A clean table saw surface reduces the chance of kickback.
Halfway through splitting a long piece of lumber, the fibers of the board tend to spring back to their original position. As the fibers pull together, the board compresses against, or "pinches," the blade. As the board pinches the blade, the blade slows and throws the workpiece back at the operator or, even worse, suddenly pulls the workpiece toward the blade. This "kickback" occurs under other circumstances as well. Waste can jam the space between the blade and table, or the blade's teeth can catch on the tail end of the board. To save your face from flying lumber and keep your fingers intact, learn about table saw safety precautions before turning on the machine.
Instructions
1. Use the table saw to cut pieces of wood no shorter than 12 inches. Table saw blades are more likely to kick back small pieces of wood.
2. Install a blade guard over your table saw's blade. The blade guard not only prevents your fingers from contacting the blade, but it also slightly holds the wood against the table.
3. Clean all sawdust and debris from the the table before you turn the machine on. Use a soft-bristled brush to wipe waste from the table's surface. Even small bits of sawdust can contribute to binding and kickback; brush the table's surface, beneath the rip fence and in all openings, including screw holes.
4. Place a board's "true" edge against the rip fence. In carpentry, the term true refers to straightness. To prevent binding and subsequent kickback while using a rip fence, the edge of the board that presses against the fence must be true. Do not use a rip fence when cutting warped, bowed or otherwise crooked lumber.
5. Switch sides for the latter half of the cut, or have a cutting partner assist on the receiving end of the table saw. Slightly spreading the cut portions of the work piece prevents the lumber from springing back and binding the blade. You can switch sides and pull the last half of the lumber through the saw, or ask a partner to slightly spread the lumber as you push from the front.
Related posts
Get your wood table looking new again.If you accidentally get ink stains on your wood table, they can be easy to remove. In some cases, a strong cleaner such as mineral spirits can remove the ink...
The Roaring 20s was exemplified by use of black and white, and short "flapper" dresses.The "Roaring Twenties" was exemplified by optimism sometimes bordering on excess and a re...
Keep your cat off the table by cleaning up leftover food.Cats getting on your dining room table can be a huge hassle. Many cats use litter boxes or roam around outside. While a cat cleans its paws...
Salvage a coffee table from a yard sale? Have an old coffee table to jazz up? Use these unorthodox ideas to make over your coffee table and give it a whole new look. Use your imagination, get crea...
A fancy table setting immediately turns any dinner into a special occasion.Experienced hosts know that the most memorable dinners have more in common than just good food and interesting conversati...
