Preventing Kickback
Below are tips to avoid the most common causes of kickback:
•Only cut workpieces with at least one smooth and straight edge. DO NOT cut excessively warped, cupped or twisted wood. If the workpiece warpage is questionable, always choose another workpiece.
•Never attempt freehand cuts. If the workpiece is not fed parallel with the blade, a kickback will likely occur. Always use the rip fence or miter sled to support the workpiece.
•Make sure the riving knife is aligned with the blade. A misaligned riving knife can cause the workpiece to catch or bind, increasing the chance of kickback. If you think that your riv- ing knife is not aligned with the blade, check it immediately!
•Every time you adjust the rip fence, make sure it is parallel with the blade; otherwise, the chances of kickback are greatly increased.
•Do not remove the riving knife. The riving knife maintains the kerf in the workpiece, reducing the chance of kickback.
•Keep the blade guard installed and in good working order.
•Feed cuts through to completion. Anytime you stop feeding a workpiece in the middle of a cut, the chance of kickback is greatly increased.
Statistics show that most common acci- dents among table saw users can be linked to kickback. Kickback is typically defined as the
Protecting Yourself
From Kickback
Even if you know how to prevent kickback, it may still happen. Here are some tips to pro- tect yourself if kickback DOES occur:
•Stand to the side of the blade during every cut. If a kickback does occur, the thrown workpiece usually travels directly in front of the blade.
•Wear safety glasses or a face shield. In the event of a kickback, your eyes and face are the most vulnerable part of your body.
•Never, for any reason, place your hand behind the blade. Should kickback occur, 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.
•Use featherboards or
