The BLACK BOX 'Plug & Play' Flesh-Sensing Saw Safety Stop

Senses when fingers are in danger and STOPS the saw blade in 1/8 OF A SECOND!

Developed by veteran woodworker David Butler, the patented Whirlwind Tool BLACK BOX table saw emergency blade brake is a simple bolt-on/removable device which can be easily and inexpensively incorporated into use with millions of existing saws and machine tools. The prototypes showcased on this site differ from all previous table saw blade guards and emergency blade brakes, with a built-in "electronic fence" blade enclosure. Removable, extended safety shields can be wide or narrow to offer varying safety margin depending on user comfort and experience.

If the operator approaches or touches the clear blade guard fence, the proximity detector will immediately shut down the saw motor and stop the blade, without damage, in one-eighth of a second — long before the operator can contact the spinning blade. The saw can be restarted almost immediately. Table saw miter cuts, bevels, narrow rip cuts, non-through cuts and dadoes have all been implemented with the BLACK BOX prototype.

Metal Cutting and Fabrication

The BLACK BOX has been used for metal cutting and fabrication. With a simple modification to our woodworking guards we are able to cut metal on a band saw and two types of our table saws.

In addition to the revolutionary, new BLACK BOX system showcased here, Whirlwind health and safety technologies have been successfully implemented using the Makita bench top, Delta, Powermatic and Rigid saws.