Free SawStop Brake

[Mike Henderson]

I was cutting a small piece of wood and before I knew it the blade was below the table and I had a small cut on my thumb.
SawStop1.jpg

Don't even know exactly how everything happened. While the piece was small, I'd made the same cut many times before.

Anyway, just a nick, bit of blood and a ruined Infinity blade. I hear that SawStop will give you a replacement brake if you send them the old one.

Mike

[Interesting set of thoughts went through my head. First, was "What happened?" Then, when I realized my thumb was cut, it was "Oh, XXXX", but really thankful I didn't cut my thumb off. Finally, feeling stupid for setting off the brake. Really glad I had the SawStop.]

[Getting the blade and the brake out was a challenge.]

[glenn bradley]

Glad you weren't hurt Mike. I have used the blade wrench as a sort of pickle fork to gingerly persuade the blade and cartridge to wriggle off the arbor.

[Jim Riseborough]

What happened to the teeth just after where it was activated?

[eugene thomas]

I think you saw stop is paid for now.....

[chase standifer]

EDITED: I didnt zoom in on the picture and notice that the blade was already removed and the teeth completely gone. I just lost the carbide on mine.

[mreza Salav]

It is interesting that not just the carbide but the teeth are completely gone.
Were you using the guard and the splitter? Do you have the photo of the piece you were cutting?

[Larry Frank]

Sorry about the loss of the blade...Very glad you were not hurt

[Carl Hunsinger]

I think you saw stop is paid for now.....

Indeed. Another ER statistic averted.

Carl

[Mike Henderson]

What happened to the teeth just after where it was activated?

Looks to me like the teeth in that part of the blade were just ripped off by the brake. It's possible the brake "bounced" before grabbing the teeth. I haven't found the carbide teeth anywhere. Yes, I did have eye protection on.
SawStop4.jpg

I think your saw stop is paid for now.....

Yeah, that's my reaction, also. I had a visit to the ER long ago just for stitches and it was $1,000.

EDITED: I didn't zoom in on the picture and notice that the blade was already removed and the teeth completely gone. I just lost the carbide on mine.

That blank portion of the blade is ahead of where the blade is buried in the brake. I don't know why it skipped like that. That blade is not going to be able to be repaired.

It is interesting that not just the carbide but the teeth are completely gone.
Were you using the guard and the splitter? Do you have the photo of the piece you were cutting?

I was using the riving knife. Here's a picture of the piece I was cutting. It's a shop made dovetail marker. One side was too wide and I was trimming it off.
SawStop2.jpg

Here's how I was holding it to push it through the saw.
SawStop3.jpg

I must have twisted the piece at the back of the blade and it got picked up by the rear teeth.

And here's my thumb. Not too bad. I had a band-aid on it and took the picture when putting on a new band-aid.
SawStop5.jpg

Would have been bad on a non-SawStop saw.

Mike

[One interesting thing is that SawStop must have made some software changes in the brake. You know how it used to take a long time to get ready after you turned on the switch? With the new brake, it comes ready almost immediately.]

[Ronald Blue]

Not to be critical but that makes me cringe just looking at what you were attempting. That in my opinion was a dangerous cut to attempt. Just how it looks to me. Glad you only got a nick.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

My manual says (I have an older saw) they'll give you a new brake if you send yours in IF it tripped on flesh contact.... It's worth a call to their customer service..... They can say no, and you have to buy a new brake anyways.
Love my saw.... Hope I never trip it.

Accidents happen......

[Mike Henderson]

Not to be critical but that makes me cringe just looking at what you were attempting. That in my opinion was a dangerous cut to attempt. Just how it looks to me. Glad you only got a nick.

Yep, I know it was not a good cut. I needed to trim that one side and it needed to be parallel to the other side. The table saw will do that, but I agree the cut was not the best.

My manual says (I have an older saw) they'll give you a new brake if you send yours in IF it tripped on flesh contact.... It's worth a call to their customer service..... They can say no, and you have to buy a new brake anyways.
Love my saw.... Hope I never trip it.

Accidents happen......

Yes, I already bought a new brake. I couldn't wait until I got one from SawStop. And as I mentioned earlier, it seems that they made some improvements in the brake (the brake has quite a bit of logic and software in it). When I turn the switch on the saw on, it comes to green almost immediately. Much faster than the old brake.

Mike

[Carl Hunsinger]

Not to be critical but that makes me cringe just looking at what you were attempting. That in my opinion was a dangerous cut to attempt. Just how it looks to me. Glad you only got a nick.

Holy crap! I've seen and probably done some dangerous cuts....

Carl

[Mike Heidrick]

Sorry it happened to you. Glad you had the brake.

[Joe Jensen]

Holy crap! I've seen and probably done some dangerous cuts....

Carl

I used to do some cuts like that when I was young and then one caught and pulled my finger into the blade of a 1940s Craftsman. Luckily I didn't lose the finger tip because the blade was only 1/8" over the table top but it was enough to cut to the bone across the top of my finger, around the tip, and across the pad. Index finger on the left hand. Took maybe 10-15 years for the scar tissue to not be overly sensitive. I do cuts like that now with jigs and hands far away or with a bandsaw.