# SawStop Bandsaw????



## StatProf (Mar 23, 2009)

I heard rumored that Saw Stop was working on developing a bandsaw. Anyone know anything about this? I didn't see anything on their site. I would like a new bandsaw someday, and would gladly wait for this one. Their table saw is top notch!

Kyle (StatProf)


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## maxwell_smart007 (Mar 23, 2009)

It's on their site as a prototype, and there's a demonstration on youtube...

The saw is in development, however, and no where near production, so you've got a few years to wait...in terms of tools that need a 'stopping' mechanism, I don't know that the bandsaw is high on my list....circular saw might be a good one though! 

Andrew


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## Russianwolf (Mar 23, 2009)

you have to ask yourself what part they are damaging in a bandsaw to stop it that fast. It's not like a bandsaw has that many moving parts.


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## StatProf (Mar 23, 2009)

On the Table Saw, it doesn't cost that much more than a regular high end Powermatic or Unisaw (and I get to keep my fingers when I am stupid)!  I'll gladly pay a little more for safety.

Kyle


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## Russianwolf (Mar 23, 2009)

checking Amazon, It looks like the Sawstop is $600 more for the contractor style and $800 more for the Cabinet style than the comparable PMs ($1k and $2.3k respectively, compared to $1.6k and $3.15k). And the Comparable Griz cabinet saw is just over $1k.


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## marcruby (Mar 23, 2009)

The local Woodcraft uses a PM2000 in their 'shop' and the did a Sawstop demo a while ago.  I found the quality of the Sawstop was better than the PM2000 (in terms of blade stability, etc.)  and it was actually easier to use and move about when set up right.  That was without considering the emergency stopping, which was amazing.  You do have to pay for new brakes and a blade the way they do it, so you can't blithely run wood through it without checking to make sure it won't trigger accidentally.  But it worked.

Something to consider - the 'comparable Grizzly' weights 200lbs less than the PM or Sawstop...

I imagine the bandsaw works about the same way - you get to pay for new brakes and a blade.  My only issue is that bowl makers often cut wet wood into blanks, so I'm not sure that the stopping might become more of a headache than it's worth.

Marc


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## Russianwolf (Mar 23, 2009)

fine, try this one for $1250.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-3HP-220V-Cabinet-Table-Saw-with-Riving-Knife/G0690


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## TowMater (Mar 23, 2009)

I love these sawstop debates!

Course most TS debates are funny, what it boils down to for me is does the wood really care what TS is being used? Of course I'm just a hobbiest who still has all his fingers so maybe my vote doesn't count.


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## marcruby (Mar 23, 2009)

Well, it looks better.  Now will it stop from cutting my finger?

>

Seriously, I don't doubt that the Grizzly is a good table saw.  My Delta is a good saw too.  It's just that the PM2000 was noticably better in smoothness of operation and how clean the cut was.  And the Sawstop is a notch better than that.  It even sounds different.  I don't really consider it critical that the arbor runout is only .001 since after a day of cutting the blade will have it's own wobble.  And wood never holds it's measurements anyway.   But it's nice to know that the saw was built to those specs.

I know I'll be paying a premium for US built and the brake, but that's the way I am.

Marc



Russianwolf said:


> fine, try this one for $1250.
> http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-3HP-220V-Cabinet-Table-Saw-with-Riving-Knife/G0690


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## sbell111 (Mar 23, 2009)

I can't imagine how you would either stop a bandsaw blade immediately or quickly move it away from the cutting area.

I also agree with Andrew.  I cannot imagine that this feature would be that useful.  WHile I'm sure that my bandsaw would happily cut my finger off if I gave it the opportunity, it is incredibly unlikely that it would happen.  Seems like there are plenty of more 'hungry' tools to include this feature on.


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## kirkfranks (Mar 27, 2009)

Here is a link to the band saw video on Youtube if anyone missed it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3PLwNccpXU

Actually I could see that they could quite easially brake the blade movement by using a mechanisim similar to the table saw version to jam into the blade and top wheel while at the same time the bottom wheel (usually the powered wheel) would raise us to release the tension on the blade.


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## spiritwoodturner (Mar 27, 2009)

marcruby said:


> My only issue is that bowl makers often cut wet wood into blanks, so I'm not sure that the stopping might become more of a headache than it's worth.
> 
> Marc



Marc, I may not be clear what you're getting at here, but if the concern is that wet wood will trigger the stop, it won't. It's the electrical field in your skin that triggers the stop, so bowl makers could hack away at whatever they want. In theory...

The real plus that SawStop has going for them as a company is their stuff is really good, without the stop feature. If they were making crap that stopped really good, they'd be toast. But they make top-notch stuff. And I'm a Powermatic guy!

Still not sure I'd pay that kind of premium for a bandsaw. I just bought a virtually brand-new Jet 20" for 600 bucks from a guy that had a per-hour woodshop in town and the saw was almost untouched. Once SawStop has time to get some of these out in the used-tool market I could definitely change my mind.

At least someone is working on things that will make things safer for users. That's a REAL good thing.

Dale


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## sbell111 (Mar 27, 2009)

spiritwoodturner said:


> Marc, I may not be clear what you're getting at here, but if the concern is that wet wood will trigger the stop, it won't. It's the electrical field in your skin that triggers the stop, so bowl makers could hack away at whatever they want. In theory...


Then how can they do demos using hot dogs.  As far as I know, hot dogs don't have an electrical field in them.


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## spiritwoodturner (Mar 27, 2009)

sbell111 said:


> Then how can they do demos using hot dogs.  As far as I know, hot dogs don't have an electrical field in them.



I guess while you're holding it in your hand, they do. This, from Saw Stop's website White Paper...

"The SawStop safety system includes an electronic detection system that detects when a person contacts the blade. The system induces an electrical signal onto the blade and then monitors that signal for changes. The human body has a relatively large inherent electrical capacitance and conductivity, which cause the signal to drop when a person contacts the blade. Wood has a relatively small inherent capacitance and conductivity and does not cause the signal to drop."

I read a while back in a review that it was triggered by an electrical field. What sense would it make if a "sort of wet" but not "dead wet" piece of wood cost you 500 bucks (I'm not sure how much it costs to fix it, but if you have a Woodworker II in it, at least a hundred bucks!) to cut it? I would think they'd sell about 2 of these before people went, "Forget This!".

Anyway, they're one heck of a lot smarter than I am to have figured this one out.

Dale


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## maxwell_smart007 (Mar 27, 2009)

If you're cutting wet wood, you use the bypass to disable the system...

Andrew


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## spiritwoodturner (Mar 27, 2009)

Interesting, Andrew. I got the first part right, just didn't read far enough down the page! The review I read a few years ago didn't mention that, I wonder if they had it then.

At any rate, seems more useful in the bandsaw than the table saw, as I don't cut anything that wet on mine. That kinda opens up a question though. How wet is "conductive"? Even if you measured the moisture content, and it showed dry enough, could this thing then total a blade and brake?

My Jet cabinet saw will outlive me, but if I was thinking about this saw I think I'd go take a training course for it. I still really like what they're doing. No one that I know of is going to the lengths they are for safety. The next generation will probably measure the wood before it gets to the blade and shut it off before it brakes it.

Then again, if you use featherboards and pushsticks...

Dale


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