into the outlet. When I'm making blade changes I reach down below the switch and unplug the cord.

[Tom Wassack]

YES...My vote was flipping a switch - the phase converter is NOT under power during blade changes.

Tom Wassack
Asheboro, NC

[jonathan eagle]

I'm real chicken. I have a wall mounted switch, which I switch off, and I unplug the cord.
Jonathan

[Bill Huber]

I use 2 wrenches one on the arbor shaft and one on the nut, if for some wild reason the motor kicked on it could not turn the shaft. The wrench on the arbor shaft is on the whole time I am changing the blade.

[Myk Rian]

The company I retired from PREACHED LOCKOUT. I always unplug first. To do anything less is looking for trouble.

[glenn bradley]

Always unplug. At first I was shocked that anyone would even ask this. Then I realize the value for those folks who will fail to unplug "just this once". My router table actually bolts to my tablesaw station so I added a duplex outlet in the side of it in a handy location. Both the RT and the TS plug in right there. It is easy to unplug either tool for cutter changes or adjustments that cause me to get near or touch the cutters.

During another discussion I realized that I don't unplug the drill press or hand drill motors when I am doing things near the business end. I do not know what it is that makes this OK in my mind. Maybe because cordless drills don't unplug!?! I don't get near the cutters on any other tool without safely disconnecting the power.

[Leo Graywacz]

I use 2 wrenches one on the arbor shaft and one on the nut, if for some wild reason the motor kicked on it could not turn the shaft. The wrench on the arbor shaft is on the whole time I am changing the blade.

I do the same thing. My tablesaw uses a magnetic starter and the only way it can start is to push the button. Or maybe a nuclear explosion or EMP might be able to set it off, but then....it won't matter anyway.

[Mike Heidrick]

My sawstop and shaper have disconnects. I just use them.

I have started installing disconnects on my other VFD equipped tools too. On my CNC enclosure I built in through door disconnect and put a DIN mounted switched disconnect in the spindle VFD cabinet. The jointer got an allen bradley disconnect in its own enclosure. They are pretty handy and pretty easy to install.

All my other tools get unplugged when servicing or changing tooling. I am guilty of leaving teh router plugged in when changing teh bits on my RT though. Pretty stupid and I need to be better about that. I have my little girls watching me while I am doing that sometimes and I need to teach better safety lessons by example.

[randall rosenthal]

i've gotten away with a lot of foolishness (years of motorcycling...no helmet for example) but i always unplug any power tool before fiddling with it.

[ray hampton]

The company I retired from PREACHED LOCKOUT. I always unplug first. To do anything less is looking for trouble.

I am not surprise that nobody mention a call to the power company to turn your electric off

[Andrew Hughes]

Like Randall i too have gotten away with lots of foolishness,once i messed around with a very large california halibut i thought was dead.That thing almost bit two of my fingers off.I always turn off the breaker changing blades.