Filter
Top Products
20
Not maintaining alignment of the rip fence
so that it tends to angle toward rather than
away from the saw blade front to back.
Applying feed force when ripping to the
cutoff (free) section of the workpiece
instead of the section between saw blade
and fence.
Ripping wood that is twisted (not flat), or
does not have a straight edge, or a twisted
grain.
To minimize or prevent injury from kickbacks:
Avoid conditions listed above.
Wear a safety face shield, goggles, or
glasses.
Do not use the miter gauge and rip fence
in the same operation unless provision is
made by use of a facing board on the
fence so as to allow the cutoff section of
the workpiece to come free before the next
cut is started (See Figure 37).
As the machine receives use, the
operation of the anti-kickback pawls should
be checked periodically (Figure 29). If the
pawls do not stop the reverse motion of a
workpiece, resharpen all the points.
Where possible, keep your face and body
out of line with potential kickbacks
including when starting or stopping the
machine.
Figure 29
Dull, badly set, improper, or improperly filed
cutting tools and cutting tools with gum or resin
adhering to them can cause accidents. Never
use a cracked saw blade. The use of a sharp,
well maintained, and correct cutting tool for the
operation will help avoid injuries.
Support the work properly and hold it firmly
against gauge or fence. Use a push stick or
push block when ripping short, narrow (6" width
or less), or thin work. Use a push block or miter
gauge hold-down when dadoing or molding.
For increased safety in crosscutting, use an
auxiliary wood facing (Figure 30) attached to the
miter gauge, using the slots or holes provided in
the gauge.
Figure 30
Never use the fence as a length stop when
crosscutting. Do not hold or touch the free end
or cutoff section of a workpiece. On through-
sawing operations, the cutoff section must NOT
be confined.
Always keep your hands out of line of the saw
blade and never reach back of the cutting blade
with either hand to hold the workpiece.
Bevel ripping cuts should always be made with
the fence on the right side of saw blade so that
the blade tilts away from the fence and
minimizes the possibility of the work binding and
the resulting kickback.
Rip sawing
Ripping is where the workpiece is fed with the
grain into the saw blade using the fence as a
guide and a positioning device to ensure the
desired width of cut (Figure 31).
Figure 31
Before starting a ripping cut,
verify that fence is clamped securely and
aligned properly.
Never rip freehand or use miter gauge in
combination with the fence.
Never rip workpieces shorter than the saw
blade diameter.