A cautionary tale for saw table users

May 20, 2020 Last reply: 6 years ago 11 Replies

A cautionary tale! Typed using less than the usual number of fingers.



Until an hour ago I had never (in many! years) had a bad kick-back on a saw table. Everyone knows not to stand in-line with the cut and not to cut short pieces using the rip fence. I didn't stand in-line but couldn't be bothered to fit the cross-cut table and was "only" chamfering the edges of some new post tops, so ran the 110 square bits of 20mm sawn between the blade (canted to 45 degrees) and the rip fence



- all was well until, very suddenly, it wasn't. Suddenly there was a bang and pain. The piece of wood must have rotated slightly, jammed between the blade and fence, and been fired backward at mach 2+ ... all exactly as I was warned by Mr? in woodwork class back in 1960something. Very fortunately my fingers did not get the blade (or vice versa) but the wood has caused bad bruising, swelling and a few holes in my right centre and ring finger - the centre one may be broken. I'm starting to wish the initial numbness would return. Take care, and use that cross cut table!


Auditioning for the part of Reg Prescott were you?

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On the bright side, it sounds like they are still attached!

Had a couple... one lofted a bit of wood backwards over my head. No damage done, but still not expected. The other launched a thin lath of wood that was left between blade and fence, straight back at speed. I was not behind it, but it went fast enough to puncture the large "dust cowl on a stand contraption" that was stored against the back wall in the firing line!

Indeed...

(must admit I am rather fond of those PU foam covered gloves you can get now. Not only do they give excellent grip on everything making control a bit better, they also give a little bit of protection from minor injuries like touching a finger on to a sanding disc or belt.

I've had a few of those but only minor ones but definitely brown trouser moments. When I attempt what you did I use extreme caution. Best to clamp a small piece of wood to the fence which ends before the saw blade and take your measurement from there but we've all got 20/20 hindsight

Yes, when cutting to length I normally clamp a block to the rip fence or use the cross-cut carriage with a stop block to get repeatable lengths ... but I needed a chamfer and the blade only tilts one way and this was "only" a small cut, and (insert lots of other "only"s) - bottom line is that I was a prat and lucky to escape with my right middle finger still attached and likely to function normally once it stops looking like an over-inflated blue balloon. My wife is very relieved ;-)

I used to have that problem with mine, until I made up a box to go round the OEM rip fence that made both sides useable. So I can choose which side to have the fence, and hence whether the blade tilts towards or away from the fence.

There is a temptation to read far more into that statement than you probably intended :-)

The rip fence goes either side of the blade but there's not much space on the right side (the blade tilts to the left) because of the other functions - it's a Kity Bestcombi 2000. An excellent machine, and all perfectly good provided the operator doesn't behave like a prat.

It was intended ;-)

This where the portable electric saw is better. Missiles go down rather than up.

Ah, yup see what you mean - have the proper sliding table steals quite a bit of fence rail width on that side.

Perhaps you need something that can take away the pain but leave the swelling :-)

Ah, yup see what you mean - have the proper sliding table steals quite a bit of fence rail width on that side.

Perhaps you need something that can take away the pain but leave the swelling :-)

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