# Kickback problem - table saw technique help



## ldavies (Apr 17, 2009)

Hello,
I am making an end grain cutting board and would like some advice on the best way to make a cut. Is it safer to make the cut as show in Picture A below or as in Picture B. Help much appreciated for a table saw beginner. Picture A has the big advantage of knowing that all my finished pieces will be the same width. With Picture B I will have to rely on the accuracy of my fence as I will have to adjust it for the 17 or so cuts I will be doing.

Thx, Lloyd

PS I could not figure out how to embed an image in a forum post so please check the links below. Sorry for the inconvenience.


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

Lloyd, you want to cut the board so that the waste or cut-off falls to the outside of the blade. In this case picture B is the best cut if you want to avoid kickback potential which happens when a piece gets trapped between the blade and the fence. This is a much safer procedure than the cut you are showing in Picture A.

A crosscut sled would sure come in handy for this project. With a stop block it would give you consistent width cross cuts without having move a fence and the hold downs would prevent kickback. But you can get by with cutting as in Picture A if your saw is well tuned and you use a long enough push stick. In fact, if you go to Marc Spagnolo's video on making an end grain cutting board this is the process that he uses. It is not the safest but it can be done. Another option would be to use your miter gauge with a sub-fence attached to your regular fence that stops in front of the blade. This would give you consistent cut-offs without having to move the fence and allow space that would not result in the piece binding between the blade and fence.


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## miles125 (Jun 8, 2007)

Are you just banging out repetitive strips from the slab? If so, cut the slab in half for better ease of handling and go with A and a push stick. Ample WD40 for easy sliding also helps.


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## ldavies (Apr 17, 2009)

Yes Scott I agree; a cross cut sled would be ideal for this. I have favorited a couple her on LJ that I want to make at some point in the future. I keep thinking about upgrading my table saw to a saw stop so I don't want to make one that will be obsolete with a new saw. Perhaps I should either bit the bullet and get the saw or just make a sled.


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

This guage works well too and saves remeasuring.
Probably a crosscut sled is you best bet if you are just starting out.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

I second Bob #2's gauge. It's easy to make one of these, and repeatable cuts are safe and easy.


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## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

I would do "A" because it is easier to control. As long as you have a good blade and a push stick, it will work. You have to keep pressure on the board and keep it moving. If you loose focus, slow down, stop halfway through, or let the board turn, kick back will become a reality. I agree with miles125, a shorter board is safer, because it is easier to control and is less likely to turn the board through the cut.

I use a sliding table with a stop block. By the time the board gets halfway way through the cut, it is free and clear of pinching against anything on the right. I also use a push stick. There is a box behind the saw to catch each strip as it falls off the saw.


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## chriswright (Nov 13, 2008)

I've cut chess boards doing it like in Picture A. I'd use a miter gauge to get a square end then cross cut the strips, using a push stick of course. And Miles, I'd never use a petroleum based lubricant (i.e. WD-40) on anything that comes into contact with wood, it will prevent any finish from sticking to the wood. If you need a lubricant, use something like a paste wax instead.


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## miles125 (Jun 8, 2007)

Chris, i've used wd40 for prob 20 years precisely because i've never had a finish problem with it. Wax is the last thing i use.


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## douginaz (Jun 11, 2007)

I'm with closetguy - and the set up he has shown if a cross cut sled is not going to happen. As stated, use a push stick on the cutoff and you should be fine.

No comment on the WD-40.

Later, 
Doug in AZ.


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## Julian (Sep 30, 2008)

Wd40? No thank you. It may work for you, but I'll stick to paste wax on my tables, thank you. Make a crosscut sled and then you'll be cooking with gas.


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## niki (Mar 26, 2007)

On the pictures, I can see that you are going to cross-cut using the rip fence as a guide which is big "NO, NO"...there is a great risk of kickback….

Go as Closetguy is showing on the picture…IMO, it's the best and correct technique to cross-cut pieces to the same width…I would clamp the workpiece to the sled fence for every cut to avoid some Oooops's…

Regards
niki


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## ldavies (Apr 17, 2009)

OK thanks all


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## EEngineer (Jul 4, 2008)

No WD-40. Paste wax is only a problem if you get some with silicone in it (car waxes are notorious for this). Good ol' Johnson's floor wax is cheapest and best for wood working.


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## Dustmite97 (Aug 1, 2009)

Picture B will work as long as you use a crosscut sled or even a miter guage.


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## panther (Jul 9, 2009)

i say make a panel cutting sled it is much safer than a or b


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