Dumb things you can do to hurt yourself on a TS

[Victor Robinson]

As many of you know from my other thread regarding the purchase of my first TS, I'm a rookie to this dangerous power tool.

I have watched countless videos and read countless websites and magazines about how to safely use a table saw. I started off respectful but confident, but recently, having come across numerous harrowing tales of injury and carnage resulting from table saws (sometimes the internet can be a bad thing!), started getting a bit more nervous.

My question is this - does a riving knife and proper feed method (that keeps your hands away from the blade, e.g. GRR-ripper) basically guarantee you won't experience an injury? Are there any types of kickback that can happen DESPITE having a riving knife or splitter installed? Are there other dumb things you should make sure never to do, like never letting go of the wood you're feeding through the blade? What about boards that aren't very flat, or properly dried - does a riving knife keep things safe in those circumstances? Is it as simple as "keep the kerf open, no kickback."

I'm sort of embarrassed to ask this, but figured you good folks wouldn't be TOO hard on me.

[Dave Tesch]

i cant say for certainty but logic would dictate that if a riving knife were flawless in its ability to prevent any type of kickback then there would be no market for splitters with anti kickback prawls.

i can tell for for certainty that the tool i have been most injured by is.....a flat blade screwdriver. laugh all you want but i have managed to slice my hand open with one of those more times than i care to remember; so much so that i generally choose other screw/driver types.

the safest thing you can do with a TS is not to touch the blade when it is running, and dont stand in a place where a kickback will hit you.

a good respect for any tool is a good thing, fear might not be so good. truth be told i am pretty scared of tablesaws, i use them often and have never had an injury (but i have had disasterous kickbacks on cheap, crummy direct drive saws - never on my delta).

[Dennis McGarry]

I've been using a TS for far to long. There is nothing that will be 100% safe, if you want that, buy a sawstop.

But they are also only as dangerous as the operator will allow them to be.

Follow the safety instructions you already have and most importantly, Be respectful of the tool and understand what it can do if you allow it to.

If you are to nervous or afraid of it, it will bit you, they are like animals and sense fear. Dont over think it.

I too have been injured more with a screwdriver then a power tool.

[Mitchell Andrus]

It's mostly about control. If you control the saw and the board you won't get hurt. Nothing however is 100%. Even a SawStop can send a board flying.

Practice with some 1" thick foam insulation board. You'll get a feel for the movement, your stance, where the blade is, clearing cut-offs, etc., without the need to worry too much about binding the blade on you first day.


Never ever be too embarrassed to ask first.

[Sean Hughto]

A splitter isn't going to stop you from running your finger through the blade.

There are plenty of ways to hurt yourself with nearly any tool.

The list of safety dos and don't is long and depends somewhat on your equipment too. As a general matter - control the stock (use a well adjusted fence, feather boards, sled, splitter etc. to make sure the stock is doing what you want and not what it wants) and if it feels dangerous, it probably is, so don't do it.

[Myk Rian]

Fear of a tool can be healthy, but too much can hurt you. Just be careful, and if you're doing something that you think is wrong, stop right there and correct it.

The one thing I always make sure of is to keep the floor clean in front of the TS. A foot slipping on that saw dust could put you in a world of hurt.

Second safety practice I use is a push stick, handle, or anything that keeps your hand away from the blade, and also gives you control. The Gripper is a nice tool to have.

[John Coloccia]

No matter what tool you're using, you have to be on your toes. A gnarly grain that closes up can most certainly flex that puny little riving knife out of the way and let it catch. All these safety devices are merely additional layers of protection, and all of them can fail. The first layer of protection is your brain. Theoretically, if that's always 100%, you can remove all these safety devices and never have a problem.

I make mistakes sometimes, so I use other layers such as riving knives, push shoes where appropriate, featherboards, a SawStop, etc. All of these combine to give me multiple layers of protection such that multiple things have to fail before I run into trouble, or they can minimize injury (in the case of the SawStop). Sometimes it just buys you a little time to wakeup and figure out what's going on so your brain can take over and fix things before they get out of hand.

When I'm working, I pretend as best I can that there is NO protection other than what I have between my ears, and if I feel as though to safely complete my cut that I have to depend on one of the other layers, I shut it down if I can. Others will chime in and say "You'll never make a living woodworking if you act like a little girly man." To that I say "I don't make a living woodworking so I can be as girly as I want".

But to answer the basic question, it's true that if you keep the back of the cut out of the blade, you won't ever get a kickback. That means keeping the kerf open and keeping the piece on the fence. You MAY still get material rejection where the piece comes straight back along the table, without actually getting a full fledged kickback. This is less of a big deal than a piece of wood launching off the back of the blade and flying into your chest...or stomach....or head....or anywhere else, actually. Feather boards really help fight the temptation to push against the fence on the cutoff side of the blade, thereby closing the kerf on the blade and causing it to grab. With the feather board generally keeping the work against the fence, you can really concentrate on keeping the work between the blade and the fence going as it should.

All just my opinion.

[glenn bradley]

I'm with Myk. An excess of fear can be dangerous. If you have ever tried to teach someone to drive a car, who is in a constant near state of panic, every second they are behind the wheel, you know what I mean. I applaud your desire to understand and be sure of the proper operation of your tools. I see people driving automobiles, which can be extremely dangerous, who have obviously not bothered to gain any understanding of the machine's operation beyond getting their license.

All that being said, some folks do have an inordinant fear of certain things. I could never sky-dive but I scuba at 100 feet down whenever possible. I don't think you should push yourself into something that will have you stressd out when this hobby can provide such joy and relaxation.

Maybe a guided circular saw or a large bandsaw would be more comfortable for you to get started with. Each of these is also dangerous as can be when mishandled but, the purpose would be to raise your confidence level so that you can enjoy yourself. Mitchell's suggestion about starting with foam boards sounds like a good idea.

My table saw practices have kept me accident free but, there are no guarantees. I make sure the saw is well aligned so that it will behave predictably. I use a good fence, zero clearance throat plates, splitters, blade guards, Grr-Rippers ( prefer these over push sticks that offer me no real control, just distance) , good infeed and outfeed support (having control of your material is way up there on the list of safety practices) and so on.

[Rich Switzer]

Placing your table saw on an ice chest would probably qualify as a dumb thing:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/g...mputation.html

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Placing your table saw on an ice chest would probably qualify as a dumb thing:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/g...mputation.html

What a brave man!

Eeesh.. People commenting on that article are crackers... I find nothing of that brave... Foolish, reckless and stupid, yes... Brave? Naaa...

Respect the tool and it will respect you.. In all the years my grandfather was building cabinets he was never bit by the table saw... Jointer? Yeah.. Nipped the tip.. Table saw? Naaa... Not once..

Don't do this either..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrvwo9HMBBs

And yes, it's fake.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Getting in your automobile and driving down the street along side of other drivers who may have:
a)had too much to drink
b) are reading the morning newspaper
c) applying make up while twiting their friend
are all more dangerous than your saw. You take extraordinary precautions when you drive. You make sure your auto is in good running and stopping condition. You hone your own driving skills. Hopefully, you make sure you are awake and alert. You wear your seat belt.
Even so, bad things happen to good people. It is a risk you manage and have to take to get where you are going. The table saw is no different, you just haven't practiced it yet. Begin by working with flat stable stock like plywood. Cut pieces that are relatively large, say 8" between the fence and the blade. Take all precautions. Build a cross cut sled as a project. Then use it. Familiarity will breed confidence. Use your common sense. It, along with a but of reading about the tool will guide your path to experience.

fmr

[Steven DeMars]

Getting in your automobile and driving down the street along side of other drivers who may have:
a)had too much to drink
b) are reading the morning newspaper
c) applying make up while twiting their friend
are all more dangerous than your saw. You take extraordinary precautions when you drive. You make sure your auto is in good running and stopping condition. You hone your own driving skills. Hopefully, you make sure you are awake and alert. You wear your seat belt.
Even so, bad things happen to good people. It is a risk you manage and have to take to get where you are going. The table saw is no different, you just haven't practiced it yet. Begin by working with flat stable stock like plywood. Cut pieces that are relatively large, say 8" between the fence and the blade. Take all precautions. Build a cross cut sled as a project. Then use it. Familiarity will breed confidence. Use your common sense. It, along with a but of reading about the tool will guide your path to experience.

fmr

NEVER ALLOW ANYONE TO SPEAK TO YOU WHILE RUNNING YOUR SAW ! ! !

NO ONE SHOULD EVER ENTER THE AREA WHILE RUNNING YOUR SAW ! ! !

Pretend that ever piece you are cutting could magically disappear, zap, gone . . . what would happen to your hand . . . Think PATH ! ! !

[Dan Karachio]

I'm also a relative newbie, but while I have respect for the TS, I do not fear it, but am always aware of it. The Woodwhisper has a few video podcasts on this subject. You should check it out - just google it or use iTunes. Read and listen to everything you can. The one thing he says made sense to me. Use common sense. If something doesn't feel right, don't push it through, STOP. Don't back out the wood, just turn off the saw and wait for it to stop.

Always use a push stick. Buy and make your own and have a variety for different situations. If your hands are never near the blade, you are much safer. Always stand so you are not behind the wood that is between the fence and the blade. That way if there is kick back, you won't be hit. Use a miter gauge or cross cut sled. I know someone who was pushing a piece of wood that was wide (essentially he was crosscutting on the fence), had a kick back and it put two of his fingers into the blade - they were cut off.

When I was new at this I was often nervous around the saw. Now I am more confident, but never care free.

[gary Zimmel]

Great rules to live by Steven.

For me I have a healthy respect for my table saw.
I know things can go wrong quickly and am very aware of it.

I don't believe there is any guarantee that something will not go wrong.
But in saying that I can sure minimize potential trouble.

For me if I think it's a dangerous cut, it is...

Respect the saw don't be afraid of it.

[doug faist]

Victor - you've gotten some great suggestions here, but a word of caution; don't overthink your cut. That can be dangerous if you are more concerned with the theory and not concentrating on the practice.

A very good shop teacher of mine taught me a tip that I still practice every time I'm in the shop. Do a mock cut using the actual piece you'll be cutting; but do it with the saw OFF! Here's where you can concentrate on the theory. Is the piece too heavy to handle by yourself (a sheet of 3/4 MDF is beyond my capabilities); will your fingers be getting anywhere near the blade; can you control the piece AFTER it is cut; etc., etc. Make sure you feel comfortable with the cut; if you don't, find another way to do it. I've found that I will turn to the band saw or a circular saw when the table saw cut feels a little hinky.

Most important of all, have fun in the shop. If you don't feel comfortable with the table saw, use something else. There was a lot of very nice furniture built with a handsaw, hand planes and chisels long before all those tools grew tails.

Good luck with your future projects.

Doug