"Mort Stevens" wrote in message
oups.com...
My understanding is that if any embedded metal touches the blade it
will activate the stop mechanism. Also wet or green lumber can also
trigger it. Basically I think anything that has a lower resistance than
dry wood will result in activation, so maybe some painted and laminated
surfaces will trip it as well.


You should do a little research before making these assumptions. According
to SawStop, wet lumber is not a problem.


I'm researching the SawStop for purchase by a school district and have
contacted the manufacture directly and received a reply, but I still
don't have a reliable answer to some questions. Like what happens with
a fast feed rate? On their website (www.sawstop.com) they have a video
that shows a hotdog being pushed into the blade and the result of the
blade stopping just nicking the surface of the hotdog, but nowhere is
it mentioned the feed rate a which this demonstration was done.

A cut is better than an amputation.



Also, they don't have any data (at least none that they would share
with me) related to kickbacks. As I'm sure everyone here is aware the
speed at which a kickback occurs, I have doubts on the usefulness of
the SawStop mechanism in a kickback situation.

SawStop is not supposed to prevent kickbacks. That said however it is one
of the few brands that offer a riving knife in the US. You still have to
use you head, its still not a good idea to look down a gun barrel even
though the gun has a safety.