Kickbacks

[Jerry Jaksha]

Warped wood is a relative term. Every #2 pine board you buy at home depot is cupped or warped. They can be cut on a tablesaw without kickback, if you hold it down with constant pressure just before the blade. Just don't try to do this with your fingers!

You may have seen me demonstrating at the woodworking shows. I buy a dozen pieces of 50 cent cull 1x8x6' at home depot and rip them narrower and narrower until they are 1/4"x 1/8" x 6' . They might have a 1" cup or be warped up to 3" in 6'

You need a spring loaded pressure roller just in front of the blade and a anti- kickback hold down on the trapped piece between blade and fence.
A zero clearance throatplate is essential for narrow strips.

Check out the video at
http://www.grip-tite.com/
to see how it is done.

You can do the same thing with home made jigs. It is just faster with the Grip-Tite.

[John Appleseed]

I am left handed so I naturally do things with my left hand, when ripping on the TS I use the push stick with my left hand, thus my body is to the right of the saw blade........is that a disaster waiting to happen???

[Jim Becker]

John, best to choose safety over "handed-ness"...IMHO. Hand closest to the fence is best for moving material through the cut.

[Art Davis]

I've had a few kickbacks, usually due to operator dumbness, and am very concerned about table saw safety. Have seen Kelly Mehler quite a few times at shows and am always impressed by his presentations. Even if I don't remember a lot of the specifics, it keeps me aware each time I turn on the TS.

On accessories----I have the Gripper (or however many r's and/or p's are in the stupid thing's name!). It seems to work okay, but I am always concerned about moving my hand over the spinning blade. Even though it is under the Gripper, that thing is only plastic!

I also have two Grip-Tites. They seem to really take the worry out of ripping narrow pieces for me. As I have a Biesemeyer fence, I had to purchase a metal facing for it that they sell. I had a real problem getting it mounted just right. You have to drill the face of your fence in four places (not a think to undertake lightly!) and either use screws or inserts. I did the latter, but in the process I got the bottom edge of the facing plate a millimeter or so too low and the darned thing dragged on my table top. After talking to Jerry Jaksha of Grip-Tite, I finally solved the problem. He was very accomodating, but I'm not sure that drilling your fence is a good way to go---and the instruction manual isn't easy to read. Now that I'm up and running, though, I think this is a very fine product and worth you considering. (Usual disclaimer: no connection with the company!)

Art

P.S. There's a pretty good discussion of the Grip-Tite system on www.woodshopdemos.com

[Al Willits]

Just wanted to say thanks for this post, life on the TS has gotten much more enjoyable.
Since my last post I launched piece number two, into the garage door and all projects stopped, Beasty will have to wait for her cabinets.

I now have made one sled, and another is almost finished, added a extension to the TS and installed the Buddies on the saw, just this has helped in my quest to keep the garage and myself undented.
Only thing I can think of I still is the Shark blade guard and that will come soon.

I also found with a bit better blade, my miter saw makes some really nice cuts, waaay safer than laying them long boards on the TS and trying to keep them from wandering as I cut.

Once again, thanks all.

Al

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

How can you prevent a kickback

lots of ways. Riving knives help a lot.
I rarely put my knife in. I just use due caution and stay aside the path of the blade. If the material looks like it's closing in on the blade I lift it off or push faster. I have used little wood weges more often than I have used my riving knife. It's an old trick and probably isn't practiced much, but it works.

and why does it happen?

Lots of reasons usually a bind betwen the blade and a fixed object like the fense ot the wood closed up on the blade from tension and POW. It can happen fast.

Should you stand derectly behind the piece your ripping or to the side so a kickback doesnt hit you?

I wouldn't, I don't.
In more than thirty some odd years I have had only one kick back. It was a doozie, knocking a hole in a concrete block in a wall behind me.

[Aaron Beaver]

Question, which piece kicks back most often, the piece between the fence and blade or the one on the other side? Or can only one piece kickback?

Just wondering so I can re-check myself to see if I am standing where I should.

[Mike Seals]

I had one kick back many many years ago, the one thing I noticed is that you can hear it coming. Listen to the sound your blades make and you'll know when something is out of whack. I never use the TS for cross cutting with a fence, just asking for trouble. I tend to use the table saw only with large pieces of wood, nothing small enough for the blade to lift easily. Always to the left of the blade, not 100% safe but better than directly behind.
Just remember, if the piece is small enough to launch, it probably will.

[Henry Cavanaugh]

Its my understanding that there are too types of kickback 1) letting go of the piece being pushed between the blade and fence will send piece straight back so standing to the left is safer. 2)the kickback that I am more worried about is the pieces coming together on the outboard side and coming back towards me standing to the left of blade. can someone clarify this. I have just purchase the MJ splitter to add to throat plate. Is that suffient on a delta contractor saw or is a metal splitter a better option. and who sells them? MJ just came out with a metal inside version of there plastic splitter that I didnt buy because of not knowing about it. is this one better? I was also going to have one splitter,throat plate for ripping when blade is up 1.25" which is 75% of the time and a second one when blade is up 3.5 inches. This way the splitter will be closer to the blade.

[glenn bradley]

Hi Al, late response to:
"OK, let me try again...
I asked what basic things would people recommend for a safe and easier to use TS and got no response..."

Depending on what I'm doing I use:
- Feather boards (side and/or top)
- Splitter
- Blade guard
- Grr-Ripper(s)
- Push stick
- Outfeed and/or side supports (table, rollers, etc.)
- Eye and ear protection
- Proper clothes (rolled up sleeves, no loose shirttails, etc.)
- Wax saw top and fence for smooth running
- Oh yeah, regardless of how defective it may be; my brain

Hope this helps ;-)

P.s. I never put "stuff" anywhere along the front of the saw where I stand, even for 'just a moment'. I don't trust myself not to leave it there and create a safty hazard.

[Aaron Beaver]

IMJ just came out with a metal inside version of there plastic splitter that I didnt buy because of not knowing about it. is this one better?

From what I heard the one with the metal inside is supposed to be better and more sturdy. Some people (not me) have had the splitter break on them. I own both the thin kerf and regular kerf splitter and two Grr-rippers. I plan on getting the blue one with metal in it soon even though I haven't had any problems.

[Ken Milhinch]

Do yourself a favour and buy a GRRIPPER, or better yet buy a couple of them. They don't replace the need for caution, but they sure make cuts on the tablesaw much safer.

[Jim Becker]

Its my understanding that there are too types of kickback 1) letting go of the piece being pushed between the blade and fence will send piece straight back so standing to the left is safer.

While this is certainly possible, it's not likely if the saw and fence are in proper alignment and a splitter is in use. It's a good practice to avoid disengaging from the workpiece if you can, but there are times when it cannot be avoided, especially in very narrow and long rips. Same applies for the off-cut material. The splitter will make it much less likely that the material can climb the back of the blade and be thrown. Obviously a taller splitter is most desirable for this protection (the MJ you ask about isn't the best in this respect), but any splitter is going to help. IMHO, a splitter (or riving knife) is the most important safety accommodation on the table saw because it guards the back of the blade that is coming up out of the table.