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A table saw is a must-have piece of equipment for any woodworker as it makes cutting through wood and shaping it very easy. However, it comes with its share of safety hazards.
Considering it is one of the most used tools in a woodwork shop, it’s essential to learn how to use it properly to reduce the risk of kickback, which can be very dangerous.
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How to Prevent Kickback on a Table Saw
Table saw kickbacks are an unacceptable woodwork risk because of the dangers they pose. Use the below approaches to stop them.
1. Do Not Make Freehand Cuts
Rip fences are used when doing rip cuts. They hold stock in place when pushing it through the saw blade. Mitre gauges offer support when doing crosscuts.
Do crosscut with the rip fence and the mitre gauge simultaneously since this can jam the work piece and cause a kickback.
2. Check the Blade
A dull blade will have trouble cutting, leading to warping and overheating. This will cause a misalignment between the table saw blade and the fence.
A dull blade also requires more force to cut through the wood, increasing the chances of kickback. Regularly check and maintain your blades to ensure they’re sharp and clean.
3. Use a Push Stick
A push stick will help keep your hands away from the saw blade. These tools help guide the wood past the blade and keep your hands at a safe distance.
A push stick is used for narrower cuts, while a table saw featherboard holds the wood against the fence and helps control it during a cut.
4. Use a Riving Knife
A riving knife is a safety device that prevents the wood from pinching the backside of the blade and causing kickback. Always make sure your table saw is equipped with one, and that it’s set up correctly.
5. Align the Saw
The blade and the miter slot should be parallel. Misalignment can cause the wood to catch and kick back. Always ensure everything is properly aligned before making a cut.
6. Avoid Crosscutting Without a Miter Gauge
Crosscutting freehand is a major kickback culprit. Always use a miter gauge or crosscut sled for crosscuts. Don’t use the fence as a guide during crosscuts unless it’s paired with a miter gauge or sled.
7. Don’t Rip Warped Wood
Trying to rip a warped or twisted board can cause it to move unpredictably during the cut, increasing kickback risk. Always use straight, flat boards.
8. Never Stand Directly Behind the Blade
This is a general safety rule, but it’s worth mentioning here. In case kickback does occur, you want to make sure you’re not in the direct line of fire.
9. Feed at a Steady Rate
Don’t force the wood through too quickly or too slowly. A steady feed rate will help prevent kickback.
10. Switch off and Disconnect Before Adjustments
Before adjusting the blade or fence, always switch off the table saw and disconnect it from the power source. This reduces the risk of accidental startups and subsequent kickbacks.
Why Is a Table Saw Kickback Dangerous?
Kickback happens when the workpiece gets stuck between the table saw blade and the rip fence, thus causing kickback. This violently propels the wood backwards and can hurt you badly.
A common type of kickback is when the entire workpiece is thrown up and backward at high speed toward you. The propelled wood ends up striking the chest, torso, or head of the operator. This makes kickbacks quite dangerous.
Reasons for Table Saw Kickback
Before I discuss the remedies for table saw kickback, let’s look at some of the causes of kickback in a table saw:
- No riving knife
- Poor mounting of the riving knife
- No plan for your cuts
- Use of wrong dimensions
1. No Riving Knife
A riving knife is usually mounted behind the table saw to prevent the work piece from pinching into the blade. It keeps the woodwork firm against the saw, preventing it from rising against the back of the saw. Without a riving knife, kickback will definitely occur in the course of a woodwork project.
2. Poor Mounting of the Riving Knife
A riving knife should work as a rearguard to the woodworker. To prevent cut-offs, it must be properly aligned to the blade kerf. Failure to correctly mount and align the blade with the kerf results in the woodwork knots getting pinched into the blade’s back, then getting fiercely thrown at you.
3. No Plan for Your Cuts
Before committing wood to the table saw, plan where your body and hands will be positioned throughout the cut. Stopping midway through the cut will always result in a table saw kickback.
4. Use of Wrong Dimensions
If the length of the saw blade to the fence exceeds the wood’s length against the table saw fence, the blade will create a big forward torque compared to the small work piece held against the fence, creating a turn.
The board spins and climbs up against the back of the blade. It gets caught by the blade and spins to you. This might badly injure you.
How Fast Is a Table Saw Kickback?
The bigger the table saw blade and motor, the more the momentum that is imparted on the stock, and the faster that the kickback will be.
For example, a 10″ blade has a 31.4-inch circumference. If the blade’s speed is 4,800 rpm, then the teeth travel speed is 150,720 inches per minute. This translates to 142.72 miles per hour. A stock piece thrown at such a speed will go very far, making it a very dangerous projectile.
What Is the Safest Table Saw?
The SawStop JSS-120A60 is the safest table saw available. It is a flesh detecting table saw that instantly stops if it senses flesh on the saw blade. You can easily adjust the blade using an elevation feature that allows for raising and lowering the blade with a single turn. It also has an accurate fence.
Conclusion
Table saw kickback is a dangerous occurrence that should be prevented at all costs. Without proper safety measures in place, you could get hit by a flying wood piece or have your hands severely hurt by the spinning table saw blade.
Make every possible effort to maximize your table saw safety to reduce risks of kickback in your workshop.
