# Do you unplug



## rhett (May 11, 2008)

I know you are supposed to, but I want honest answers. Do you unplug or cut off the power to your TS when you change the blade? Do you think you need to with a magnetic switch?


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## nailbanger2 (Oct 17, 2009)

I don't have a mag. switch, but I* always* unplug. Routers and SCMS, skilsaw, just about everything but drills.


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## Sailor (Jun 17, 2009)

.......No I don't unplug my saw when I change the blade. I feel guilty.

Maybe this thread will convince my otherwise?


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

No I don't unplug


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

I unplug any corded power tool when changing blades, bits, etc. I unplug everything when I'm not working in the shop. One of my plugs is operated from a switch where most of my drilling is done.


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## noicing (Feb 18, 2010)

Yes I always do. Even though I have to lay on the floor and reach under my out feed table to unplug. I am tempted not to, I have put my thumb into the blade and took a chunk out of it. Memories of the nurse at the hospital scrubbing the open wound helps motivate me to always unplug. Also recently when doing something away from the blade under my table saw (Delta Unisaw) my thumb inadvertently bumped the recessed on switch so that is another reason I always unplug.

Rick


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Guilty as charged.


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## dmoney (Dec 20, 2009)

No I don't


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## BOB67CAM (Dec 28, 2009)

i never unplug the TS mainly because the switch cant be "bumped" on, i do unplug the router because while fumbling it arout i could bump it on
side note on the TS theres alot of times when ill reach adjust hight and by habit grab the switch instead, i havent yet turned it on during the habit however in turn, now when im ready to turn it on it takes me an extra 30 seconds to revisit whether its safe to turn on and gives me time to doublecheck, even tho anyone seeing this "internal mind-battle of OCD" moment would wonder wth im doing..lol


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## Greedo (Apr 18, 2010)

i don't unplug the TS, jointer or bandsaw either!
partly because they have giant 3-phase 380v plugs that are difficult to remove, and mostly because im lazy.
but most of the time i do pusch the emergency stop button, so they can't start.

i occaionally unplug the router, and always unplug angle grinders. my dad never does that even though he once cut 2 fingers off someones hand who was holding the blade when the grinder started by accident.


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## boyd8 (Aug 23, 2009)

I don't unplug but have a on/off switch with a key to lock out the on. I always lock the switch.


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## Woodwrecker (Aug 11, 2008)

Some times yes, sometimes no. 
Lazy dog who's probably gonna pay someday.


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## Bureaucrat (May 26, 2008)

I do. On my Craftsman the power cord to the motor isn't hard wired to the switch, so I unplug it at the switch. Too convenient not to do it.


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## dustbunny (May 18, 2009)

I unplug the power tools when fiddling with them.
I did not do this until recently.
I was setting the angle of the TS blade with a magnetic bevel box,
I needed another 1/2 deg, when I reached for the adjustment handle,
my knuckle just barely brushed the green button, I mean barely,
and the saw kicked on. Needless to say the bevel box is in pieces, literally sawed to bits.
It scared me to think the button was this sensitive to power up.
It could happen anytime just leaning in to change the blade.
I like ten fingers….I unplug now…everything / every time !!

Lisa


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## bayspt (Apr 4, 2008)

I dont on the table saw cause I have a paddle switch that has to be lifted to turn the saw on. dont at the drill press. dont at the lathe. everthing else yes.


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## mikedddd (Jul 22, 2009)

I don't on my table saw or router table as they both have paddle type switches, never thought of the drill press but no, everything else I unplug. I'm to clumsy not to.


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## JAGWAH (Dec 15, 2009)

Nope, I speed change the blade by putting on the wrench then bumping the power switch on then off…


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Greetings rhett,

Yes…... I always unplug anything I'm going to be working on… No matter if it's just changing the blade to a little tune-up. And… if I'm going to be gone for any length of time, like out of town on vacation, then I kill the whole shop by going to the breaker box and throwing the main switch… I have 200 amp service, and one main switch thrown assures me that there is no power to anything…....


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

JAG, great idea!!!


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Okay, my attorneys have asked me to clarify that my post above was strictly in jest, and not to be construed as an endorsement of said technique.


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## CampD (Nov 8, 2008)

*Always!!*


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

*Always!!* +1


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## Gregn (Mar 26, 2010)

I always unplug my machines when changing blades, with the exception of my router which has a shaft lock for bit changing and won't power on until the lock is disengaged.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Guilty.

Furthermore, I don't disconnect the spark plugs when working on the underside of my lawn mower. I'm "living on the edge".


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

Usually, but not always.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

I give thanks to the Almighty everytime I successfully change my blades / bits and then realize that I hadn't been smart enough to unplug my tool first . 
I accidentally lost the tip of my finger to the TS once , and it's not a feeling that I want to relive !!!

Peace and Safety First to all of you : )


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## mtkate (Apr 18, 2009)

I always unplug any machine before putting my fingers anywhere near sharp objects… Some call it safety… or paranoia….


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## oldworld124 (Mar 2, 2008)

ALWAYS, safety first. I have a safety disconnect switch for the saw. My on and off switches are way too close.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

ABSOLUTELY


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## deeman (Dec 19, 2009)

Where I used to work anytime I worked on a machine I had to lock it out and tag it. Even on Saturdays when no one else was there. I always unplug.


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## slokidd (May 29, 2010)

I don't mean to sound paranoid but as far as trusting people and our little "failsafes"go…no.I've been around too much mayhem as a tradesman.I don't trust man made machines.Always unplug.


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## Pimzedd (Jan 22, 2007)

Everything. Always.

Got 9.5 fingers. Can't afford to loose any more pieces.


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## Broglea (Dec 9, 2009)

Unplugged every time.


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## Tony_S (Dec 16, 2009)

Everything unplugged, always.
I also pound into the guys heads to check that switches are OFF….BEFORE plugging a power tool in.


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

Almost never. But on the sawstop I use most of the time, I turn the front power switch off (not to be confused with the operator on/off switch). It has a total of 3 switches.

I do almost always on my benchtop Dewalt TS. I'm sure that will change as I get more used to it.

pimzedd, We moved from Mesquite(off Beltline) to VA in 97. Small world. You mind letting us know how the half digit came to be? Not from changing a TS blade I presume.

JAGWAH, I do that on the lathe in rare occasions, but not the TS. I'll have to try that. I think I'll use my hand rather than the wrench cuz I don't want it to jam the nut on tooo tight ya know.

I think the deciding factor for me would be stationary tools = not necessary, portable tools(angle grinder, router) = should always. Things with a trigger switch like a hand belt sander or hand drill, I doubt I ever have unplugged it.

Yeah, and ALWAYS operate with the expectation that a tool is turned on when you plug it in.

I'd be curious to hear of anyone see a table saw EVER coming on when changing a blade. How in the world could that happen?


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## dfletcher (Jan 14, 2010)

I unplug everything, mostly because it was taught to me that way and it is habit. My router and TS are both plugged into a socket with a switch on it so that the on/off switches aren't used, they are always on. I do this with my ts because the switch went bad.


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Yes, I always unplug any of the machines when working on them.


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## mike85215 (Oct 16, 2009)

Yes, I always unplug also…..paranoid that the machine will come to life on it's own.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

Always, I never want to have to call my colleagues and explain why they are hauling me in less limbs or digits LOL!


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## croessler (Jun 22, 2007)

Having lost a finger and had it reattached while in the service (NOT power tool related) I ALWAYS unplug my machinery when swapping blades, bits, making adjustments, etc…

Call me paranoid….


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## bobbyt99 (Jan 16, 2010)

Um… no.

-Bobby


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## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

I am 50/50 but I do try to remember. But when a post like this comes I tend to remember more, thanks for the reminder.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Unplugged. In fact, when I was younger and immortal, I used to work on live 110 VAC when installing new lighting and so forth. Once, I told my oldest son to leave the light in his room off because I was in the kitchen (upstream) installing a new light fixture. So, I'm pulling off the wire nuts and there's a spark. Sure enough he turned on his light. I went and turned the breaker off after that. Move forward 20 years, now I don't just turn off the power to the circuit in question, I lock the breaker box while I'm working. Only once, my wife went out and turned the breaker back on, in spite of being told I was working on the circuit. If she wants the million plus bucks insurance money that badly, she'll have to work harder than that for it.


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## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

I do not turn the power off on the table saw when changing blades. I do unplug routers, circular saw and jig saw.


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## Abbott (May 10, 2009)

Never.


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

I don't unplug the TS but everything else gets unplugged. This forum gets my wheels turning though and maybe we need to make some conscious decisions for our safety.


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## Pdub (Sep 10, 2009)

Usually my table saw, but very rarely do I unplug my router. Don't know why I don't, probably should.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

*Kind of like wearing a seat belt or not*…. "I'll be safe because I'm just going to the corner store and I've done that countless times before"......*Hmmmm*


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## yarydoc (Oct 16, 2009)

Sometimes I even unplug the tools next to the saw. )


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## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

im hardly a big safety guy - I hardly ever use the blade on the TS - but i ALWAYS UNPLUG. everything but the drills. Even when it's plugged into a power strip and that's turned off too. You just never know what might happen and cause you to bump a switch on. and then that would be an incredibly stupid tragedy.


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## brianinpa (Mar 16, 2008)

Can't say that I do when I am working on the table saw because I am the only one in the garage when I am working with it. I have never seen a light switch turn on by itself.

The router is a different thing all together: too many possibilities for the trigger to get bumped.


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## DAWG (Oct 23, 2009)

*Usually my table saw, but very rarely do I unplug my router. Don't know why I don't, probably should.

-Paul, North Dakota, USAF Ret.*

Ditto Paul - I don't know why either, maybe I'll start now.


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## Bearpie (Feb 19, 2010)

I'm the only one in the shop so I don't but you guys got me thinking…... I'll start unplugging from now on! I need my hands to talk to my wife(she is deaf).

Erwin Jacksonville,FL


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## twokidsnosleep (Apr 5, 2010)

I unplug, mainly b/c I am using an extension cord that has to drape over the bench where the tools to change the saw are located. So I unplug for safety, but also b/c the cord is right there and in the way.
Don't ask about the cheap blade guards on the table saw though…I chucked those suckers after the first cut got trapped in the guard and kicked back on me. I prefer to use cutting jigs now.


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## MarkwithaK (Sep 12, 2009)

Yup. Maybe not when I actually start the change but as soon as I start to get my digits close to the blade I stop and think then unplug.


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## beckerswoodworks (Dec 26, 2009)

I just shut off the breaker since it's close to my saw.


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## LoneTreeCreations (May 27, 2010)

I always unplug a saw when I change a blade, except my DW788 scrollsaw. I don't unplug drills drill presses, sanders, etc.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

I am an unplugged kind of guy.

Last winter I was using my Delta drill press. I turned the power switch to the off position and the motor kept running. I found that the contacts on the switch had some carbon build up. The switch was fine once I cleaned the contacts and I have not had a repeat problem. This reinforced the "always unplug" rule for me. I hate to think about what could have happened if I were changing the bit or pulley positions with the drill plugged in and jiggling the machine was enough to close the gap in the switch.


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

yes, always. it's just not a risk i am willing to take.


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## buffalo689 (Mar 2, 2010)

no


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## CryptKeeper (Apr 28, 2010)

No mag switch but I unplug every time. I learned my lesson a long time ago chucking a bit in drill that was plugged in.


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## BlairH (Jan 19, 2009)

I wouldn't consider myself the safest or most diligent woodworker around but, for some reason, I do unplug my TS before changing the blade. I think reason is that I don't change my blade very often. If I had to switch blades all the time I'm sure it wouldn't last.

However, in response to drill presses, I don't unplug when changing bits… weird?


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## Cato (May 1, 2009)

Yep I unplug and like Dane I put the plug up where I can see it. I have a removeable key on some of my equipment, but don't trust that like I do seeing the plug.


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## Mogebier (Feb 4, 2010)

I unplug every tool before changing or adjusting anything. I like my fingers where they are - on the end of my hand.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

My table saw has the cord to the wall, and a short plug into the switch from the motor to the switch, so that I can "double unplug" which I do, every single time… And every time I leave the saw for the day…
I may be paranoid, but I learned to multiply on my fingers, and I don't need any more holding my math skills back!


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## Woodcanuck (Mar 9, 2010)

I try to….I remember probably 80% of the time.

It's a good point though….I try to do it for the tablesaw and the chop saw….but I don't do it for the other tools…..come to think of it, the band saw is a pretty good one to do that for….just got a visual of that one going wrong….shiver.


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## lanwater (May 14, 2010)

My tablesaw has a master switch (SS) that I turn to off before removing any balde.
I Always unplug my router before changing bit


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## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

I always unplug! Once the habit is formed for doing this it would feel very strange not to unplug, sort of like not wearing your seatbelt when you are driving your car!


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## makedust (May 31, 2010)

I always unplug…It's worth the effort…all it takes is taking a chance one time


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

Yes +1. I have a main shutoff power switch the kills the power to the outlets which I flip off just cause it's easier then pulling the plugs out and putting them back in.


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## chipndrill (Apr 16, 2010)

Yea I gotta admit it. As much as they say, "do not operate until you read the instructions". One is unplug before adusting. As much as men with the old saying, "who me? Read instructions? Nay!!! Until I got the new saw with the mag switch on it, dont trust it. My old say with type of rocker switch, with that positive click, But again the new saw has got me in the habit to unplug everthing when not in use. When I retire for the evening nothing is plugged except the stereo, clock and vacuum. I even unplug and purge the compressor until it is empty. I lost a good compressor due to the fact that I never purged it. It developed a leak from rust.


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## CampD (Nov 8, 2008)

A word to those who use the breaker as a shut-off, every time you shut it off manualy or it trips it just makes the spring just a little weaker and over time it will need to be replaced.


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## nmkidd (Sep 18, 2009)

Always unplugged when changing anything…........and all unplugged when not in use!!


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

*To address your magnetic switch question *: The switch is designed to prevent the machine from restarting if you lose electricity in anyway at all ,ie: tripped breaker , lightning strike , etc.. Once power is restored , you can restart your machine as always .
It's not a safety switch that stops the machine while you're changing the blade , if that is your question .

*I know it's not manly to unplug your tool , but for your own safety , please do : )*


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

My saw works of kerosene what do you mean unplug? seriously I alway without hesitation unplug.Alistair p.s. I Also on top of this always switch of the mains at the consumer unit box in both shops last thing at night then everything is set up during the day lights all on all the time all of them one switch at end of myday all off.


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## wstokes (Mar 20, 2009)

When switching out the splitter/blade guard for the riving knife on my TS I simply turn it off with the power switch (SawStop). I don't trust myself to not pull out the paddle (I'm paranoid). When I leave the shop I also unplug the SawStop because I'd hate to have it fried by a Lightening strike. I don't bother to unplug anything else when I leave the shop. If I were to be changing blades on the TS I guess I'd just turn it off, not unplug, since i trust that switch enough. I'm most terrified of the router table and always unplug it when changing bits. It's way too easy to bump the flimsy paddle switch IMHO.


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## pmayer (Jan 3, 2010)

Every since I saw a friend turn on this table saw by smacking the switch on the side, I unplug it every time.

I take this pretty seriously but have to admit that I am LMAO about JAGs "speed changing" approach. Awesome visual on that one. Can't wait to see the youtube video…


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