Kickback Demo

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat May 10, 2008 1:08 pm

Thought this was scarey.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/910584/table_saw_kickback_demonstration/

fjimp · Post by **fjimp** » Sat May 10, 2008 1:28 pm

Dusty,

Yes very scary. That should be required reading for everyone prior to being allowed to use any power tool. Jim

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sat May 10, 2008 2:48 pm

Been there done that and that is exactly why I won't cut anything on a tablesaw without the riving knife.

I shot an 2' x 6' oak plank over my shoulder pass my head. It flew about 20 feet to stuck in the dry wall behind me.
Ed

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Sat May 10, 2008 3:02 pm

Yes, that wood be scary, if it happened in "real life" (and I have seen it happen, but not experienced it personally), and it definitely demonstrates the danger and power of a kickback; but, to get the kickback, the demonstrator "let go" of his work piece. I don't know of anyone that does that, in real life.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat May 10, 2008 3:32 pm

I think he not only let go but I think he deliberately applied some side pressure (toward) the blade).

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sat May 10, 2008 3:44 pm

[quote="a1gutterman"]Yes, that wood be scary, if it happened in "real life" (and I have seen it happen, but not experienced it personally), and it definitely demonstrates the danger and power of a kickback]

Tim
For it to occur as far as I know the wood toward the back of the blade has to rise up. If you noticed the circular gouges in the wood in video. I think the wood rides up and sort of pivots into the blade.
In my case the wood was fairly long and I move my holding down hand to get a better placement. That allowed the leading edge of the wood to rise and sightly pivot enough for the saw blade to catch it. Basically the wood continued to pivot until it was heavy enough to ride the blade forward and zing it was gone. In the wood you could see the circular gouge then teeth marks that got further and further apart as the wood accelerated. I figure about half down the wood it obtained lift off speed and became air borne. I know it was humming when it passed by my ear.
A riving knife would have prevented the wood from pivoting and probably would have prevented the whole thing. I have never had it occur since I used the riving knife.
I'm sure glad my High School Shop teacher Mr Kip had me trained never to stand in front of the blade. Like I said when mine happened it went right past me, had I been standing in front of the wood I would probably still be trying to get it out of me.
I have seen this since and in a few occasions I have seen people hit with the board. Usually puts a pretty impressive welt on them and more than once I have seen it bring a tear to the eye.
Ed

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat May 10, 2008 5:01 pm

And it can happen with a router too. Usually with a router, you have trapped the stock between the blade and the fence - but no matter what caused it - the wood takes off like a bullet.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sat May 10, 2008 8:34 pm

dusty wrote:I think he not only let go but I think he deliberately applied some side pressure (toward) the blade).

Yes he did! Thought the action was kind of silly, myself! But at least showed one way to get kickback. How about the cuttoff piece?

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Sat May 10, 2008 8:46 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:....................I have seen this since and in a few occasions I have seen people hit with the board. Usually puts a pretty impressive welt on them and more than once I have seen it bring a tear to the eye.
Ed

Yes, Ed,
One of the times that I witnessed this event, was in my dad's cabinet shop. The man took a piece of plywood to the gut. It hurt him good, but, in his case, it did not break the skin....he was lucky.