Safety Switch

[Ed in Tampa]

In the reader comment section of the latest Wood Mag an reader wrote in that he replaced all his on/off switches with the Safety Paddle switch ordered from Grizzly Part # G8988 for $4.

I hadn't seen this switch before and it looks good. It is only a 10 amp switch so it couldn't be used for the Shopsmith but it might have other uses around the shop

[dusty]

I would change mine out in a minute IF I could find either a 15 or 20 amp switch.

I am certain that someone makes them but I have been unsuccessful in finding one (that would fit in the headstock).

[robinson46176]

In my old shop the ceiling was low (under a loft) and I used a 30 amp double pole disconnect (my saw there was on 220-V) that I mounted overhead down from the ceiling. It used a T handled plunger that you pulled out about 3/4" to turn it on and you just pushed it in to shut it off. When I finished a cut I could just reach up and slap it to turn it off. I liked it a lot. It is a little large but with a nice paint job I would not be adverse to surface mounting it on the front of a Shopsmith. Since it just uses standard screw in fuses it is easy to fuse it light enough using a delayed blow fuse.
There was another advantage of it being overhead, it never got sawdust in it.
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My Ridgid TS3650 table saw uses a paddle switch. I don't know what its rating is. It comes in a nice small box that would be easy to surface mount somewhere. On the Ridgid table saw you have the option of mounting it either on your left or right. Mine is on the right.