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Table Saw Kickback

12K views 27 replies 22 participants last post by  GT350 
#1 ·
Table Saw Kickback

I fought the saw and the saw won. As it will 100% of the time. So, I thought I would post this blog to remind everyone that it happens. Actually, this is the first kick back that I have experienced. I know why it happens. I know how to prevent the likelihood that it will happen. I use caution. But, it happened anyway. It threw a 18 X 20 piece of 3/4 ply at me, frisbee style. It so torqued the saw blade on the arbor shaft, that I cannot remove the nut to remove the blade to inspect for damage before I use the saw again. And, this was "only" a bench top table saw. Anyway, nothing real serious… it hit the well padded area. ... hurt pride mostly. I really don't know why this happened other than I completed my cut (trimmed one inch off an edge) and was reaching down to shut it off… you cannot jump back fast enough when it comes flying out.

So, just a reminder to take care out there. Do not become complacent or take tools for granted. You know the drill… remind yourself from time to time.

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#3 ·
I have to confess--same thing has happened to me….I got nailed with a piece of walnut, about 7×8x3/4. They sure come off of that table fast. I got hit almost exactly where you got yours.
Years ago I threw away the splitter and anti-kick back device for my delta contractor saw. Yesterday I ordered an after market splitter with anti-kick back prawls from delta through Woodcraft. It's expensive but that piece of walnut was the 2nd kick back in about a year….2 too many.
Be safe, keep the safety equipment on your saw…
 
#5 ·
Very glad you were not injured seriously. I have been relatively lucky on the table saw (knock on wood here)...and I keep all the safety devices in place except when dado'ing. I have even installed a blade protection cover on my crosscut sled and my mitre sled….there are too many horror stories about this happening.

On another note…don't forget to pay attention if you have a sliding mitre saw also. I have the Bosch 5412 and didn't notice that my fence sides had come loose and was sliding free. To make a long story short…the fence caught the wood…the blade torqued it…and then threw it down and back at me. Thankfully the only things hurt were the blade, the wood I was cutting and the saw fence. The worst of those casualties was the blade - a $100+ Forrest Chopmaster….it warped a dish in the blade by one of the laser insets and two teeth were badly twisted (no repairing this mess) - I am now relegated to a Dewalt construction blade until my new chopmaster arrives. The replacement fence cost me $40 from ereplacementparts.com….and the wood…np there I was cutting up leftovers for pen blanks. There is a nice gash in my face shield….and my hand stung for a bit….but it sure made me pay attention next time.
 
#6 ·
same thing happened to me last night. My heavy denim shop apron and belt buckle helped out but I still have a scrape and a bruise (and a pair of "was clean" underwear). When we dont get hurt bad, these are not the worst things that could happen to us. Valuble lessons from life. Glad you are not hurt
 
#7 ·
I had something similar happen to me a few years ago. It hit me near the bottomf of my rib cage. It knocked out my breath and left me reeling on the floor trying to catch my breath while I tried to motion to my sons who were in the shop with me to turn off the saw. I had a cracked rib and a nasty bruise. Not fun. Hope you heal up quickly.
 
#8 ·
Dustyal, thank you for your willingness to share this mishap with everyoone. I too am glad you were not more seriously hurt. Like you said, you know the beast, you try to avoid the beast by being careful, yet stuff happens. If I may, I want to share something I witnessed this week. I stopped at the home of a nearby woodworker to introduce myself and say hello. I was told about him by a third party. I was met by another person at his home and he took me to the woodworker's basement shop. He was ripping a 5/4 piece of maple on his table saw. Within a minute I witnessed several safety issues. No guard in place. No splitter or riving knife, no dust collection and sawdust was permeating the basement. He wore no dust mask. The saw kept bogging down. (A Craftsman TS. I asked if it was 1.5 hp and he said it is 2 hp.) He would wait until it was up to speed again and push some more and kept repeating this. At one point he had slight kickback but luckily the motor bogged again and he was able to contain or hold the piece. Eventually the breaker tripped and he lost power. All the things I have learned on my own and through posts on LJ came rushing to my mind as I watched this man work in such an unsafe manner. If that kickback he experienced happened on a 3 hp TS, he may not have been so lucky. As you and everyone else has said, "We can never be too safety conscious. Again, thanks for sharing.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the reminder. I had a piece of wood come flying out at me, went up my forearm, ripping as it went. Left a 3in. long scar. I was cutting a piece of wood with no throat plate in the TS. I was unexperienced at using a TS. The wood tilted down where the throat plate should have been and came back at me at blinding speed. After it tore up my arm it hit my chest, knockin the wind out of me.That was bad but could have been worse, especially as I was by myself.
Another time I was cutting a thin piece off a 3ft long piece. The thin piece got jammed in the blade and it shot out backwards, missed me (learned to stand to the side)and it stuck into a box behind me.Just like an arrow! I'm a lot more careful using my saws now. Thanks again.
 
#13 ·
Al It happens so fast. I had one a couple of years ago. Glad it's minor but it will be black and blue in a couple of days.
 
#16 ·
As many of us try to be safe,it is often the case that mental lapses and or distractions lead to mishaps ! I was down in the shop one late evening and not fully focused and wanted to make a last minute cut on the TS and forgot to install My splitter and before I realized what I had done wrong a loud bang,followed by a sharp thud to My mid section had occured. Luckily , I limped away with only a bruised thigh (and ego !) It's easy to drop Your guard sometimes, so thanks for the reinforcement, STAY FOCUSED,BE SAFE. That's a motto we all can live with.
 
#17 ·
Jim: Here is a video that fully describes what happened. Basically, I lost my balance reaching for the off switch and twisted the board into the blade. And as Rod said: I forgot to reinstall the riving knife as I had just changed from dado blade back to regular blade and I wanted to make a quick cut to continue my project.

These links gives a good description and demo of Table Saw Kickback.



 
#18 ·
A weird thing i've experienced about things like kickback. When i first started out i feared it happening and it happened way too often. As i got older and lost such fear, i can't even remember the last time it occured.
 
#19 ·
Miles125… perhaps your procedures kept improving where you learned to use the procedures that reduced kick back to the point the procedures became second nature to you- thus, no kick back, therefore fear was reduced?

What could happen is becoming overly confident, too casual, too complacent and it catches you by surprise. Basically, it is about awareness.
 
#20 ·
In our excitment, and our focus, we forget to be aware. Saftey devices are for saftey. Have worked with people who didn't wear a motorcycle helmet. Can't heal an injured brain. Thanks for telling your story. Wood dust can kill you too.
 
#22 ·
My event was typical as to the theory of kick backs… just finishing the cut, failed to push the board clear past the blade, reached over and down with left hand to turn off the saw, with right hand still in contact with board. My back chose to have a spasm at that moment, (previous injury). I stumbled a little, and I racked the board away from the fence and into the back of the saw blade. Very typical kick back scenario, just like the video shows. I was standing to the right… not directly behind blade… but the saw threw me a curve board. I failed to put spitter back on after a blade change because all I wanted to do was to make a quick cut.

You do need to know theory to prevent accidents. For example, I have always been concerned about the cut-off piece flying back. It won't because it should never be in a bind between blade and another object. It may drift back or slide back, but it won't fly back with force. So, I think I was eying the cut off piece as I passed in its path as I was reaching for the switch. With everything happening so quick, I simply lost concentration.
 
#24 ·
Thanks dustyal. I think it's really helpful to fully describe accidents so that people can read about how the events leading up to the accident unfolded. That way people can see how, in a real life situation, they may encounter something similar and avoid it. Just learning the theory alone doesn't give you the best advantage.
 
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