Sawstop first impression

[larry merlau]

hey per, i like your attitude and actually your reasoning for the saw stop was the right thing to do for you and your son and maybe your dad. you never know when a startling sound could cause a slip of the fingers.. i do believe that saw stop needs more recognition like yours.. and i also think your one of those dangerous daytime dreamers,, go east coast red ned ! GO!!

[Per Swenson]

Folks,
Thank you all for your kindness,
I do not think there is a greater
collection of genuine good guys,
assembled anywhere else on the internet.
On to my lil update.
I would like to publicly Thank Mr. Ken Wagg
for his info on Renaissance Wax.
You can read his long winded post here, (his words)
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=19411
This stuff is just amazing!
I know, I know, But I have been using(place your product here)
for years and by crickey it works for me.
I don't think you would be reading this if
you were not open to change. And this stuff
is a quantum improvement over (insert your product here).
Thanks Ken!

Per

[Ken Waag]

Per,

Glad to hear you liked the wax. Normally, I just use it on the top, but on that new saw I think you need to wax the whole thing like a show car! That's what I'll probably do. I just found out, mine ships on May 16. Until it get here, I'll just keep looking at your posted pictures. Have a good weekend,
Ken

[Dave Wright #2]

Per,

32" rip w/ the Incra versus 36" w/ one of the SawStop fences; does your work need the 4" difference often? My last saw had a 30" Bies. Since putting the SS into service I have been surprised how often I use the 30" - 36" range. If the other manufacturers get nothing else out of the SawStop design, they should at least borrow the idea of making their "short" fence 36" instead of 30".

On top protection: I use TopCote. Nothing applys faster, and faster matters if that means it will get done. It appears to work, though apparently not all cast iron is created equal. I have an open (garage) shop in the humid South, so things rust. Most of my machines discolor and gain character but do not rust in a way that interferes with work or would shorten their lifespan. Some tools, such as my tenon jig, rust a lot more quickly and deeply. Gotta be something different about that iron, because it was treated just like the rest of my iron. It's too early to tell, but the SS top seems to be picking up character more slowly than other tools I've put into service.

TopCote's protection is probably best if sprayed but NOT buffed. It is buffable at any time after being applied, unlike wax that gets hard and unbuffable if you wait too long. I usually spray TopCote on before leaving the shop, and don't bother to buff it until the next time I use the tool.

Regards,

Dave

[Mark Riegsecker]

So the slider/Euro/old iron idea is not a option.

I wanted the best North American style 10 inch saw on the market. Sorry
Powermatic and Delta, even with out the technology the sawstop
has them beat. $500 worth? I think so.
The controls alone are akin to spinning the wheel of a bank safe,
smooth and effortless. This saw screams quality.
Out of the box alignment, perfect. Table and cast iron wings, ditto.
I am a happy and proud Sawstop owner.
Per Swenson
updates will follow.

Nice saw Per really!
Please don't take offense and maybe I should let this go since I'll probably never own one because of the cost; However, it seems a bit disappointing that the original fence had to be replaced.
This setup looks as if cutting a panel 30" or so the Incra would stick out from the saw that much. If wanting to leave that setup for a while it may cause some distraction. Just wondering since I was thinking about replacing the fence on my cheaper saw with an Incra.

Mark

[Chris Rosenberger]

Nice saw Per really!
Please don't take offense and maybe I should let this go since I'll probably never own one because of the cost; However, it seems a bit disappointing that the original fence had to be replaced.
This setup looks as if cutting a panel 30" or so the Incra would stick out from the saw that much. If wanting to leave that setup for a while it may cause some distraction. Just wondering since I was thinking about replacing the fence on my cheaper saw with an Incra.

Mark

Mark,

One of the least talked about features of the Incra fence is repeatability. The fence has a positive lock every 1/32 of an inch. There is an etched stainless scale on the fence. You can make a cut, move the fence for a different cut & then come back to the original measurement. It will lock into the exact same spot.

Chris

[John Hart]

...I would like to publicly Thank Mr. Ken Wagg
for his info on Renaissance Wax....
Per

I just saw this post and then went back to the original discussion.... Did you know that there are people out there (me) that didn't even know that you should treat your surfaces?

Man!! I need to get out more!

Thanks guys...I'll pick some up.

[Per Swenson]

There is nothing wrong at all with the stock ss fence!
You just have the option of ordering it with out one.
I took it. The saw stop fence is a $289 accessory.
So on sale, I paid a $100 for the privledge of
the incra, and
having one of da blingest saws on da block.
Now about the arm extension, I have the room.
About the 32 inch rip, if I had to, and I don't,
(thanks to my festool collection) I can extend the rails
to the right, (6 little bolts,3 minutes) and cut 1/1000
of a inch off a 49 inch wide piece of MDF.
really, 32 inch capacity is fine.
Thanks for asking.
Per

[Mike Cutler]

Nice Gloat Per. It's nice to see a post that focused on the functional and quality attributes of the Sawstop, and not just the brake.
The black and gold are definitely "bling". I'm thinkin' a New Orleans Saints emblem, and you're all set.
I've seen the cutaway view of the Sawstop that emphasized the dust collection capabilities, and was wondering how that particular feature is working out for ya'?
Have fun with your new addition.

[Dave Wright #2]

...it seems a bit disappointing that the original fence had to be replaced.
Mark

Mark,

To expand on Per's post a bit, the SawStop is the only table saw I know of that is sold without a fence. They noticed that there are a lot of aftermarket fences out there, and that many discriminating woodworkers will waste a good fence to change to one that has the particular features they want. They decided to set up the deal a la carte. Buying the saw without a fence and switching your current favorite to it is also a good way to save money on this somewhat expensive machine.

The SawStop fences are fine examples of the Bies style. They incorporate a number of upgrades to the design though. Removable faces like the PM. Perpendicularity adjustment pads and magnified cursor like the Jet. Separate cursors and scales for rips off both sides of the blade. Main bolts are countersunk so installation is a no-measure effort. Metal is somewhat thicker than original Bies fences. One debatable point is that the fence is about 5" shorter than a Bies Comm. It extends equally off the front and rear of the saw, but the Bies hangs more out the rear. That may or may not make a difference to people. I was skeptical at first, but the fence length has wokred out fine.

Regards, Dave

[Dave Wright #2]

Dust collection. I don't know how much Per has gotten to cut with the saw yet. Collection is pretty good. I'll hazard some guesses. Non-through cuts 98%. Thin through cuts 95%. Thick through cuts 90%. Cuts that trim the edge of a board by less than the saw kerf scatter a lot of dust across the saw table; maybe 50% capture. Collection may be a bit better when the full guard is in place. Most of what the dust collection misses ends up outside the saw; a little of it leaks down into the cabinet, which should be vacuumed out every now and then.

Dust collection is not an option with this saw. You must connect to a collector. SawStop says 350 CFM minimum in the Owner's Manual. I connected it to a 1 HP Jet canister collector that is probably pulling 600 or so.

[Terre Hooks]

Nothing like a Sawstop thread at Saw Mill Creek to get up to 2 or 3 pages in a hurry.

Per, I'm with ya, buddy. I'd love to have one. The engineering is the best. Extremely well thought out. I've said it a hundred times, and I'll say it again-
If the manufacturers of the current North American designed saws would incorporate a blade guard like the Sawstop, and the riving knife/splitter with the ease of removal/replacement, there wouldn't be a need for the blade stoppin technology.

The guard is 1000 times better than any of these $300 aftermarket overhead guards that obscure everything, take 4 hours to install and are a general pain to fool with.

The negativity towards the Sawstop saw I will never understand. I'm sure most of the people that have a problem with it are the ones that will say they have a problem with Steve Gass' approach and trying to get the Government to mandate. LOL... Guess what? If he were to get it mandated, that would prolly be the best thing to come out of legislation in over 100 years.

[Gary Whitt]

I'm all for someone making a blade guard and riving knife for my saw.

I've never understood it..... they'll build a blade with safety features (anti-kickback) but not the above.

Folks would definitely use a blade guard/riving knife that was user-friendly.
Manufactures are too busy building gadgets, though, like Gripppppppppers, jointer-pals,1/10,000th inch increment miter gauges and such.

[Dave Wright #2]

Gary,

The aftermarket has a good range of guard choices; plenty of overarms plus the shark. There aren't any aftermarket riving knives because the blade raising motion of a conventional North American style saw is incompatible with the riving knife concept. The motor/arbor carriage in a NA style saw pivots to make the blade go up and down. Pivoting would change the relationship of the riving knife peak and the sawblade peak. The motor/arbor carriages in saws with riving knives (Ryobi BT3100, SawStop, Laguna TS, Felder, etc.) moves straight up and down. This feature might well have added more $ to the SawStop than the blade brake. It's not cheap to make a straight up/down carriage that is solid, smooth, and durable.

Best, Dave

[Bob Marino]

Nah, Far from it.
I was born and raised in Hells Kitchen, Greenwich Village, and the
Upper west side of NYC. With all of the expensive private schooling
that goes with it. I presently live in Northern New Jersey and pretend
to be a uneducated redneck. A combination that sounds like,
"Wass it to ya, gowan to da shore?" or " Yew order those flippin
winders yet ,yo?"
I hope this helps your understanding.
Per

Hey Per,

Didn't know that you (as I from Brooklyn) are a transplanted New Yorker. I guess the Northern NJ migration isn't too tough for we New Yorkers .
And folks, Per does not have any accent (other than NY )

Bob