Simple Solution to a Potential Shop Hazard: The SafetyGate Outlet Adapter
Mar 08, 2011
It worked! A little light tells you when the SafetyGate has been triggered.
If you’ve ever lost electricity while using a power tool, you know how startling it can be when power comes back and the tool starts up because you forgot to turn it off after the outage. Most of the time, the restart is harmless. But it can be damaging or dangerous, especially if the cutter is in contact with the workpiece or your body.
A simple solution is to plug the tool into the SafetyGate outlet adapter. This gizmo works like a magnetic switch on bigger machines, preventing the tool from restarting automatically. It cuts power until the user can reset the machine by turning it off and then on. An indicator light will tell you when SafetyGate is in “protect mode.”
The adapter works with any power loss resulting from a circuit-breaker trip, blackout, or even if the plug comes out. However, it won’t protect you if power is disconnected downstream from the device; that means if you use an extension cord and the connection between the cord and tool comes apart, the tool will restart when you restore the connection.
SafetyGate Professional restart protection device
$24 at safetygatestore.com
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Comments
I am very enthusiastic about this. It's too bad they don't post any specs at all on their web site. It also looks like the product must be 120V only. We don't have many power outages where I live but sometimes when we do there are some moments of up and down - and I really do not want to be running a table saw or other power tool in contact with a workpiece at the time!
@ButchersWood:
You can get a DPST-NO contactor rated at 3HP/240V for about $15 from McMaster-Carr. Wire your machine through the contactor's load circuit, and use the SafetyGate to supply operating power to the contactor. When the power goes out, the contactor will open, and won't reconnect until you reset the SafetyGate.
-Steve
Another solution looking for a problem.
Fishing lure.
"another solution looking for a problem"
More like another solution looking for someone with more money than brains. At $24 each it would cost me $432 to protect all the outlets in my workshop. Or for FREE I can just have half a brain to not just throw up my hands and walk away from a switched on machine when the power goes out.
We should really be talking about WHY the power is going out so often for this to have been invented. One person already mentioned power outages to which I say stop woodworking in tornado weather or complain to your power company. But I assume the majority of power losses is due to circuit overloads... A very serious problem if it happens regularly. The tool could be wired improperly, the outlet could be wired improperly, the circuit could be undersized for the usage, or the total load could be maxing out the circuit. All of these are serious issues that could eventually lead to a structure fire.
So maybe instead of just slapping a $24 band-aid on the problem you should think about actually addressing the issue prior to total disaster.
DC
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