unTreatedwood

Mr. Gass is an arrogant attorney who has learned just enough about woodworking to put himself in a position to take advantage of uninformed court results and a regulatory tidalwave from Marxist driven agencies. In short, he has the perfect storm to soak us all. He has taken out patents on ALL power tools, just in case you consider him to be benevolent. If the ruling agency thinks his table saw is the answers to accidents and is going to force us to use it or something like it, then just wait for the application to hit all other power tools. The attempt to destroy our industry will continue, along with other idiotic rules and regulations that are already driving tradespeople out of the job place. This is so contrived and jaded, it makes me livid. On the other hand, knowing what kind of fools are in the driver's seat, I bought a brand new table saw at the beginning of the year and will never put a penny into Mr. Gass' pocket. Small satisfaction for such a large ego.

Hey Joe Y,
Look up the term anarchist before go throwing it around. You act like you know what it means. I have forgotten more than you will ever know about what this government is doing and it is dangerous, tyrannical, and the antithesis of allowing freedom. That is NOT how anarchist thinks. Get your terms straight. You clearly want a nanny state. Go for it. I for one, want the freedom granted to me the constitution. As one posted asked here: Where in the Constitution does it give the Federal government ANY rights to do what they are doing? No where.

In past blogs here, it's been clear that the "wording" of the new regulations just happen to be what Gass has written and wants put in place so he can reap the new monies. I dont understand why this is not transparent to ALL!! Every single industry in our country in being subjected to these ridiculous regulations. As though a centralized government in one place can know what the best way to do something is in the rest of the country. How is it that lawmakers, most of whom have NEVER even held a skil saw, is now telling us how to use a table saw? Oh and by the way, you HAVE to use the new device designed by Mr. Gass, that just HAPPENS to add anywhere from $500 - $1000 per saw. Doesnt anyone else see this? This goes along with new rules to shut down coal mines, dairy farms, oil drilling wells, painters, remodeling...etc., etc. I had no idea that so many trades people were THAT incompetent, when ONE guy uses a portable table saw in such an egregious manner that he hurts himself, and it's the saw's fault, and now we all have to change what we do!!! For the record, I upgraded my table saw this year to a Grizzly cabinet saw because I knew this would happen with this administration. I know how to use a table saw safely, my boys know how and I don't need the government regulator who has probably NEVER used one to tell me what I need and don't need. THis is a very large step away from freedom and the chances of having that freedom again once this joke is passed is virtually impossible. Rules, Rules, Rules. I predict there will be within 10% just as many accidents. Stupid users are still going to be stupid, saw-stop or not.

The first major tool I bought back in the late 80's was a 10" Delta contractor's saw in Pasadena, CA in order to remodel my kids' bedroom; complete with cabinets, doors, etc. I learned a lot on that first remodel, and have been at it ever since. It is my second job, as I manage money for a living during the week, while functioning as a finish carpenter on weekends. Been doing it for 30 years.

I find it fascinating that those in the trades lament the slow departure of tool manufacturers from the lower 48, so to speak. Why didnt other US companies buy any of those well-known names? Milwaukee, Delta, DeWalt...why was it that only non-US companies were able to pay the price for these companies?

In recent years, the last tools I have purchased were Festool brand names. I cannot find their quality anywhere else. Sure, I still use my Milwaukee worm drive that I bought back in the early 90s. But I use the Festool TS55 to break down pieces of plywood for cabinets. When I build islands, or cabinets, or staircases, no one asks me what kind of tools I use, and I doubt that any client asks those questions of anyone else out there. However, we are responsible to deliver the best product we can for the lowest cost in order to make a profit.

That is exactly the same situation these manufacturing companies find themselves in. The one variable they have that I don't have is the union labor they must use. I have to compete on all other levels. But I don't have to deal with the unions. I suspect that if we look carefully, we would find that there is a huge element involving the cost of having unions involved with these companies. If someone could design and build a Fein or Festool quality tool in the USA, who WOULDN'T want to buy it? I would. There are other aspects to this dilemma, including the devaluation of the dollar, and access to capital. But I'm pretty sure in the long run, until we get a handle on the cost of labor here in the states, we are not going to be able to produce a Bosch, or Festool, or Fein.

I have been building cabinets as part of weekend buisness for years, and have had real issues getting square cuts on the carcass pieces. two years ago I spent a fair amount of time trying to decide whether to buy a RA saw or get the Festool MFT table. I owned a RA saw years ago, but had to sell it when moving to the West Coast.
After several months of research, I decided to buy the table. I was already using the saw I needed. I can say it was an excellent decision. I did not have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to find an iron arm from 50 years ago, or get a new one at the industrial level. I don't have to worry about alignment except to make sure the guide is square. I couldn't be happier. It's not for everyone, but it certainly was the right decision for me.

Depending upon how you have set up your shop, the table saw remains the backbone of most woodshops, as it is in mine. I have had the same saw for 15 years, and have no need/interest in replacing it. It works great.

I predict, however, after reading 80% of these posts, that at some point, our esteemed governmental regulators will require that we all show THEM that we have the ability to run a tablesaw correctly in order to get a certificate of carpenter's minimum skill level. We will not be able to run a shop unless we have that certificate, ("purchased" at seminars that will resemble the lead certification seminars") OR we will be exempted if we have purchased the famous SawStop saw. Mark my words...if this suit is allowed to stand, (and you can bet your attorney's retainer that Gass is lobbying hard), insurance cos. will be forced to ask us all if we have been certified for table saw usage or if are we exempted. We have begun a trip down a path that is not going to end well for any of us. The misguided attempt to eliminate all risk from what is by nature a risky venue is going to do us all in at some point. And I hope I am wrong for all our sakes!!!