Table Saw Safety: Explaining Amazing Table Saw Technology

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The discussion centers around a table saw technology that purportedly prevents finger injuries by retracting the blade upon detecting flesh. Skepticism exists regarding the authenticity of a video demonstration, with concerns about the credibility of the source and the mechanism's ability to differentiate between wood and human fingers. Some contributors suggest that the technology relies on the different electrical properties of flesh compared to wood, enabling a quick mechanical response to stop the blade. There is mention of a company, SawStop, which is associated with this technology, and it is noted that similar systems may exist for band saws. The conversation also touches on the potential for this technology to work with both wood and metal, indicating a broader application for safety in cutting tools.
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http://www.muchosucko.com/video-amazingtablesaw.html

It is a table saw that does not cut off your finger, could someone explain this?
 
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I dunno... it looks like a doctored video to me. One frame has the saw, the next it's completely gone.
 
it retracts, watch it in slow motion, if u can.
 
I have to agree that it is doctored. Here is why:

1. The website you found the video doesn't look very credible
2. How does the blade know the difference between your finger and a piece of wood? You really can't tell.
3. I did a google search and couldn't find anything supporting this video.
 
well the site puts everything that could be funny to someone, there is a good chance that it was doctored, but I thought that they would have someone researching that very thing, cause that tool would be the standard if made.
 
My firewall is blocking the video, and I really don't want to disable it, but I think I know of this technology...in fact I know the company that developed it. I am also under a legal obligation not to say how it works. I can only say that it is possible to tell a finger from a piece of wood. It is a very clever idea. This particular site may or may not be showing the same thing that I know about, but it sure sounds like it. The demonstration sounds identical to the one used by my customer.
 
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Can you at least say what the company's name is, Ivan?
 
my hypothesis(haha) is that there is some sort of resistence a piece of wood would give, and obviously a finger with a less strong texture, would give a different resistence.

But I really don't think that is very practical.
 
enigma said:
Can you at least say what the company's name is, Ivan?

Since I don't know the politics of this I shouldn't say anything specific. I can assure you though that if I said how it worked, you would all immediately understand. No magic here.
 
  • #10
You will see this technology applied more generally soon. I assume that the demand for secrecy was due to patent issues. Of course, sometimes these things just get silly. For a long time I couldn't use the word "Wahoos" either - a new General Mills product - but this was supposed to be a really big deal.
 
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  • #11
http://www.sawstop.com/video.htm is the source of the video. A little more respectable. Ivan if this is not the same as your source then there has been some industrial espionage going on.

Oh yeah. It imposes a AC signal on the blade, flesh has much different electrical properties then wood, when the changes a mechanical brake is engaged stopping the blade in less then 5ms. They have similar systems for band saws.

Does this work with metal or only wood?

(A table saw cuts Al plate very nicely.)
 
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  • #12
Oh good. I was uncomfortable making a statement that I'm not allowed to back up.

The system that I know about should work with metal or wood.

There may be several approaches to this problem...
 
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