Warning for Sawstop owners

[tommyt654]

http://www.hanford.gov/rl/uploadfile...L-HNF-0043.pdf

[Uncle Cracker]

Things that make you say "Hmmmmm..."

[smorris]

Anything more recent than Nov. 2007? Was it a one off as can happen occasionally to even high quality blades or was there a pattern of blade tip failures? Was there any indication he had hit some metal in the wood, I didn't see anything about that. As I understand it, that should cause the break to fire. Was this the first run of the blade, if not had it been abused in some form previously?

I don't have a dog in the sawstop fight, I think the report leaves many questions unanswered.

[BobSch]

Another good reason to use a full-face shield.

[Stytooner]

It is a good reason to use a face shield, but you will hear similar complaints from guys that won't wear those as the ones that use no guard. Cumbersome. Can't see out of them. Pain in the butt, etc.....
Safety is not free. It comes at a cost. It's basically the pay me now or pay me later scenario. You may not have to pay later, but in case you do, you could pay dearly.

Just about any blade guard, even some home made ones, would have prevented this. Even a face shield would have negated skin contact. A blade guard is essentially a barrier between you and the implement. A face shield is the same. The other day, I had a new grinding wheel break apart on start up. I was wearing a face shield, but got hit in the shoulder as I was moving further out of the way. My normal startup procedure. Get out of the line of fire. A face shield would have certainly been somewhat effective against deep laceration in this case, but I would have still received bruises for sure on my face and forehead had it hit there.

My impression of that article is that they bought these things in bulk. Storage methods can have an impact on stuff like carbide tipped blades. Was a bulk of these things stacked on a shelf somewhere? If so, just mere handling could cause fractures in carbide. What it more readily indicates is that the operator or employer was a direct contributor to such an injury. It's basically a domino effect and no one entity is 100% at fault. It does not signify bad blades to me. I have had plenty of teeth come off of good blades in operation.

[crokett]

How is this Saw Stop's fault? Granted he was using the Saw Stop blade, but it was a cheap blade. I'm curious about the 20.00 price. Considering what the saw costs you'd think they would put a better blade on the saw. I don't know anybody who uses the blade that came with their TS. I haven't used the stock Ryobi blade in quite some time.

[chopnhack]

You now know someone I still used the stock blade that came with the BT. I will admit at this point it is getting ready for the trash. I thought it was a very good blade for stock.

[cgallery]

You now know someone I still used the stock blade that came with the BT. I will admit at this point it is getting ready for the trash. I thought it was a very good blade for stock.

I've actually got two of them, and have had one of them resharpened. I like the stock blade.

Although I think it is a notch above the blade SS was including (both of my Ryobi blades were made in Italy).

[tommyt654]

Funny, I never said this was Sawstops fault, but on a expensive saw like this why would you cut corners on the blade,Cmon it won,t work without one right.Kinda make,s ya wonder what else they cut corners on doesn,t it.

[LinuxRandal]

You now know someone I still used the stock blade that came with the BT. I will admit at this point it is getting ready for the trash. I thought it was a very good blade for stock.

I wonder what it would cost (the Italy ones are/were good blades), to have someone like Forrest or Ridge, place new tips on it? I wondered since there didn't USE to be, if this could have been sharpened like the Fusion blade.

[herb fellows]

How is this Saw Stop's fault? Granted he was using the Saw Stop blade, but it was a cheap blade. I'm curious about the 20.00 price. Considering what the saw costs you'd think they would put a better blade on the saw. I don't know anybody who uses the blade that came with their TS. I haven't used the stock Ryobi blade in quite some time.

I had the same thought. A $20 blade with a 5k saw? That just doesn't make sense, whether it's right or not.
They are saying it wasn't the braising but the carbide itself? There are huge differences in carbide grade, but I wasn't aware of there being a difference in the stability of the carbide itself.

[cabinetman]

I'd like to hear the details of what a "shallow reverse dado cut" really is. I agree with Lee in that there's no telling about the handling and storage of saw blades. IIRC, my first Unisaw didn't come with a blade. I will say that the better blades have less of a failure rate. Teeth do come off, but they are most likely to come off after making contact with the cut, and will get released below the saw table.

I have heard through suppliers that operators have been hit in the forehead with tips. Taking the proper safety precautions and using whatever safeguards are available minimizes the problem. Storing, and handling blades can make a difference if they are stacked on one another or have the chance to skid across hard surfaces.
.

[Daryl]

Curious to me a to how he got a fragment of carbide in his forehead while making a DADO cut.