As a beginner concerned with safe technique, I read with interest Cliff Newton's post and responses (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=6789). Glad you're OK Cliff. I didn't want to "hijack" that thread so I'm starting a new post, though it is closely related--apologies if it belonged there. In the spirit of sharing mishaps with the hope that I and others can learn, I present my beginner's kickback tale:
Got a new Grizzly 1023SL and after getting a new subpanel installed in my basement (yikes, that set me back a bit) with some 220V outlets I was quite eager to give it a whirl. I had already aligned the table, fence, etc. after reading some articles on properly aligning a saw, as well as the alignment chapter in Jim Tolpin's Table Saw Magic, so I figured I was all set. So I pick up a scrap piece of plywood that was around 4" x 6" x 3/4" (I can already hear the groaning) and decided to rip a thin strip off. I should say that both of those long edges were true. For some reason, I thought I'd just remove about 1/4" so I set the fence at around 3 3/4" to the right of the blade, put a featherboard to the left of the piece to push it into the fence (I did keep it behind the blade), picked up a long piece of scrap to use as a pushstick, raised the blade maybe a 1/4" higher than the piece, turned on the saw, pushed the piece through and watched the blade effortlessly start slicing. Then it happened. Just as the cut was finished, I watched the thin strip (i.e. the waste piece) fall into the cabinet through the slit in the insert (the stock one that came with the saw) and then in one instant there was a grinding noise and the rest of the piece just disappeared in a blur and as best as I can tell from the sound behind me, hit the wall and bounced around a bit. Thankfully I didn't get hit because one of the only smart things I did was not stand behind the blade. I'm not entirely sure what happened, and I welcome your thoughts, but my sense is that since I didn't hold the piece down with the pushstick, and only pushed forward with it, the leading part of the piece (the part closer to the back) somehow lifted up after the cut was done, caught the rear of the blade, and got hurled right back at, as Dennis P would say, Mach 3. So if you'll permit me some self-assessment, here is my slightly more educated view of what (I think) I did right and what I did wrong, and please let me know what you think.
Right:
1. Wore safety glasses.
2. Stood to the left of the blade.
3. Used a featherboard and made sure it was just behind the blade.
4. Used a saw that was properly aligned.
Wrong:
1. Tried cutting a piece of wood that is pretty small without some special sort of jig. I have read that many do not advocate cutting such a narrow and short piece at all on a TS. I recently bought a Grr-Ripper to help with something like this (it is not my intent to start another Grr-Ripper debate here).
2. Didn't use a splitter (or blade guard). Got the microjig splitter now, but my main question is--would a splitter have prevented this?
3. Didn't keep downward pressure as I cut. I now realize that is very important. A Grr-ripper, an auxilliary fence with a featherboard pushing down, or a proper pushstick would probably all help.
4. Used a bad pushstick--basically leading to 3 above. In fact it's possible that pushing down on the piece with that pushstick caused that leading part to lift up.
5. Didn't use a zero clearance insert, which let that waste part fall down--not sure if that contributed, but I now have a zero clearance insert.
-Rob