Here's a warning to idiots like me

[Tom K]

I think you are pretty safe DW. Kickback occurs when the piece gets lifted at the back of the blade and then gets slingshot off of the top. Your sled would have to lift completely clear of the mitre slots to get thrown anywhere.

 

[doctor Bob]

I use a knife which can be dropped to just below the height of the blade and a floating crown guard.
Seems the perfect solution especially for cutting thick panels.

 

[devonwoody]

Bob, I like your saw, £100 buy it?


typo

 

[doctor Bob]

Bob, I like your saw, £100 but it?

that will just about cover the little red push stick..... :lol:

 

[Steve Maskery]

One of my customers has just posted this over on Lumberjocks. I think he's made a smashing job of it:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/86109

 

[JohnPW]

OK, I've never used a table saw, and I will never use one unless I find a job where you have to use one.

But a flat surface with a hole in it, and a completely exposed circular blade sticks out of it spinning at thousands of rpm and you push a piece of wood towards with your fingers??!! I don't know how anyone can think that's not completely crazy, or even legal. It's the equivalent of putting your left hand in front of your chisel.

Surely a table saw must have the blade completely surrounded and covered, and have a clamp/vice that slides along holding the work piece? And why should fingers ever need to go near the blade? On a cheaper machine, the clamp would be pushed by hand but it would designed so that where you put your hand would be nowhere near the blade. On an expensive table saw, it should be motor driven, you'd press a button to do the cut.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Whilst you might be right, John, it is a matter of historic practice and culture. If the TS was invented today after previously not existing at all, then, yes, I'm sure that it would all be automated and sterile. But tablesaws are a product of industrialisation and many machines are very old, in design if not in fabric.
So there is still a job to be done in educating people how to use them safely, given all the shortcomings of technology.

The guy in the film was lucky, and hats off to him for publishing the film even though he knows it makes him look stupid. If it stops someone else doing the same and not being so lucky, then it was worth it. Just.
S

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I agree...it was courageous and altruistic of him to post that film

 

[Jelly]

OK, I've never used a table saw, and I will never use one unless I find a job where you have to use one.

But a flat surface with a hole in it, and a completely exposed circular blade sticks out of it spinning at thousands of rpm and you push a piece of wood towards with your fingers??!! I don't know how anyone can think that's not completely crazy, or even legal. It's the equivalent of putting your left hand in front of your chisel.

Surely a table saw must have the blade completely surrounded and covered, and have a clamp/vice that slides along holding the work piece? And why should fingers ever need to go near the blade? On a cheaper machine, the clamp would be pushed by hand but it would designed so that where you put your hand would be nowhere near the blade. On an expensive table saw, it should be motor driven, you'd press a button to do the cut.

For both panels and ripping solid wood, those exist (and have done since pre WWII)... but they're usually large machines aimed at high-production environments... I've never figured out why people don't use power-feeds on non-specialist table saws for longer runs of ripping, possibly the lack of a secure mounting point.

 

[dm65]

Well worth posting that link, while disturbing to read some of your experiences, it shows kickback is a lot more common than I thought

Might only happen once in your lifetime, but that's all it can take I guess

Years ago, I used to work in a shop where we 'mass produced', in batches of 25, grandfather clocks and being the shop grunt, I always assisted on the saws but never saw this happen and we went through a lot of wood !

 

[Steve Blackdog]

Thanks for posting this vid. You can never take chances with any power tools.

But if you think that was stupid, I can beat that hands down...

I once had a router cutter fly out of the collet because I hadn't put it in far enough. I was looking for run out and had my face at table level so I could get a good view. The cutter flew past me at such a speed that it hit the back of the shed and ricocheted like a bullet from one wall to another. Boy, was I lucky not to be very seriously injured or even killed. A spinning router cutter in the face doesn't bear thinking about.

The odd thing is that I am a very careful person normally, but in this instance my brain was taking a nap.

 

[devonwoody]

Steve, it would not be pleasant to the tummy area either. :wink:

 

[doctor Bob]

OK, I've never used a table saw, and I will never use one unless I find a job where you have to use one.

But a flat surface with a hole in it, and a completely exposed circular blade sticks out of it spinning at thousands of rpm and you push a piece of wood towards with your fingers??!! I don't know how anyone can think that's not completely crazy, or even legal. It's the equivalent of putting your left hand in front of your chisel.

Surely a table saw must have the blade completely surrounded and covered, and have a clamp/vice that slides along holding the work piece? And why should fingers ever need to go near the blade? On a cheaper machine, the clamp would be pushed by hand but it would designed so that where you put your hand would be nowhere near the blade. On an expensive table saw, it should be motor driven, you'd press a button to do the cut.

Cor blimey, a bit OTT...... whilst we are at it lets ban travelling in cars, trains and planes as it could be dangerous.

 

[Steve Blackdog]

Steve, it would not be pleasant to the tummy area either. :wink:

You know what freaked me out the most about it? What in heaven's name would I say to my wife!?

Have you ever thought "My gosh, what on earth was I thinking????"

when the answer plainly is "I was not"!!!

 

[user 4112]

I don't own a table saw, have never used a table saw and doubt if I ever will but I've read countless time to always use a RK and the dangers of kickback. Until that clip I hadn't a clue what kickback was or how it was caused. A picture is worth a thousand words - damn right it is. That clip might very well save somebody a trip to A&E or the morgue, it deserves the widest publicity.