I came for the woodwork, I stayed for the ADD. I'm recently diagnosed and now medicated. It's made my woodworking a much less frustrating experience. Keep up the good work mate. Cheers from Australia.
Thanks! Glad to hear you got diagnosed and meds. Also, learn as much as you can about ADD - for one thing, that helped me be a lot kinder to myself. 😄Have fun!
As someone else with ADD who is a maker (metal, cars, renovation, woodworking, programming...almost anything) your attitude is the healthiest I've seen. Good work. I'm sharing this with others.
The way they described safety around the table saw when I took the class is not to go near the blade until you can count the teeth - pretty hard to do when it's moving. Glad you found a useful solution & those other folks need to be nicer. Thanks for sharing!
That's an interesting idea. Not necessarily counting the teeth, because I wouldn't do that for very long, but perhaps painting a spot next to every 5 or 10 teeth, and waiting until I can see the spot. Thanks for the idea!
That SawStop Light is also great for people like me who are dealing with hearing impairment or even total hearing loss. Prior to this video, I didn't even know that FB group even existed, much less that light. I just joined the group and DL'ed the plans. This will be getting made very soon. Thanks for sharing!!!!!
I like to practice my motions a few times before actually making the cut. Sometimes I just do it mentally, but when possible I actually do a dry run with the tool off; essentially rehearsing where my hands, eyes and body will be through the entire activity. Often this simple step will reveal potential pitfalls. For example, before ripping a long board on the table saw you may find your outfeed blocked, or too much drag. You may find that you need to add support on the infeed to maintain control, or that you need to move a featherboard. This step also builds some muscle memory, so even if you get temporarily distracted you may find you still do everything the way you rehearsed. Finally, just the act of taking time to rehearse keeps safety at the front of your mind. Constantly reminding yourself of the danger involved really helps maintain focus... So even pantomiming your actions or running them through in your head can be enough.
Thanks for the great comment. I actually do practice my cuts when I have large or long pieces, checking to make sure I have enough room, or if I need additional support as you mentioned. And I think your suggestions is great, and I hope a lot of people take your advice. For me, I know I just won't do it all the time. It's hard to describe how my mind works, but I know it won't take long before I just stop doing it. Even I can't fathom me sometimes. 🙄But like I said, great advice, and I hope others give it a try! Thanks again. 😄
Very helpful! Thank you! And remember, if a thrill seeker looses a limb in an accident, spends months in rehab, then goes right back to their dangerous sport in spite of the new disability: This is an inspirational story. Now if a woodworker with ADD gets a tiny cut on his finger: People tell you it's time to quit your all-too-dangerous passion. Please ignore the noise and keep coming up with helpful safety tips like this that *everyone,* including those without any disabilities, can benefit from. (Did you know that the technology that makes segways possible was developed for the disabled?)
I'd say that those who can't comment on your videos without being rude should get rid of their computers. As a fellow newbie woodworker with ADD, I appreciate what you do...and the fact you (also) think the risks are worth it. From personal experience, the single best thing I've found to stay focused is SQUIRREL!!!
1) Do not use the saw, or other tool, for a "long session of repetitive actions" - you get complacent. I catch myself doing this now and then ( for example, batching out parts to something... like drawers, scares me awake...). They have those signs on the road to "Take a break, Stay awake" ... same sort of thing applies. 2) Do NOT use tools when you are tired 3) NEVER RUSH... 4) Avoid any motions which will cross your hands OVER the blade... moving right hand across to your left to grad something, like a push stick....Or reaching OVER the blade to grab the piece of stock After far too many years, I just built an outfeed table because I realized I was doing just that with short stock, or I was pushing on my push sticks in a way that if the work piece slipped my hand was headed for the blade...so after the event noted in Item #5, I said, this is stupid, build yourself one of those and save your hands! So I did...Everyone should....and a thousand things just like this, ...finally building a cross cut sled too...I like my fingers. 5) Avoid distractions - somebody just said this, but here is a real life example ... I cut my hand with a hand saw ( 5 stitches actually) because I was tired and rushing ... and then I noticed that I was being dangerous and got distracted by that and nailed the hand not holding the saw as I was moving it away from being in a dangerous spot.... I focused on the hand and NOT the saw "for just a second"... GOTCHA... though it has been pointed out that I was only using the proper tool for cutting of one's hand...it being a "hand saw" ... but the 5 stitch cut was only from TWO TEETH actually touching my hand... and only just....a table saw will not be so delicate in its consuming of your hand ( 3500+ RPM x 24 to 100 teeth... do the math) Mind you this is a saw I have had for over 30 years, and use regularly and in all sorts of situations and with left or right hand as the situation requires ( like on a ladder), it's just a Stanley " Short Cut" saw ( with the " New Aggressive Shark Tooth design" !... they weren't kidding), and I'm not a newbie to this game... I was just 1) tired, 2) rushing, 3) got distracted..... I should note that I was using the hand saw because the cut would have been exceptionally dangerous on the table saw... so I wasn't being entirely stupid....only just enough....complacency is also your enemy Be Safe out there.....and if you think that you are....check again......it only takes " 1 second" to really mess up your life and the lives of those around you you care about.
@@davidgagnon2849 LOL. Thanks! I think he mentioned one of my other videos once, or else it was someone like him. But it certainly is nice when that happens. 😄
Such a great teacher! The way you break things down is very effective. Your honesty and passion mixed with your knowledge = brilliance! Your editing skills are quite extraordinary as well; As a fellow ADD-er, I applaud your efforts. Many people overlook the added struggle that distraction-prone individuals have to work through.
Thank you for sharing your struggles with all of us. I'm so glad you found a solution that works for you. I've learned a lot from your channel and appreciate you taking the time and effort to share with us.
My father taught me that the most important safety device is the one between your ears. Probably the most important woodworking related lesson I've ever learned. Also, having four kids of my own, and a basement workshop, I have to constantly consider their safety when I'm using power tools and when I'm done with them. Things like removing keys and unplugging tools when I walk away. It only takes a couple of seconds to unplug and then plug in again the next time but it well worth it to ensure my kids are safe. Also making sure they know that the shop space is off-limits when the saws are running, that way they don't get hit with anything if I happened to have something kick back despite using a riving knife. Hope this helps someone.
I like the light it’s a great idea. I once wasn’t paying attention to direction of rotation and put a piece of wood to my router table and it shot across the room. I’m so glad I was alone and wasn’t in the way because it hit hard enough to embed in the wall
Thank you for the great video. I have years of experience and still have to remind myself daily to be safe. I may have to get one of those "If it isn't safe don't do it." Thanks again
Make Sure That NO One walks in while you are using any tool, all tools can be dangerous! While using a belt sander my wife walked in to say dinner is ready my hand slipped resulting resulting in the most serious injury in 30+ years of woodworking a slightly mangled thumb! Looking forward to more of your videos.
I’ve thought about putting a lock on the garage door to keep my family from coming in while I’m in the middle of a cut. Of course if I’m ever injured, this would not be wise. So, I’m thinking about a remote green light I turn on for when the coast is clear. Very similar to the old dark rooms for film/photo development.
As a disabled wood worker (only have use of right hand, left side mostly parallelized) table saw safety is my number one priority. Dan I could not agree with you more that table saw set up is number one. I do have a splinter and always feel a sigh of relief when the wood enters well into the splinter. I never and I mean never reach to move or remove any material until the blade stops moving. My life would irreversibly change as a result of a table saw accident to my one remaining functioning hand. I suppose in a way I'm am able to concentrate on where my hand and fingers are 100% of the time. I never cut anything without insuring material is supported going in as well as out. I watch hundreds of videos where wood workers rip wood, leave the saw running, push the cut through and rip again. For me it's one cut, turn saw off, remove wood, place material in place and turn saw on and repeat. It takes twice as long, but it's much safer for me. I do use appropriate push sticks, feather boards when possible, sleds and taper sleds as well. I've been in this condition for 40 plus years so safety in the shop is second nature. If you get some time check out some ideas I've been tinkering with on my CZcams site Working Hand Wood Works. Chazz
Thanks for the comment, Chazz! I can't imagine what life is like with only having the use of one hand, but it sounds like you're doing quite well, and I think that's awesome. I checked out your Radial Arm Router and it's really cool. Have you built it yet?
Not yet, too many summer projects, but it is next on my list. I did finish the miter station and went a different route on the shelving. I forgot to mention how much I enjoy your videos. Chazz
@@workinghand5768 Thanks! And I totally get the "too many projects" thing. I have a list of projects to do a mile long, and it only gets longer. But it beats being bored, I guess. 😄
Yeah, you got MY attention with the manikin finger-ectomy! A sign that says 'CAUTION: This Machine Has No Brain, Use Your Own' posted in my shop is one way I try to stay focused and, more importantly, remind myself that amputation is always just a millisecond away anytime a power tool is running. I often say "any part of you that touches a spinning blade, you AIN'T gettin' back!" too. Thanks for an entertaining safety video Dan! Best, Matt
My wife walked through as I was watching this so I ran it back so she could see "Band Camp" through the dog swiping the bread. Hoping it helps her understand the dangers of distracting me when I'm making ammunition and woodworking. Not having a SawStop (yet) I just wait until the blade is still and force myself to not move my hands in that direction until I can see that the teeth have stopped.
I’m with you and I use now mostly hand tools. Totally save? Now I build a shooting board and the first time I put my thumb in the way. But now, I have some power tools but use them only with my wife around. Keep on buddy you our good
Thanks, and LOL. If I had the patience, I'd love to build things with hand tools. The amount of pride I'm sure you take in your work would make it totally worth it.
@@TheNewbieWoodworker Many things are faster with (properly sharpened) hand tools. I often cross cut by hand instead of going over to the bandsaw . It's also quieter and makes less dust.
Well my workshop is in my bedroom and I have no sawdust or shavings in my bed. I’m building at the moment my workbench and she is nearing completion. She is also on wheels
Thanks for another great video. You have reminded me of the time I was using my router table with a straight cut but installed. Having pressed the off switch, for some inexplicable reason I decided to stop the spinning cutter with my bare finger 😳....... Its really amazing how the cutter just doesn't stop because your finger is there 😭 who would have thought eh? 🤔 Love the stupid stop idea too.
I haven't actually done that before, but I could see it happening. Especially when using a router with a router table - the smoothness of operation makes it easy to forget how sharp it is. Sorry for your injury, and if you haven't seen it already, here's my router accident: czcams.com/video/BJmdSgWeaas/video.html
Don't be distracted by cut-off scraps. People feel compelled to reach and push small cut-off pieces away from the blade while it's still spinning. This distraction can lead to a dangerous situation. Let the cut-offs lie until you've turned you saw off and the blade has come to a full stop. In woodworking, patience is a 'safe' virtue.
Thanks, and of course I agree. It's really hard to make people who don't have ADD understand that we can't "just try harder". The irony is that the people who call it stupid and refuse to learn the facts are actually the stupid ones, or at least wilfully ignorant.
Also severely ADHD, also a woodworker (and maker of all sorts), also not quitting. My biggest disaster wasn't during woodworking, it was... baking. I made cakes ahead of my youngest son's birthday and froze them, and then thawed them overnight in the fridge the night before. Well, when I went to trim the tops it became clear they were NOT fully thawed. The knife I was using to trim the top was sticking in the middle of the cake top. I should have addressed the not-thawed issue, waited a bit, maybe stuck it in the microwave. Instead, I forced the blade... and it wound up deep in my left index finger, needing stitches. But it's still instructive: never, ever, ever force a blade. Pause and actually fix what's making the blade stick. Also, that was before I was medicated. ADHD medication helps with the _impatience_ part profoundly, because I'm not constantly worried that I'm going to lose my train of thought mid-project and abandon it like so many others. If you have ADHD and you think medication might help but you haven't explored it, consider it in part an investment in your safety. I'm able to keep track of blades, limbs, safety features and processes, and what I was doing in general SO MUCH BETTER now.
Thanks for sharing! One comment you made stuck home: "constantly worried that I'm going to lose my train of thought". To me, this is the single biggest reason for so many of my ADD-related behaviors, and yes, medication does really help.
I don't have a You Tube channel so I doubt I'll ever own a Saw Stop But me and the table saw (Craftsman) have never had a problem since I was about 15. But we all feel stupid from time to time and laughing at our selves is good medicine. SQUIRREL! Thumbs up Dan! Well that is only half right because back in '81 I lost about a quarter inch of my thumb when my glove got caught in a band saw between the blade and the wheel. After that the company built a guard for the saw. It was a metal cutting band saw so it was a slow motion accident since the blade runs a lot slower on a metal saw. Once the wheel had my glove it pulled my thumb with it. Did you know it is possible to yank your hand so hard you can pull off the end of your thumb? It only bothers me when I bowl. My ball release has never been the same. Keep on building!
Thanks for the great comment, Tim! Lot's of good-natured humor in it - my kind of humor. Regarding SQUIRREL, and I'm sure you've seen it before, but just in case: bit.ly/2n7Zup5. And man do you paint a good (bad?) picture about your accident. *shudder* 😮Thanks again for making me smile. 😄
A while ago I was a little tired one late night, my push stick hit the blade on the back and shot it back at a supersonic speed. It made a big dent in the wall 40 feet behind me. Someone had just told me, don't stand right behind the blade. Glad he did.
FYI - I don't know if someone already said this but next time you have to solder into something like the four pin socket, put solder into the pins first solder your wire then all you have to do is heat the socket and slip the wire in. Its always easier to solder stuff together if you pre solder the wires and pins and use solder with flux in it.
I hope the lights work for you. I don't get distracted in the middle of cuts. But boy do I get side tracked easily. I'll spend all evening in the shop and not even start on the task that i planned and thought about all day.
I am a firm believer in using the blade guard. With it in place, I have never come close to a spinning blade. Mine has the added benefit of anti-kickback pawls. I hear a lot of excuses for not using a blade guard. My advise is to get over it and start using yours.
I totally agree. With the exception of grooves and dados, there is no reason to have the blade guard off. Having that in place will help you avoid the blade physically and mentally.
@@PMichaels The big issue for me is that I have to remove it when I use my sleds, which I do all the time. But I honestly haven't tried it enough to know if that's a big deal or not. I'll have to check it out.
Probably one other good reminder is if it doesn't feel right don't do it, if you feel the cut is getting more tension as you move it just stop and either reset or find another way to do it. I have been lucky and haven't had anything serious happen but I do like to do a dry run if I can and try and pay attention. I bought a saw stop because my son is high functioning autistic and does get distracted, I have not so far let him try the saw and I usually do not keep it set up and plugged in (rolling contractor unit) to purposely avoid these issues. I also have a remote on a key chain for my chop saw, my band saw is not plugged in and my other tools are on rolling carts that get plugged in during use. I also bought the saw stop because I have become attached to my fingers as well lol
Just found you through your video on the SawStop saving your thumb. Thanks for the great content. Cheers from a fellow So-Cal resident eager to start a woodworking hobby.
I don't have any more distractions but can offer a couple pieces of advice. First before running the wood through the saw, count your fingers. This ensures you have visually looked at each finger and where its placed. The other is my girlfriend was told never to walk up behind me while I am working. IF she wants my attention she is to flick the light off and back on quickly.
I read that playing music while working in the shop will distract the brain's areas that the ADD causes problems. I know it would depend on the music. I am easily distracted as well, especially when doing repetitive cuts. I find the music helps a lot. Good luck and stay safe.
That's a great comment, thanks for it! For me, it depends on the music. And I want to be able to hear the tools if something goes wrong. But, I have an app that generates a bunch of different white-noise types of sounds, and I wonder if that might help, as long as I kept the volume reasonable. Thanks for the idea! 😄
@@TheNewbieWoodworker Same here. If I keep the music more mellow like ballads or classic country, it's just background and doesn't distract me. However one time I cranked up some hard rock and actually found myself getting very agitated - which led to mistakes. So soft and mellow it is.
I'm not sure how this would work with ADD, but a music player program that would randomly insert short reminder ("Pay attention!") phrases into the song being played might ("Watch your fingers!") be something that could keep you on your ("Focus!") toes.... 😎
Certainly having all your digits is most important, but after spending for a new SawSTop cartridge and likely a new blade, I'd start paying more attention to. Thanks for the video and reminder.
LOL. You'd think, right? Fortunately, they'll replace the brake cartridge for free if the on-board computer tells them the activation was due to contact with flesh. But yeah, blades don't grow on trees. 😄
I am a dangerous shop outfeed table clutterer and thinking while cutting about the next step. Oh yeah and not following the rules cutting short stock on the outside. I have the fat scar to prove it. I have never come close to putting my finger on the table saw blade but I have had two notorious incidents on the band saw. The distraction was rushing because my baby daughter was napping and I was afraid she had woken up..it was a long time ago since she just graduated college. She has stopped the naps. I was cutting hexagons...many, many hexagons and accidentally cut the tip of my thumb slightly.. You and I have discussed this before when you triggered your saw stop. I stop myself and remind myself I am not on any time crunch. Do not rush for a no rush thing. I uncluttered and have stopped using my outfeed table over the assembly table I made. All your points were great. The cut outs to the funny scenes were extremely well done and very funny very nice effort.
This seems quite obvious, but in your specific case, a blade guard would save your fingers. We all have our excuses for not using it, but in your case I think the blade guard is mandatory. There are actually very few situations where the blade guard gets in the way of a cut and you actually need to remove it. I just have a delta contractor saw, and it’s blade guard is quite nice, so I’m sure the saw stop one is fantastic. Keep your fingers, and save some money on those breaks. Use the blade guard!
I'm leaning on agreeing with you, but I have to disagree with one thing you said: when you say there are very few situations where the blade guard gets in the way, it's just not true for those of us who use cross-cut sleds all the time. In fact, it's quite the opposite. But like I said, it may still be worth the effort.
i think its important to have a healthy fear of a table saw and avoiding becoming complacent, easier said than done.. once you are complacent is when the accident usually happens. I like to watch and read a lot of facebook groups where unfortunately people have accidents and often share them. Seeing other peoples accidents is a great reminder for me and helps me keep that healthy fear of the saw in my mind. My day job is often 4-6 hours behind a table saw and its very difficult to avoid getting tooo comfortable, and Im not even on a sawstop. I do think shops with saw stops bread a user whom doesn't possess this healthy fear i speak of, and why would they. All the shops I know of with saw stops have far more accidents than the shops i know of without, that could be a number of reasons.. but i do speculate its often just from people using a tool without the healthy fear of it and overall complacency. as far as mistakes, mistakes never stop being made.. you just get better at covering them up and/or not getting too upset.. its only wood
Thanks, Dave, and I love your last comment - I'd just add that yes, it's only wood, except when it's flesh! 😛But yeah, I agree with your comment about SawStops. It's only natural that when the consequences become less dire, people become more complacent. It may actually be one of the reasons for me touching my blade a couple of times. I mean, I cut my thumb pretty badly 10 years ago or so on a table saw (fortunately it was just a chunk of meat and it grew back), and although I hadn't used the table saw much since then until I started back up a couple of years ago, I never touched the blade again. Until I got a SawStop. I'm not sure the evidence is exactly scientific, but it's certainly a good possibility! Still, I'd rather have the SawStop than not, of course. 😄Thanks again for your comment. 🙂
I agree. I also drive around without my seat belt fastened because it just makes me complacent. I had a driver's seat installed on the front bumper of my car so I could make sure to fear driving. Crumple zones? Bah humbug! I also run up and down stairs without holding on to the hand rail. There are all manner of things that I could do to protect myself, but then I wouldn't fear things so much. Who wants that?
An idea I have been thinking about is buying red vinyl letters maybe 3 inch tall that spell LOOK! and place them on the side of my RIP fence. Maybe that little reminder will help me look instead of relying on sound of the saw.
Good idea, and anything that works is good! For me, things like that just end up blending into the background. But anything's worth a shot. I like what one commenter said - don't come near the blade until you can count the teeth. Not that I'd count more than two or three, but that would be enough, right?
Thanks! And especially thank you for mentioning the entertainment. You're the first one to say that specifically, although I'm sure it's implied in some of the other comments, but still, it's nice you said something. 😄
There is a reason why carpenters use flat pencils, they don't roll. Grab an old 2x4, use it to push into the saw blade to slow it down to a stop quick. I was 18, trimming out a new home, my dad left for a while, and I was cutting corner trim and baseboards. I held the wrong end of a quarter round trim while using a chop saw (miter saw) and of course, holding two inches of material naturally didn't work, it took out the tip of my left middle finger! Fortunately, it didn't take a bone with it, so the skin and muscle grew back.
Why can't saw manufactures install a blade brake? On my table saw, it takes too long for the blade to come to a stop. I would like it to stop within 2 or 3 seconds. Is that unreasonable?
It wouldn’t be too hard to build one in. An electromagnet could be connected to the status light signal and activate while it’s flashing. It would sit right off the blade (under the table obviously) and a strong enough magnet wouldn’t have to actually touch the blade to stop it.
I think it may have something to do with the type of motor used on table saws Steve. I don't know how the saw stop works, but it will brake the saw either mechanically or electromagnetically and that seems to be ok. The nik on Dan's thumb seems to indicate it works fine, although harsh braking like that will kill the saw prematurely.
Dont trust push sticks, they can throw the wood of course while cutting a small block of wood maybe 6" with a thin piece screwed to back away from proximity of blade would help.
What a awesome idea. I tend to never remove my eyes from saw blade (not sayin I always do) I actually think it would easier on a cabinet saw you only need “ on and off “. If I give it a go I’ll report back. Awesome information!! Take Care.
Great video. I really enjoy and appreciate your openness. I love my SawStop but I did "engage" with the blade. Unfortunately, it was more than a nick, but if not for this saw I would have lost my finger. That was more stupid than short attention (which I am gifted with). I'm going to look into the plans for this. Wonder if it won't work with the job site saw. Keep the videos coming.
Another dangerous tool is a bandsaw. Some saws have brakes, either automatic or foot operated. Some don't. You can still get injured if not paying attention. Circular Saws are another. People go way out of their way to Not use the blade guard to do something in a hurry. Lathes can be very dangerous if the stock is not locked down securely and the tailstock engaged when possible. Excessive speed on a lathe is another very dangerous situation. I think the most distracting item is other human beings. I know this is a touchy subject but well worth mentioning.
Touchy, maybe, but you make some great points. I'd add drill presses, because they hardly make any noise compared to other tools, so it's easy to forget they're running.
I have a sign in my garage saying ' if it's not safe, don't do it ' It is right where I can not stop seeing it so my mind is always staying focused Perhaps something like this will help
Nice 👌 you got soldering skills. I would need to practice first, before attempting what you did. I should break out my dad's very old metal soldering gun and practice🤔 (yup metal before they started making everything out of plastic) Excellent video👏🎬
That light stop/stupid stop is a great idea that Tom Johnson made, why didn't SawStop think of an idea like that, oh yer they did and put it in a place where you can't see the lights flashing. You would think that a company who makes a safety saw like the SawStop, and charges alot of money for it, their engineers would think to put the lights somewhere else. Dan i hope that you send this video to SawStop, and make them see how stupid they were. Oh and a great video by the way Dan, and don't let stupid people put you off woodworking i am sure that they have done stupid things as well. Take Care. Barry (ENG)
Thanks, Barry. I know for a fact that people from SawStop know about the video. Time will tell if they think it's a good idea or not. To be fair, though, they didn't design the lights to warn you about things during a cut, as much as to tell you when things went wrong.
@@TheNewbieWoodworker Hi Dan thanks for the reply, as for the lights suppose to tell when things go wrong? how the heck can you see them? it doesn't matter if it's to warn you or to tell you if something is wrong, you still can't see them from above? even you said that in the video. Barry.
@@barryroberts6470 Hi Barry. Sorry for the belated reply, but as often happens, CZcams hid some comments from me until just now. Drives me crazy! Anyway, to answer your question, check out the manual here: www.sawstop.com/images/uploads/manuals/M_JSS_Pro_COMPRESSED_2.pdf. Go to page 45-46, and it shows the status light values. I think that hight explain them better than I can.
My father ran his thumb over his blade twice. once as he pushed the wood through and the second time when he pulled it back. luckily it was just a shallow cuts. I think it hurt worse explaining what happened to the ER staff.
Great point. None of the cuts you demonstrated in the video needed to be made without the blade guard. I need to be better about this too, I have mine off because I store my crosscut sled on the saw, but that isn't a very good excuse. I simply need to get back in the habit of installing the blade guard every time I use the saw. That and maybe it is time to find a new place to store the crosscut sled.....
@@davidbondi Hey David, why not make a different sled... one that lets you keep your blade guard on: czcams.com/video/cQINXsn2QBk/video.html 😄 (As you can tell, I did in fact rethink using the blade guard.)
Thank you for a great video! And as long as it works for you it is a great solution. However, I would advice people to pay attention to the blade, rather than to have a light distracting them from the blade.
Excellent point. The one good thing is that the light only blinks when the saw is turned off and spinning down, so it's not distracting at other times. At least, not to me. 😄
Interesting idea. I'm sure I could knock up something similar with a hall effect sensor and an Arduino. Movement and coils (think motor spindle) will create some magnetic fields that could be monitored.
I built my automated blast gate system with an arduino using Hall effect sensor to detect current flow If you measured the EMF off the motor with the Hall Effect that would work as well.
I think using a sensor to detect the motor spinning (possibly sensing the fan blade) along with a current sensor to tell when the motor is energized would be an approach for a lot of tools. It could activate the alarm only when the motor is spinning while it is not energized. I think an audible alarm might work better than the lights. It should be loud enough to hear with hearing protection but not loud enough to startle you.
I use feather boards on the horizontal and vertical so the only thing/direction I have to focus on is pushing through. with a stick. Less thinking = more safety once the blade is turning.
Nice idea. I would think that a universal warning light unit could be made using a circuit that detects sound where you could mount the microphone near the saw motor and adjust the sensitivity to ignore the dust collection and other sounds to turn the light on, then have a delay to keep the light on for a number of seconds after the sound stops to allow the blade to spin down.
One fluke hazard to add to your list : slippery workshop floor mats! I almost slid into a running table saw blade the first time I used one of those jumbo sized black rubber "anti-fatigue" mats : turns out the mold release coating used in the manufacture of the mats leaves them very slippery! Taking the mat outside onto a gravel driveway & repeatedly "roughing up" both sides by dancing all over it corrected that safety hazard!...
@@zapa1pnt Thanks. And I have to laugh - you're one of the few with the obvious solution of using the blade guard more often. I'm a little slow sometimes, but apparently I'm not the only one. So consider yourself smarter than most of us. 😄
Thanks for letting me know you enjoy my videos. 😄I don't think a foot switch would help my lapses in attention, although it's an interesting idea just in theory. It wouldn't work for the SawStop, at least not between the saw and the outlet because the SawStop has two switches - one that turns on the saw (in other words, turns on the electronics), and one that starts and stops the blade. But it could work for other saws, and other devices. But since I don't see anyone using a foot switch for anything, my initial reaction is to let someone else try it first. 😛Thanks again for the comment. 😄
@@TheNewbieWoodworker I tried it. Big drawback = stability on your feet. If you use one foot to operate the foot switch, you are putting most of your weight on the other foot. Not stable. I'm sure a foot switch would work great for sitting position, but there are very few of these in the woodworking shop. I wish I had the $$ for a SawStop. BTW, a Physical Therapist friend told me most of the shop injuries he sees are from table saws.
@@olaf06x58 Thanks for trying it out! Interesting results. There are switches that are much flatter, but I think the problems would still be there. It doesn't surprise me about what the PT said.
Great idea. I have been startled more then once when my wife enter the shop while I was using the table saw. I think I will ask her to wait as well. Thanks.
The table saw sides have gathered more items since you made that video! Seriously last week I thought about you when I was getting ready to rip a length of poplar. Your message sunk in and cleared the sides,and no pencils were destroyed while using the table saw thanks to you.😁🛫
@@TheFalconJetDriver I swear someone goes around and leaves stuff when I'm not there. My wife, however, can vouch for the fact that I leave crap lying around all over the house, so I guess it must be me. 🙄😂
Thanks for another good video, Dan. I don’t get people that are so bright and smart to call other’s ‘stupid.’ If ‘stupid’ or doing something ‘stupid’ was a legitimate reason to not do something, there’d be at least 80% less cars on the road. And that is not to mention everyone is stupid more than once in their life, and most throughout their lives. Why start a new trade or career? You’re new, so you are ‘stupid’ in the new field. That’s why there are apprenticeship programs: to teach people how to do things so they’re not ‘stupid.’ You could be a home owner for many years and want to fix something you’ve never done before: you a rookie, or as some people throw out there, you’re ‘stupid’. And so on…
come on man!!! You're not a newbie at all!!! I'm sure you are a spy-engineer infiltrated in the woodwork world just to give awesome ideas for dumb people like me kkkkk! You are the best! always liking your videos.
thankfully, I don't have ADD. I suspect that when one uses a Sawstop they probably lose a little bit of caution, knowing the technology will save your finger. I use an older Craftsman table saw (unfortunately) and I am over the TOP cautious....because I know the only "safety feature"....is my brain. That said, it's natural for humans to get comfortable in any endeavor when they do it repeatedly many times per day.....so that leads to less cautious behavior which leads to accidents. I just piddle a bit in my garage now, but once I get more space....I'll get a Sawstop as well...just for the extra protection.
I think everything you said is spot-on. Safety technology does indeed make us more complacent, even if we don't have ADD. And again, repetition certainly does the same thing, or at least puts us in a slight daze. Good luck getting more space, and thanks for the comment! 😄
Well its a motor and 2 things can happen with it either you apply power to it and it spins, or you spin it and it creates power just like a turbine. One thing is constant thought that when the blade is spinning there is voltage on the motor power lines. Add a simple voltage detector to the line that has adjustable settings with a POT (Thing to spin to set voltage threshold before triggering relay). If blade is spinning then either there is electricity being applied to motor and will trip voltage detector and relay will turn red light on, or motor is still spinning and creating voltage and will do the same thing. Very simple circuit! Whats even cooler is that you can make it non contact if you want and you are just detecting the electromagnetic interference on the line.. Like those handheld voltage detectors for testing if wires are live electricians use
That would probably work for any non-SawStop saw... the lights on the SawStop mean lots of different things, though, so for the SS, it’s useful to actually detect the lights.
@@steve_main That's probably true for a non SawStop, but when it comes to something with safety technology, the lights serve a lot of important features. Don't knock 'em until you've tried 'em. 😉
@@TheNewbieWoodworker Sorry I thought the point of a stupid stick was to just show if blade is still spinning . If you wanted more advanced features to show that the saw stop provides this method for sure would not work.
Thanks, Huw, and LOL. Thumbs down are par for the course. I don't even pay much attention to them, other than the very few times I got an excessive amount of them. I mean, my joke video about how to fix a clogged blast gate (czcams.com/video/ZjzN45k6Dq0/video.html) got an excessive number of thumbs down, and I can't imagine why. If it was a Zack King video, people would have loved it! But other than that, I just ignore them. 😄
An alternate would be to mount a friction generator to either the arbor or to the belt depending on the design of your saw. This would create the signal. There are even some photo tachometers that could be used to generate the signal. You then use a programmable board such as PIC, Arduino, or even Pi to read the signal and light the red light as long as the blade is moving, and switch to green once the blade has stopped. a quick Google search came up with several circuits that could do the job even if you do not have a Saw Stop. I do not know how they would work with Saw Stop specifically do to it's own safety circuit, and design, as despite being a fan of the concept, I can not afford one. As for my opinion of Saw Stop as a brand: WONDERFUL PRODUCT that I am a firm believer in, but highly questionable business practices. I recall a fundraising campaign that promised to bring the technology to other types of saw such as miter saws, and they claimed to hope to also expand to band saws... all that ever came of it was increasing the table saw product range. They also became highly litigious of any brand that attempted to reverse engineered a similar product, while at the same time running a campaign to get a federal law passed that would require a saw stopping device on any table saw manufactured, thus ensuring that they held a monopoly on the technology that would be required of all manufactures to use. Still it is a wonderful technology that has saved many people now from serious injury.
Thanks for your comment! Other people have suggested similar ideas for using programmable boards. But for me, this is good enough. As for SawStop's litigiousness, they have to protect their patents. But here's the thing: When the inventor first came up with the technology, he tried to get saw manufacturers to license the technology, and nobody would do it. So he started his own company. So I don't really blame them at all. Not that I'm being a SawStop fanboy - it's just that it serves them right! 😂OK yes, maybe I *am* a fanboy. 😏
You have it wrong. First of all, there is a patent for the brake - BTW Steve Gass, the inventor, is a patent attorney. Do you blame the guy for protecting the patent? Starting in 2000, Gass went to all of the manufacturers of table saws to try to license the brake to them for their saws. A number of issues ensued. First, all of the manufacturers essentially said, "we don't think our customers would spend extra money for that, but lets try to hammer out a deal." Negotiations dragged on for 2 years, and were ultimately unsuccessful as the manufacturers appeared to not be dealing in good faith. Gass decided to manufacture a saw himself, and 2 years later (2004,) went into production. Then the fun began. At least two other companies, namely Ryobi and Bosch tried to copy the idea, when SawStop became successful. I guess maybe it was a good idea after all? Gass (again a patent attorney) sued to protect his patent. The court agreed with him and his patent was upheld. So what's the problem? This was just another example of someone who had a great idea, and everyone laughed. Then when it proved successful, everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon. To quote Bruce Hornsby, "the first to laugh is the last to know." Tesla is another example. All the legacy car companies said, "this will never work," and ignored it. Now they're all scrambling to copy what Tesla did - unsuccessfully.
I wonder if some kind of auto feed, like used on a thicknesser could be designed to work on a table saw? It seems to me keeping hands completely away from the blade is the best solution for all of us.
Work in a dedicated space. Keep doors locked and keep customers, friends and family out of the shop when working. Nothing is more dangerous than someone wandering in while your running power tools.
Hey Dan I enjoyed the video I was wondering if you removed the blade guard for clarity as I can't remember the last time I saw a table saw with the blade guard installed on tv or on you tube. I survived cutting a large unstable panel on my table saw without an injury. Stupid and very lucky as there could have been kickback or any other multitude of problems. I guess the rules should apply slow down and take your time and if you are tired leave it for another day. Stay safe folks!
Thanks. I removed my blade guard because I can't use it with my sleds, and I use my sleds a lot. But it's not *that* hard to remove it, so maybe I should rethink the subject. Thanks for making me think about it!
The framing nailer I’ve owned for 20+ years is the kind that “bump fires”. It bumped and fired into the end of my right femur just missing my kneecap......3” framing nail.... 2” of which entered my bone..... just got complacent.
Oh and why go you remove the top saw guard when you make cut through cuts, if you do grooves or dados then yes, but after that put it back on so you can’t physically touch the blade
It's a valid point others have mentioned also. The issue is that I use my cross-cut sleds a lot, and I'd have to remove it for them. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't at least try and see how much work it is to use it. Thanks for the comment!
That was my first thought, but it'd be clogged with sawdust in no time. Hence I thought that moving away and monitoring the spindle motor would be better
@@TheFalconJetDriver That's funny but it's no joke (and you've probably experienced something like this before but I have to say it anyway). Eons ago I was working with a PC, adding a couple of expansion boards. When I plugged it in and turned it on, it literally started to smoke. Obviously I yanked the plug quickly, but the motherboard was a total loss of course. But all I could do was laugh, especially when the smell hit me. (I can't remember exactly what I did wrong, but I think I scratched the board, or did something with one of those pieces of metal that cover up unused slots.) Anyway, good times. 😛
Thanks. I said lots of bad words. 😄I don't know, about the router bit. It certainly couldn't work like the SawStop brake does, because it would take up too much space and be too heavy. But my hope is that tool manufacturers will see that there are plenty of people who are willing to pay more for safer tools, and give us more options.
The easiest way to keep your fingers, etc away from a spinning blade is to leave the blade guard on! I always have my blade guard on! Except when doing non-through cuts, of coarse.
I'm surpised the blade brake is so poor. I've seen cheapy mitre saws with better stopping times. I personally wouldn't relyon the light sensors, I would have the arduino detect the current drawn by the saw itself, like the auto vacuum cleaner kits you get.
one thing I do is to envision how I'm going to move the board across the saw, and where my hands will be from the moment I turn the saw on until I turn out the lights...okay, until the blade stops spinning. A second item of consideration...my shop is small, cluttered, messy and dangerous. Where my FEET will be is another one of my key considerations at every moment. (My basement is a certified OSHA violation!) If my mental gymnastics reveals that I have to step over something to complete the cut...I stop what I'm doing, and re-arrange things so that doesn't happen.
Yeah, that can be dangerous. I think your first priority should be to start making shelves, cabinets and drawers so you can get some of that stuff out from under your feet. And if you're anything like me, you should finish in about... wait, what is this word "finish"? 😄
Modesty has found it way into woodworking. Thank you, Dan.
Thanks! It's not immodest to say thanks, right? 😛
GREAT video Dan. First, thanks for being honest about ADD AND taking on the challenges to stay a SAFE and still be a woodworker.
Thanks! 😄
I came for the woodwork, I stayed for the ADD. I'm recently diagnosed and now medicated. It's made my woodworking a much less frustrating experience. Keep up the good work mate. Cheers from Australia.
Thanks! Glad to hear you got diagnosed and meds. Also, learn as much as you can about ADD - for one thing, that helped me be a lot kinder to myself. 😄Have fun!
As someone else with ADD who is a maker (metal, cars, renovation, woodworking, programming...almost anything) your attitude is the healthiest I've seen. Good work. I'm sharing this with others.
Thanks! That means a lot! 😄
The way they described safety around the table saw when I took the class is not to go near the blade until you can count the teeth - pretty hard to do when it's moving. Glad you found a useful solution & those other folks need to be nicer. Thanks for sharing!
That's an interesting idea. Not necessarily counting the teeth, because I wouldn't do that for very long, but perhaps painting a spot next to every 5 or 10 teeth, and waiting until I can see the spot. Thanks for the idea!
As a fellow ADD woodworker, I share your viewpoint and nothing short losing my right arm is going to stop me from doing what I love.
Thanks! I hope it doesn't come to that. 😂😳
The greatest piece of advice I’ve gotten for woodworking (or life for that matter): “When in doubt, don’t!”
I thought I replied to this, but perhaps not. Anyway, I agree 100%!
This is something i teach the scouts when working with power tools. it is easy to get distracted in a shop. thank you for the great video.
Thanks, and thank you for teaching it! 😄
I loved the video. Please keep them coming. I’m ADD too and I still have all ten digits so don’t let anyone tell you you should stop.
Thanks, and LOL. I'll keep pointing my finger at people and saying "you don't know what it's like", as long as I still have a finger to point. 😛
I like you, and I like your self awareness. Keep on keeping on.
Thanks! I appreciate it! 😄
That SawStop Light is also great for people like me who are dealing with hearing impairment or even total hearing loss. Prior to this video, I didn't even know that FB group even existed, much less that light. I just joined the group and DL'ed the plans. This will be getting made very soon. Thanks for sharing!!!!!
Thanks, and that's awesome! I'm glad I could help. 😄
I like to practice my motions a few times before actually making the cut. Sometimes I just do it mentally, but when possible I actually do a dry run with the tool off; essentially rehearsing where my hands, eyes and body will be through the entire activity. Often this simple step will reveal potential pitfalls.
For example, before ripping a long board on the table saw you may find your outfeed blocked, or too much drag. You may find that you need to add support on the infeed to maintain control, or that you need to move a featherboard.
This step also builds some muscle memory, so even if you get temporarily distracted you may find you still do everything the way you rehearsed.
Finally, just the act of taking time to rehearse keeps safety at the front of your mind. Constantly reminding yourself of the danger involved really helps maintain focus... So even pantomiming your actions or running them through in your head can be enough.
Thanks for the great comment. I actually do practice my cuts when I have large or long pieces, checking to make sure I have enough room, or if I need additional support as you mentioned. And I think your suggestions is great, and I hope a lot of people take your advice. For me, I know I just won't do it all the time. It's hard to describe how my mind works, but I know it won't take long before I just stop doing it. Even I can't fathom me sometimes. 🙄But like I said, great advice, and I hope others give it a try! Thanks again. 😄
Thanks! That is great advice.
Very helpful! Thank you! And remember, if a thrill seeker looses a limb in an accident, spends months in rehab, then goes right back to their dangerous sport in spite of the new disability: This is an inspirational story. Now if a woodworker with ADD gets a tiny cut on his finger: People tell you it's time to quit your all-too-dangerous passion. Please ignore the noise and keep coming up with helpful safety tips like this that *everyone,* including those without any disabilities, can benefit from. (Did you know that the technology that makes segways possible was developed for the disabled?)
Thanks! And no, I didn't know that. 😄
ADD should not stop you from doing what you love. Great video.
Thanks! 😄
I'd say that those who can't comment on your videos without being rude should get rid of their computers.
As a fellow newbie woodworker with ADD, I appreciate what you do...and the fact you (also) think the risks are worth it.
From personal experience, the single best thing I've found to stay focused is SQUIRREL!!!
😂Thanks! I appreciate it! 😄
1) Do not use the saw, or other tool, for a "long session of repetitive actions" - you get complacent. I catch myself doing this now and then ( for example, batching out parts to something... like drawers, scares me awake...). They have those signs on the road to "Take a break, Stay awake" ... same sort of thing applies.
2) Do NOT use tools when you are tired
3) NEVER RUSH...
4) Avoid any motions which will cross your hands OVER the blade... moving right hand across to your left to grad something, like a push stick....Or reaching OVER the blade to grab the piece of stock
After far too many years, I just built an outfeed table because I realized I was doing just that with short stock, or I was pushing on my push sticks in a way that if the work piece slipped my hand was headed for the blade...so after the event noted in Item #5, I said, this is stupid, build yourself one of those and save your hands! So I did...Everyone should....and a thousand things just like this,
...finally building a cross cut sled too...I like my fingers.
5) Avoid distractions - somebody just said this, but here is a real life example ... I cut my hand with a hand saw ( 5 stitches actually) because I was tired and rushing ... and then I noticed that I was being dangerous and got distracted by that and nailed the hand not holding the saw as I was moving it away from being in a dangerous spot.... I focused on the hand and NOT the saw "for just a second"... GOTCHA... though it has been pointed out that I was only using the proper tool for cutting of one's hand...it being a "hand saw" ... but the 5 stitch cut was only from TWO TEETH actually touching my hand... and only just....a table saw will not be so delicate in its consuming of your hand ( 3500+ RPM x 24 to 100 teeth... do the math)
Mind you this is a saw I have had for over 30 years, and use regularly and in all sorts of situations and with left or right hand as the situation requires ( like on a ladder), it's just a Stanley " Short Cut" saw ( with the " New Aggressive Shark Tooth design" !... they weren't kidding), and I'm not a newbie to this game... I was just 1) tired, 2) rushing, 3) got distracted..... I should note that I was using the hand saw because the cut would have been exceptionally dangerous on the table saw... so I wasn't being entirely stupid....only just enough....complacency is also your enemy
Be Safe out there.....and if you think that you are....check again......it only takes " 1 second" to really mess up your life and the lives of those around you you care about.
Thanks for the great tips, and you're absolutely correct - it only takes a second for your life to change.
Found this video because Jay Bates shared it. Pretty cool idea and end result!
Jay Bayes shared it? Way cool, thanks for telling me! 😄
@@TheNewbieWoodworker Yes, it was in his email that he sends out entitled "Interesting things from around the web". Congrats! You've arrived!
@@davidgagnon2849 LOL. Thanks! I think he mentioned one of my other videos once, or else it was someone like him. But it certainly is nice when that happens. 😄
@@TheNewbieWoodworker jayscustomcreations.com/2019/10/interesting-stuff-from-around-the-web-258-october-12-2019/
@@davidgagnon2849 Thanks for the link, David. I left a comment thanking Jay for his mention. 😄
Such a great teacher! The way you break things down is very effective. Your honesty and passion mixed with your knowledge = brilliance! Your editing skills are quite extraordinary as well; As a fellow ADD-er, I applaud your efforts. Many people overlook the added struggle that distraction-prone individuals have to work through.
Thanks! A lot of nice things in there, and I appreciate it. 😄
Thank you for sharing your struggles with all of us. I'm so glad you found a solution that works for you. I've learned a lot from your channel and appreciate you taking the time and effort to share with us.
Thanks! That means a lot! 😄
My father taught me that the most important safety device is the one between your ears. Probably the most important woodworking related lesson I've ever learned. Also, having four kids of my own, and a basement workshop, I have to constantly consider their safety when I'm using power tools and when I'm done with them. Things like removing keys and unplugging tools when I walk away. It only takes a couple of seconds to unplug and then plug in again the next time but it well worth it to ensure my kids are safe. Also making sure they know that the shop space is off-limits when the saws are running, that way they don't get hit with anything if I happened to have something kick back despite using a riving knife. Hope this helps someone.
Thanks - great stuff! 😄
Neat solution! Distractions are serious things... Each of us deal with it in our own way! :) Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks, Alipasha! And very true, too. 😄
I like the light it’s a great idea. I once wasn’t paying attention to direction of rotation and put a piece of wood to my router table and it shot across the room. I’m so glad I was alone and wasn’t in the way because it hit hard enough to embed in the wall
I've done that with the router table before - it's like a canon! Or perhaps a pitching machine. 😮
Thank you for the great video. I have years of experience and still have to remind myself daily to be safe. I may have to get one of those "If it isn't safe don't do it." Thanks again
Thanks! 😄
Make Sure That NO One walks in while you are using any tool, all tools can be dangerous! While using a belt sander my wife walked in to say dinner is ready my hand slipped resulting resulting in the most serious injury in 30+ years of woodworking a slightly mangled thumb!
Looking forward to more of your videos.
Ouch! And yes, you're right. Sudden interruptions, or really, interruptions of any kind are dangerous. Thanks for sharing.
Your videos are entertaining *and* informative. Thanks for taking the time to make them!
Thanks! I appreciate it! 😄
I’ve thought about putting a lock on the garage door to keep my family from coming in while I’m in the middle of a cut. Of course if I’m ever injured, this would not be wise. So, I’m thinking about a remote green light I turn on for when the coast is clear. Very similar to the old dark rooms for film/photo development.
I like that idea - the light, not locking the family out, although I can see the merit of that too sometimes. 😉
As a disabled wood worker (only have use of right hand, left side mostly parallelized) table saw safety is my number one priority. Dan I could not agree with you more that table saw set up is number one. I do have a splinter and always feel a sigh of relief when the wood enters well into the splinter. I never and I mean never reach to move or remove any material until the blade stops moving. My life would irreversibly change as a result of a table saw accident to my one remaining functioning hand. I suppose in a way I'm am able to concentrate on where my hand and fingers are 100% of the time. I never cut anything without insuring material is supported going in as well as out. I watch hundreds of videos where wood workers rip wood, leave the saw running, push the cut through and rip again. For me it's one cut, turn saw off, remove wood, place material in place and turn saw on and repeat. It takes twice as long, but it's much safer for me. I do use appropriate push sticks, feather boards when possible, sleds and taper sleds as well. I've been in this condition for 40 plus years so safety in the shop is second nature. If you get some time check out some ideas I've been tinkering with on my CZcams site Working Hand Wood Works. Chazz
Thanks for the comment, Chazz! I can't imagine what life is like with only having the use of one hand, but it sounds like you're doing quite well, and I think that's awesome. I checked out your Radial Arm Router and it's really cool. Have you built it yet?
Not yet, too many summer projects, but it is next on my list. I did finish the miter station and went a different route on the shelving. I forgot to mention how much I enjoy your videos. Chazz
@@workinghand5768 Thanks! And I totally get the "too many projects" thing. I have a list of projects to do a mile long, and it only gets longer. But it beats being bored, I guess. 😄
I like how you sound so friendly. And I bet you probably are.
Thanks! What a nice thing to say. 😄
Yeah, you got MY attention with the manikin finger-ectomy! A sign that says 'CAUTION: This Machine Has No Brain, Use Your Own' posted in my shop is one way I try to stay focused and, more importantly, remind myself that amputation is always just a millisecond away anytime a power tool is running. I often say "any part of you that touches a spinning blade, you AIN'T gettin' back!" too. Thanks for an entertaining safety video Dan! Best, Matt
Thanks, Matt! And I have that teenage boy sense of accomplishment knowing the finger thing got you. 😄
My wife walked through as I was watching this so I ran it back so she could see "Band Camp" through the dog swiping the bread. Hoping it helps her understand the dangers of distracting me when I'm making ammunition and woodworking. Not having a SawStop (yet) I just wait until the blade is still and force myself to not move my hands in that direction until I can see that the teeth have stopped.
@@David-hm9ic LOL, glad it helped your wife understand better. And good for you for waiting until the blade stops! 😄
I’m with you and I use now mostly hand tools. Totally save? Now I build a shooting board and the first time I put my thumb in the way. But now, I have some power tools but use them only with my wife around. Keep on buddy you our good
Thanks, and LOL. If I had the patience, I'd love to build things with hand tools. The amount of pride I'm sure you take in your work would make it totally worth it.
@@TheNewbieWoodworker Many things are faster with (properly sharpened) hand tools. I often cross cut by hand instead of going over to the bandsaw . It's also quieter and makes less dust.
Well my workshop is in my bedroom and I have no sawdust or shavings in my bed. I’m building at the moment my workbench and she is nearing completion. She is also on wheels
@@paeppchen3970 Awesome!
Thanks for another great video. You have reminded me of the time I was using my router table with a straight cut but installed. Having pressed the off switch, for some inexplicable reason I decided to stop the spinning cutter with my bare finger 😳....... Its really amazing how the cutter just doesn't stop because your finger is there 😭 who would have thought eh? 🤔
Love the stupid stop idea too.
I haven't actually done that before, but I could see it happening. Especially when using a router with a router table - the smoothness of operation makes it easy to forget how sharp it is. Sorry for your injury, and if you haven't seen it already, here's my router accident: czcams.com/video/BJmdSgWeaas/video.html
Don't be distracted by cut-off scraps. People feel compelled to reach and push small cut-off pieces away from the blade while it's still spinning. This distraction can lead to a dangerous situation. Let the cut-offs lie until you've turned you saw off and the blade has come to a full stop. In woodworking, patience is a 'safe' virtue.
Great advice - thanks! 😄
It’s not stupid I also have ADD and it’s not something that you can’t help. I enjoy your videos.
Thanks, and of course I agree. It's really hard to make people who don't have ADD understand that we can't "just try harder". The irony is that the people who call it stupid and refuse to learn the facts are actually the stupid ones, or at least wilfully ignorant.
Lol I hear ya buddy. Keep what your doing.
@@jmcreations2220 👍
Also severely ADHD, also a woodworker (and maker of all sorts), also not quitting. My biggest disaster wasn't during woodworking, it was... baking. I made cakes ahead of my youngest son's birthday and froze them, and then thawed them overnight in the fridge the night before. Well, when I went to trim the tops it became clear they were NOT fully thawed. The knife I was using to trim the top was sticking in the middle of the cake top. I should have addressed the not-thawed issue, waited a bit, maybe stuck it in the microwave. Instead, I forced the blade... and it wound up deep in my left index finger, needing stitches.
But it's still instructive: never, ever, ever force a blade. Pause and actually fix what's making the blade stick.
Also, that was before I was medicated. ADHD medication helps with the _impatience_ part profoundly, because I'm not constantly worried that I'm going to lose my train of thought mid-project and abandon it like so many others. If you have ADHD and you think medication might help but you haven't explored it, consider it in part an investment in your safety. I'm able to keep track of blades, limbs, safety features and processes, and what I was doing in general SO MUCH BETTER now.
Thanks for sharing! One comment you made stuck home: "constantly worried that I'm going to lose my train of thought". To me, this is the single biggest reason for so many of my ADD-related behaviors, and yes, medication does really help.
This was a really cool video on many levels. Tanks for sharing.
Thanks! I appreciate it! 😄
I don't have a You Tube channel so I doubt I'll ever own a Saw Stop But me and the table saw (Craftsman) have never had a problem since I was about 15. But we all feel stupid from time to time and laughing at our selves is good medicine. SQUIRREL! Thumbs up Dan! Well that is only half right because back in '81 I lost about a quarter inch of my thumb when my glove got caught in a band saw between the blade and the wheel. After that the company built a guard for the saw. It was a metal cutting band saw so it was a slow motion accident since the blade runs a lot slower on a metal saw. Once the wheel had my glove it pulled my thumb with it. Did you know it is possible to yank your hand so hard you can pull off the end of your thumb? It only bothers me when I bowl. My ball release has never been the same. Keep on building!
Thanks for the great comment, Tim! Lot's of good-natured humor in it - my kind of humor. Regarding SQUIRREL, and I'm sure you've seen it before, but just in case: bit.ly/2n7Zup5. And man do you paint a good (bad?) picture about your accident. *shudder* 😮Thanks again for making me smile. 😄
A while ago I was a little tired one late night, my push stick hit the blade on the back and shot it back at a supersonic speed.
It made a big dent in the wall 40 feet behind me.
Someone had just told me, don't stand right behind the blade.
Glad he did.
I've had similar experiences, so I know what you mean. I'll bet that got your heart pumping! Glad you're OK, and glad you listened to that advice. 😄
I can tell from your energy, you must have several dozens of dad jokes!! Keep it up!💪🏻😂
LOL thanks. And you're right about the jokes! 😄
FYI - I don't know if someone already said this but next time you have to solder into something like the four pin socket, put solder into the pins first solder your wire then all you have to do is heat the socket and slip the wire in. Its always easier to solder stuff together if you pre solder the wires and pins and use solder with flux in it.
Nope, nobody mentioned it. Thanks for the tip! I'll try that next time. 😄
I hope the lights work for you. I don't get distracted in the middle of cuts. But boy do I get side tracked easily. I'll spend all evening in the shop and not even start on the task that i planned and thought about all day.
Thanks, and oh my gosh - that's the story of my life. Sometimes I'll stop and think "how did I get here?" 😄
I am a firm believer in using the blade guard. With it in place, I have never come close to a spinning blade. Mine has the added benefit of anti-kickback pawls. I hear a lot of excuses for not using a blade guard. My advise is to get over it and start using yours.
Hard to argue with you.
I totally agree. With the exception of grooves and dados, there is no reason to have the blade guard off. Having that in place will help you avoid the blade physically and mentally.
I always have my blade guard on! Except when doing non through cuts, of coarse.
@@PMichaels The big issue for me is that I have to remove it when I use my sleds, which I do all the time. But I honestly haven't tried it enough to know if that's a big deal or not. I'll have to check it out.
@@timdyesr See my other reply. 🙂
Probably one other good reminder is if it doesn't feel right don't do it, if you feel the cut is getting more tension as you move it just stop and either reset or find another way to do it. I have been lucky and haven't had anything serious happen but I do like to do a dry run if I can and try and pay attention. I bought a saw stop because my son is high functioning autistic and does get distracted, I have not so far let him try the saw and I usually do not keep it set up and plugged in (rolling contractor unit) to purposely avoid these issues. I also have a remote on a key chain for my chop saw, my band saw is not plugged in and my other tools are on rolling carts that get plugged in during use. I also bought the saw stop because I have become attached to my fingers as well lol
Thanks for the comment! 😄
Just found your channel. I really appreciate your videos, thank you!
Thanks, and you're quite welcome! 😄
It's great that bring up these issues. Thanks a lot!
Thanks, and you're welcome! 😄
Just found you through your video on the SawStop saving your thumb. Thanks for the great content. Cheers from a fellow So-Cal resident eager to start a woodworking hobby.
Awesome - glad to have you on board. Whereabouts in So Cal do you live?
I don't have any more distractions but can offer a couple pieces of advice. First before running the wood through the saw, count your fingers. This ensures you have visually looked at each finger and where its placed. The other is my girlfriend was told never to walk up behind me while I am working. IF she wants my attention she is to flick the light off and back on quickly.
Great tips, and my wife does that too. Thanks! 😄
I read that playing music while working in the shop will distract the brain's areas that the ADD causes problems. I know it would depend on the music. I am easily distracted as well, especially when doing repetitive cuts. I find the music helps a lot. Good luck and stay safe.
That's a great comment, thanks for it! For me, it depends on the music. And I want to be able to hear the tools if something goes wrong. But, I have an app that generates a bunch of different white-noise types of sounds, and I wonder if that might help, as long as I kept the volume reasonable. Thanks for the idea! 😄
@@TheNewbieWoodworker Same here. If I keep the music more mellow like ballads or classic country, it's just background and doesn't distract me. However one time I cranked up some hard rock and actually found myself getting very agitated - which led to mistakes. So soft and mellow it is.
I'm not sure how this would work with ADD, but a music player program that would randomly insert short reminder ("Pay attention!") phrases into the song being played might ("Watch your fingers!") be something that could keep you on your ("Focus!") toes.... 😎
@@JusBidniss Or drive me crazy... 😮😛
Certainly having all your digits is most important, but after spending for a new SawSTop cartridge and likely a new blade, I'd start paying more attention to. Thanks for the video and reminder.
LOL. You'd think, right? Fortunately, they'll replace the brake cartridge for free if the on-board computer tells them the activation was due to contact with flesh. But yeah, blades don't grow on trees. 😄
@@TheNewbieWoodworker I didn't know they'd replace positive stops. And if blades did grow on trees, that would define irony, wouldn't it. :)
@@zavoina Yeah, definitely irony. And I'm sure there's other jokes in there somewhere, too. 😄
@@TheNewbieWoodworker I wonder if they have a limit on how many they will send you. 😉
@@dougprentice1363 LOL. I know they'll send at least two, but yeah, at some point they'd start to wonder, wouldn't they? 😂
Love the stupid stop
I was looking at it just yesterday, thinking about how well it's worked over the years. Definitely happy with it, for sure.
@@TheNewbieWoodworker I’m really glad it’s holding up!
I am a dangerous shop outfeed table clutterer and thinking while cutting about the next step. Oh yeah and not following the rules cutting short stock on the outside. I have the fat scar to prove it. I have never come close to putting my finger on the table saw blade but I have had two notorious incidents on the band saw. The distraction was rushing because my baby daughter was napping and I was afraid she had woken up..it was a long time ago since she just graduated college. She has stopped the naps. I was cutting hexagons...many, many hexagons and accidentally cut the tip of my thumb slightly.. You and I have discussed this before when you triggered your saw stop. I stop myself and remind myself I am not on any time crunch. Do not rush for a no rush thing. I uncluttered and have stopped using my outfeed table over the assembly table I made. All your points were great. The cut outs to the funny scenes were extremely well done and very funny very nice effort.
Thanks, Bob, and I enjoyed every word of your comment. Thanks! 😄
Can use the motion sensor from a printer possibly with the arduino instead of relying on the LEDs from the StopSaw
That would be cool! 😄
Fellow ADHDer - thanks for this :)
Yep! And you're welcome.
I put on ear protection and leave it on. It helps to focus my attention on what I am doing.
Good idea. Thanks! 😄
This seems quite obvious, but in your specific case, a blade guard would save your fingers. We all have our excuses for not using it, but in your case I think the blade guard is mandatory. There are actually very few situations where the blade guard gets in the way of a cut and you actually need to remove it. I just have a delta contractor saw, and it’s blade guard is quite nice, so I’m sure the saw stop one is fantastic. Keep your fingers, and save some money on those breaks. Use the blade guard!
I'm leaning on agreeing with you, but I have to disagree with one thing you said: when you say there are very few situations where the blade guard gets in the way, it's just not true for those of us who use cross-cut sleds all the time. In fact, it's quite the opposite. But like I said, it may still be worth the effort.
i think its important to have a healthy fear of a table saw and avoiding becoming complacent, easier said than done.. once you are complacent is when the accident usually happens. I like to watch and read a lot of facebook groups where unfortunately people have accidents and often share them. Seeing other peoples accidents is a great reminder for me and helps me keep that healthy fear of the saw in my mind. My day job is often 4-6 hours behind a table saw and its very difficult to avoid getting tooo comfortable, and Im not even on a sawstop. I do think shops with saw stops bread a user whom doesn't possess this healthy fear i speak of, and why would they. All the shops I know of with saw stops have far more accidents than the shops i know of without, that could be a number of reasons.. but i do speculate its often just from people using a tool without the healthy fear of it and overall complacency. as far as mistakes, mistakes never stop being made.. you just get better at covering them up and/or not getting too upset.. its only wood
Thanks, Dave, and I love your last comment - I'd just add that yes, it's only wood, except when it's flesh! 😛But yeah, I agree with your comment about SawStops. It's only natural that when the consequences become less dire, people become more complacent. It may actually be one of the reasons for me touching my blade a couple of times. I mean, I cut my thumb pretty badly 10 years ago or so on a table saw (fortunately it was just a chunk of meat and it grew back), and although I hadn't used the table saw much since then until I started back up a couple of years ago, I never touched the blade again. Until I got a SawStop. I'm not sure the evidence is exactly scientific, but it's certainly a good possibility! Still, I'd rather have the SawStop than not, of course. 😄Thanks again for your comment. 🙂
I agree. I also drive around without my seat belt fastened because it just makes me complacent. I had a driver's seat installed on the front bumper of my car so I could make sure to fear driving. Crumple zones? Bah humbug! I also run up and down stairs without holding on to the hand rail. There are all manner of things that I could do to protect myself, but then I wouldn't fear things so much. Who wants that?
@@rlevitta 😂
An idea I have been thinking about is buying red vinyl letters maybe 3 inch tall that spell LOOK! and place them on the side of my RIP fence. Maybe that little reminder will help me look instead of relying on sound of the saw.
Good idea, and anything that works is good! For me, things like that just end up blending into the background. But anything's worth a shot. I like what one commenter said - don't come near the blade until you can count the teeth. Not that I'd count more than two or three, but that would be enough, right?
Great vid.. Including the entertainment.. 😮😊
Thanks! And especially thank you for mentioning the entertainment. You're the first one to say that specifically, although I'm sure it's implied in some of the other comments, but still, it's nice you said something. 😄
Great video! I think the most dangerous cuts for me are repetitive cuts, same piece over and over.
I agree - same thing over and over again, and my mind is off to the races. Thanks for the comment! 😄
There is a reason why carpenters use flat pencils, they don't roll. Grab an old 2x4, use it to push into the saw blade to slow it down to a stop quick.
I was 18, trimming out a new home, my dad left for a while, and I was cutting corner trim and baseboards. I held the wrong end of a quarter round trim while using a chop saw (miter saw) and of course, holding two inches of material naturally didn't work, it took out the tip of my left middle finger! Fortunately, it didn't take a bone with it, so the skin and muscle grew back.
Good idea about the flat pencils - I hadn't thought about that aspect of them before. Thanks for sharing! 😄
Why can't saw manufactures install a blade brake? On my table saw, it takes too long for the blade to come to a stop. I would like it to stop within 2 or 3 seconds. Is that unreasonable?
That's a good question, and I don't know the answer. But you'd think it couldn't be too hard...
Exactly right. The blade should stop sooner. Why train our eyes/brains to watch the light and not the spinning blade?
It wouldn’t be too hard to build one in. An electromagnet could be connected to the status light signal and activate while it’s flashing. It would sit right off the blade (under the table obviously) and a strong enough magnet wouldn’t have to actually touch the blade to stop it.
My Grizzly G0513X2BF 17 inch Band saw has an electro mechanical and dynamic brake.
It stops the blade in less than seconds.
I think it may have something to do with the type of motor used on table saws Steve. I don't know how the saw stop works, but it will brake the saw either mechanically or electromagnetically and that seems to be ok. The nik on Dan's thumb seems to indicate it works fine, although harsh braking like that will kill the saw prematurely.
Dont trust push sticks, they can throw the wood of course while cutting a small block of wood maybe 6" with a thin piece screwed to back away from proximity of blade would help.
Thanks for the info.
What a awesome idea. I tend to never remove my eyes from saw blade (not sayin I always do) I actually think it would easier on a cabinet saw you only need “ on and off “. If I give it a go I’ll report back. Awesome information!! Take Care.
Cool! Thanks. 😄
Great video. I really enjoy and appreciate your openness. I love my SawStop but I did "engage" with the blade. Unfortunately, it was more than a nick, but if not for this saw I would have lost my finger. That was more stupid than short attention (which I am gifted with). I'm going to look into the plans for this. Wonder if it won't work with the job site saw. Keep the videos coming.
Thanks! And I don't see any reason it wouldn't work with the JobSite saw, except figuring out where to mount the light.
nice video editing
Another dangerous tool is a bandsaw. Some saws have brakes, either automatic or foot operated. Some don't. You can still get injured if not paying attention. Circular Saws are another. People go way out of their way to Not use the blade guard to do something in a hurry. Lathes can be very dangerous if the stock is not locked down securely and the tailstock engaged when possible. Excessive speed on a lathe is another very dangerous situation. I think the most distracting item is other human beings. I know this is a touchy subject but well worth mentioning.
Touchy, maybe, but you make some great points. I'd add drill presses, because they hardly make any noise compared to other tools, so it's easy to forget they're running.
I have a sign in my garage saying ' if it's not safe, don't do it '
It is right where I can not stop seeing it so my mind is always staying focused
Perhaps something like this will help
Thanks, and I wish it would, but it would just blend into the background and I'd stop seeing it.
Nice 👌 you got soldering skills. I would need to practice first, before attempting what you did. I should break out my dad's very old metal soldering gun and practice🤔 (yup metal before they started making everything out of plastic) Excellent video👏🎬
Thanks! I don't personally feel like I have soldering skills, but I *am* proud that I got it done. 😄
That light stop/stupid stop is a great idea that Tom Johnson made, why didn't SawStop think of an idea like that, oh yer they did and put it in a place where you can't see the lights flashing.
You would think that a company who makes a safety saw like the SawStop, and charges alot of money for it, their engineers would think to put the lights somewhere else.
Dan i hope that you send this video to SawStop, and make them see how stupid they were.
Oh and a great video by the way Dan, and don't let stupid people put you off woodworking i am sure that they have done stupid things as well. Take Care.
Barry (ENG)
Thanks, Barry. I know for a fact that people from SawStop know about the video. Time will tell if they think it's a good idea or not. To be fair, though, they didn't design the lights to warn you about things during a cut, as much as to tell you when things went wrong.
@@TheNewbieWoodworker Hi Dan thanks for the reply, as for the lights suppose to tell when things go wrong? how the heck can you see them? it doesn't matter if it's to warn you or to tell you if something is wrong, you still can't see them from above? even you said that in the video.
Barry.
@@barryroberts6470 Hi Barry. Sorry for the belated reply, but as often happens, CZcams hid some comments from me until just now. Drives me crazy! Anyway, to answer your question, check out the manual here: www.sawstop.com/images/uploads/manuals/M_JSS_Pro_COMPRESSED_2.pdf. Go to page 45-46, and it shows the status light values. I think that hight explain them better than I can.
hey! I have that exact same soldering pen...radio shack? 😜
It's been a while since you posted. I hope you're doing well, Dan. Thanks and take care
LOL. I don't remember which one I used in the video, but yes, I definitely had a Radio Shack one. I miss Radio Shack. And thanks, yes, I'm doing well.
My father ran his thumb over his blade twice. once as he pushed the wood through and the second time when he pulled it back. luckily it was just a shallow cuts. I think it hurt worse explaining what happened to the ER staff.
LOL. Glad he was OK.
Where is blade guard on your table saw
That's a reasonable question. I'm rethinking my use, or lack thereof, of my blade guard.
Great point. None of the cuts you demonstrated in the video needed to be made without the blade guard. I need to be better about this too, I have mine off because I store my crosscut sled on the saw, but that isn't a very good excuse. I simply need to get back in the habit of installing the blade guard every time I use the saw. That and maybe it is time to find a new place to store the crosscut sled.....
@@davidbondi Hey David, why not make a different sled... one that lets you keep your blade guard on: czcams.com/video/cQINXsn2QBk/video.html 😄 (As you can tell, I did in fact rethink using the blade guard.)
I found this one really neat trick to avoid distractions that ... oh a squirrel
LOL. Yep, "Squirrel" sums it up best. 😄
Thank you for a great video! And as long as it works for you it is a great solution. However, I would advice people to pay attention to the blade, rather than to have a light distracting them from the blade.
Excellent point. The one good thing is that the light only blinks when the saw is turned off and spinning down, so it's not distracting at other times. At least, not to me. 😄
Interesting idea. I'm sure I could knock up something similar with a hall effect sensor and an Arduino. Movement and coils (think motor spindle) will create some magnetic fields that could be monitored.
See, I knew there were smart people out there. 😄
I built my automated blast gate system with an arduino using Hall effect sensor to detect current flow
If you measured the EMF off the motor with the Hall Effect that would work as well.
@@TheFalconJetDriver Well, if *someone* did that, it might work well, but not if *I* tried it. 😛
I think using a sensor to detect the motor spinning (possibly sensing the fan blade) along with a current sensor to tell when the motor is energized would be an approach for a lot of tools. It could activate the alarm only when the motor is spinning while it is not energized. I think an audible alarm might work better than the lights. It should be loud enough to hear with hearing protection but not loud enough to startle you.
@@bobt2522 Well, a worn out set of bearings might accomplish the same thing. 😜
I use feather boards on the horizontal and vertical so the only thing/direction I have to focus on is pushing through. with a stick. Less thinking = more safety once the blade is turning.
"Less thinking = more safety" That's a great philosophy! Thanks for the comment! 😄
Nice idea. I would think that a universal warning light unit could be made using a circuit that detects sound where you could mount the microphone near the saw motor and adjust the sensitivity to ignore the dust collection and other sounds to turn the light on, then have a delay to keep the light on for a number of seconds after the sound stops to allow the blade to spin down.
Sounds good to me! 😄
One fluke hazard to add to your list : slippery workshop floor mats! I almost slid into a running table saw blade the first time I used one of those jumbo sized black rubber "anti-fatigue" mats : turns out the mold release coating used in the manufacture of the mats leaves them very slippery! Taking the mat outside onto a gravel driveway & repeatedly "roughing up" both sides by dancing all over it corrected that safety hazard!...
Great point, thanks for mentioning it! 😄
Maybe this has been mentioned and maybe you have done it:
How about putting the factory blade guard back on the saw????
czcams.com/video/cQINXsn2QBk/video.html. 😄
@@TheNewbieWoodworker:
Yep, I was watching that, when you replied. Great sled idea.
Thank you.
@@zapa1pnt Thanks. And I have to laugh - you're one of the few with the obvious solution of using the blade guard more often. I'm a little slow sometimes, but apparently I'm not the only one. So consider yourself smarter than most of us. 😄
Easy to modify status light to make a unique sound after saw is off but blade still spinning.
Thanks! 😄
Especially for low-vision woodworkers. That would be an easy mod!
@@tomjohnson8220 Looking forward to it. 😉
What about adding a foot switch? (In between the wall outlet and the saw/ miter saw/ drill).
And, of course, I really enjoy watching your videos!
Thanks for letting me know you enjoy my videos. 😄I don't think a foot switch would help my lapses in attention, although it's an interesting idea just in theory. It wouldn't work for the SawStop, at least not between the saw and the outlet because the SawStop has two switches - one that turns on the saw (in other words, turns on the electronics), and one that starts and stops the blade. But it could work for other saws, and other devices. But since I don't see anyone using a foot switch for anything, my initial reaction is to let someone else try it first. 😛Thanks again for the comment. 😄
@@TheNewbieWoodworker I think that one to try it would be me ...
@@olaf06x58 😂Go for it!
@@TheNewbieWoodworker I tried it. Big drawback = stability on your feet. If you use one foot to operate the foot switch, you are putting most of your weight on the other foot. Not stable. I'm sure a foot switch would work great for sitting position, but there are very few of these in the woodworking shop. I wish I had the $$ for a SawStop. BTW, a Physical Therapist friend told me most of the shop injuries he sees are from table saws.
@@olaf06x58 Thanks for trying it out! Interesting results. There are switches that are much flatter, but I think the problems would still be there. It doesn't surprise me about what the PT said.
I told my husband if he hears a power tool running, he needs to wait until it stops before he comes into the shop.
Great idea. I have been startled more then once when my wife enter the shop while I was using the table saw. I think I will ask her to wait as well. Thanks.
Very smart!
The sides of my table saw is a catch all 😩 after watching this video I cleaned off the table. You just might have saved the life of a pencil.
😂Thanks for putting a big grin on my face. Remember, all pencils matter. 😛
The table saw sides have gathered more items since you made that video! Seriously last week I thought about you when I was getting ready to rip a length of poplar. Your message sunk in and cleared the sides,and no pencils were destroyed while using the table saw thanks to you.😁🛫
@@TheFalconJetDriver I swear someone goes around and leaves stuff when I'm not there. My wife, however, can vouch for the fact that I leave crap lying around all over the house, so I guess it must be me. 🙄😂
Thanks for another good video, Dan. I don’t get people that are so bright and smart to call other’s ‘stupid.’ If ‘stupid’ or doing something ‘stupid’ was a legitimate reason to not do something, there’d be at least 80% less cars on the road. And that is not to mention everyone is stupid more than once in their life, and most throughout their lives. Why start a new trade or career? You’re new, so you are ‘stupid’ in the new field. That’s why there are apprenticeship programs: to teach people how to do things so they’re not ‘stupid.’ You could be a home owner for many years and want to fix something you’ve never done before: you a rookie, or as some people throw out there, you’re ‘stupid’. And so on…
Thanks, and you're right!
come on man!!! You're not a newbie at all!!! I'm sure you are a spy-engineer infiltrated in the woodwork world just to give awesome ideas for dumb people like me kkkkk! You are the best! always liking your videos.
Thanks, and LOL. I'm not calling myself a newbie anymore, by the way. But thanks! 😄
thankfully, I don't have ADD. I suspect that when one uses a Sawstop they probably lose a little bit of caution, knowing the technology will save your finger. I use an older Craftsman table saw (unfortunately) and I am over the TOP cautious....because I know the only "safety feature"....is my brain. That said, it's natural for humans to get comfortable in any endeavor when they do it repeatedly many times per day.....so that leads to less cautious behavior which leads to accidents. I just piddle a bit in my garage now, but once I get more space....I'll get a Sawstop as well...just for the extra protection.
I think everything you said is spot-on. Safety technology does indeed make us more complacent, even if we don't have ADD. And again, repetition certainly does the same thing, or at least puts us in a slight daze. Good luck getting more space, and thanks for the comment! 😄
Well its a motor and 2 things can happen with it either you apply power to it and it spins, or you spin it and it creates power just like a turbine. One thing is constant thought that when the blade is spinning there is voltage on the motor power lines. Add a simple voltage detector to the line that has adjustable settings with a POT (Thing to spin to set voltage threshold before triggering relay). If blade is spinning then either there is electricity being applied to motor and will trip voltage detector and relay will turn red light on, or motor is still spinning and creating voltage and will do the same thing. Very simple circuit! Whats even cooler is that you can make it non contact if you want and you are just detecting the electromagnetic interference on the line.. Like those handheld voltage detectors for testing if wires are live electricians use
Sounds good to me. Maybe someone can give it a try. Thanks! 😄
That would probably work for any non-SawStop saw... the lights on the SawStop mean lots of different things, though, so for the SS, it’s useful to actually detect the lights.
@@tomjohnson8220 All we care about "Is blade spinning" Nothing else matters for a stupid stick!
@@steve_main That's probably true for a non SawStop, but when it comes to something with safety technology, the lights serve a lot of important features. Don't knock 'em until you've tried 'em. 😉
@@TheNewbieWoodworker Sorry I thought the point of a stupid stick was to just show if blade is still spinning . If you wanted more advanced features to show that the saw stop provides this method for sure would not work.
Hi Dan, Great video. Obviously, at the time of writing this, 8 people don't care about workshop safety. Cheers, Huw
Thanks, Huw, and LOL. Thumbs down are par for the course. I don't even pay much attention to them, other than the very few times I got an excessive amount of them. I mean, my joke video about how to fix a clogged blast gate (czcams.com/video/ZjzN45k6Dq0/video.html) got an excessive number of thumbs down, and I can't imagine why. If it was a Zack King video, people would have loved it! But other than that, I just ignore them. 😄
An alternate would be to mount a friction generator to either the arbor or to the belt depending on the design of your saw. This would create the signal. There are even some photo tachometers that could be used to generate the signal. You then use a programmable board such as PIC, Arduino, or even Pi to read the signal and light the red light as long as the blade is moving, and switch to green once the blade has stopped. a quick Google search came up with several circuits that could do the job even if you do not have a Saw Stop. I do not know how they would work with Saw Stop specifically do to it's own safety circuit, and design, as despite being a fan of the concept, I can not afford one.
As for my opinion of Saw Stop as a brand: WONDERFUL PRODUCT that I am a firm believer in, but highly questionable business practices. I recall a fundraising campaign that promised to bring the technology to other types of saw such as miter saws, and they claimed to hope to also expand to band saws... all that ever came of it was increasing the table saw product range. They also became highly litigious of any brand that attempted to reverse engineered a similar product, while at the same time running a campaign to get a federal law passed that would require a saw stopping device on any table saw manufactured, thus ensuring that they held a monopoly on the technology that would be required of all manufactures to use. Still it is a wonderful technology that has saved many people now from serious injury.
Thanks for your comment! Other people have suggested similar ideas for using programmable boards. But for me, this is good enough. As for SawStop's litigiousness, they have to protect their patents. But here's the thing: When the inventor first came up with the technology, he tried to get saw manufacturers to license the technology, and nobody would do it. So he started his own company. So I don't really blame them at all. Not that I'm being a SawStop fanboy - it's just that it serves them right! 😂OK yes, maybe I *am* a fanboy. 😏
You have it wrong. First of all, there is a patent for the brake - BTW Steve Gass, the inventor, is a patent attorney. Do you blame the guy for protecting the patent? Starting in 2000, Gass went to all of the manufacturers of table saws to try to license the brake to them for their saws. A number of issues ensued. First, all of the manufacturers essentially said, "we don't think our customers would spend extra money for that, but lets try to hammer out a deal." Negotiations dragged on for 2 years, and were ultimately unsuccessful as the manufacturers appeared to not be dealing in good faith. Gass decided to manufacture a saw himself, and 2 years later (2004,) went into production. Then the fun began. At least two other companies, namely Ryobi and Bosch tried to copy the idea, when SawStop became successful. I guess maybe it was a good idea after all? Gass (again a patent attorney) sued to protect his patent. The court agreed with him and his patent was upheld. So what's the problem?
This was just another example of someone who had a great idea, and everyone laughed. Then when it proved successful, everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon. To quote Bruce Hornsby, "the first to laugh is the last to know." Tesla is another example. All the legacy car companies said, "this will never work," and ignored it. Now they're all scrambling to copy what Tesla did - unsuccessfully.
@@rlevitta I couldn't agree more.
Do you have a video about your shop fan setup?
No, sorry.
Eat idea, could be helpful for people doing production work
👍
I wonder if some kind of auto feed, like used on a thicknesser could be designed to work on a table saw? It seems to me keeping hands completely away from the blade is the best solution for all of us.
There are some things available like that.
Work in a dedicated space. Keep doors locked and keep customers, friends and family out of the shop when working.
Nothing is more dangerous than someone wandering in while your running power tools.
Thanks.
Hey Dan I enjoyed the video I was wondering if you removed the blade guard for clarity as I can't remember the last time I saw a table saw with the blade guard installed on tv or on you tube. I survived cutting a large unstable panel on my table saw without an injury. Stupid and very lucky as there could have been kickback or any other multitude of problems. I guess the rules should apply slow down and take your time and if you are tired leave it for another day. Stay safe folks!
Thanks. I removed my blade guard because I can't use it with my sleds, and I use my sleds a lot. But it's not *that* hard to remove it, so maybe I should rethink the subject. Thanks for making me think about it!
What is a blade guard?🤣
Hum now that I think about it I think I saw something like that in the bottom of my toolbox.
@@TheFalconJetDriver 😂
The framing nailer I’ve owned for 20+ years is the kind that “bump fires”. It bumped and fired into the end of my right femur just missing my kneecap......3” framing nail.... 2” of which entered my bone..... just got complacent.
Eek! How horrible! I hope you're OK now.
The Newbie Woodworker- Yes sir! Thanks.
@@timflanigan8586 👍
Oh and why go you remove the top saw guard when you make cut through cuts, if you do grooves or dados then yes, but after that put it back on so you can’t physically touch the blade
It's a valid point others have mentioned also. The issue is that I use my cross-cut sleds a lot, and I'd have to remove it for them. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't at least try and see how much work it is to use it. Thanks for the comment!
With an Arduino and a photo cell you could detect the blade spinning thus turning on a Red LED and Green when the blade is stopped.
That was my first thought, but it'd be clogged with sawdust in no time. Hence I thought that moving away and monitoring the spindle motor would be better
@@georgeprout42 Now you guys are cooking!
George Prout yep I agree with you George now, it is back to using a Hall Effect sensor to sense the current flow.
The Newbie Woodworker 🤪 we maybe cooking as long as we don’t start smoking!
@@TheFalconJetDriver That's funny but it's no joke (and you've probably experienced something like this before but I have to say it anyway). Eons ago I was working with a PC, adding a couple of expansion boards. When I plugged it in and turned it on, it literally started to smoke. Obviously I yanked the plug quickly, but the motherboard was a total loss of course. But all I could do was laugh, especially when the smell hit me. (I can't remember exactly what I did wrong, but I think I scratched the board, or did something with one of those pieces of metal that cover up unused slots.) Anyway, good times. 😛
I like the router table outtake. When is someone going to develop a router stop? Would it even be possible?
Thanks. I said lots of bad words. 😄I don't know, about the router bit. It certainly couldn't work like the SawStop brake does, because it would take up too much space and be too heavy. But my hope is that tool manufacturers will see that there are plenty of people who are willing to pay more for safer tools, and give us more options.
The easiest way to keep your fingers, etc away from a spinning blade is to leave the blade guard on! I always have my blade guard on! Except when doing non-through cuts, of coarse.
I replied to your other reply, but I like to reply to every comment as much as possible, so... 😄
I'm surpised the blade brake is so poor. I've seen cheapy mitre saws with better stopping times. I personally wouldn't relyon the light sensors, I would have the arduino detect the current drawn by the saw itself, like the auto vacuum cleaner kits you get.
Thanks! 😄
one thing I do is to envision how I'm going to move the board across the saw, and where my hands will be from the moment I turn the saw on until I turn out the lights...okay, until the blade stops spinning.
A second item of consideration...my shop is small, cluttered, messy and dangerous. Where my FEET will be is another one of my key considerations at every moment. (My basement is a certified OSHA violation!) If my mental gymnastics reveals that I have to step over something to complete the cut...I stop what I'm doing, and re-arrange things so that doesn't happen.
Yeah, that can be dangerous. I think your first priority should be to start making shelves, cabinets and drawers so you can get some of that stuff out from under your feet. And if you're anything like me, you should finish in about... wait, what is this word "finish"? 😄
@@TheNewbieWoodworker "Finish" is for quitters...people who do that stop working on the project.... :-)
@@just-dl 😂