Check Your Blade Height

[tom hintz]

I got into a bit of a confrontation with my publisher when some dink tech editor added a spot in my book about raising the blade high above the wood to prevent a kickback. Unfortunately, I totally disagreed, as did every saw manufacturer I talked to about it. To them, this is very simple. Kickbacks most often start at the back of the blade when the wood for whatever reson touches the blade and gets lifted. Raising the blade fully does put downward force at the front, but we now have almost straight up force at the back. Not a good plan if ANYTHING varies as the wood passes.
I have a story on my site abouut this very issue at the link below.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/bldhtkick.html

I went guardless for years like many others. Now, I use them whenever I can and have discovered it is not that tough, especially with a good guard system like that on my PM2000.

[AndyBarnhart]

Tom,

I think what is really hard about this is how little "real" data there is. I read your page and I agree about the additional danger of the raised blade. Then at the end you mentioned that you have had just one kickback in 30 years. I have had two in about 12 years. This doesn't mean I know more about kickbacks, but that I know less about properly tuning a saw and setting up a cut. One issue that hasn't been discussed much in this thread is hands and sticks. I usually use one hand at the fence away from the blade to hold the board down and against the fence, standing to the side of the saw on the fence side. This is why I have no issue with lifting. It burns and cuts off line and would probably lift if I didn't hold it down if thre is wiggle or kerf closing. The hand is usually my left hand initially pushing and then I switch to my right pulling later in the cut so that neither hand is ever very near the blade. I have a clamping sled for short pieces. I use the push stick near the blade pushing down and pulling toward the fence and the push stick is usually the source of any wiggle I get and to clear the off cut. I never stand in front of the saw. I have not had a kickback doing it this way. Both kickbacks occured with the guard and splitter on, blade low and worthless little pawls in contact with the wood. What factors contributed most?

[4yanks]

In 15 years of woodworking I have only had one (very minor) injury on the table saw. It indeed occured as a 1/4 ply drawer bottom was picked up by the back of the blade, then spun over the top of the blade and into my stomach. It felt like a very hard punch to the gut. I now always use a splitter.

[tom hintz]

Andy,

I really do agree that if things go perfectly, the actual blade height has little to do with much. However, it is when things don't quite go perfectly, which for all of us is pretty regular, a very small error or wiggle can grow to dangerous proportions with a bunch of blade exposed.
I never use a push stick but rather a push handle, and I use that all of the time unless I am cutting a very large piece of sheet stock. I hate the simple push stick, like the ones most saw manufacutrers include, because they provide virtually no directional control like a good push handle or rubber-soled push block will. Even so, a second or two of inattention and I am afraid a fully raidsed blade can instantly become a serious liability. I have heard from several guys who even with a splitter in place, had had a piece of wood flipped out. Thankfully, the splitter kept the wood from going across the blade where it seems the major power is generated but they did get whacked none the less. No big injuries other than bruises and one broken finger I am aware of.
I think this just shows us that regardless of having a splitter and guard in place, we can't go brain dead. We remain the most significant safety deveice around any woodworking machine.

[AndyBarnhart]

Tom,

I have a push block/shoe also and it does give me better control, but using it my hand will be much closer to the blade at some point than it will with a push stick, so I only use it on really wide cuts, which I don't often do. I use the plastic push sticks manufactured as push sticks. But I agree about the operator being crucial. If we use our numbers, which are too small for much accuracy, you are 5 times less likely to get a kickback than I am (you have averaged 1 in 30 years and I average 1 in 6). Actually, it's probably worse than that when hours on the machine are factored in. But I haven't had one in about 5 years; maybe I am learning. If you keep the wood straight and on the table, it won't kickback. If you keep your hands away from the blade you can't get cut. But stuff happens - someone comes in the door and you look up or there is some bizarre stress in the wood or whatever. I just wish I could get the same accuracy with guards in place. As I mentioned earlier, it is partly due to my low end equipment.

[tom hintz]

Originally Posted by AndyBarnhart

Tom,

As I mentioned earlier, it is partly due to my low end equipment.

This is a huge problem in woodworking. The new guys with the least (or no) expereince are most likely to have the cheaper machines with guards designed to satisfy vauge laws and to do that as cheaply as possible. then you have guys like me with 30-some years in woodworking and I have what I consider to be the best saw and guard system in the business. I do need the protection but the person with so little experinece needs it at least as much, if not a bunch more. Table saws are only the focus here. The same principle happens with manhy woodworking machines.

[DavidF]

I would say that the biggest improvementI have seen in the performance/safety on my saw (DW746) is the addition of a simple home made splitter that is shaped to apply a very small amount of lateral force towards the fence. If I try a rip cut without it I immediately notice the difference -more wiggle, bad cut and the thought that I am seconds away from a kickback. With it in place I can be sure that any stresses in the wood will not jam the blade a cause a kick back and the quality of the edge is MUCH better.

[AndyBarnhart]

Originally Posted by tom hintz

This is a huge problem in woodworking. The new guys with the least (or no) expereince are most likely to have the cheaper machines with guards designed to satisfy vauge laws and to do that as cheaply as possible. then you have guys like me with 30-some years in woodworking and I have what I consider to be the best saw and guard system in the business. I do need the protection but the person with so little experinece needs it at least as much, if not a bunch more. Table saws are only the focus here. The same principle happens with manhy woodworking machines.

I will have to remember to take an embarassing picture of mine tonight. The splitter is sheet metal that is not all that strong and attaches to the back of the saw, far enough away from the front edge of the splitter that it can be knocked around and misaligned pretty easily. It does have pawls, but they aren't aggressive at all. The guard is chewed up from hitting the blade and it is not comforting to see how much damage was done just by being grazed by the blade. I have a bench top screamer well mounted on a good stand. It serves it purpose well enough; I use the band saw, router, rotary tools and hand tools for most of what I do, so I wanted a small tablesaw that is easy to shove in the corner. The blade and fence both square to the table well enough for my needs and it didn't cost much.

Because I use it so little, I made a top for it to use it as an assembly table so I usually have the guard off, which leads to "one quick cut" thinking, especially when I use the small part clamping sled.

[Trent Mason]

Every time I cut the tablesaw (or any power tool) on I stop and really analyze the cut from start to finish, picturing the whole process in my head. Taking a moment to really think it through is very important and probably the biggest safety precaution of all.

[LeftyTom]

Originally Posted by NCPete

Tom, which JET do you have???? Installed the Merlin Splitter on my saw, and am not ever looking to reinstall the JET guard. If yours is the contractor style, perhaps mine will fit?

Thanks for the offer, Pete. I will PM you if I cannot find one around here.