Ever since a lawsuit against tablesaw manufacturer One World Technologies led to a hefty payout, the federal government has been hard at work evaluating the potential for tighter regulation of tablesaw technology. Fine Woodworking magazine has been covering the controversy since day one—from the development of SawStop’s revolutionary flesh-sensing technolgy, to the who, what, when, where, and why of the Carlos Osorio tablesaw suit, we’ve been on the case:

The SawStop Revolution
Fine Woodworking’s coverage of inventor Steve Gass’s revolutionary SawStop dates back to 2004, when we profiled the then-new machine in our annual Tools & Shops issue:

A Safer Tablesaw Finally Arrives

June 18, 2009 – SawStop Inventor Walks the Walk

New Sawstop Contractor Saw in Action

October 6, 2011 – SawStop Inventor Steve Gass Defends the Latest Tablesaw Verdicts

Tablesaw Lawsuit Draws Attention of Federal Government
In 2008, news of a successful lawsuit leveled against tablesaw manufacturer One World Technologies surfaced. OWT was found negligent for not including “flesh detection technology” in its products.

March 8, 2010 – Man Wins Big Money in Tablesaw Lawsuit

May 30, 2010 – More Details on the Carlos Osorio Tablesaw Lawsuit

June 30, 2010 – How to Win $1.5 Million: Lessons from the Tablesaw Lawsuit

July 23, 2010 – Defense Outgunned in Osorio Tablesaw Lawsuit

October 6, 2011 – Appeals Court Upholds Osorio

New Tablesaw Regulations Take Form
The Consumer Products Safety Commission soon launched its own investigation and hearings into tablesaw safety, ushering in a new era of regulation.

February 4, 2011 – Tablesaw Safety Goes Under the Microscope—Again

June 15, 2011 – CPSC Drafting New Tablesaw Regulations

The Story Behind the Governments’s Pending Tablesaw Ruling

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Rockler Dust Right 650 CFM

While all five of the smaller units will collect chips efficiently when deployed properly, the 3/4-hp Rockler was just a bit more powerful in our suction test.

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Festool Cleantec CT 26 E HEPA Dust Extractor

The clear winner here is Festool’s CT 48 Dust Extractor. It has amazing capacity relative to its size, and unmatched suction power. It packs in a number of subtle but very helpful design touches, like a clever foot brake and easy hose and cord storage.

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Shop Fox W1826

The thick, felted bag on this Shop Fox is a plus and a minus. On one hand, it makes the unit much less expensive than collectors with canister filters, and also lighter and easier to hang on the wall. Without a separate plastic bag to catch chips, however, they stay in the felt bag, and the shortish zipper on the bottom makes it tough to shake them out. Otherwise, the W1826 is an excellent value.

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