Bandsaw kickback

[Anthony Whitesell]

If you want to be safe in the shop then you need to be honest and rational about incidents like the OP describes and every time you have to take responsibility for your actions and their consequences. In this case the wood came back at the operator not because of "kickback" the idea, but because the wood was not fed safely into the bandsaw blade.

Chris

And could you describe the proper way to feed a square piece of wood through a bandsaw? I am unaware of where my technique was incorrect.

On an analogous topic, what is it called when the work piece is launched across the shop from the router table?

[Alan Schwabacher]

To resaw a square of wood, you need to control it as it passes through the blade so that you never cut where the wood is unsupported below the cut. Apparently yours tipped, and wound up in this situation. A pushblock that holds stock against the fence, and uses a cleat at the back to push the workpiece would allow you to retain control. Another option is to clamp into a handscrew that sits flat to the table and prevents rolling of the stock. This approach works with rounds that otherwise would require unsupported parts that could turn. Depending how it's held, the clamp might require repositioning to complete the cut.

It is possible that the two pushstick method you used would work safely, as long as you made sure to push near the bottom of the piece.

[Matt Winterowd]

And could you describe the proper way to feed a square piece of wood through a bandsaw? I am unaware of where my technique was incorrect.

He did:

With a piece if this dimension I'd be careful and use two push sticks, the rearward stick would be of equal height (ish) and drive the piece into the blade. The second stick could be anything and it would direct the piece into the fence.

And it sure sounds to me to be exactly what you did. I don't see anything about table saws in the definition of kickback.

Full Definition of kickback

• 1 : a sharp violent reaction
• 2 : a return of a part of a sum received often because of confidential agreement or coercion

[Anthony Whitesell]

To resaw a square of wood, you need to control it as it passes through the blade so that you never cut where the wood is unsupported below the cut. Apparently yours tipped, and wound up in this situation.

Given I don't know if the blade caught and caused the wood to tip or if the push stick caused the tip.

A pushblock that holds stock against the fence, and uses a cleat at the back to push the workpiece would allow you to retain control.

I was using a push stick with a cleat to feed and hold the wood against the fence.

Another option is to clamp into a handscrew that sits flat to the table and prevents rolling of the stock. This approach works with rounds that otherwise would require unsupported parts that could turn. Depending how it's held, the clamp might require repositioning to complete the cut.

The piece that launched with the most velocity was the inch thick piece between the blade and the fence. I don't see how the handscrew can control the piece between the blade and the fence. Once the handscrew is cut off, there will be nothing to control the cutoff piece.

[Bob Cooper]

Was your blade sharp?

[Prashun Patel]

As long as this thread has helped people realize there are mechanics of the way a bandsaw blade can grab and slam a piece, then it is a good thing.

both tblesaw and babdsaw blades can grab a piece unintentionally albeit in different ways.

I dont even think the fence has anything to do with the risk on a bandsaw. Its when a piece tips or tilts toward the user so it is not fully supported between the cut entry and the table. Thats what causes the grabbing and slamming.

It can also happen when cutting pieces that cut or taper upward from the table like round bowl blanks (dont ask me how i know that). Its not intuitive to a new bandsaw user and is great to mention here.

[Dave Zellers]

I hope I die before I see any proposal for a riving knife on a bandsaw.

Life has it's risks.

Thanks for posting your experience. Information is knowledge. Hard for me to imaging this happening, but it could be luck, it could be technique.

We learn and then we take the next step, which was the purpose of your post. Glad you're ok.

[Roy Harding]

...
On an analogous topic, what is it called when the work piece is launched across the shop from the router table?

It's called time for new underwear. Don't ask me how I know this.

[Chris Padilla]

On an analogous topic, what is it called when the work piece is launched across the shop from the router table?

Kickback!

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kickback

[Peter Aeschliman]

Kickback!

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kickback

Exactly. It doesn't matter what machine it is. If the wood is kicked back, it's kickback. The end.

[Pat Barry]

The piece that launched with the most velocity was the inch thick piece between the blade and the fence.

On the surface this is impossible of course. There must be something else going on that hasn't been explained or that needs further investigation. I personally never worry about kickback on a bandsaw but if I happened to experience it that would change my mind of course.

I believe it actually happened, now please explain the circumstances a bit more clearly, ie: got any pictures to illustrate the parts you were cutting and the relationship of the offending peice to the fence and your pushstick?.

[Anthony Whitesell]

On the surface this is impossible of course. There must be something else going on that hasn't been explained or that needs further investigation. I personally never worry about kickback on a bandsaw but if I happened to experience it that would change my mind of course.

I believe it actually happened, now please explain the circumstances a bit more clearly, ie: got any pictures to illustrate the parts you were cutting and the relationship of the offending piece to the fence and your pushstick?.

I'm not sure what else I can say that I haven't posted already. Here is a summary:

The piece being cut was 4"x4"x5" with a 1/2" 0.025" 4TPI blade (used but still fairly new). The fence was a 6" tall resaw fence. This placed the guard about 6 1/2-7" above the table. The cut was about 1" thick and resaw or rip cut in nature (with the grain opposed to cross-cut across grain). Two push sticks were being used, a Safety Push Stick (~6" long, 1/2" wide with a cleat on the back edge, typically orange plastic) to keep the part flush to the fence, the other stick was used to control the feed rate. As the blade reached the end of the cut, the part rotated about the axis of the blade (think spinning wheel or frisbee on end). The piece between the blade and fence came flying back at me hitting my left hand. The larger off cut piece also came back towards me, hitting my stomach. I don't know if the blade caught the piece to cause the rotation or if I caused the part to rotate with force from the pushstick.

As for a riving knife, I am not sure it would help on a bandsaw. On a table saw, a riving knife helps the pieces to not contact the teeth at the back of the blade. There are no teeth on the back of a bandsaw blade. Furthermore the piece rotated between the fence and blade, so it would have rotated beside a riving as well.

[Andrew Hughes]

I remember Sam Maloof warning woodworker useing a bandsaw to rough cut some of the shapes in his rocking chair.
If you have ever seen how he cut the arms out you know why.
Ive had my close calls trying to be all creative on my Bandsaw.
Anthony your reminder is well taken here.
Its good that you brought this up for us to consider.

[Glenn de Souza]

The safety warning implicit in this post is a point well taken.

However, I admit to finding myself scratching my head and staring at my bandsaw today trying to envision how a workpiece and offcut could get projectile launched back at the operator. I understand how the blade can grab, and I while it hasn't happened to me, I get the frisbee picture. But even in the frisbee scenario, if the blade is grabbing the top leading edge and causing the back trailing edge to lift, then isn't the rotation of the frisbee in the direction of the outfeed side of the saw (away from the operator)?

Not trying to dispute the post here, just trying to fully understand....

[Anthony Whitesell]

The safety warning implicit in this post is a point well taken.

However, I admit to finding myself scratching my head and staring at my bandsaw today trying to envision how a workpiece and offcut could get projectile launched back at the operator. I understand how the blade can grab, and I while it hasn't happened to me, I get the frisbee picture. But even in the frisbee scenario, if the blade is grabbing the top leading edge and causing the back trailing edge to lift, then isn't the rotation of the frisbee in the direction of the outfeed side of the saw (away from the operator)?

Not trying to dispute the post here, just trying to fully understand....

Glenn; right picture, only it's the other way around. The leading edge lifted at the time when the blade was or was about to break through the trailing edge.