It got me. -Kickback

[Stoutman]

Had my 'first' experience with kickback today. I was cutting a small 4" by

4" square board of walnut for some shims and 'wham', right in the lower stomach (off to the side). It felt like I was kicked by a mule. Almost made a trip to the ER to check for internal damage. Just a big bruise and a damaged ego. Had me thinking that if I had a more powerful saw this would have been a lot worse.

Could have been prevented but I was just quickly cutting a few shims.

Stupid stupid stupid.

NO splitter. NO push stick.

Got me thinking that a leather shop apron would of helped. Any of you guys use them for a last line of defense? Where is a good place to buy a good one?

[B A R R Y]

Glad to hear you're OK! My only real kickback was a similar situation. It freakin' HURT! BIG TIME!

I'd skip the apron and put the splitter on.

[Stoutman]

I should add: When I went back to survey the damage I noticed that my zero clearance ash throat plate was cracked in half. Strange.

Also, my project was half assembled behind me. If it didn't hit me it would have gone through the ply sides of my dresser. I guess I "saved" it. :(

[henry]

I swear by use the gripper for small parts or a homemade version. A push stick could slip off.

[Barry Lennox]

Hmmm, fairly similar to my own experience.

The good news is that you only do it once, unless you are a real SLOW learner.

Me too. Now I use a push stick all the time, even although 90% of my cutting is on a bandsaw.

It should help a little, a bulletproof apron would be better!

Barry

[dpb]

On Jun 2, 4:13 pm, "Stoutman" wrote: ...

Don't know if the picture is on the website or not, but one that will chill you to the bone is in last month's Fine Woodworking --

A thin piece pierced through and through a plastic glue bottle _without_ turning the bottle over...consider in the abdomen w/ that. : (

Be careful, guys!!!

[Stoutman]

The push stick I "usually" use extends over the stock. It looks like the letter L with a replaceable dowel on the lower left side of the L.

[Morris Dovey]

Stoutman wrote: | Had my 'first' experience with kickback today. I was cutting a | small 4" by 4" square board of walnut for some shims and 'wham', | right in the lower stomach (off to the side). It felt like I was | kicked by a mule. Almost made a trip to the ER to check for | internal damage. Just a big bruise and a damaged ego. Had me | thinking that if I had a more powerful saw this would have been a | lot worse.

Glad you're ok.

| Could have been prevented but I was just quickly cutting a few | shims.

And safety doesn't matter if the job is small?

| Stupid stupid stupid. | | NO splitter. NO push stick.

Agreed (BTDT)

| Got me thinking that a leather shop apron would of helped. Any of | you guys use them for a last line of defense? Where is a good | place to buy a good one?

I doubt it'd help much unless it was lined with steel plate.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[Joey]

Tis painful had one couple years ago right thigh was B&B for a month

[Peter Huebner]

That would've been the arse end getting caught up in the teeth of the blade and getting whacked down into the throat as it went past.

On the subject of unexpected kick-backs: last year my wife and I were drafting a herd of 3 y.o. bulls and one of them, as he went through the gate next to me, unexpectedly let fly and got me right in the middle of the back. I found myself flat on the ground right under the feet of another 10 bulls or so. My one thought was: "I hope these guys don't get spooked" as I scrambled to get my hands and feet back under me ... ... that one was nice and yellow and blue for some time as well :-).

Put some arnica cream on it, it helps.

cheers, -P.

[jo4hn]

I've got a Biesmeyer splitter and overhead dust collector and a canvas apron from Rockler. You gotta buy this stuff and more importantly you gotta USE it every time. mahalo, jo4hn

[J T]

Sat, Jun 2, 2007, 5:13pm .@. (Stoutman) doth sayeth NO splitter. NO push stick.

I do not cnsider lack of a spltter a big deal; "do" cnsider no push stick a biig deal. VERY big deal, you were NOT standing out of the line of fire.

JOAT What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?

- Peter Egan

[tom]

Walnut shims? Nice! Glad you're technically okay. Tom

[Lee Michaels]

That little point is SO important.

Like my old shop teacher used to say. You have stand in a position that if you had a heart attack and died, no wood would hit you. He referred to it as the "collapse" position. I once asked him if this "collapse" happened very often. He said these famous words, 'If you cut wood long enough, it will".

I only got hit once. All those old lessons came rushing back. I haven't forgot since. The bruise I got took over a month to heal.

[henry]

woodworkers Supply sells leather Aprons, as well as welding supply houses. I have been hit above the groin and was thankfull I was not taller.I allways thought a piece would come straight back as it did in my case. It was brought to my attention that sheet stock would fly at me if i was standing to the left of the blade. I use a gripper for small parts and the magnetic featherboard holders for ripping longer parts.

[eclipsme]

Would a splitter necessarily help? I think when this happened to me (it happens *very* fast!) I was just completing about a 5" cut, perhaps 16" or 18" long off of a piece of 1/2" plywood perhaps 12" wide. At the very end of the cut the piece came away from the fence and caught the blade. I am not sure that a splitter would have been able to stop it. I'm certainly not say don't use one - just that things can still happen.

Harvey

[B A R R Y]

One purpose of a splitter is to prevent the already cut wood from rotating away from the fence and catching the rising teeth. If your splitter dosen't do that, it's not properly set up.

A board that can't catch a rising tooth can't kick back.

[Morris Dovey]

| Would a splitter necessarily help? I think when this happened to me | (it happens *very* fast!) I was just completing about a 5" cut, | perhaps 16" or 18" long off of a piece of 1/2" plywood perhaps 12" | wide. At the very end of the cut the piece came away from the fence | and caught the blade. I am not sure that a splitter would have been | able to stop it. I'm certainly not say don't use one - just that | things can still happen.

The splitter is a /preventitive/. If the splitter also has anti-kickback pawls, then /they/ would have held the piece (while the blade shredded it, if that were the situation).

I went out and bought a pair of Board Buddies to use in conjunction with my saw's splitter/anti-kickback pawls - like wearing both belt _and_ suspenders.

Even with those double safeguards, I stay out of the "line of file".

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[Leon]

Glad to hear you are able to still type. ;~) It happens to every one at least once, you let your guard down and do not realize it until it's too late. Fear not a more powerful saw. I tripled the HP when I up graded and IMHO the blade tends to cut rather than stall and throw providing you have control of the situation. I have felt many "starts" of kickbacks on the bigger saw but was easily able to push against the wood and prevent lift off.

If you don't have a set yet, not is a good time to consider the Gripper set up. You get a very firm handle on things. I recommend using in pairs.

[Leon]

Well, if your piece of wood is shorter than the length of the exposed teeth you can have a splitter properly set up and it may not ever come into play.