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22
Releasing the workpiece before
completing operation or not pushing work
piece all the way past saw blade.
Not using the splitter/riving knife when
ripping or not maintaining alignment of the
splitter/riving knife with the saw blade.
Using a dull saw blade.
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 has
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
actual cut begins (See Figure 39).
As the machine receives use, the
operation of the anti-kickback pawls
should be checked periodically (Figure
32). If the pawls do not stop the reverse
motion of a workpiece, resharpen all the
points.
Figure 32
Where possible, keep your face and body
out of line with potential kickbacks
including when starting or stopping the
machine.
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.
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.
11.3 Rip sawing
Ripping is where the workpiece is fed with the grain
into the saw blade using the fence or other
positioning device as a guide to ensure desired
width of cut (Figure 33).
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.
Never reach behind the blade with either
hand to hold down or remove the cutoff
piece with the saw blade rotating.
Figure 33
Always use blade guard, splitter/riving knife and
anti-kickback pawls. Make sure splitter/riving knife
is properly aligned. When wood is cut along the
grain, the kerf tends to close and bind on the blade
and kickbacks can occur.