Woodstock W1824 manual Additional Safety for Table Saws

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Additional Safety for Table Saws

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HAND POSITIONING. Touching a spinning saw blade will cause serious laceration or amputation injuries. Never purposely touch a saw blade during operation. Always keep hands/fingers out of the blade path; place them where they cannot slip into the blade accidentally. Never reach around, behind, or over the blade.

BLADE GUARD. Operating the saw with the blade guard removed greatly increases the risk of severe laceration or amputation injuries from accidental blade contact. Use the blade guard for all “through cuts”. A through cut is an operation where the blade cuts completely through the top of the workpiece. Make sure the blade guard is installed and adjusted correctly; promptly repair or replace it if damaged. Always re-install blade guard immediately after operations that require its removal.

RIVING KNIFE. The riving knife keeps the kerf open behind the blade, which reduces the risk of kickback. Use the riving knife for all “non-through cuts”. A non-through cut is an operation where the blade does not cut through the top of the workpiece. Make sure the riving knife is aligned and positioned correctly; and promptly repair or replace it if damaged. Using the riving knife incorrectly will increase the risk of kickback or accidental blade contact.

KICKBACK. Kickback occurs when the saw blade ejects the workpiece back toward the operator. Know how to reduce the risk of kickback, and learn how to protect yourself if it does occur.

FENCE. Using or adjusting the fence incorrectly will increase risk of kickback. Make sure the fence remains properly adjusted and parallel with the blade. Always lock the fence in place before operation.

FEEDING WORKPIECE. Feeding the workpiece incorrectly will increase risk of kickback. Never start the saw with a workpiece touching the blade; allow the blade to reach full speed before cutting. Only feed the workpiece against the direction of blade rotation. Always use some type of guide (fence, miter gauge, sliding table or sled, etc.) to feed the workpiece in

a straight line. Never back a workpiece out of a cut or try to move it backwards or sideways after starting a cut. Feed cuts all the way through to completion. Never perform any operation “freehand” (making a cut without using a fence, miter gauge, or other guide).

PUSH STICKS/BLOCKS. Use push sticks or push blocks whenever possible to keep your hands farther away from the blade while cutting. In the event of an accident, these devices will often take damage that would have happened to hands/fingers.

CUT-OFF PIECES. Never use your hands to move cut-offs away from the blade while the saw is running. If a cut-off becomes trapped between the blade and table insert, turn the saw OFF and allow the blade to completely stop before removing it.

BLADE ADJUSTMENTS. Adjusting the blade height or tilt during operation increases the risk of crashing the blade and sending metal fragments flying with deadly force at the operator or bystanders. Only adjust the blade height and tilt when the saw is turned OFF and the blade is completely stopped.

DAMAGED SAW BLADES. Never use blades that have been dropped or otherwise damaged. Damaged blades can fly apart and strike the operator with shards of metal.

DADO AND RABBET OPERATIONS. DO NOT attempt dado or rabbeting operations without first reading those sections in this manual. Dado and rabbeting operations require special attention because they must be performed with the blade guard removed.

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