This Weekend My Table Saw Saved Me a Trip to the ER

It has been a while since I have gotten to really work on the dining room table that I have been building. With some free time this past Saturday morning, I decided that it was time to hopefully finish up the base and prepare to move on to the top.

I needed to make some 45 degree miter cuts on some lumber to make the braces fit to the table. I proceed to take the lumber to my table saw. I set up the area of where the lumber would be cut, power on the saw and start. About halfway through the cut of the first board... Then I hear a pop.

There was a decent gust of wind right then an thought it was a piece of lumber that fell due to the gust. I then notice that the table saw is not on anymore... Then I notice where my hand was. Right in the path of the blade.

I did not get cut, I didn't get a scratch because my SawStop table saw did its job. The safety feature on this particular saw did its job and saved me from an injury.

"How did your saw save you from cutting yourself?" My neighbor asked, so I showed him this video to explain how it works:

I still have my fingers and I didn't miss a wedding over the weekend due to going to the emergency room. This is what the blade and brake looked like after I took them out of the saw.

I had to buy a new blade and a new brake. It was well worth the $100 compared to the crazy amount of money it would have been if I would have cut myself on the saw.