Table Saw Kick Back Almost Got Hurt Yesterday A Safety Reminder

[Alan Gan]

I have been around power tools and machinery most my life and I have learned to respect them. Woodworking is a new venture for me and I have been doing crash courses researching and reading everything I can.

This research paid off yesterday. I know that I would be in the hospital right now or worse. A square 1"x1" flat ended 2 foot section of board would have went completely through me with the possibility of cutting my Spine in half.

Friends, this is a serious reminder to always be safe when working around the power tools we use in our lives. I know this has probably been posted before but sometimes it just does not happen to the other guy. All within a few seconds time space.

This board had to going a 100 MPH with tremendous force.

I went to a Estate sale a couple weeks ago, the man had been a Woodworker and had a full shop. Picked up some various wood in the 2-5 foot range most 6" wide. I have no idea what kind of wood some of it is but a few pieces are very hard.

Since I am still learning so my projects are small in scale. I am working on making some boxes currently. I ripped down a few boards into 1/2" to 2" strips about 24" long. I do not own a Jointer so have been using the Router with a straight bit to get my edges ready to glue, this has worked fine for me. On a few strips of this wood I could not stop Chatter and a rough edge in places.

So I decided to use my Table saw to just shave the edge on the pieces that were rough. I had the Fence set to the right of the blade and the waste cut to the left of the blade. Ran about 5 strips through the blade and had a nice clean edge. On the last strip that was about 7/8 x 7/8 with about 2" left to pass the blade the board grabbed.

This is what happened next. My saw (Bosch 4100) was setup on my patio due to shop size. In a split second after I felt the board grab, this strip of wood shot back and it was over in seconds.

The results were, the board hit a portable radio sitting on a shelf 20 feet away from the TS and 6" higher than the TS top, it dented in the speaker grill. From there it deflected up about 3 feet still flying like an arrow and went through the window screen and a double pane window. From there it traveled another 15 feet and hit a pantry shelf displacing several items and then bounced off the shelf and hit the side of the Kitchen cabinet. From there it deflected again and landed about 10 feet away into the laundry room.

There was glass spread all over a 300 square foot area, on counter tops, pantry shelves etc... It was a giant mess.

My entire point to this is the research and things I have learned.

I was standing to the Side (left) of the TS Blade, a good thing.

Use the proper equipment when working with small stock, I was NOT using a proper Push Stick.

Keep focused until the board has completely passed the saw blade, I momentarily took my eyes off the board being cut.

I never let people into the patio area when I am cutting. Now I will move the TS and make sure no one can be in harms way.

Thanks for reading and sorry so drawn out, I think some of this is for my benefit by writing it down.

[Bradley Gray]

I'm not sure where I picked up the idea, but ice picks are the bomb for pushing wood past a blade. I try to spring the pick, so if anything goes wrong my hand is already pushing away from the blade.

[Mike Goetzke]

Glad you were not hurt.

Were you using a splitter and blade guard? Was the wood face finished and flat?

[HANK METZ]

Check the rip or anti- kickback pawls, as purchased sometimes they need the teeth filed to a sharper point to dig in successfully and trap the kicker.

[curtis rosche]

Did you have a splitter in?

[Ole Anderson]

Glad you weren't hurt, but man, we need pictures of the carnage! I hope you haven't been watching and learning from the home improvement shows where they never use a blade guard and splitter. I learned my lesson a few years ago. And a pointy push stick isn't the answer, you need one that holds the work from tipping up as it goes through the blade. Something like this:

[Keith Mathewson]

Ole Anderson has the right push stick.

Bradley, DO NOT use a metal push stick, much less something small and pointy like an ice-pick.

[Chris Parks]

Use a half fence and the chances of a kickback are just about eliminated. Attach a sub fence onto the main fence and make sure it does not go past the blade mid point. Doing that the matrial has nowhere to be trapped between the back of the blade and the fence as the space created by the thickness of the sub fence gives the wood plenty of clearance. There is no difference in accuracy from using a full fence.

[glenn bradley]

Glad you weren't hurt. It is amazing how fast a piece of material can go from zero to gone. It is almost as if the thing just vanished, till it hits something. this is why I give a big eye-roll to the folks who post that there saw "isn't that powerful" and they can just "hold onto the wood". :D There's no time to make an adjustment or a judgement; the wood is already across the room (hopefully).

[Don Morris]

I use Grr-rippers (two of them on long pieces) and sometimes a spliter with a well designed push stick. I always stand to the side, wear a thick shop apron, and as you said, have the healthiest respect for my TS. Glad you didn't get hurt and thanks for the reminder that we are working with potentially deadly equipment. Or at least we should treat the TS as if it is. I love working in the shop, producing things, but know I must keep focused when the TS and/or any power equipment is on.

[Dan Hintz]

I'm not sure where I picked up the idea, but ice picks are the bomb for pushing wood past a blade. I try to spring the pick, so if anything goes wrong my hand is already pushing away from the blade.

Please tell me these picks are made of plastic, not metal...

[Brian W Smith]

Tablesaws as they are represented in home shops have to be one of the alltime,most ignorantly designed pcs of equip.Enter sawstop......leaving all opinions aside.The co did choose an easy target.From a business model(making money as the prime goal),you wouldn't pick an inherently "safe" pce to establish yourself(in the safety industry) would you?No,you'd pick the pce that is completly backwards from the getgo.Tablesaws are like muzzleloding firearms.Yes,they can be extremely accurate.......but that ain't from a safety standpoint.Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.So standing on the firing line,looking down the muzzle whilst using a tablesaw isn't exactly "safety 101".

Use a BS for cutting small pcs.Also use them for any tension or reaction pcs.Good luck,glad you didn't get hurt!

[Roy Harding]

I'm not sure where I picked up the idea, but ice picks are the bomb for pushing wood past a blade. I try to spring the pick, so if anything goes wrong my hand is already pushing away from the blade.

Regardless of safety concerns, I'm not that interested in having metal anywhere near my spinning blades.

[Pat Houle]

I've been using this push stick...works good so far...solid and confortable
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=30067&cat=1,240,45884

[Jim Foster]

This saw looks like it has a splitter or riving knife. Were you using it. In general if you use a riving knife or splitter, this type of accident should not occur.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

The only severe kickback I've encountered was when I was using the saw sans splitter and anti-kickback pawls. It cost me $350 to have the tailgate of the pickup repaired. I don't use the saw without those attached unless I'm using a crosscut sled now.

[William C Rogers]

Glad you were not hurt. Do you know what exactly happened, pinch against fence or raised up? For that much force sounds like it raised up and kicked back. What safety devices were you using or could have used?

[Bradley Gray]

Keith,
You now have my permission to use any push stick you feel comfortable with.
I will do the same.
An interesting discussion of ice picks as push sticks: http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/general-discussion/safe-push-sticks

[Pat Barry]

Glad you were not hurt. Could you post a picture of the piece that did the damage? Similar to Ole's where you can see the track of the blade as it went off line and grabbed the material? I think it would be helpful t understanding, maybe even put the piece back into the saw at the point of disaster (of course without the saw running). It would be useful to understanding what might have gone wrong.

On the topic of push stick - I looked at the link Bradley provided and was immediately stunned by the comment that "Tens of thousands of woodworkers, probably more professionals than amateurs, have used ice picks for pushing stock through table saws for about as long as table saws have existed." Really? I have never of heard of this and its about the last thing I would ever have thought of using for a push stick on a table saw. It makes me wonder where exactly is the proper position for the ice pick?

[William C Rogers]

Well I am in the no ice pick camp. Why would I want to put an indent in the wood I am pushing through when there are so many good push blocks out there. It must be a regional thing as I have never seen or heard of this. Heck, I don't even own a ice pick and not sure where to buy one. Haven't bought any block ice in 35 or so years.

[John Coloccia]

The thing about table saws is there's really no good place to stand. If you stand in back of the piece, it can shoot straight back and nail you. If you stand to the left, a kickback that raises the wood and shoots it over the blade will almost certainly catch you somewhere between your head and chest....again, really no good. At least if you have a riving knife, it reduces the chances of the kickback going to the left substantially, so it's not a terrible place to stand. The only really safe spot, though, is behind the fence. Too bad no one's come up with a way to make that work. :)

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Glad you were not hurt, except maybe your pride.... Thanks for the reminders. I always try to use all the safety equipment I can....... Lots of push sticks, push blocks, splitters out there.

[Bradley Gray]

I stand on the left side of the saw. I use 2 ice picks. They are springy so I keep my elbow against my side to limit arm movement and push towards the fence. The spring of the pick pushes down but if anything goes wrong my hand moves away from the blade.I have on occasion hit the blade and sent the blade to the be sharpened but better than a finger! I rip a lot of small stock for shoji and would not do it any other way - no slippage - great control.

I like the half fence idea. I resaw that way on the band saw so I will give it a try but I'm keeping the ice picks.

[julian abram]

Hmmmm, ice picks near a moving tablesaw blade seems like a bad idea to me, think I'll stay with non-metal push devices.

[Brian Holcombe]

I use mostly hand tools but occasionally if i'm doing a lot of repetitive cuts on thin material I will use a bandsaw. I have a strong dislike for table saws, that being said, if you are using one it's incredibly important to use all of the safety features offered, such as a riving knife and proper push stick.

If any one of those features needs to be compromised for the cut, then the table saw is the probably not the right tool for the job.

[Nick Christensen]

Your first kick back is very scary. I still remember mine, I worked in a cabinet shop and i had to remake 3 panels that got ruined by the piece that kicked back. I was shaking for hours. Am I to understand that you were straightening a rough edge on the table saw? Was there one straight edge? If not this is a big no no. You always need to use a straight edge against the fence. If not you are almost guaranteeing this to happen again and again, push stick or not. There several articles on how to joint edges on a table saw. Again sorry for the kick back they really really suck. Glad you weren't hurt.

-Nick

[Sam Murdoch]

Though this is not an ice pick as push stick thread it is a TS safety thread and so I will chime in on the push stick conversation. For a very long time I have been using my home shaped metal push stick and believe it gives me the very best control - far surpassing any wood type push stick I have ever ever used. I do not use an ice pick but rather one made from an old paint roller frame. It is a bit longer than an ice pick and has a handle specific to my needs. I like the soft metal and I keep the tip pointed enough to securely hold the wood - hard or soft - but not so pointed that it doesn't let the wood go after the pass. It has saved me more than once with never any close calls in regards to the nature of the push stick itself.

I don't use the metal stick for anything other than carbide blades.

No matter what others choose for a push stick the important thing is to use one and to be comfortable with your choice. I wouldn't trade my metal one for anything else but I don't ask anyone else to use it either.

Alan I'm so very glad you averted a catastrophe. I'm pretty sure we all have our stories of near disasters and sadly some folks have stories that don't end well. Keep your wits about you and woodworking will be nothing less than satisfying - with a few diversions into utter frustration - but that just adds to the fun. Take care.

[Alan Gan]

To many replies to mention each of you but I want to say Thanks to all.

I appreciate all the support and Thanks for not telling me how stupid I was. I do think a few of you know what I was not doing when this happened. No Guard or Riving Knife was in use. Most everything I have been cutting was with the Sled and to be honest my lack of experience allowed me to not even think about using the safety devices.

I will be looking into the 1/2 Fence and various Push Sticks.

The saw was still set up just as it was as I have not turned it back on since.

I took a couple pictures, but the lighting was all wrong, to dark and you could not see what some of you are looking for. There are some marks on the board that may tell a story. I will take more pictures in the next day or so. Right now I am getting ready to take my bride of 30 years out for a night to celebrate Valentines day. Just glad I am able to go out at all.

[Roy Turbett]

I was skeptical when I first read about using a half fence for ripping dimensional lumber but the more I researched the topic the more I could see the logic. As the dimensional lumber passes the blade the kerf can either open, close or remain the same. If you're not using a splitter or riving knife and the kerf closes, the wood can be grabbed by the back of the blade and kicked back. If the kerf opens to right and you have a long fence, the wood can "spring" against the fence and push the piece you are cutting into the blade causing a kickback. You can avoid this second condition by using a short fence that is only long enough to complete the cut.

I have a 43" long Unifence on my Unisaw and use the saw for breaking down and dimensioning sheet goods along with ripping dimensional lumber. The longer fence works well with sheet goods because they are dimensionally stable and the kerf doesn't open or close. One of the major advantages of the Unifence over the Beismeyer is that you can shorten it by simply sliding it toward you.

I just improved my Unifence even more by purchasing a Uni-T Fence at the Detroit woodworkers show. "The Uni-T-Fence is a heavy duty aluminum extrusion up grade fence for the Delta® Unifence Table Saw Guide System designed by Peachtree Woodworking Supply, Inc.. It replaces the Stock Delta Fence which mounts to their saw fence guide. You must own the Delta UniFence to use this product. Mounting the Uni-T-Fence to your Delta® Unifence is as simple as sliding the Stock fence off and sliding the Uni-T-Fence on. There are no holes to drill." It has an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene face and multiple t-slots for attaching accessories. I'll do a product review once I get a chance to use it.

http://www.ttrackusa.com/unifence.htm

[Keith Mathewson]

Keith,
You now have my permission to use any push stick you feel comfortable with.
I will do the same.
An interesting discussion of ice picks as push sticks: http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/general-discussion/safe-push-sticks

Bradley,

It doesn't look like I can get you to change your mind about using an ice pick but I'd like to try. In my shop I have 3 table saws and wood push sticks on each. I have seen several accidents, been involved in one and know several others who have been injured on a tablesaw. A couple of weeks ago one of my guys went to the ER after forgetting to check the position of the hold-down on the slider and pulled the aluminum, not steel, hold-down pad into the slider to prepare to make another cut. Two carbide tips came off and shot into is face, good thing he was wearing safety glasses. I know another guy who liked to use small, thin push sticks for "control". One day the stick broke, he was able to pull his right hand out of the way but that swung his left hand into the blade. Result- several hours of hand surgery. I also know of a few buys who have been hit by small pieces flying up off the saw. I can go on but the point is a wood push stick like the one shown holds the wood down to the table and keeps your hands well away from the blade.

[Tai Fu]

Next time use a bandsaw for smaller stock. Tablesaw isn't the right tool for small stocks.

[Chris Fournier]

Next time use a bandsaw for smaller stock. Tablesaw isn't the right tool for small stocks.

This is nonsense. A tablesaw is just fine for small work, it must simply be properly set up to do so and the appropriate stock holding and guidance devices must be made. Before the advent of laser cutters all architectural models were made using the TS. The pieces they cut for their scale models were often very small and cut in great numbers. Worked for them. Works for me as a guitar builder making small pieces for rosettes and will work for anyone else who sets themselves up for success.

[Jim Matthews]

Glad you weren't hurt, but man, we need pictures of the carnage! I hope you haven't been watching and learning from the home improvement shows where they never use a blade guard and splitter. I learned my lesson a few years ago. And a pointy push stick isn't the answer, you need one that holds the work from tipping up as it goes through the blade. Something like this:

Is that the piece you were cutting, or the offcut?

I was taught to never pass anything less than 12" long over a tablesaw blade.
Smaller pieces are more likely to twist and catch than longer ones.

[Chris Parks]

I would not use an elevated push stick for a bet. The stability of an elevated push stick is absolutely in the hands of the gods and I think they are dangerous and an accident waiting to happen.

[John Downey]

There are as many opinions on which stick to use and how to avoid accidents as there are people using table saws :D

Bottom line for me is if an experienced user is comfortable with his methods and doesn't have accidents, then odds are good he's doing something right. The main thing to avoid with any power tool is complacency. From the accidents I've seen over the years, that is the cause 3/4 of the time - stuff you've done a thousand times and don't pay much attention to.

[Chris Parks]

Ask yourself what is the most stable, an elevated long push stick or a push block that rests on the table bed.

[John Downey]

Well, my preference is for an elevated pusher that keeps the hand over the stock so that it pushes down as well. But as I said, there are lots of opinions available, many disagree, and all are worth exactly what you paid for them :D

Work in the way that you are most comfortable, not in the way that is best for someone else. A nervous saw operator is likely to have an accident, just as is one who's not paying much attention to what he is about.

[Pete Duffy]

I don't have this problem with my underpowered Craftsman.

[fRED mCnEILL]

A simple riving knife or splitter would have prevented this.

[Jim Andrew]

Think it was about 1969 when a guy was killed in a high school shop from a kickback. The guy killed was not operating the saw, he was behind it. This happened in Salina Kansas. I later met the guy who was operating the table saw. I went to a small school near there, and it made us think. When I was in college, the instructor had a triangle painted on the floor behind the tablesaws, and you were not allowed in that area when the tablesaw was running.

[Myk Rian]

I stand on the left side of the saw. I use 2 ice picks. They are springy......
Never heard of a springy ice pick.

[Tai Fu]

General safety rule dictates that no one is supposed to be behind a tablesaw when someone is operating them, but here in Taiwan people ignore that all the time. I've seen so many contractors operate their homemade tablesaw with their backs to the street.

[Derek Stockley]

Thanks for taking the time to write up such a detailed post. I force myself to read every single accident post on every forum I visit because it's a crucial reminder to me to never become complacent about the fact that my hobby is at times terribly dangerous.

[Earl Rumans]

Well, my preference is for an elevated pusher that keeps the hand over the stock so that it pushes down as well. But as I said, there are lots of opinions available, many disagree, and all are worth exactly what you paid for them :D

Me also, that's why I like my GRR-Ripper push pads so much. They give me control of the cut over both sides of the blade and keep my hands above and away form the blade.

[Charles Coolidge]

Beware dropping a push stick on the blade that will launch a missile also. Don't ask me how I know this.:eek:

[Chris Fournier]

282585I make this sort of push "stick" all the time in my shop, the thickness and dimensions depend on the job at hand - 0.125" MDF to 0.5" baltic birch. I don't like the stick type sticks because they have minimal contact with the workpiece. The type of pusher shown applies forward and lots of stable downward pressure. I put my baby finger through the hole shown and grip the top edge.

Kept me safe for many years.

[Jim Matthews]

This is nonsense. A tablesaw is just fine for small work, it must simply be properly set up to do so and the appropriate stock holding and guidance devices must be made. Before the advent of laser cutters all architectural models were made using the TS. The pieces they cut for their scale models were often very small and cut in great numbers. Worked for them. Works for me as a guitar builder making small pieces for rosettes and will work for anyone else who sets themselves up for success.

Perhaps you might elaborate on the method to safely handle smaller stock.
I've seen one too many ejections of small offcuts that were trapped against the fence.

The mechanics of the blade, spinning toward the user, are unforgiving of alignment errors.

[Sam Murdoch]

I've seen one too many ejections of small offcuts that were trapped against the fence.



Absolutely - trapping small pieces between the fence and the blade is all about trouble. One of my TS rules is to never pass a piece between the fence and the saw blade that is so small/short that at any point it will be ONLY between the blade and the fence. You can't make such a rule then be casual about breaking it.

Some small stock cutting can be more safely done using the 1/2 fence as in a Euro TS or using the Unifence that can be pulled back behind the blade works well too. Otherwise work without a fence and off a sliding table that fully supports the work and its cutoffs. Just a few ideas...

[Chris Fournier]

I used to use a cross cut carriage to help cut tiny pieces safely. I use a vacuum to suck up small off cuts and then retreive them from the bin. I index cross cuts on a short fence that doesn't actually go all the way to the blade portion of the table so the off cut is actually free once cut.

I didn't invent any of these techniques. I would never say that a TS isn't appropriate for small scale work because it is very appropriate for this kind of work. If I think that an operation is going to be potentially dangerous I stop and figure out how to make it safe. It may take me a day or two to figure it out if it is complicated -I ain't that clever! It may invlove some serious fixture building and I never begrudge the time it takes to make the cut I want safely.

The TS is only dangerous if you use it like a victim. If instead you use it like the tool that it is with the properties that it has, using foresight and cool logic you can do very small or very large operations with it safely for an entire lifetime.

If you approach the TS with either ignorance or fear then you are indeed in trouble, both approaches will likely get you hurt. Understand the machine and it is no more dangerous than your car.

[Chris Parks]

Perhaps you might elaborate on the method to safely handle smaller stock.
I've seen one too many ejections of small offcuts that were trapped against the fence.

The mechanics of the blade, spinning toward the user, are unforgiving of alignment errors.

That is exactly why a European style half fence makes it safe to cut small bits, the trapping cannot happen. There seems to be a mentality with TS users that prevents them using it. With a bit of imagination a sliding version could be made as on a Hammer slider. Can someone tell me a good reason not to use the idea? A Saw Stop prevents hands injury and was long overdue but someone mentioned in these forums recently that kickback was a bigger problem than direct hand injury.

[John Downey]

I've seen one too many ejections of small offcuts that were trapped against the fence.

Why set up a cut where the offcut will be trapped against the fence? The piece between the fence and the blade should always be the piece being pushed - anything else is begging for trouble.

[Ole Anderson]

As stated, a sled is a safe way to handle small pieces on a table saw. If you have ever seen a David Marks video, you will see him use an eraser on a pencil to hold small pieces in place while using a sled. I learned my lesson to never use the fence when cutting short pieces.

[Chris Parks]

As stated, a sled is a safe way to handle small pieces on a table saw. If you have ever seen a David Marks video, you will see him use an eraser on a pencil to hold small pieces in place while using a sled. I learned my lesson to never use the fence when cutting short pieces.

It is very safe to do so with a half fence and without the complication of building a sled. I have cut hundreds of short bits with no issue on a conventional TS. The trapping is impossible when a half fence is used but it seems that people are deaf out there and deserve to encounter kick back. I had thoughts of designing a half fence for a conventional TS but I have abandoned the idea because I am sure it would not sell.

[John Downey]

The trapping is impossible when a half fence is used but it seems that people are deaf out there and deserve to encounter kick back.

You are correct that the half fence is a very safe set up, however no one deserves an accident. The kick back they may or may not experience is indeed avoidable, and they bear the responsibility for it's happening, but they do not deserve it.

[Pat Barry]

You are correct that the half fence is a very safe set up, however no one deserves an accident. The kick back they may or may not experience is indeed avoidable, and they bear the responsibility for it's happening, but they do not deserve it.
The half fence idea may be an improvement but I question if there isn't a better way. I would be concerned with the half fence for exactly the same reason that some here are touting its mertis. For example, because the piece is not well supported, as the remaining piece to be cut becomes small, the longer piece is free to move behind the half fence. This could lead to a dangerous situation wherein you try to correct the cut and expose yourself to a bigger hazard.

My fence is not perfectly parallel to the blade. It actually diverges slightly at the back, thereby creates a bit of space for the cut piece so it doesn't tend to bind up. Does anyone else do this?

I try to use my sled for all small part cutting. I always use a push stick that allows me to push from the back and put downward pressure on a significant portion of the piece I am cutting. Kiinda similar to the idea Chris illustrated above.