DEWALT Recalls Table Saws Due to Laceration Hazard

[laurencen]

This seems a stupid question but I have a Dewalt 744 saw of 3 year old vintage, I have looked high and low for a serial plate that shows the complete model number, only place it shows is on the front plate with model, its simply dw744, where do I find the serial #

Tanks

 

[gemini5362]

gemini - sawstop. probably what I'll get. nice saw by accounts, aside from the safety bit

It was a very impressive saw. I probably wont get one. The price tag is too high for my casual useage of a table saw. But I lusted after it when I saw it.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Do you mean a laceration like the one in the pic below? *Warning, do not look at the pic while eating.* Whatever you do, leave the guard on the saw. My orthopedic surgeon told me that in adult males, half of the hand injuries he sees are from a table saw. The other half is from everything else on the planet. This hand injury cost me at least $100,000. Possibly much more as I had a promising career in athletics before this happened.

 

[Charlesaf3]

yep, that's why I'm pretty set on the saw stop... I use a table saw pretty often, and am in the habit of using my hands every day...

 

[mjncad]

Do you mean a laceration like the one in the pic below? *Warning, do not look at the pic while eating.* Whatever you do, leave the guard on the saw. My orthopedic surgeon told me that in adult males, half of the hand injuries he sees are from a table saw. The other half is from everything else on the planet. This hand injury cost me at least $100,000. Possibly much more as I had a promising career in athletics before this happened.

Man, that's nasty! How long ago did that happen and how well has your hand healed? I hope your hand recovered well from that incident.

I was watching a video at Woodworking tools, supplies, plans, projects, accessories, articles and more - Woodcraft.com on a Gripper product to replace traditional push sticks and featherboards. It looked promising until I saw the host demo the product, and although his hands were relatively protected by the Gripper, I had ugly visions of a user slipping on a slick floor and having the table saw blade go up the length of the forearm after the Gripper went past the blade.

Take care.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Man, that's nasty! How long ago did that happen and how well has your hand healed? I hope your hand recovered well from that incident.

Take care.

Thanks for your concern. This photo was about 4 days post-op. The accident, no, my foolishness happened 5 years, 4 days and 20 hours ago. I had 3 surgeries. I have partial use of my thumb and have no feeling from the middle finger to my thumb. The doctor said a quarter inch deeper and I may have lost the hand entirely. I somehow did not cut any bone, all tendons and nerves.

Exactly what happened. Of course, there was no guard on the table saw. Everyone knows you can't cut anything with the guard on. Hey, that was my attitude at the time. Anyway, I was installing the pre-finished oak floor in the pic background. 400 square feet, I was down to the last 3 boards. I started in the middle and worked my way out. On the first end of the house, there are air vents for the heat. I cut these out of the floor with a jig saw. At the other end, the table saw was right outside on the deck and I only had 1 cut left to notch for the air vent. So, I proceed to make a plunge cut on the table saw. All went well until I hit a knot. Blade grabs the knot, pulls my left palm right across the blade. If I tell you it happened in the blink of an eye, I would be lying. It happened faster. One moment of sheer , utter, senseless stupidity changed my life forever.

Now, When Paul Christenson starts bringing up this safety stuff, please listen to him. I can tell you from experience, all it takes is a split second of bad judgment to change your life forever.

* Just for the record, this was not a De-Walt saw and I didn't sue anybody. I fully admit my own stupidity and beat myself up everyday.

 

[FlaDon]

Table saws are dangerous by design. That said, I have a 12" that I wouldn't give up for just about anything. Will cut a 4X4 in half on a 45° angle. And it has a 3 HP motor. Table saw weighs about 185lbs. I'd hate to slip like Wayne County Hose did. It would take the whole hand off.

 

[AlanB]

Just got word that a good freind of my dads a day or two ago slipped while using the big shaper.

Lost the little finger and 1/2 the next one.

Had previously cut off 3 on a tablesaw and they had re-attached them.

Said there was nothing to pick up after they hit the shaper.

Back to work the next day (self employed)

Man, just gives me a knot in my stomach thinking of it.

 

[mjncad]

Now, When Paul Christenson starts bringing up this safety stuff, please listen to him. I can tell you from experience, all it takes is a split second of bad judgment to change your life forever.

* Just for the record, this was not a De-Walt saw and I didn't sue anybody. I fully admit my own stupidity and beat myself up everyday.

In any case, I'm glad to hear the damage to your hand wasn't worse.

I try to have as much respect for power equipment as I can, and yes I do dumb things too. Like you I realize that my actions could have nasty consequences and I weigh the risks carefully before doing so (e.g. disabling PTO Lawyer Switches on my tractors).

However, when I bring out the gas trimmer, I have a hunch the neighbors think I'm overly paranoid because I wear jeans, a long sleeve shirt, ear and protection, a hardhat with a clear Lexan face shield, and leather tennis shoes. If I can find leather safety shoes that aren't boots, I'll probably get a pair. I've seen people in my neighborhood wear no head, eye and ear protection; they wear short sleeve shirts and shorts and sandals. I think they're nuts because even with what I wear, an errant piece of gravel stings when it hits the legs and tumbleweeds make a heck of a racket when they hit a hard hat. I've had my face shield look like I stood in front of a salad shooter. I use a brush cutter style head on my trimmer.

I'd rather look like a dork and make every effort to be safe than be a cool dude wearing shorts and sandals while weed whacking.

 

[FlaDon]

.....

I'd rather look like a dork and make every effort to be safe than be a cool dude wearing shorts and sandals while weed whacking.

Word! Stihl hard hat with ear muffs and face guard, long sleeve shirt, blue jeans ( denim) , steel toe boots ( 8-9" high ). Behind the face guard are a pair of glasses also.