accidents. Never use a cracked saw blade. The use of a sharp, well maintained, and correct cutting tool for the operation will help avoid injuries.
Support the work properly and hold it firmly against gauge or fence. Use a push stick or push block when ripping short, narrow (6" width or less), or thin work. Use a push block or miter gauge
Never use the fence as a length stop when crosscutting. Do not hold or touch the free end or cutoff section of a workpiece. On
Always keep your hands out of line of the saw blade and never reach back of the cutting blade with either hand to hold the workpiece.
Bevel ripping cuts should always be made with the fence on the right side of saw blade so that the blade tilts away from the fence and minimizes possibility of the work binding and the resulting kickback.
10.2Rip sawing
Ripping is feeding the workpiece with the grain into the saw blade using the fence or other positioning device as a guide to ensure desired width of cut (Figure 31).
Before starting a ripping cut, verify that fence is clamped securely and aligned properly.
Never rip freehand or use miter gauge in combination with the fence.
Never rip workpieces shorter than the saw blade diameter.
Never reach behind the blade with either hand to hold down or remove the cutoff piece with the saw blade rotating.
is properly aligned. When wood is cut along the grain, the kerf tends to close and bind on the blade and kickbacks can occur.
Note: A warning decal is affixed to the guard to remind the operator of some basic safety procedures.
The rip fence (A, Figure 32) should be set for the width of the cut by using the scale on the front rail, or by measuring the distance between blade (A) and fence (B). Stand out of line with saw blade and workpiece to avoid sawdust and splinters coming off the blade or a potential kickback.
If the work piece does not have a straight edge, nail an auxiliary straight edged board on it to provide one against the fence. To cut properly, the board must make good contact with the table. Do not attempt to cut warped boards.
Figure 32
In ripping, use one hand to hold the board down against the fence or fixture, and the other to push it into the blade between blade and fence. If workpiece is narrower than 6" or shorter than 12", use a push stick or push block to push it through between fence and blade (Figure 33). Never push in a location such that the pushing hand is in line with the blade. Move the hand serving as a hold- down a safe distance from blade as cut nears completion.
For very narrow ripping where a push stick cannot be used, use a push block or auxiliary fence. Always push the workpiece completely past the blade at the end of a cut to minimize the possibility of a kickback.
Figure 31
Always use blade guard, splitter/riving knife and
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