# It's kick-back time



## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Here's a good reason to always use an outfeed table.
I was ripping some glued up stock for timid turtle, got to the end of the cut, and without the outfeed table up I was sliding it across behind the blade. All of a sudden, zing went the wood. Gone. Where the heck did it go? I heard it hit the back of the garage so I started looking there. A few things knocked off the shelves and a big dent in my cabinet. 15 minutes later I found it wedged behind the jointer. That piece of wood went 20 feet and would have gone farther.
It's a good thing I was standing off to the side when it went airborne.


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Thanks for sharing the experience Mike. Just goes to show how dangerous that flying piece of wood from a kick back can be and the damage it could do to a softer target like human flesh 

Glad you were not injured!


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## thistlefly (Dec 2, 2008)

A neighbor of mine is a wood shop instructor. I called him last night for a totally separate reason, and discovered that he had an accident last week in his class.

A piece of wood kicked back, and in an instinctive protection of his students he put out his hand... and the last joint of his middle finger was shattered. The surgeon spent two hours trying to save it, but it had to be amputated.

I've heard other stories (including one from this forum), but somehow it's always more sobering when it happens to someone you know. 

Bob


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Mike

I'm glad you are OK,,but it's a saw not a sling shot.. :nono::nono:

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AxlMyk said:


> Here's a good reason to always use an outfeed table.
> I was ripping some glued up stock for timid turtle, got to the end of the cut, and without the outfeed table up I was sliding it across behind the blade. All of a sudden, zing went the wood. Gone. Where the heck did it go? I heard it hit the back of the garage so I started looking there. A few things knocked off the shelves and a big dent in my cabinet. 15 minutes later I found it wedged behind the jointer. That piece of wood went 20 feet and would have gone farther.
> It's a good thing I was standing off to the side when it went airborne.


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Gee, Mike, did you have a beer while kicking back? 

Glad that dent is in your cabinet, rather than your body.


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## kartracer63 (Jan 19, 2009)

Mike,

I'm glad you didn't get hurt. I'm really big on safety. Can you explain to me how this happened so I can avoid the same mistake. I also stand off to the side when I'm using my table saw... not out of fear, but respect for the tool.
If I understood your post correctly, the piece that took flight was originally the piece that was between the fence and the blade? As you slid it across the table behind the blade... it caught the blade and took off flying?
Thanks in advance for a further explanation.

Eric


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

kartracer63 said:


> the piece that took flight was originally the piece that was between the fence and the blade? As you slid it across the table behind the blade... it caught the blade and took off flying?
> Thanks in advance for a further explanation.
> 
> Eric


Yep. That's what happened.
I didn't have the outfeed table up because a bike was there. Bike is moved and table is up now.


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Blade guard, paws, splitter???


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Hi Mike,

Glad you weren't hurt. It's a amazing at how quick something like this can happen. Glad you're ok my friend.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Bob said:


> Blade guard, paws, splitter???


Umm, no.


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

AxlMyk said:


> Umm, no.


That's what I thought! 

:nono::nono::nono::nono::nono:

Be careful my friend!


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Bob said:


> That's what I thought!
> 
> :nono::nono::nono::nono::nono:
> 
> Be careful my friend!


Any of those would have made the cut even more difficult, especially the splitter. My only mistake was in not having the outfeed in place.


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## Birchwood (May 13, 2005)

Thank you for posting the incident. Its another reminder to all of us. I really STRIVE to make every move I do around the table saw well thought out and doubly careful. I always use a splitter with a thin kerf blade, zero clearence plate and a partial "home built" blade guard that extends out from my fence.
But a guy just can't be too careful. Happy to see it was only a dent in the wall. I have one just like it!


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Mike, how would a splitter interfere?


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Hamlin said:


> Mike, how would a splitter interfere?


The piece was already cut. I would have had to push the piece even farther back than I did. That would have taken it off the table. Like I said, if the outfeed was up I could have just pushed it off the table, onto the outfeed, and been done with it.
What surprised me the most, I didn't see the wood take off. It was that fast.


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Gotcha. Makes sense now.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Glad to hear you are all right Mike. You should know some "Tinners" that can fix the cabinet.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Glad you are ok. That is a nast dent, glad it's not in you!
Things I have learned the kick back way:
1.) Always check for clearance around the table.
2.) DO NOT slide the wood back past a spinning blade.
3.) Do not push the wood on both sides of the blade (pinch!)
4.) If the wood "stops" feeding for some unknown reason, SHUT THE SAW OFF. Pushing or pulling the wood is going to result in trouble. 
I really prefer not to learn things this way. But you don't ever forget these lessons, even when the brusing and cuts heal.


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## Barry99 (Feb 10, 2009)

AxlMyk said:


> The piece was already cut. I would have had to push the piece even farther back than I did. That would have taken it off the table. Like I said, if the outfeed was up I could have just pushed it off the table, onto the outfeed, and been done with it.
> What surprised me the most, I didn't see the wood take off. It was that fast.


Glad you didn't get hurt. When the piece of wood took off from my router table, I was standing and gripping the air where I was holding the wood, slowly taking in what just happened.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Mike I too am glad you were not injured, I too have had some kick backs one did hit the inside of my right arm no real damage but I sure respect the saw more than ever. The pic of the cabinet shows how much damage can be done and thankfully it was not to you.


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## Fourleftpaws (Feb 12, 2007)

Mike - I am also glad your okay - its amazing how fast those things happen. Never had a kick back until the other day. Was cutting a 8 x 12 piece of maple for a jewelry box - with one of those little plastic splitters. After getting the cut just started - I looked toward the splitter - and saw that a piece of wood was between the splitter and the board - knowing that I was about to run into a problem - I moved my right hand with the push pad to turn off the motor - the blade caught the lumber - threw it against my left hand - and went across the room and slammed into the wall where my cat was laying on my bench. Scared the crap out of him - I looked at my left hand - yup it was still there - the flat edge of the board caught the palm of my hand - no tear damage - but the palm began to swell and turn purple. I removed the plastic splitter - trash canned it - and replaced the factory splitter back on the machine. Sometimes those new items put out - really do not replace the factory set ups on your machines.


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## RustyW (Dec 28, 2005)

Mike, you should print that pic of the cabinet and hang it near the saw as a reminder. Glad you were not hurt. This past weekend I made some planter boxes out of some rough cedar fencing. About a third of the way through ripping a 5' long piece, there was a loud pop and the board split from one end to the other. Now on my saw, I removed the guard, but left the splitter and kickback pawls in place. They kept hold of the mess as I shut down the saw. On the next cut, I had a loose knot take off like a bullet, I heard it hit the wall but never found it. The guard may have caught that one. But, like you, I was following one rule - not standing inline with the cut.


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## RustyW (Dec 28, 2005)

Fourleftpaws said:


> I moved my right hand with the push pad to turn off the motor


Larry, my Delta CS has the switch mounted so it can be turned off by bumping it with your leg. I usually always turn it off that way. Not sure what you have, but maybe you can set up something similar.


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## FatFreddysCat (Apr 5, 2009)

Kickback happens for one reason - the rising teeth of the saw blade (i.e. those at the rear of the blade when vioewed from the operator's position) come into contact and get a "bite" into the material. It happens for several reasons:

1. No riving knife/splitter deployed when cutting reaction timber where the saw kerf closes-up around the back of the blade. A common problem on saws in the USA which seem to have dreadful splitter/guard assemblies

2. Lack of outfeed support where the workpiece pivots on the rear edge of the saw table causing uncut timber to come into contact with the rising teeth. This can also occur when "deeping", i.e. making a without a blade guard where the blade does not pierce the upper surface of the timber. The solution is simply to build a run-off table. Even a fold-away table flap or old desk will do, although deeping needs an extra form of jig for safety

3. Side pinching of the blade caused when reaction timber bends away from the blade but is restrained by an overly long rip fence. The spring in the timber may eventually cause it to push back against the side of the blade. The solution is to add an auxilliary rip fence plate on your table saw which stops at the bottom of the gullet. This short rip fence is common in Europe where I work (and is mandatory in commercial shops) whilst most smaller American saws seem to have the through fence which is a primary cause of kickback

4. Lack of crown guard over the blade. Although a crown guard won't prevent a kickback it can reduce the consequences of material being thrown upwards and backwards towards you by taking away a lot of the energy in the kickback

It goes without saying that you should never stand in line with any piece of timber going through a machine. 

My approach is unashamedly Euro-centric because I trained as a wood machinist in the UK and all the above are just common sense, at least to me. I still get kick backs from time to time, although they're normally just minor and a quick assessment of the situation normally reveals that I've broken my own rules somewhere


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## kefjens (Jan 2, 2009)

I just happened to watch this video on youtube last night:

YouTube - How to Avoid a Table Saw Kickback

I'm new to woodworking and trying to educate myself as much as possible. It's been a few months since I got on the forum...new baby=no time!


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Great Video! Thanks!


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