All new Table Saws may be flesh sensing soon

[Lisa Starr]

I just ran across this article this morning. I'm not sure I have an opinion, but the Consumer Protection Agency may mandate the technology for all new saws.

Here's the link. if you'd like to read about it: https://www.npr.org/2024/04/02/12411...y-sawstop-cpsc

[Richard Daugird]

I have been hearing about this for a while now. 731 Woodworks has spoke of this and posted clips of the CPA meeting on his Youtube channel.

[Edward Weber]

Thanks, I just read that article as well. I wish there was more detail as to what happens next.
The article seems to think it's as good as a done deal, I'm not so sure about that.
I think it will take years to get passed the legal hurdles yet to come before anything happens at the consumer level.

[mike stenson]

Not again.

[Kent A Bathurst]

10.....9.....8..........

[Edward Weber]

You guys can joke but this could have the effect of mandating other "safety" features that might concern you.

I'm personally not really worried or concerned. I think having AIM or similar tech on new tools is fine. I certainly don't want to see a single company (SawStop) be the sole beneficiary of the ruling.

My main issue is that the blade stop tech doesn't make anyone "safer". it only minimizes the injuries after being unsafe. You can't legislate against unsafe behavior, you'd have to cover the entire world in bubble wrap.

[mike stenson]

I predict this thread will go the same way as it did the last couple times.

There's a used market.

[Patrick Kane]

I think i was in the midst of asking a question in the middle of that thread being shut down. How would this apply to pro shops, has anyone seen an outline of how this would be effectively applied to existing shops? Im not exactly under the impression that OSHA pops into every cabinet and furniture shop in America to make sure they have guards, riving knives, and other protective measures in place. Would they police existing shops at all, or would this simply effect new tool sales?

I used a sawstop in college, and i thought that made a ton of sense in the architectural model shop. Candidly, i wasnt that comfortable around machines 15+ years ago and the training could have been longer/better. I never had a firing event, but nice to have that backing up my utter lack of experience. Fast forward to today and i went with a Felder slider and an old Oliver cabinet saw for my personal shop. This is where my interest lays with this potential ruling and how it would effect professional settings. If current shops have a limited amount of time to ditch non-flesh sensing/camera technology saws, that would be a great thing for me. A glut of 10-20 year old Martin/Altendorf sliders hitting the market would be of great interest to me : )

[John Lanciani]

Pro shops and schools are easy, insurance co. simply says you must have one or you get dropped; OSHA doesn't care until there is an accident.

Home shops are by attrition, it will be decades before all of the non braked saws are gone.

[Ben Ellenberger]

Here is the actual proposal. The rule text is on page 90 of the PDF. It is pretty simple, all table saws manufactured after a certain date would have to meet the new standard. So, this does not look like it sets any standards for existing saws and does not require the replacement of any existing saws.

https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Fed...h0k3VWHZZ.URw.

[Kent A Bathurst]

..........You guys can joke but this could have the effect of mandating other "safety" features...........

I'm not joking. Just starting the countdown until it is nuked.

[Michael Burnside]

Not again.

It is literally the same thread…. I wish you could purge these threads from your own view…

[Roger Feeley]

Growing up, my dad had a table saw. It was probably made in the ‘40s. The cast iron table was maybe 20” square. 8” blade. No throat plate and a really crappy fence and miter gauge. I don’t think that my dad even had a guard. I was scared of it even as a teenager and never once used it.

My current saw is a 3hp SS industrial with a zero clearance throat plate and a Jessem miter gauge. We’ve certainly come a long way. Even without the SS safety system, the difference between my saw and my dads is night and day.

[Frederick Skelly]

Guess I’m the odd man out. I’d love to have a saw with the Bosch AIM system. If this new reg enables that, I’ll bite the bullet for one if it becomes available here and is of comparable quality to the Sawstop. YMMV.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

A table saw injury was part of the demise of a shop that enjoyed working at more than any job I have ever had. The owner of that shop is the first guy I ever heard about these safety saws from. Too Little Too Late. Instead of getting a safety saw he got rid of all of his staff. Every time I see that hot dog I think of several people.