SDFWA

San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association

Tool Spotlight: Avoiding tablesaw kickback

Table saws are a common source of serious injuries, often resulting in lacerations and amputations, particularly to fingers and hands. Kickback is a major cause of these injuries. So understanding and avoiding kickback makes us all safer.

What is Kickback?

Kickback is when a piece of wood being cut is suddenly and violently thrown back towards the operator. The spinning teeth at the back of the blade grab the wood and propels it back, usually violently.

Common Causes of Kickback

If there isn’t a Riving Knife, wood movement can cause the kerf to close behind the blade resulting in pinching at the rear of the blade. Kickback can also occur when cut offs are trapped between the fence and the blade.

Quick Tips to Prevent Kickback

Use a riving knife on ALL through cuts.
When cutting, push wood toward the fence and past the blade.
Do NOT place push sticks close to the fence place them closer to the blade pushing toward the fence.
When crosscutting ensure there is a space between the wood and fence.
And ALWAYS…stand to the side of the blade so if a kickback does occur the wood will not strike you. Remember also to check for people behind the table saw and have them move before making cuts.

Check out this video on kickback, a visual is worth a thousand word:

Take this quick quiz, results are anonymous and its a fun way to see what you know (or don’t) about Table Saw Kickback Safety.

Craftsman Referral Terms

BACKGROUND
The San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association (SDFWA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to the education, promotion, and execution of the principles of fine woodworking.
The SDFWA frequently receives requests from people seeking the service of a woodworker. Therefore, although custom woodworking for hire is not the purpose of our organization, we offer this referral service to the public so that they might connect with a woodworker.

SCOPE
SDFWA does not screen or warrant the skills or work of any craftsman. The public should use their own discretion and due diligence before hiring any craftsman, from any source, including this one.
The sole role of SDFWA in this referral service is limited to providing our member woodworkers with your completed form. It is up to each craftsman to initiate a contact with the requester.

PROCEDURE
After a requester submits a project, the form will be emailed to our list of participating craftsmen. If a craftsman is interested in the project, they will contact the client directly, and a two-way conversation can begin.

As the craftsmen themselves choose which projects to respond to, this means that it is probable that some project requests will receive no response. If you do not receive a response in a reasonable time, please submit your request again, using the provided referral form.
Note that contacting SDFWA directly will not achieve the desired results.

DISCLAIMER
By agreeing to these Terms, and by continuing to submit this Referral Form, and by utilizing one or more of the services of any of these craftsmen, you are agreeing to contract exclusively with that individual craftsman and to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the SDFWA Organization, its officers, officials, employees and volunteers from any and all claims, injuries, damages, losses or suits including attorney fees, arising out of or in connection with the performance of this agreement, and any and all failures, damages, or otherwise negative outcomes caused directly or indirectly by the craftsmen you employ to do any project initiated by this Form. This does not preclude you from pursuing legal remedies from the individual craftsman that you employ. But any remedy you pursue is restricted to that individual craftsman, and does not include the SDFWA organization or any of its volunteer members.