Close call but saved by a plastic push pad

[keith ouellette]

I was making my first insert for the table saw for a 15/32 dado which I seem to use a lot. I put the insert in place and put a piece of hard wood on top. After I started the saw I decided to also use my jointer push pad on top of the scrap wood.
I raised the blade through the scrap wood and shut of the saw to take a look. I decided to make the cut a little deeper. Placed the scrap over the blade so the blade was in the same grove and then pushed down with the push pad and turned on the saw. The dado grabbed the scrap board and somehow moved it out of the way and pulled the push pad into the blade.
I don't under stand hoe the pad ended up under the piece of scrap but it cut a good 1/2" deep by 15/32" gash in the hard plastic. My fingers are very grateful.

[glenn bradley]

Excellent post. Your statement "I don't understand how" is not unique. These accidents happen soooo fast. Glad you were wisely using your safety equipment. How's your heart rate ;-)

[keith ouellette]

Excellent post. Your statement "I don't understand how" is not unique. These accidents happen soooo fast. Glad you were wisely using your safety equipment. How's your heart rate ;-)

My heart was beating pretty quick. This was by far the closest call in the shop and looking at the pad i feel very lucky because i almost forgot to use it.

[gary Zimmel]

Keith

Thanks for the reminder that things can go bad in a blink of an eye.

We can buy pushpads for a couple of bucks and a lot of the times they are in our cabinets. Because that one was used the value of it is priceless...

[Rick Potter]

Perhaps it would be a good reminder to you if you hang it on a wall near the saw.

Do I understand right...you put the workpiece over the dado set, pushed down hard, then turned on the saw?

Rick Potter

PS: No virgin here either, I was bruised for a month from a kickback to the groan (sic).

[jim gossage]

i usually try to avoid turning on a machine with the piece already engaged with the blade. i've had several "near misses" when i tried this with various machines including TS and router. i don't fully understand the physics, but it seems that the piece can bind before the blade gets fully up to speed, and you get some version of kickback.

[Fred Woodward]

Too close!!! Try clamping a scrap board over the insert when making ZCI's. Works well and you are much safer. Your hand nor that push pad are no match for a dado blade.

Glad to hear your OK.

[keith ouellette]

Perhaps it would be a good reminder to you if you hang it on a wall near the saw.

Do I understand right...you put the workpiece over the dado set, pushed down hard, then turned on the saw?

Rick Potter

Yes!
I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I thought seeing the scrap piece I had placed on the insert had a dado grove in it that it wouldn't get hung up. I don't know. Now that I read your question (I am seeing that you can't believe what you read) I really feel stupid. Its the kind of thing you look back on and wonder "why did i do it that way"

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I'm just glad you are o.k. I know you will never forget this and it will never happen again. Clamping a piece over the insert as mentioned is the way to go.

[Greg Cole]

FWIW, I use the fence on the TS for making the initial plunge into a ZCI and a strip or 2 of painters tape for good measure. Fit it to the hole in the saw and secure in place and raise the blade on up.

Greg - Who's manicured a pinnky on a jointer from dropping a push block and caught it (caught pinky between porkchop guard & fence)... Not good, but alot better now. Seriously a painless 1/10 of a second, but had my fair share since, 5 weeks later it's 90% better.