Shopsmith Forums

I am real new to woodworking and so far all I have created was pens and pencils. That's all that interest me at this time. I thought I'd save a little money and travel to make some pen blanks out of some cherry I had laying around. I was able to make 4 pen blanks not very many but I learned the hard way what kickback is. A piece of cherry I was ripping got cut off and kicked back right in my face. I had goggles and dust protection which saved my face from who knows what. I had thought at first I broke my nose but fortunately I didn't. I think i'll purchase all my pen blanks in the mail. I might just buy a midi lathe and let the greenies sit until I find someone in my area that I can work with to learn how to use the bloody greenies properly, The closest person I have had contact with is 70 miles away and I don't think I'm going all that distance just to learn how to use the greenies. Please have someone close or with you when using these machines. My nose still hurts.

Sorry for your kickback, Eddy, but happy you are not severely injured.

Here's several rules. There are more, but...

1) NEVER -ever stand in front of a whirling saw blade.
2) When ripping (especially short pieces) ALWAYS use a fence straddler, hold down or a push block that will also hold down the piece.
3) When possible rip longer pieces of wood into narrower pieces then cross cut them to length. Don't cross cut first!!!
4) When ripping narrow pieces, it may be safer to hold the wider piece next to the fence and plan the cut off to be the desired thickness.
5) THIS ONE SHOULD PROBABLY BE FIRST IN THE LIST. Always make sure your rip fence is parallel to the saw blade.
6) Keep your fingers at least 3" away from a spinning saw blade.

P.S. Here is a short recent post about push sticks: https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=7155
You can also scroll down on this page and see references to several threads discussing kickbacks.

Thankfully you were not badly injured.

Newer Shopsmith upgrades include a saw guard with riving knife and anti-kickback pawls. With this in place I've never had a problem.

That said, I don't rip wood that requires the fence to be so close to the saw guard that I cant use the fence straddler. This is approximately 1 1/4 inches. If I need thinner strips I use the bandsaw with a 1/2" or 5/8" wide blade, an operation essentially the same as re-sawing. This works very well.

A lot of older Shopsmiths no longer have essential safety equipment. Fortunately, Shopsmith's customer support can assist you in this situation.

If you describe what you were attempting to do, perhaps with pictures of the wood you were cutting, we could better advise you on safe procedures.

In the meantime, here are a couple of more points on ripping.

- The minimum length of stock you are ripping should be 12" (use a bandsaw for shorter stock).

- Don't attempt to rip wood that is warped or twisted; the stock must lie flat on the table.

- The edge against the fence must be true/straight; if not, straighten with the jointer.

- push sticks work with longer boards where the weight of the wood keeps the stock flat on the table; shorter boards require a shoe for pushing the wood past the blade safely.

- use only sharp blades.

- get yourself a copy of Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone by R J DeCristoforo; it's the bible for using your Shopsmith.

charlese wrote:You can also scroll down on this page and see references to several threads discussing kickbacks.

To further explain how to quickly view similar threads -
a) scroll all the way to the bottom of this computer page.
b) there you will find a wide red line with the words Similar Threads on the left side of that line.
c) click on the little chevrons on the right side of that red line.
d) Bingo! the similar threads appear.

charlese wrote:To further explain how to quickly view similar threads -
a) scroll all the way to the bottom of this computer page.
b) there you will find a wide red line with the words Similar Threads on the left side of that line.
c) click on the little chevrons on the right side of that red line.
d) Bingo! the similar threads appear.

I'll be @#$%#$, how long has that been there? Thanks Chuck.

charlese wrote:Sorry for your kickback, Eddy, but happy you are not severely injured.

Here's several rules. There are more, but...

1) NEVER -ever stand in front of a whirling saw blade.
2) When ripping (especially short pieces) ALWAYS use a fence straddler, hold down or a push block that will also hold down the piece.
3) When possible rip longer pieces of wood into narrower pieces then cross cut them to length. Don't cross cut first!!!
4) When ripping narrow pieces, it may be safer to hold the wider piece next to the fence and plan the cut off to be the desired thickness.
5) THIS ONE SHOULD PROBABLY BE FIRST IN THE LIST. Always make sure your rip fence is parallel to the saw blade.
6) Keep your fingers at least 3" away from a spinning saw blade.

P.S. Here is a short recent post about push sticks: https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=7155
You can also scroll down on this page and see references to several threads discussing kickbacks.

I did break the first rule that I knew , but forgot rip then crosscut..

bigeddy wrote:I did break the first rule that I knew , but forgot rip then crosscut..

Common sense sometimes takes a backseat to the task at hand, many times you guys have said Rome wasn't built in a day and I broke that rule by trying prove you wrong. (not really) but as being an inexperienced woodworker (newbie) I goofed up. Just because you have safety equipment in place doesn't mean you won't get injuries. I clobbered my face pretty good. No scars but the safety glasses kept my eyes safe, but my cheek and nose got clobbered pretty good. No more paper dust masks from now on I'll take the little discomfort I get with the canister masks. My wife said if I didnt have such a big nose it would've been worse. Thanks guys for the replys it really helps.

In terms of safety equipment, a full face shield is a good option as well. Safety glasses and goggles will protect your eyes, but a shot to the nose or mouth can be painful and injurious as well. There are also respirators with eye protection built in. There are a ton of options available.

Definitely get a copy Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone (PTWFE) I found the copy that was originally purchased with my Greenie and even though it's a 1955 edition the information is still sound and of course is perfectly aligned with my machine.

I have a suggestion for you. Check with you local school district and see if they offer any evening courses in wood shop. If they do you will learn the basics of proper power tool usage under the watchful eye of an instructor that has probably seen and corrected every mistake made. Also many local community colleges and technical schools have classes too.