Yet another kickback story

[daniel lane]

Nothing gory, fortunately.

My son and I built a little dump truck today - his first real project in the shop - and the last cut of the day resulted in kickback. [Clarification: I don't let him anywhere near the power tools, so he was never in any danger.] We were cutting up a 2x4 to glue and nail together, and he was having trouble with the coping saw. I figured it was kinda mean to have him clip 1/4" off each 2x4 edge by hand, anyway, so I turned to the table saw.

Now, I've read the stories on here, I've read the magazine articles, I've read the books, and I've watched the movies. I'm pretty paranoid and careful around the tablesaw, as I really didn't want to experience what I did today. And STILL I wound up with a block of wood to the chest. Luckily, it was soft pine (2x4) and only about the size of my fist, but as I pushed the block through (with a push stick, mind you), the block tilted ever so slightly left, got picked up, and WHAM...right into the left side of my chest. The blood was minimal, but you can see the end grain pattern in my skin, embossed through my t-shirt, and I've a welt that swollen at least 3/4". This small block - about the size of my fist - made me feel like I got kicked in the chest by a mule. And it's darn sure gonna leave a heck of a bruise. [It's wierd - I can feel the pain in my neck and jaw, it's radiating that wide.]

So......I figured I'd publicly shame myself as an object lesson and take the opportunity to remind people - be careful! Even though I know how it happens and was taking great care to avoid it, it still happened to me. And I figured there was no way - I was standing to the RIGHT of the blade, not even in line with it! Turns out, the block bounced off the inside of the push stick and barely missed my hand, the deflection angled it into my chest. See, I figured I'd be smart and push from the back and left to keep the piece close to the fence...and that is almost certainly what caused the front to angle into the blade. If I were to do it again, I'd make the cut on the bandsaw instead...but it isn't set up yet, so I was making the cut on the TS rather than lose an hour with the boy while I tinkered with it and dug through boxes to find the blades. (Let that be a lesson to me!)

Be safe, folks. And don't do what I did.



daniel

[Peter Quinn]

I'm so glad your ok, recover soon. That said.....being dumb is no accident. And what you did was. Don't ever push a piece of wood that small past a circular saw blade again. You need to make a chunk the size of your fist smaller, you need another tool or a new piece of wood. There is no safe way to rip parts that small on a TS, a kick to the gut is THE MOST LOGICAL outcome of your actions, not a result of your taking care or lack there of. Stock control is the central pillar of table saw safety, there is no way you can control parts that small past a 10" blade (unless you make a jig with hold downs, or screw them to a bigger piece of plywood, or similar).

Similar restrictions apply to jointers, planer, and of course shapers. RAS and SCMS's have their limits too. So please work safe. No more small parts for you. The hand saw was the better option.

[Pat Barry]

Got any pictures? Just joking. We don't need no pictures. We've all had similar experiences. Glad you're OK

[Larry Frank]

I am trying to figure this out and it sounds like you were cutting it off between the fence and the blade??? If so, it was not a good way of doing that and you are quite lucky.

I think the best way to cut small pieces is with a good sled and clamp the piece down and even then be careful.

[glenn bradley]

Glad that wasn't worse. Thanks for sharing. We can all use constant reminders. Even though we know how kickback is caused the occurrence so often coincides with doing 'this one thing'. We're all human.

[Earl Rumans]

Sorry for your injury and glad it isn't any worse but I have to ask. Does you saw have a riving knife or splitter installed? I am paranoid about kickbacks also but I thought splitters and riving knives have almost eliminated them.

[Peter Quinn]

Sorry for your injury and glad it isn't any worse but I have to ask. Does you saw have a riving knife or splitter installed? I am paranoid about kickbacks also but I thought splitters and riving knives have almost eliminated them.

Not at all. with a piece that small there is plenty of opportunity to loose control, and anything trapped between fence and blade may still come back to you. The wood still hits blade first, riving knife second. your odds are better but its hardly a guarantee.

[daniel lane]

Peter, I can accept being called dumb as part of my self shaming - especially "non-accidental" dumb (I assume you mean that dumb mistakes don't count as accidents, rather than that I'm consciously dumb) - but I have to say, I don't think a 6" long piece is too small for the table saw. If so, my boxmaking days are long over. No, I believe my mistake was in both the type and angle of push stick that I used. I should have known better than to use a stick, especially with an angled force; instead I should have used my Grrripper or the like to hold the piece down and push it straight through.

There is plenty of opportunity here to discuss the best way to make such a cut, and I welcome the discussion. This was a 6" long piece of 2x4 DF (I said pine before, sorry), ripping 1/8" off one long edge (needed 1/4" off, blade kerf made the rest). The band saw would have been a better idea, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's not a cut that should be attempted on the TS. As I've said, I feel it's the type of cut that should be made with a push block that offers more control, and I've certainly learned that lesson.


daniel

[Earl Rumans]

I agree Daniel, I think if you had used your Grripper everything would have been fine. I have great faith in my Grripper and use it with all small or narrow cuts.

[Rick Potter]

Next time, I would consider a miter gage with a backer board. Monday morning quarterbacking is sure easy, isn't it?

Been there done that, got the scars. Hope I got the message. I got a real nice kickback in the groin, black and blue for weeks. The next day I ordered a Beis splitter for my Unisaw (20 years ago).

Glad you are OK.

Rick P

[Dennis Aspö]

I'm so glad your ok, recover soon. That said.....being dumb is no accident. And what you did was. Don't ever push a piece of wood that small past a circular saw blade again. You need to make a chunk the size of your fist smaller, you need another tool or a new piece of wood. There is no safe way to rip parts that small on a TS, a kick to the gut is THE MOST LOGICAL outcome of your actions, not a result of your taking care or lack there of. Stock control is the central pillar of table saw safety, there is no way you can control parts that small past a 10" blade (unless you make a jig with hold downs, or screw them to a bigger piece of plywood, or similar).

Similar restrictions apply to jointers, planer, and of course shapers. RAS and SCMS's have their limits too. So please work safe. No more small parts for you. The hand saw was the better option.

A cross cut sled with a clamp to hold the piece would have been a safe way to cut this on the TS I think.

edit: I could also have done a 6" piece on my saw that has a sliding table by holding it against the fence with a clamp after I set the proper cut width. Though any shorter and I would use the sled instead of the table.

[Robin Powlus]

I used to get a lot of kickback until I got a saw with a riving knife. Not one kickback in 5+ years now. I would not use a saw without one.

[Grant Wilkinson]

Daniel: Just for information, are you left handed? I'm right handed and can't figure standing to the right of the blade to cut; that's why I'm asking.

[Bradley Gray]

+1 for sled with clamp.

[daniel lane]

Daniel: Just for information, are you left handed? I'm right handed and can't figure standing to the right of the blade to cut; that's why I'm asking.

Yep, lefty. If I'm crosscutting or cutting panels, I usually stand to the left of the blade, but for ripping operations I'm always on the right.

Bradley, et al. - I can't quite picture using a sled with a clamp for ripping operations. Are there ripping sleds out there? (Perhaps I should invent one...)


daniel