Tablesaw accident - Kickback

[Adam Carl]

I got a lesson in kickback last weekend. I was ripping a 20" long by 2' wide piece of cherry. I was ripping it down to 1.5 inches wide. Attached are pictures. Day of accident and a few days later. I thought I broke my arm at first, and went to get it x-rayed. Turns out just a big bruise.

Lessons learned:

1) Remember to Use the Biesemeyer snap-in splitter I have
2) Use a rip blade when appropriate

[Chris Ricker]

2" wide or 2' wide ?
either way I'm glad you are ok
did the back of the board catch on the rear of the blade? I always appreciate it when a fellow woodworker shares his/her experience with the rest of the group. There is ALWAYS something to learn

[Adam Carl]

Yes, I meant 2 inches. From looking at the board it does look like the board caught the back of the blade. That board is has a permanent spot on my wall as a reminder.

[Chris Ricker]

I have a couple of things hanging on my walls as a reminder.
again, I'm glad you're ok.

[Brian Kent]

Adam, I am glad your arm is not broken.

I thought I had a broken finger and I thought I had internal bleeding out of my two kickbacks. The lesson for me was your #1 - always use the splitter.

[Dewey Torres]

Adam...


I hate to use this opportunity but Welcome to the Creek.

Many serious pros here and please when in doubt ask. When it comes to safety advice flows like the white water rapids on the Creek. Glad you came out ok.

Still counting t o 21 naked is a good thing!

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Kickback always spooks me. I've been using various tablesaws for a long time, and I'm still a bit apprehensive. It's the spookiest tool in my home shop.

For me, a splitter (or riving knife) is so important to prevent kickback on a typical North American style tablesaw. More so than any other gizmo or technology. Standing to the side of the workpiece while being fed, out of any possible trajectory, is also important. But that is sometimes difficult to do and one's arm seems to always be in the path.

In a couple of weeks your boo-boo will be faded away. :) But don't let the lesson fade away. And, thanks for the reminder.

-Jeff :)

[John Shuk]

Glad it was just a bruise. I witnessed a serious kickback once and it really is scary how fast and violent it is.
Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Von Bickley]

A kick-back can be very serious. Many people have had serious injuries.
Sometimes you don't get hurt, you just "Mark Your Laundry"......

[Don Morris]

I have a Biesemeyer drop in splitter on my Grizzly 1023SL. They're not cheap! But safety is more important. I remember my first and hopefully last kickback. Happened 10 minutes after I turned my first table saw on. That was a hard lesson learned. My black and blue mark was closer to my privates! I'll bet you're like me now...one of the worlds most really, really safety conscious table saw users. I now also have two Grr-Ripers, a couple Grip-tites, and a variety of push sticks. Depending on the situation may elect to use one or the other or a combination of them. Glad your experience wasn't any worse than it was and thanks for reminding us, we participate in a dangerous hobby or livelyhood.

[lowell holmes]

I use a splitter when ripping and also feather boards and push sticks.
If possible, I will rip on the bandsaw and then run the wood across the joiner.

[Tim Malyszko]

Wow, I'm glad it's only a bruise. Fortunately, I have never experienced a kickback like the one you described. I can say with certainty SMC has prevented me from a lot of potential injuries because saftey and proper technique plays such an important roll on this forum.

Best of luck healing and thanks for sharing.

[Jerome Hanby]

That's it for me. I've been procrastinating doing the sanding and shaping to get my ZCI to actually fit the saw it was made for and install the micro splitter. Thanks for your post!

[Jack Ellis]

I'm glad to hear you weren't seriously injured.

Safety devices, ladies and gents. Please use your safety devices. Any inconvenience they cause is a small price to pay for avoiding serious injuries.

[Joe Chritz]

I got one of those in the same spot.

I looked at it this way, of all the accidents to have in a shop I came out pretty lucky.

It will hurt for a couple days for sure.

Joe

[glenn bradley]

I got a lesson in kickback last weekend. I was ripping a 20" long by 2' wide piece of cherry. I was ripping it down to 1.5 inches wide. Attached are pictures. Day of accident and a few days later. I thought I broke my arm at first, and went to get it x-rayed. Turns out just a big bruise.

Lessons learned:

1) Remember to Use the Biesemeyer snap-in splitter I have
2) Use a rip blade when appropriate

Correct on both points. Glad that wasn't worse and thanks for the reminder to never let our guard down or get in a hurry.

If you find the Biesemeyer splitters design is leading you to "not bother" to install it, consider an MJ Splitter and a Grr-Ripper or two. I find I always use them when required which is why I stick with them. I guess that's true for all of us and any safety device we favor; when you find the one that you'll actually use, stick with it.

Take care and heal fast.

[Brian Backner]

Kickback can be serious. When I was in college, I had access to an industrial wood and metal shop at the student center. The table saw was a massive old 16" Northfield with babbit bearings - had a 10 hp, 3 phase motor. I was there one afternoon when someone experienced the scariest thing I've ever seen in a wood shop.

A fellow woodworker had been ripping some 16 quarter maple for a butcher block top. About the tenth piece he was ripping twisted and caught the back of the blade (I doubt they had splitters when this beast was originally made and one had never been retrofitted to it - this incident took place in 1974) and shot it out the back of the saw. The 1.5" x 16/4 piece actually pierced a cinder block wall and dented a steel door across the hallway! We figure it missed this guy's stomach by less than two inches.

We all took one look and went to a local bar for more than a few drinks. I don't think I ever saw that dude again. I myself didn't go back there for several weeks. When I finally moved to my own home and had the space, I actually bought a stock feeder BEFORE the table saw.

Brian

[frank shic]

heal up fast, adam! i had a couple of episodes earlier on with the tablesaw and they've made me a MUCH WISER woodworker lol.

[Leo Ladzinske]

I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt. Can anyone tell me if they make a splitter for a Powermatic 66 tablesaw? I have the kickback guard but it's not practical to use when ripping narrow stock.

[Dell Moore]

Hey gang,

I'm new here.

I've had a couple bad experiences myself. Last time the board flew up a struck me in the throat, I was scared to death it had torn my throat open. I was literally shocked when the other fellow in the shop (who had come running at my scream... I mean exclamation!) said there was no blood. In the same incident I had a perfectly square buise on my stomach from a piece of pine the I didn't even realize had struck me until I found the piece outside the shop. It had defected off my stomach, gone though the glass door, and landed a good 12 feet way.

I haven't gotten near a saw since. That was over a year ago. I'm still gun shy, but am getting read to get back on the horse. I'm in a new house with a detached 2 car garage the wife has declared mine. Plans are for getting a refurbushed Unisaw. I've already got a Beissmeyer fence for it. HOPEFULLY I can set this up properly (I believe my problem involved the wood getting pinched between the fence and blade), get a good splitter, and never take of the blade guard if I can help it!

[glenn bradley]

I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt. Can anyone tell me if they make a splitter for a Powermatic 66 tablesaw? I have the kickback guard but it's not practical to use when ripping narrow stock.

I use a different ZCI for each blade as each blade is a little different. I use one of these (http://www.ptreeusa.com/mjsplitter.htm) (the plastic ones) that I move from insert to insert. I bought extras once upon a time because I had read a post where someone had broken a splitter during a kickback(?) and I didn't want to be caught without one. I still haven't opened the "spares" and its been years. Cheap, reliable and micro-adjustable.

[John Thompson]

I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt. Can anyone tell me if they make a splitter for a Powermatic 66 tablesaw? I have the kickback guard but it's not practical to use when ripping narrow stock.

I posted this earlier in the "I got cut" thread... if you can't find one or just want one cheap.. you can make one in about 30 minutes...

Click on to open the show-thread... http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=1061828&postcount=2

Sarge..

[keith ouellette]

I posted this earlier in the "I got cut" thread... if you can't find one or just want one cheap.. you can make one in about 30 minutes...

Click on to open the show-thread... http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=1061828&postcount=2

Sarge..

Thank you. I can't wait to look that over better.

[Adam Carl]

Thanks for the words of encouragement and advice. I look forward to posting the pictures of the bookcase I am working when it is completed.

[John Thompson]

Thank you. I can't wait to look that over better.

Very simple to build Keith.. just be sure to file and taper the front to avoid snag.. be sure the splitter is thinner than the kerf size you use and make sure it's aligned properly. I much prefer using the full set-up as you saw which also covers dust... but there are times you have to take it off on a few special task so I improvise to get as much safety features working as can be used in those cases.

Good luck...

Sarge..

[Phil Green]

Adam,

Glad to know you didn't break your arm. I'm sure that bruise will remind you for a long time to be careful.

Here is my sort of kickback story. Many years ago, I was ripping some cherry for an entertainment center. Had a piece in the TS, made a good cut, pushed the cut piece with a cut stick past the blade onto the floor. I then pushed the remaining piece away from the blade, went to pick in up and fumbled it onto the moving blade. That piece accelerated in a split second off the saw and hit me in my stomach, just below my sternum.

I had on my leather apron, but it still dropped me like a ton of bricks. Years later, I suffered from a pancreas problem that might have started with that blow. Could have been worse, but I'm plenty scared of what being careless can do to me. Hope you are too!

Phil