Bad weekend - two kickback episodes

Gary · 2004-08-02T16:39:03+00:00

This weekend wasn't a good one for me and the Unisaw. The darn thing kickedback twice. The first was my fault, the second, I don't know.Saturday, I was building some drawers. I had removed the guard and splitterin order to cut some thin dados for the drawer bottoms. Next I attempted tocut a 4X8 sheet of 1/4" Luann for the bottom. I thought its just lightweight Luann. First cut, an approximately 2'X4' cut off the end. Whamm!The 2X4 sheet went sailing across the room, Bam!!, stuck in the windowcasing behind my saw. Nice M&T embedding in the wall. Luckily I wasstanding to the left of the blade and it missed me.Sunday morning, gluing up the drawers, I needed a 4"X6" block of 3/4 ply.Guard in place, I attempted to cut the piece off a 12" piece of scrap.(Should have used the miter saw). Still shaken from yesterday, I stood wellto the left of the line of fire. Using the fence on the right and pushstick, I started the cut. The piece on the right between the blade andfence fed through fine. However, the scrap on the left some how turnedbefore reaching the anti-kickback teeth, and Whamm!! again.. This time the4"X6" block nailed me a couple of inches below the belly button. Damn thathurt.Now I have a healthy respect (fear) of the table saw. I thought this wassuppose to be fun?Gary

Aug 02, 2004 22 Replies

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Gary 21 years ago

Material wasn't long enough to use the miter. I definitely need to build me a sled (if I can get up enough nerve to cut one out.)

Gary

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Gary 21 years ago

That's for darn sure!! And I've got a pretty little Powermatic 14" with fence, miter, riser and all. I think I'll use it a lot more often in the future.

Gary

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George 21 years ago

Pushsticks are best, because they keep you in control where the action is.

Not to mention that a deflection of a degree or so on a three-foot long piece is likely to send it running back up the blade when it binds.

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