How much faith in machines does it take to do this?

[Biker]

My mate Paul sent me this link the other day. Thought you might like to see it too, if you haven't already of course.

[video=youtube;OMD3agP5hv0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMD3agP5hv0[/video]

Personally I'm not sure it's a good thing. If you take fingers off it's because you've done something stupid, either by removing guards, not using a push rod or doing something you knew was wrong and bad practice to start with.
In my opinion having this feature is just making the users even more complacent by putting the onus onto something else and not accepting responsability for thier own safety.

Still bloody clever though. Your thoughts?

 

[John Fenna]

A guitarist friend of mine nearly severed 2 fingers using a saw (circular saw, guard off clamped upside down in a Workmate...) - he would have loved one of these!
He kept the fingers but had massive scarring!

 

[kiltedpict]

Very impressive indeed. I hear what your saying about it possibly resulting in less awareness re:safe and proper practice, but surely this technology can only be a good thing... Can't it?

 

[Biker]

Very impressive indeed. I hear what your saying about it possibly resulting in less awareness re:safe and proper practice, but surely this technology can only be a good thing... Can't it?

Yes, of course, but at what point do you stop adding even more safety features? I still say take seat belts out of cars and replace them with a big spike in the centre of the steering wheel. It'd make for a much safer driving society.

I also wonder how well this would work after about a weeks worth of sawdust built up over the "crumple zone" brake in a busy joiners shop? Not to mention the gubbings of the rig that forces it into place. Sawdust and resin will clog up and get into any moving parts on a table saw.

 

[sam_acw]

I think this is a case of the Peltzman Effect.
Basically, drivers take more risks in safer cars - people have an in built level of risk they find acceptable and if you make something less risky they will happily cut corners or change how they do something until risks approach their former levels.
There is a theory, Smeed's law, which states that road accident fatalities are related only to the number of cars and that safety laws make no difference. The problem for this is that the evidence doesn't agree, although wether that's due to driving habits or better medical and emergency care would be hard to define.

 

[kiltedpict]

Yes, of course, but at what point do you stop adding even more safety features? I still say take seat belts out of cars and replace them with a big spike in the centre of the steering wheel. It'd make for a much safer driving society.

I also wonder how well this would work after about a weeks worth of sawdust built up over the "crumple zone" brake in a busy joiners shop? Not to mention the gubbings of the rig that forces it into place. Sawdust and resin will clog up and get into any moving parts on a table saw.

Aye, fair points Biker!

KP

 

[mikeybear]

Think of it another way, how many people who have lost fingers on a saw wish they had one of those. .....

 

[John Fenna]

Does not a law (lore?) state that the more things that there are to go wrong the more things there are that will go wrong?
KISS is my watchword!
I await the product recalls....
If Peugot cannot make a gearbox that lasts for more than 5 years ... if Ford cannot make a chassis that does not rust out in 10 years... if NASA cannot make a spaceship that has better than a 1 in 20 risk of failure....
Nah - I do not trust technology!
Guards and pushsticks and an alkihole free zone are the answer to saws!

 

[DaveBromley]

Think of it another way, how many people who have lost fingers on a saw wish they had one of those. .....

but how many of those same people wish that they had heeded the safety instructions as well? I think Biker has hit the nail on the head, any tool should be looked at and used with respect anyone who is complacent usually ends up paying the price. We have all done it in the past luckily have learned from our mistakes but i do think that if you expect the saw to stop you will take less care and then if it doesnt work you'll be more likely to injure yourself (remove fingers etc)

Still pretty clever stuff

Dave

 

[DaveBromley]

how about a spring loaded arm that pulls the blade downwards instead of stopping it? using a similar mechanism to activate it, that way it wouldnt goose your saw every time! and could be reset each time

Dave

 

[JAG009]

As a safety feature its a good idea ,but as a joiner of 25 years i have seen all sorts of new gizmos come and go ,there is still no better safety feature than learning to use any machine properly and safely


Jason

 

[mikeybear]

but how many of those same people wish that they had heeded the safety instructions as well? I think Biker has hit the nail on the head, any tool should be looked at and used with respect anyone who is complacent usually ends up paying the price. We have all done it in the past luckily have learned from our mistakes but i do think that if you expect the saw to stop you will take less care and then if it doesnt work you'll be more likely to injure yourself (remove fingers etc)

Still pretty clever stuff

Dave

I agree, I've been brought up from an early age with the attitude that a circular saw is a weapon of mass destruction that is out to get you at all costs, and as soon as take your eye off it it will.

This attitude has served me well so far , today I use a band saw and chop saw more than a circular saw , but still apply the same principle.

I also use a table mounter router quite a lot, before changing the cutter I unplug it , then press the start switch !!!!.

Cheers

MikeyBear

 

[John Fenna]

I agree, I've been brought up from an early age with the attitude that a circular saw is a weapon of mass destruction that is out to get you at all costs, and as soon as take your eye off it it will.

This attitude has served me well so far , today I use a band saw and chop saw more than a circular saw , but still apply the same principle.

I also use a table mounter router quite a lot, before changing the cutter I unplug it , then press the start switch !!!!.

Cheers

MikeyBear

I even unplug my sander to change belts.... I KNOW machines are out to get me - it does not take a terminator to kill humans ... a flippin juicer can do it easily if it gets the right oportunity!
Arm a machine with blades and you are asking for trouble if you do not stay alert!

 

[blacktimberwolf]

I'm not into that kinky S&M stuff, I prefer ordinary porn.

 

[Hoodoo]

How am I gonna cut up my hot dogs now?

 

[JAG009]

How am I gonna cut up my hot dogs now?

Use an axe like everyone else !!!

Jason

 

[Hoodoo]

Use an axe like everyone else !!!

Jason

Right. Sorry. :11doh: I wasn't thinking.

 

[Wallenstein]

If Peugot cannot make a gearbox that lasts for more than 5 years ... if Ford cannot make a chassis that does not rust out in 10 years...

You're assuming they are trying to last longer... they'd rather you went out and bought a new car

Henry Ford used to send his engineers out to local scrapyards to find old Ford Models that had been junked... if any components were found in the junked car that still looked good as new, Ford ordered his designers to reduce the quality. He reckoned there was no point designing an axle with a 20yr life at a cost of (e.g.) $100 if the rest of the car fell apart after 10yrs. Much better to spend $50 on the axle and accept it'll junk out at the same rate as the rest of the motor.

 

[John Fenna]

You're assuming they are trying to last longer... they'd rather you went out and bought a new car

Henry Ford used to send his engineers out to local scrapyards to find old Ford Models that had been junked... if any components were found in the junked car that still looked good as new, Ford ordered his designers to reduce the quality. He reckoned there was no point designing an axle with a 20yr life at a cost of (e.g.) $100 if the rest of the car fell apart after 10yrs. Much better to spend $50 on the axle and accept it'll junk out at the same rate as the rest of the motor.

Point taken - but the rest of those vans were good for years and years!

 

[silentpaddler]

When I was a kid there was a local sawyer who had a mobile gas powered sawmill with about a 4 foot diameter blade that took several minutes to stop
after the motor was shut off...before the days of safety consciousness. I don't think this guy had more than three complete fingers, stumps of all different lengths...
he seemed to see it as part of the job...as long as he made it to retirement with one stump long enough to pack his tobacco pipe he was happy.