Table Saw Kickback

[lowell holmes]

I have 10" Delta Contractors Saw that I made a wood insert with a splitter on it. I have no kickbacks.

[Brian Deakin]

Members may find the links below interesting they are information sheets from the UK Health and Safety executive

https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis16.pdf

https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/circular-saw.pdf

https://www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/ripsaw.htm

https://www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/wis.htm

[Brian Deakin]

Members may find the links below interesting they are information sheets from the UK Health and Safety executive

https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis16.pdf

https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/circular-saw.pdf

https://www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/ripsaw.htm

https://www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/wis.htm

[Mike Goetzke]

I have 10" Delta Contractors Saw that I made a wood insert with a splitter on it. I have no kickbacks.

How about a blade guard?

[Doug Garson]

Hi Doug, the crown guard covers the top of the blade, you can’t have a piece of wood touch that area of the blade as it’s covered.

Obviously if a piece of contacted the top of the blade it would be ejected towards the operator....Rod

Agree Rod, but the piece of wood would never touch the top of the blade in the normal way we use a table saw only if we accidently dropped it on a spinning blade.

[mike stenson]

Agree Rod, but the piece of wood would never touch the top of the blade in the normal way we use a table saw only if we accidently dropped it on a spinning blade.

I've seen thin stock, especially, grab the back of the blade and ride up. A crown guard would prevent that too.

[Rod Sheridan]

Agree Rod, but the piece of wood would never touch the top of the blade in the normal way we use a table saw only if we accidently dropped it on a spinning blade.

Hi, Mike Stenson replied regarding this as well, the work piece can ride up the blade and contact the top of the blade.

That's the entire purpose of the crown guard, preventing objects from contacting the top of the blade.............Regards, Rod.

[lowell holmes]

I use push sticks and never get close to the blade. I also wear safety glasses.

[Pat Barry]

Hi Lowell, there are 3 main methods of preventing kickback.

1) use a splitter or riving knife to prevent the work piece from contacting the rear of the blade.

2) use a crown guard to prevent the work piece from contacting the top of the blade.

3) use a short rip fence that ends just slightly beyond the start of the saw blade.

Regards, Rod

Sorry Rod. What is a crown guard? Can you provide a picture or references?

[ChrisA Edwards]

Sorry Rod. What is a crown guard? Can you provide a picture or references?

I had to look it up also....

[Doug Garson]

I use push sticks and never get close to the blade. I also wear safety glasses.

None of these prevent kickback. All are good practice.

[Mike Kees]

I disagree Doug. there are two distinct types of kickback. 1. long narrow stock pinches either around the blade or between blade and fence and shoots out the rear of saw. 2. sheet goods in dimensions close to square shape are not controlled and lift slightly and "catch the edge of the blade and then spin as the blade digs in from underneath and launches them. A good push stick design will hold the later (type 2) down tight on the table and help greatly in preventing this type from happening. I think that riving knives are probably one of the best table saw safety devices out there for the best protection for type 1 kickbacks.

[Doug Garson]

Agree with your comment on riving knife, on the push stick I think what you call a push stick I call a push block and a quick Google search seems to show you are in the majority. Can't seem to cut and paste an image from Google to show what I mean but I call the type which puts pressure on the top a push block, I call a push stick the type that just pushes the trailing edge of the workpiece. Kinda hard to describe without a picture.

[Pat Barry]

I hate using a push stick. I just don't feel comfortable with having so little control. I like the 'shoe' style, which gives the operator the ability to apply downward pressure to the material.

[Brian Holcombe]

The pad-style push blocks give me pause, they cause the operator to push the material over the blade. It's my understanding that kick-back is entirely more dangerous (it is always dangerous) if you're physically extended past the blade. A kickback at that position increases the likelihood of the operator traveling over the blade, which is a situation I would personally want to avoid.

I don't use a tablesaw for rip cutting, very much at all. I have a bandsaw and a planer so I'm happily making parallel edges with machinery more suited to it. I'll use the tablesaw mainly for ripping wide panels when the need arises.

Skinny pieces and short pieces are dangerous.