W1761/W1762 12" Table Saw with Riving Knife
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 warped, cupped or twist- ed wood.
•Never attempt freehand cuts (see Figure 2). If the workpiece is not fed parallel with the blade, a kick- back will likely occur. Always use the rip fence or miter gauge to support the workpiece.
•Make sure the splitter or riving knife is aligned with the blade. A misaligned splitter can cause the workpiece to catch or bind, increasing the chance of kickback. If you think that your splitter is not aligned with the blade, check it immediately!
•Take the time to check and adjust the rip fence parallel with the blade; otherwise, the chances of kickback are extreme.
•Use the splitter or riving knife for all "through cuts" (see Figure 3). The splitter or riving knife maintains the kerf in the workpiece, reducing the chance of kickback.
•Feed cuts through to completion. Anytime you stop feeding a workpiece in the middle of a cut, the chance of kickback is greatly increased.
•Keep the blade guard installed and in good working order. Only remove it when performing
•Make multiple, shallow passes when performing a
Statistics show that most common accidents among table saw users can be linked to kickback. Kickback is typically defined as the
Figure 2. Do not freehand cuts.
Figure 3. Do not make through cuts without the blade guard/splitter or riving knife in place.
SAFETY