First kickback incident. NO INJURIES, Big Lesson.

[Ned Bulken]

Hi all,
I was over in the shop, cranking on some overdue projects, and I needed a couple of setup blocks. I grabbed some pine that was handy, set the rip fence to 3" and was pushing the board through. I was using a push stick, but I was keeping the board into the fence with my left hand. I was just about done when the cut-off did this flip/flop and flew back and lightly hit me in the belly. Note, I was standing to the left of the blade not directly in the path. When the piece lifted off, it spun and twirled, hit my well padded mid-section and fell to the table.:eek::eek: Safety patrol in action:
A) No splitter or guard on, it was a 'quick' cut, and I got sloppy.
B) I was pushing the board using my left hand, plus the push stick; I should have just used the Push stick and be done with it.

I got VERY LUCKY. Learn from my mistake and be careful!:eek:

I took a break for a bit, Checked for injuries, found none, had a cup of coffee, thought about my mistake, found the scrap and labeled it. That's going on my wall as a reminder.

speaking to myself as well as those who may have forgotten like I did:

Use your safety equipment. We don't want to hear that you're needing stitches or worse. Thanks for reading, and let the discussion commence.

I'm going back to the shop for another couple of hours, I'll be back tonight to take my medicine. :rolleyes:

[Jim Becker]

Glad you're ok, Ned. Things happen so quickly! And I'll second the motion to use the safety gear for every cut, no matter how "minor". It may slow you down a hair, but in the long run you get a better, more accurate cut with less chance of mishaps. Again, I'm glad no damage was done and don't forget a picture of the bruse for Chris P... :D

[Keith Christopher]

Ned, Ned, Ned.


1) So glad to hear you're not seriously hurt.
2) USE YOUR SAFETY GEAR BRO !


I second jim, no matter how small or quick put it on ! I was chiseling out some waste from a dovetail and I was on my low stool (made for me by my daughter) so the cut was almost eye level. I had my safety glasses on, I mean come on it's chiseling out dovetails but I dunno maybe habit. when all of the sudden I rap on the chisel and a piece rockets (I mean like mach 10) and pings me dead in the forehead. Again glad to hear you're not hurt. Keep making sawdust safely.


Keith

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks for the safety reminder Ned. I need one of these reminders about once a month (and thats what we seem to get an Saw Mill Creek).

Glad that you are OK!

[Bob Smalser]

A splitter without a kickback plate or bar welded atop it wouldn't have helped you one bit.

Neither does offsetting your body from behind the blade, IMO....in fact, it can cause problems because it's so much more difficult to push parallel to the fence with misaligned body.

Here's the boatbuilder consensus from those sawing big, green, warpable wood routinely:

1) Make sure your push stick looks like this rather than the notched ones I see on Norm's show occasionally:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/4959362/70035116.jpg

2) Make sure you are using pressure with the push stick both forward and into the fence. The off hand is free to control the cutoff far away from the blade if you have to, and to deflect anything about to hit you. That left hand saved my eye, if not my life once....and broke two bones to do it.

3) Make sure your fence is NOT set dead parallel, but a playing card's thickness away from the blade at the far end.

Do all that and you can live without guards or splitters...but only on low-HP 10" saws. Move up to a 12 or 14-incher with the HP to match, and the splitter with kickback plate atop is almost mandatory.

I've worked in commercial shops that used the "two-man rule" for ripping big stock...a trained offbearer would have prevented your accident better than any gizmo would have.

[Gary Sostrin]

It is a good thing that you did not get hurt. I will never forget a demo at school showing various kickback scenarios using styrofoam. I have a much greater respect for safety. I have only experienced kickback once, and that was when I was truly ignorant ripping 2"' by 12" by 8' on my radial armsaw in my garage, and this is when I did not know that much about woodworking. I was at least smart enough to get my roomate to move his car. It is amazing what power a craftsman radial arm saw has. It shot the board about 4' into the empty driveway.

Always keep safety in mind when operating equipment whether powered or not.

[Mark Singer]

Bob's tips are exactly what I have been using for 30 years...with almost no even minor incidents...kmock wood. The straight push stick is an accident waiting to happen. My blade is about 1/64 th out at the back...still cuts perfect!


A splitter without a kickback plate or bar welded atop it wouldn't have helped you one bit.

Neither does offsetting your body from behind the blade, IMO....in fact, it can cause problems because it's so much more difficult to push parallel to the fence with misaligned body.

Here's the boatbuilder consensus from those sawing big, green, warpable wood routinely:

1) Make sure your push stick looks like this rather than the notched ones I see on Norm's show occasionally:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/4959362/70035116.jpg

2) Make sure you are using pressure with the push stick both forward and into the fence. The off hand is free to control the cutoff far away from the blade if you have to, and to deflect anything about to hit you. That left hand saved my eye, if not my life once....and broke two bones to do it.

3) Make sure your fence is NOT set dead parallel, but a playing card's thickness away from the blade at the far end.

Do all that and you can live without guards or splitters...but only on low-HP 10" saws. Move up to a 12 or 14-incher with the HP to match, and the splitter with kickback plate atop is almost mandatory.

[Fred Voorhees]

Hi all,
I got VERY LUCKY. Learn from my mistake and be careful!:eek:

I took a break for a bit, Checked for injuries, found none, had a cup of coffee, thought about my mistake, found the scrap and labeled it. That's going on my wall as a reminder. :rolleyes:

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Ned, but the REAL question here is .......did you finally have some sugar in the shop for that coffee?

[Jerry Olexa]

Bob and Mark: I respect your opinion but where is your source for pushsticks such as you've shown and reco'd in this thread? Sounds like a good safety move and I'd like to get one... Thanks:confused:

[Ned Bulken]

Glad you're ok, Ned. Things happen so quickly! And I'll second the motion to use the safety gear for every cut, no matter how "minor". It may slow you down a hair, but in the long run you get a better, more accurate cut with less chance of mishaps. Again, I'm glad no damage was done and don't forget a picture of the bruse for Chris P... :D

Jim, that's the truly amazing thing, there is No bruise, it was at most a 2"x3" 1/2" thick piece of pine, and it barely touched me. I just checked and no

I use the stock splitter/guard that came with my saw normally. It is easy to install and remove, when I slow down enough to put it on.

I had 4 small drawers to make for the jewelry box, and I made sure the splitter/guard was on for all of the cuts the rest of the evening. The only time I took it off was when I was doing the dados for the drawer bottoms.

Those look like Stots push sticks, IIRC.

Mine is a shop made homebrew, notched, getting shorter, i believe it is time to build a new one when I go back tomorrow. heck I think I will head back over tonight. (I work nights, so it isn't late for me yet)

Fred, Sugar? yep we have sugar now, plus a fresh bottle of creamer :D

[Mark Singer]

Jerry,

Here you go...http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=30067&category=1,240,45884

The problem with the stick type is if the notch slips off the board your hand is headed toward the blade! I have seen some bad accidents. You can make one also....I have the Lee Valley one and it is good,



Bob and Mark: I respect your opinion but where is your source for pushsticks such as you've shown and reco'd in this thread? Sounds like a good safety move and I'd like to get one... Thanks:confused:

[Bob Smalser]

Bob and Mark: I respect your opinion but where is your source for pushsticks such as you've shown and reco'd in this thread? Sounds like a good safety move and I'd like to get one... Thanks:confused:

Make one outta quarter inch plywood with glued-on pine sole and back cleat or buy one.

The plastic one in the pic came from Home Depot, as I don't often have any plywood on hand.

With a notched stick you can neither hold the workpiece down when it wants to fly in your face nor ootch it next to the fence as a matter of habit when ripping.

[Alan Turner]

Glad you are OK. I am sure it was a real reminder. My pusher is a piece of either solid stock, or ply, whatever is solid, and it is a rectangle iwth a notch which fits over the board. The notch is a bout 1" or so, and the length varies, but never less than about 6". The height is set to just above the height of my fence, which is a Unifence with a sacrificial board on it. With this pusher, I hook my right hand little and ring fingers over the wooden fence, and if the cut is quite narrow, that is fine since I just cut right through the pusher. Becuae the pressure is angled from the back top to the bottom front, nothing can slip. Those stick pushers I have never used, or trusted. Your pusher can even be 2 feet long if your are cutting very small stick molding, like 1/8" or so.
Alan

[Ned Bulken]

http://www.woodworking.org/imagepost/200412/ckandtenoningjig.jpg

The pusher in the foreground is what i Was using, I don't like the 'stick' style either. That was about a year ago, it is a bit more mangled now, a little shorter, the saw has chewed the heel up a few times. I figure better it than my fingers. it is tall enough that the handle portion is above the blade, should anything go wrong. That pusher is never far from the saw, I use it on nearly every rip cut. I have a huge panel cutting jig, which handles up to 24" wide sheet stock.

Bob, I will cut out a new one later this morning, when I go steal some more shop time.

[Jerry Olexa]

Bob and Mark: thanks for your F/U and info on source. I have a few items to order from LV so I'll add it to the order. Thanks again. By the way, I learn much from both your tutorials!! Pls continue doing that!

[Keith Christopher]

A
1) Make sure your push stick looks like this rather than the notched ones I see on Norm's show occasionally:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/4959362/70035116.jpg

.
I can third this, I have the EXACT same one(well maybe not EXACT because that one belongs to bob) but the same model. :) . and it gives EXCELLENT control holding down and against the fence.

Keith

[Kent Cori]

Ned,

I'm glad you weren't hurt and want to thank you for reminding us all about this safety tip.

[Byron Trantham]

Bob and Mark: I respect your opinion but where is your source for pushsticks such as you've shown and reco'd in this thread? Sounds like a good safety move and I'd like to get one... Thanks:confused:

Jerry I got mine at Sears, yea Sears... The only problem I have is cutting material that is narrower than the "push stick." I use a Rockler aluminum push stick that is dicey but it's the only solution that I have been able to come up with.

[Kurt Aebi]

Jerry,

The Vermont American style is available at the BORG for about $10.00 - that is where I get mine. I use it for facing on the jointer as well.

[Maurice Ungaro]

One word:GRR-Ripper!
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=49712&category=1,41080

Maurice