Why my table saw scares the hell out of me.

[Bruce Barnett]

Get youself a few featherboards. Put one (or more) on the top and another on the side. That way you can use a long push stick, and retain control.

[lwasserm]

I would suggest professional help. Perhaps your employer has an Employee Assistance Program?

[charlie b]

One more time . . .

If you understand the physics it's easier to know what to do and not to do. It's those nasty rear teeth, rising up out of the table saw top, that initiate "kickbacks". You want to keep the wood behind the front cutting teeth away from the top rear quarter "lurking" teeth.

cutting an 8 foot 2x4 on a table saw is not a great idea - a chop saw, miter saw, sliding miter saw or compound sliding miter saw is made to do that job. Cross cutting on a table saw with the end against the fence is a no-no.

charlie b

[Joe Bemier]

The T/S does not *scare* me in the least. I have a world of respect for the machine, but fear does not come into play. Like driving a car or handling a firearm, fear is a very bad thing and could lead to an accident.

Since all the SawStop debates I have paid more attention to what I actually do on the T/S. Before, I never really studied my actions or habits. I find that I comply to many safety guidelines unconsciously

-w/o thinking about it. I also find that my hands are rarely in a position to be injured. Again, in fairness, I don't want to state that it would be impossible, but very unlikely. The bottom line is, IMO, you need to be comfortable on the equipment.

[Doug Miller]

Or a radial arm saw...

[B A R R Y]

Why stop there?

I settle for nothing less than full, NHL regulation goalie gear! Who needs a GRRRRRipper when you've got a blocker?

I'm not the only one, you'll see goalie gear hanging in the background of Peter Gedry's finishing articles, as well.

[Markem]

:P

Mark (sixoneeight) = 618

[Prometheus]

If you contact Delta, you can either download the manual if it is availible, or they will mail you one. In either case, the manual contains all the safety directions you need to operate the saw properly.

And for what it's worth, I've experienced kickback two or three times- always because I wasn't following the rules, but none of those resulted in any real injury. While it can be very dangerous, it is more often than not just a bit of excitement. Same rule for saws as for horses- if one kicks, get right back on it.

[rob]

No, I am actually a science teacher, but I am from the spell check generation. If a little red line doesn't show up under my words I assume they are OK. But I do admit. I may do a preview next time instead of post.

No, I mean the left side of the feeder side. Standing so far away from the fence as to not be within missle range.

Thank you, will do

They also have table saw movies for rent on netflix!

[rob]

No I wasn't using the fence,but in a more brilliant move, I didn't know which side kicked back, so I had a hand on each side of the blade with my crotch well to the side.

I think that happened is that it got almost to the end of the cut and then it binded and kind of jumped back. Not really kickback but in my mind it has bye bye teste written all over it.

So the point is that I probably over reacted but it was not the best intro. I am going to make a crosscut sled this weekend.

[Michael]

Knock on stock, but I've been ripping and crosscutting on a 10 inch Sears for 20 years, and I've never experienced kickback. Not once. With my Stihl chainsaw, yes (but that's another story, not involving reproductive gear).

[boorite]

I would recommend a codpiece of ballistic polymer lined with Kevlar-reinforced steel mesh. You could paint really cool flames or lightning bolts on it.

[Puckdropper]

B A R R Y wrote in news:Lh7Tg.6440$GR.1814 @newssvr29.news.prodigy.net:

2x4 in the chest, slap shot from 20 feet, what's the difference? (You almost always see the slap shot coming.)

Puckdropper

[Doug Miller]

Yep. Moving about the same speed, but the 2x4 is coming from a whole lot closer. Takes 10 to 15 milliseconds to get there.

[bridgerfafc]

I have a gizmo for that. small scrap of wood, set the saw height to kerf halfway through, then make a rip cut that produces a thin piece that just fits the kerf. glue them together thus, round over the edges and taper the "blade" a bit for easy inserting.

it lives in the open left end of the beisemeyer tube where I can reach it but it won't get lost.

[boorite]

Also, when the 2x4 hits you "in the chest," it hits you in the balls instead.

[B A R R Y]

[B A R R Y]

All that gear lets you just shake it off.

FWIW, I was a defenseman when I played, not a goalie. More than once, I turned around from tying up an opposing player (puckdropper [might] call it "interference", but a man's gotta' do to do what he's gotta' do... ), and had about 10-15 milliseconds to get out of the way. I can't get anywhere in that amount of time. So... I got hit so hard one night, it stuck in my mind enough where years later I'd duck lightweight plastic balls used in indoor roller hockey.

Then again, I've seen some on-ice officials take it bad enough that they probably would have traded it for a kickback! =8^0

[Glen]

Hint!

Use the miter gauge for narrow stock, NOT the fence!

NEVER constrain both sides of a piece being cut!

Don't be afraid enough not to use the saw, but NEVER lose respect for it and the bad things it can do IN A HURRY!

RTFM, and maybe another or two books about table saws.

Be safe! Tex

[stanley_clifton]

As an English person I can assure you that only the English drink tea - or at least some of us who still know how to brew it. If you're throwing tea can you please miss my Ceylon leaves out of it please? Thanks awfully. Pip pip!

By the way, we're going to invade soon and take back our rightful possessions in various parts of the US. Otherwise please feel free to look after yourselves in Iraq and Afghanistan for that matter.

Anyway, my recommendation is to stick with a band saw unless it really cannot cope anymore.