# Kick backs



## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

There have been a few posts about kick back, here is something to see why we need to put all of our attention into the saw when running it

I was cutting a bunch of thin stickers for some lumber I had just aquired, and my push stick hit the rear of the blade. This was two weeks later


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Ouch! Thanks for sharing the outcome!

Hopefully this gets somebody else to think about preventing kick back.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*That's just weird!*

It appears the push stick was pushed back into the palm of your hand, .... like directly backwards? How did the push stick fare in this mishap? Is it all chewed up? It's hard to picture what exactly happened from your photo. Usually it's the workpiece that is "returned to sender" . Maybe you could do a photo shoot of the process, not with a running saw however. It's just too weird to figure out what happened.

We'll have to ask Mythbusters, or Mathias Wandell to set up a test to see how it happened ...LOL.:wink2:


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

The speed at which it happens is scary enough...


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

woodnthings said:


> It appears the push stick was pushed back into the palm of your hand, .... like directly backwards? How did the push stick fare in this mishap? Is it all chewed up? It's hard to picture what exactly happened from your photo. Usually it's the workpiece that is "returned to sender" . Maybe you could do a photo shoot of the process, not with a running saw however. It's just too weird to figure out what happened.
> 
> We'll have to ask Mythbusters, or Mathias Wandell to set up a test to see how it happened ...LOL.:wink2:



I was just reckless and getting bored cutting all the stickers, and it happened so fast I am not exactly sure how I did it but quite sure after I pushed the sticker out, I inadvertently pulled the push stick over the edge of the back side of the blade. The push stick was made out of ash, and it was really torn up, I will have my wife take a picture of it if I remember

This is one case where a riving knife would have probably stopped it from happening, but trust me it has caused me to be much more alert of what I am doing LOL


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I think I get it*

So, you're pushing the slats along and everything is working fine. Then instead of having the push stick along side the blade it jumps over on top where the teeth "grab" it and thrust it back at you. You are still in "stiff arm pushing" mode, so it can only go directly backwards into your palm.

That's not all that improbable IF you are in a hurry or not totally focused. Thanks again for the thread. This could really happen to anyone. I agree about the riving knife or splitter. My old Craftsman saws have splitters that are a pain to readjust if you remove them, my newer Craftsman hybrid has a riving knife that is easily removable and resets itself. 

This is another great reason to reinstall the splitters or make one! :thumbsup:


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

I am going to study the Unisaw and see if I can build a riving knife for it, I have all the equipment necessary to build one just need to see if there is something to attach it to, if not I will build a better splitter than the one that came with the saw


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*when ripping multiples ....*

Rather than using a push stick for each slat, a old trick is to use the workpiece as the pusher, taking repetitive passes until the board is used up. The last piece will still require the push stick, but that's the only one. Part of a safe ripping operation is a means to hold the work down as it passes the center of the blade and towards the rear where the blades rotation want to lift it upwards. A feather board, roller wheels or board buddies are the usual accessories but they often get in the way of making the pass and you have to jump over them with your push stick. I guess a cheap way is to use a "sacrificial" scrap to push the good ones through. Narrow rips are a special circumstance that requires serious thought and concentration on the process. :|


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## WeebyWoodWorker (Jun 11, 2017)

A couple months ago at work someone was cutting a door down on a table saw. I'm not sure how it happened as I didn't see it but I saw the aftermath. The 1/2 shaker panel had a fish hook shape carved all the way through it and the door had shot off across the shop. Nobody was hurt thankfully. I didn't get a picture of it and me and the other custom guy weren't allowed to keep the door sadly. I wanted to frame it near that saw. Kick backs are scary.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I had a push stick kick back a few years back, it wasn't as bad as your's but I can tell you it hurt like crazy. I hope you mend well quickly.


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