15
KICKBACK – HOW TO AVOID IT AND PROTECT YOURSELF
The dangers of kickback cannot be overstated. Most often it is caused by the work peice
binding against the blade. The result is that the work piece can rapidly move in a direction opposite to
the feed direction. During kickback, the work piece can be thrown back towards the operator and can
be very dangerous. It can also drag the operator’s hand towards the blade if the operator’s hand is in
the wrong place. To prevent kickback, please try and follow these guidelines and remember, one can
never be too safe.
1. Always use the guard, and continue to check that it is in in good working order. The
guard’s splitter helps prevent binding and the anti-kickback pawls on each side of the splitter
minimize the possibility of kickback. .
2. Do not saw warped, bowed or cupped wood. The work piece should have one straight
smooth side to go against the rip fence or mitre gauge.
3. Do not cut “freehand”. Always use either the rip fence or the mitre gauge. Never use
both.
4. Use extra care when the guard assembly cannot be used. (During dadoing)
5. Support large pieces carefully. Allowing them to sag or drop can be dangerous.
6. Make sure the rip fence is parallel to the saw blade.
7. Use a push stick for short pieces. Plastic and composite materials such as hardboard
can be cut on this table saw. However, as you know these materials are hard and usually
slippery and the anti-kickback pawls may not prevent kickback in all cases. Therefore, use
extra caution in cutting procedure when cutting these types of materials.
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