25.Maintain tools with care. Keep blade sharp and clean for the best and safest performance. Follow instructions for lubricating and changing accessories.
26.Check the saw blade for cracks or missing teeth. Do not use a cracked or dull blade or one with missing teeth or improper set. Make sure the blade is securely locked on the arbor.
27.Keep hands clear of the blade area. Do not reach past the blade to clear parts or scrap with the saw blade running. Never saw freehand. Avoid awkward operations and hand positions where a sudden slip could cause your hand to contact the blade.
28.Do not attempt to saw boards with loose knots or with nails or other foreign material, on its surface. Do not attempt to saw twisted, warped, bowed or “in wind” stock unless one edge has been jointed for guiding purposes prior to sawing.
29.Do not attempt to saw long or wide boards unsupported where spring or weight could cause the board to shift position.
30.Always use the riving knife, blade guard, push stick and other safety devices for all operations where they can be used. On operations such as dadoing or molding where the blade guard cannot be used, use feather boards, fixtures and other safety devices and use extreme caution. Reinstall the riving knife and blade guard immediately after completing the operation that required their removal.
31.Be sure the saw blade rotates clockwise when viewed from the motor side (left side) of the machine.
32.Turn off the machine before cleaning. Use a brush or compressed air to remove chips or debris — do not use your hands.
33.Do not stand on the machine. Serious injury could occur if the machine tips over.
34.Never leave the machine running unattended. Turn the power off and do not leave the machine until it comes to a complete stop.
35.Remove loose items and unnecessary work pieces from the area before starting the machine.
3.1Kickback
The most common accidents among table saw users, according to statistics, can be linked to kickback, the
Kickback Prevention
Tips to avoid the most common causes of kickback:
•Make sure the riving knife is always aligned with the blade. A workpiece can bind or stop the flow of the cut if the riving knife is misaligned, and result in kickback.
•Use a riving knife during every cut. The riving knife maintains the kerf in the workpiece, which will reduce the chance of kickback.
•Never attempt freehand cuts. The workpiece must be fed parallel to the blade, otherwise kickback will likely occur. Always use the rip fence or miter gauge to support the workpiece.
•Make sure that rip fence is parallel to blade. If not, the chances of kickback are very high. Take the time to check and adjust the rip fence.
•Feed cuts through to completion. Anytime you stop feeding a workpiece that is in the middle of a cut, the chance of binding, resulting in kickback, is greatly increased.
Protection Tips from Kickback
Kickback can happen even if precautions are taken to prevent it. Listed below are some tips to protect you if kickback does occur:
•Stand to the side of the blade when cutting. An ejected workpiece usually travels directly in front of the blade.
•Wear safety glasses or a face shield. Your eyes and face are the most vulnerable part of your body.
•Never place your hand behind the blade. If kickback occurs, your hand will be pulled into the blade.
•Use a push stick to keep your hands farther away from the moving blade. If a kickback occurs, the push stick will most likely take the damage that your hand would have received.
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