SawStop Saved My Thumb! What Happens Next? 

Here's an explanation of why I bought the new saw: thenewbiewoodworker.com/2019/03/31/why-i-bought-the-sawstop-pcs.html

You're actually pretty good at talking to the camera, and we like it, so keep at it!

Glad you are okay. I had a similar incident without a saw stop. ended up with a roughly 1/8" deep groove in my thumb pad. Live and learn. congrats on the new saw, too. Thanks for all the videos.

You’re great at talking to the camera, much better than most people on RU-vid by how genuine you sound.

wow i don’t even do woodwork. or own a saw. or even know that there was a thing called a “sawstop” but with you way of speaking i was invested enough to watch the entire video 😂 nice stuff. and i’m glad you’re safe and your thumb is okay all said and done.

When I was researching cabinet saws, upgrading from Delta contractor, I looked at saw stop. The price took it off my list. But now I'm thinking, one trip to the emergency room, and saw stop would have paid for itself. If your channel was a little bigger, sawstop would have sent you one for free. Got to say, they are smart at marketing. Almost all big channels have one they got for free. Better than any other way of advertising.

Your video is perfectly good. I saw this product years ago and always wondered how it would work in the real world as opposed to a hot dog. Thanks for sharing.

I am very happy that you're ok. I love Sawstop and had one until I moved and sold it.

Dan, so glad you weren't hurt. Another reminder to all of us newbies, never stop paying attention. Wish I could have afforded the Sawstop, but I will continue to be ever vigilant, and hope I succeed.

Lemme tell you Sawstop is a wonderful invention my friend wishes he had it years ago he cut off 3 of his fingers and nearly a 4th in addition to losing nearly 3 pints of blood reroute to the hospital. He had no cell service in the remote area he was in. Reattaching the 3 and repairing the one cost him $83,000 USD in surgeons & facility fees and this was after his insurance. It took 7 surgeries to fully repair the damage the saw did to the bone, tendons or ligaments . It's been nearly 20 years since his accident and he never regained full range with them due to scarring. If you think this saw is expensive think again.

I was looking at the Sawstops and thought "WOW over priced" but now that i've seen a few videos on how it works I'm going to upgrade my saw to the Sawstop when i have the cash. Thanks for the hard work it takes to make these videos. Most don't know how much goes into editing them before putting up.

I was a mechanic for 46 years. When you got the "revised" part, it came with the latest improved parts &/or technology. Glad you're safe & now I want a Stop Saw in my shop.

I always like seeing videos of mistakes I might make. It can't be easy to show them. Thanks for helping the rest of us from making them.

If you think the Sawstop is expensive......Have you priced an Emergency room visit lately?

Dan, I like these videos where you talk to us! Glad you are ok!

You know I've heard of these failing but i look at it like this. 1: even if it only saves the fingers of a few people its better than none. 2: some of the people it fails on were way to reliant on it working and got too comfortable with taking risk. Either way glad to see it helped you prevent a hospital trip. keep up the good work thanks for the entertainment

From one RU-vidr to another: gotta LOVE that moment at 8:12! Very useful, thorough and use-able method/process for checking blade alignment Dan... nice! Best, Matt

Wow! I'm a software engineer and got a sawstop since my fingers are pretty critical to my income. I'm glad your OK. I think I'd be shaken up a bit and might take a vacation from wood working if it happened to me. I'm always careful, but they call them 'accidents' for a reason.

Wow! Surely you have persuaded at least a few woodworkers to buy a SawStop, and saved a few thumbs.

Thanks for this video. I just bought the same saw last week at my local Rockler. I am also in Southern California and watching this video made me feel secure in my choice of this particular saw

I enjoyed the video as I have been setting up my new SawStop cabinet saw so I am going to send this on to my wife. She rolled her eyes when i showed her the price. You can't put a number on safety. I am glad that you were not hurt in the incident. John

My high school construction classes had saw stops, they seriously save limbs. Thankfully, no one I knew had close calls, but seriously I think every machine shop, wood shop etc in the country should have them. They stop life changing injuries

The advice people need to follow from your accident is not to buy a sawstop but to have your mind focused in the now when using a table saw. As yours wasn't while you were using it. Glad it helped you in the situation.

Glad you didn't get injured! Love the table saw, shame it can't be purchased here in the UK 😡 P. S. Nothing wrong with you talking to the camera.

Excellent video sir! I am just getting back into woodworking with my son(21) and you do an excellent job of video and explanation!

Thanks for the video. This is the reason I like your videos. Truth and honesty. Being a real person who makes a mistake now and then and shares how things in life are.

I just bought the PCS to upgrade my ancient Craftsman saw. Wow, what a difference. The SS PCS is not just a safe saw, it's a precision saw and built like a tank. I couldn't be happier. Videos like yours confirms I made a smart choice. Well Done Sir.

I know this in st the real pricing but I'd rather pay $1000 to fix my saw then $1000 to fix my finger and deal with the damage and pain.

Glad there was no major damage to yourself. Informative. Very good and helpful to see a real life example of this system. I enjoy your channel.

I didn't realize that the Sawstop device was a "one and done" per incident. Totally worth it of course; but glad you educated me on that point.

Glad you're ok. Nothing wrong with reading the manual. And you might want to consider using gloves for changing blades (not only for tablesaw)

What a sobering video that re-emphasises how dangerous any power tool can be if you only use 99% concentration and forget about the other 1%. Thanks for sharing and glad the Saw Stop worked. As commented below I live in the UK and when they become available here I will in one. I don't foresee any objections from my wife as she hates visiting the ER as well. Cheers, Huw

Newbie, even the spindown is dangerous. I hit my thumb on my ShopSmith as it was spinning down and I was trying to remove a piece of waste wood before it locked in the blade slot. Was bandaged for 4 weeks and it took a long time to get feeling back in the end of the thumb.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Some day I would like to buy a saw stop. I just have to save up. Glad you're recording this from your shop, and not the hospital. Lol

Wow, seeing what the blade did to the brake, there's no question in my mind what it would have done flesh. Great video, thanks for sharing it.

Wow, just goes to show it only takes a second of inattention. Glad you were OK. I have the Job Site saw too and honestly would never use a table saw without this type technology. I am too accident prone to risk it.

Glad you are ok. I am a carpenter. Everyone I have ever met missing fingers lost them using a table saw. No one needs a saw stop. Keep your fingers away from the damn blade. Do not cut short pieces that can bind instead cut small pieces from longer stock. Don’t reach over a moving blade. When adjusting blade height don’t expose more blade than the amount of finger you are willing to loose . Use a push stick. Again keep your hands away from the blade. Every accident I have had or witnessed was from, being lazy, not paying attention or doing something stupid. Rarely is it bad luck. Unfortunately, if no one has taught you how to avoid injury bad experiences will. Also, I have noticed that the longer you go without injury the more likely you are to do something stupid. Be safe.

Thanks for the reminder about table saw safety, regardless of whether or not you have a SawStop. I'm planning to upgrade to a cabinet saw or hybrid in the next year or so, not only for the larger capacity but for the reduction in noise level. Have you compared how loud the SawStop jobsite saw is vs the cabinet saw version? That's the main complaint from my wife when I'm down in my basement workshop. Also, the only thing less manly than reading the manual is knowing exactly where the manual is. :)

Glad you are ok. I have the same saw. Good to know that it actually works. In 2023 those brakes are $95.

Thanks for putting this video out. It was really interesting. I'd always wondered what it would be like the bump into that saw stop. I seen the hot dog one but never a real example. Again thank you.

Good grief! Glad you are ok. Thanks for sharing your experience

Thanks for the video. I’ve seen a million videos showing the saw stop in action. This is the first I’ve seen of what to do after! Very informative! I’m subscribing to your channel 👍

I've had my Sawstop for over 14 years and have set the brake off many times but never with my finger. Generally the blade is still good. However, they say that you shouldn't continue to use the same blade. I guess the lawyers think a carbide tooth might be loose or the blade might be bent. One time it happened on my Dado King and it did remove a couple of teeth. I sent it back to the factory and they braised new teeth on at a very reasonable cost. I sold my Powermatic to get the Sawstop and have never regretted the move. It's no wonder it's the largest selling saw.

This is Garry not Linda. Tiring of Saw Stop plaudits, I'm giving you five thumbs up for the arbor alignment method. I don't know where you got it or why you came up with it but the accuracy that brings to the table is phenomenal. It's the smack on the forehead and why didn't I think of that moment. I'm putting that one straight into my playbook and to use on my old saw, "the beast." It weighs something over around or above 400 pounds, made way before all the technology. The most reliable safety device is me!

You're going to love the PCS particularly the way you micro-align the blade with the slots and make sure you get the better the fence, well worth it. Thanks for the real life video, I'm sick of seeing hotdogs. Looking forward to a review, assembly and alignment video on the PCS

Glad you're getting an upgrade! I LOVE my PCS! I got the 36" version, 3 hp. Kinda wish I had got the router table extension with it, but maybe a future upgrade.

Sooooo Glad you are ok Dan! Glad the saw did its job too! Being half blind on the left side I can't always see where my left hand is. This is always a huge concern when doing anything period!!! It's been 3 years since I had my stroke which caused the blindness and I have just started using power tools again in the last 6 months and keeping track of the left side of my body is a must! When I use my table saw now, I always turn to my left some so that the right side knows where the left side is and I never get my hands anywhere near the blade until I am sure that it has stopped spinning and at first I even lowered the blade after making a cut. It is not as a big deal using the cross cut sled but still the black area is still there on the Left side..... Oh! Swinging a hammer is real treat, I know where it is starting the swing but the follow through of the swing is still iffy...lol Still we are getting back to doing projects... BTW it is getting warmer here in Indiana and I will be getting on to the Router Lift plans I bought off of you! Take Care Dan, keep the fingers and the fath too!

Great video and excellent reminder of how distractions can be significant.

I am grateful you were not injured. Good video

i think, one time, when i buy a table saw, i will buy one like yours. the saw stop is really impressing! i do not know if you wear your wedding ring while working but i advice you (because of bad personal expiriance) never wear your wedding ring on your finger when working. if your wife get's mad, take a chain and wear it around your neck it is much safer than on your finger, you do not believe how fast you can stuck with a ring and ripp off your finger. some big wood board is sufficent, one unseen nail somewhere etc.

Thanks for sharing this Dan. It's always when something is mundane that it happens.

I was really lucky a few years ago. My hand slipped and my thumb went into my table saw blade (not a Sawstop). Went to emergency room got stitches and immediately bought a Sawstop. The blade didn't go deep and my thumb healed fine. Extremely lucky!

I've seen a number of Saw Stop demonstrations with a hot dog. Glad to see the brake works as well with real flesh. Those saws are built like tanks in order to be able to the absorb the force of the brake slamming into the blade. It would take a lot more than that to hurt those things. I hope you enjoy the new PCS.

Subscribed and liked because of your genuine video (you admit to your difficulties with narrated videos) and because of the quality of your editing ( the spongebob references and the demonstration of why vertical videos are annoying). Great job !

You are very lucky Dan, it could have been a lot worse & I'm glad that you are OK. Very informative video BTW. Note to self: Always use push sticks, never rush & never try grabbing the wood before the blade stops!

Great Video Dan I am glad you are not a frequent visitor to the ER, if only routers had a saw stop break.🤣 Wow a cabinet saw you are really going to enjoy that saw, it is like the difference between making a table saw with a circular saw upside down on OSB and placing it in a trash can to have a table saw. Just the sound of the motor alone will make better cuts compared to the direct drive you have now. It is nice to see the operation of the saw stop and the change out of the cartridge from a real consumer point of view. And it is nice to know That no hot dogs where hurt in this video. Keep up the great videos! Back in 1981 I was a passenger in an airplane crash, I was wearing a Casio watch the watch broke in half and the digital display continued to work. It reminded me of John Cameron Swayze that advertisements for Timex “ It takes a licked and keeps tickin) ( how is that for a blast from the Past?) I snail mailed it back to Casio along with story behind the watch they sent me a new watch however to my knowledge they never used it for an advertisement. I still have the replacement watch.

I did exactly the same thing. I shut the saw off and removed the wood. Contacted the very tip of the blade with hairline contact. The blade had maybe one-half inch of travel left. Nothing dramatic happened; just a little click. No! It couldn’t have! It did. The blade did not retract into the machine. No momentum energy in the blade to cause this. The only way I knew the thing had gone off was that the blade was absolutely locked. Do not replace the blade/brake cartridge without wearing gloves. The blade is sharp and dangerous. Working to replace the blade/brake assembly without gloves is asking for trouble (experience here). But it’s an easy fix. How much motion was left in the blade when I touched it? Essentially NONE. Absolutely no damage to the blade OR THE SAWSTOP BRAKE CARTRIDGE! Except the cartridge triggered. The cartridge looks perfect except for a few marks where the saw teeth hit it; ‘probably a unique damaged cartridge. However, it’s now just wall art for the shop. Replacement? $110. Oh well, ‘nice to know it works.

My grandfather cut his fingers off twice, He had the guard off the saw, his board got stuck on the roller at the end of the saw he retch across the saw brung his hand back above the blade with it running when he brung his hand back it went into the blade. When he started teaching me carpentry he demonstrated it for me,He done it in 2009, I was 3 years old and I said (Papaw I want to be like you and cut mine off) I cut my thumb open with a bandsaw and had to have it glued together. The first thing he said to me when he was showing me how to use electric saws was (If you get hurt it is your own fault for not paying attention to where your hands are) I'm glad you okay after that incident.

Please don't underestimate yourself ! Very professional video !

I don't know anything about woodworking and I don't know why I am watching this but I enjoyed the video, very informational

First video I’ve watched of you, but it seems very well done! Don’t doubt yourself

I always use some basic fabric work gloves when handling the blades.. glad your brake engages so fast .. I am so tempted to buy a Sawstop! I just love my Ridgid 4512 table saw.. but I am quite tempted to replace it just for the added safety all it takes is one goof.

Glad your thumb's intact, Dan! 👍 Wonder how much more of a nick you'd have had if it hadn't been spinning down already when it braked? Probably only slightly more, seeing how the teeth dug into and were stopped by the soft metal of that brake pad. But don't demo that! 😄 Interesting arbor alignment technique, very inventive! My own involves having the blade installed and fully raised to extend the arbor diameter to the blade diameter, then putting a piece of aluminum channel (one of those cheap 8' edge guides for ripping) against the blade (actually against two of the teeth leaning in that direction) to extend that line further. The edge guide is wide enough that it shortens the distance to the miter slot sufficiently to check it with a common caliper micrometer, narrow enough to check its own width with the same micrometer, and long enough to extend the line of the blade the full length of the miter slot, multiplying any error as much as possible by allowing a check at both the front and back ends of the slot. Also the effect of any blade warpage can be discovered by simply rotating the blade and rechecking a couple times.

I am a complete amateur and made the decision to cease all use of my cheap table saw until i could afford the saw stop. Mainly because as a Chef my hands are my life. Heck I honestly could not justify not buying one. I was talking to the painters at work and mentioned it and the boss asked more and more about the saw stop and said the cost of blade and cartridge is cheaper than the increase in insurance for one incident that left a cut on a worker let alone the loss of a finger.

Word of advice-although the blade LOOKS usable after the brake fires, the force of the speed of the brake coming in contact with the blade has the potential to loosen the welds of the carbide to the saw body, hence micro cracks can form. Turn the saw on and wahala! A piece of carbide comes flying off the blade body at 3450 RPM. Save a finger, u think a few bucks on a blade and even with safety glasses potentially loose an eye. Always send a spent blade to be inspected and resharpened.

Keep up the good work I’m learning woodwork nobody likes to hear there own voice . It’s a thumbs up 👍 from me ;)

A good rule of thumb (har har) that I use is no fingers within the "red zone" (the throat plate) unless the blade is stopped (not just powered off, actually stopped). When I do not want to wait for the blade to stop, I use a push stick to push the offcut out of the red zone so I can pick it up.

I was about to complain about the $75 price for the brake cartridge, but I see that it has a computer on board. And if it has its own computer, as opposed to the computer being separate, I imagine it operates on the same idea of a car's airbag. The computer is expected to fry itself when it fires the squib, and I'll bet it also has an explosive device to actuate the brake. So it makes sense, I guess.

Glad you have the SawStop and are ok! Like the alignment tips. Enjoy your new SawStop.

Glad you're ok.

Dan, the blade break, my question is you have to replace the break unit, you can not reset it, it's a good feature I do like the system, it also costly but I guess if it's going to keep your fingers attached to your hand it's a good lesson to learn Thumbs up. No pun intended lol

Dan, thanks for sharing your experience. Good thumb save! The danger is always in the back of my mind when using such gear, and I have to remind myself to focus on what I am doing, keeping the danger in mind, but not occupying my thinking when cutting. It occurred to me that your alignment method depends on how straight you have drilled through the piece of wood. As you say the shape of the piece doesn't matter but the alignment of the piece with the shaft does I think unless the piece is held fast on the shaft...damn, now I've confused myself!

Liked your video. I am looking forward to your video about setting up your new SawStop .

I really enjoyed this video, and I also found it very informative, and to be honest, I think you're really good at talking to the camera, keep it up :)

Love the on screen commentary. Did great job.

I’m sure the sawstop saved you a trip to the ER. From the looks of the brake it looks like the blade was really slowed when it deployed. Mine tripped at full running speed and that break was mangled. Blade was a total loss. Anyone buying a new tablesaw shoul consider shelling out the extra cash for a sawstop. They are worth it for sure!

Yay for no serious injury! Congrats on the new saw.

Another satisfied SawStop customer. So, uh, you really got room for that PCS cabinet? Can't wait to see the new video of it. Glad everything worked out, both for you and the saw.

I'm glad your thumb is okay I was just watching a video the other day where a guy kept reaching across the blade to grab his peace and I kept thinking that what causes accidentsheck I was watching a mechanic one the other day were the guy was cutting right towards the web of his thumb with a exacto knife and he later came back and argued with people hey I've been doing that for years I've not cut myself yet I'm sure that's what the 14,000 people each year that severely cut their cells with knives say also so again glad you still have your thumb

wow, thats one of those things you have and think you'll never need, but turns out you needed it. glad you had it, i'm sure it was well worth the cost of the saw to keep your digits

Thank you for the time n effort and the upload,your videos are perfect fine and always better to see who the person is on camera 👍

Solid video!

I remember my schools wood shop class had this saw. Someone set it off and the got suspended for doing it because it was so expensive to fix. Also, that same year someone lost there pinky. Rip to that kids pinky

Hey, Newbie...since I didn't read any references to your graphics about "A few moments later", and the other ones, I will do so here. Can I assume that you have Grandkids that like Sponge Bob Square Pants ? These graphics look exactly like the ones from that show. I'm not knocking you, no...I think it's great and very funny. Sponge Bob is actually quite an interesting show with some very clever humor that young kids probably do not 'get', but the adults sure do. When my own now 12 yr. "young" Granddaughter was little, Sponge Bob was one of her favorite shows and she and I watched probably every one of them. I applaud you for your creative humor...way to go..!!

5:25 when your saw is more dangerous when not working then working😂

Your injury was worse with the blade not moving. You and I have the same saw and blade my friend. Glad you didn't lose a finger!

Been there and had to stop myself from moving cutoff pieces out of way. What you call not good video is high quality take it from a you tube aficionado. Glad you didn't get hurt. I think it says on the owners manual don't put your fingers on blade while moving...lol

Newbie I like watching your videos, and have learned a good bit on tips and tricks for wood working as I am new to wood working. I would like to thank you for sharing your mishap video. Extremely glad you weren't injured. I have been looking at saw stop saws for a while, and have seen the videos of the weenie demonstration on there web sit. It is very impressive but to see and actual finger that has survived is even more impressive. Thanks again for sharing.

Glad you’re safe ! Looking forward to get this stuff in Europe one day ...

I lost about 1/2 of my Thumb because i didnt Have the saw stop i also broke the thumb... Thats not worse then After it healed i had to Have surgery for nerve Damage every time i touched something it Stung... Saw stop is the One to buy !

I know about machine geometry and alignment. Your method of determining the parallelism of the blade (plane of rotation) and the T-slot (line of reference) is spot on. It's a classic application of descriptive geometry. It's true the use of a 1 x 4 as an extended radius made me cringe but you isolated your point of reference to a mark. I cringed again because I saw no obvious effort to ensure your miter gage was firmly seated to the same side of the slot for each reading. However your repeat zero and repeat result were within small limits so my misgivings were without grounds. You done good if the approval of an interloper claiming expertise by mere say-so is worth anything. I've heard testimonials and seen demos of the Saw Stop safety brake including the weenie test but remained skeptical. Your video has made me an advocate. I'm too decrepit to run power tools these days but people often consult me in matters of wood and metal work, machine tools, welding, etc. I'm putting the saw stop in the must-have column for safety features. However I'm not too impressed with Saw Stop's right-tilt arbor as advantageous in a world where 89% of its woodworkers are right-handed. My considered opinion is right-tilt table saws best suit the ergonomics of southpaws who place the rip fence on the left side of the blade. Reason: bevel cuts and the off-cut trapped between angled blade and fence. I've seen whopper kickbacks on left tilt saws. In this lies the seeds of endless partisan debate best vented over beer and pizza.

Your video came up randomly but I thought I would just pop in and mention, if you didn't know. Saw Stop will replace the cartridge for free if you send it in, fill out the questionnaire and they can confirm that it was in contact with skin which caused the incident.

Lmao, grandpa just said “of course I’m a RU-vidr so I grabbed my camera and shot in portrait mode”.

Just watched you video about the saw break. same thing happened to me Aug 2019, only I don’t have a saw break. Took a little bit off the side of my left thumb.

All I can say is, don't use a tablesaw without a riving knife. Especially with long skinny pieces of wood that can kickback violently. Don't do it. It's not worth it. Throw your saw away, or find a way to retrofit a riving knife onto it. Or at the very least, get the press in pinned "splitter" jig for $25 on Amazon. I didn't know what a riving knife was, and I didn't study kickbacks properly. I wish I had. I had a really bad kickback 4 months ago. I'm ok, but will have permanent scars. Never angle your blade towards the fence, EVER. The old saws actually tilt the wrong way (towards the fence). Make sure to buy a *left tilting modern saw with a riving knife.* Never set the fence toed in at the rear, always toe the rear of the fence out slightly, up to 1/64th inches, away from the blade.

A guy with nearly 120K subs Should be able to afford a 3900 dollar SawStop saw. Subscribed. I watched because I'm trying to convince myself that I need a SS saw. I'd rather have the Skilsaw worm drive jobsite saw.. then I remember 2.5 fingers missing from my shop teacher's hand!

I always wear work gloves when changing blades...so I don't cut myself on the blade during the change. ;-)

If I were going to buy a stationary cabinet saw for a shop, I'd definitely consider a SawStop model because, aside from the blade brake, they are top quality saws in every other regard and not out of line price wise compared to other top end saws. They really gouge on the price of their jobsite saws though. There is no way the brake adds $800 to the price of the saw and that's about how much more they charge for theirs over even the most expensive next in line brand. It's too bad because a construction site is probably the place this would stop the most injuries. There are a lot of people using the saw and a lot of distractions.

Glad you have all your fingers! Its hard to make videos with a decreasing number of them!!

Saw Stop's are great, glad your OK, i also have one and it will also trip with wet wood, mine did.