Bump Switch

[Geffre]

Bump switch.


Link to video of the action.

The best safety gear is between your ears. Stay alert, stay awake, stay sober so you can stay alive. Also, if I had the money, there is a brand of saw I would “stop” traffic to bring home. But in the mean time, I use older saws trying always to use my best safety feature.

Older table saws have lots of great features. Iron table for magnetic jugs, belt driven for quieter performance, replaceable motor so increased power is only a swap away.

However, safety features are more dependent on the user. One problem I tried to solve is the switch. Most older saws use a light switch, which is cheap and easy for people to replace. However, you need to take one hand of the work to operate it.

Bump switches are much safer since you do not need to take your hands or your eyes of your project. Most accidents happen when we are distracted. If the switch is at hip level, an easy bump can shut down the whirling finger snatcher.

I used what I had around the shop; wood, printer parts, and glue. I purchased the toggle switch and the face plate, under $4.

I hung the bump plate above the switch so that it would hit the off section of the switch. The spring is from a printer I disassembled, along with the rubber wheels.