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I can't believe people would do such dangerous actions when cutting wood. I'm new to woodworking, but it's called common sense. If it isn't safe, then don't cut it. It's not worth a hospital visit or, worse, losing your fingers, hand, or possibly your life. Ty for bringing this to everyone attention in a respectful matter. Great video
Most tablesaws in Europe have a sliding table, where you stand offset to the side of the blade. I would ask why i almost never see these kinds of saws in the Us
Long pieces that aren't supported by an outfeed table and the technique does make sense, I do it all the time with working with 8-10' boards because i work a lot with rough milled lumber, but reaching over the saw as demonstrated was obviously dumb.
@@BeakerbiteEspecially useful on 10' or longer cuts (often up to 24') even with an extended outfeed. We had an unwritten rule to always grab a helper for extra long cuts.
@@TheJohn8765That’s not paranoia. That’s good sense, I am the exactly same, there has to absolutely no chance of any machine starting when I’m not completely ready for it to do so.
I winced every time he showed how his whole hand would be pulled down on top of the blade. But even worse was the way his body had to hunch over the blade for reaching over, where it put his guts directly over the blade.
I was cutting a long (6+ foot) board on a jobsite tableswaw once without proper guards or an outfeed table (big brain move...I know). To keep the board from tipping, I went around to the other side to support it and pull it through. Next thing I knew, the board was gone and I had my hand wrapped in my shirt, too afraid to look at it. That one stupid decision cost me my index finger between the first and 2nd knuckle, and permanently disfigured my ring and index fingers beyond repair to where they're now almost useless for anything more than holding an icy beverage. Fortunately for me, it was my left hand, and I am right handed, but that one split second cost me a 4 day hospital stay, MULTIPLE surgeries, and 2 years of physical therapy to regain the little bit of use I have in my left hand...Fortunatley, I had really good insurance, otherwise my medical bills would've totaled over 700K across those 2 years. Table saws are meant to be used a certain way. Please don't think you're smarter than the engineers that design them! It took me YEARS to gain the courage to use one again!
Them you SO much for sharing. You’re probably saving multiple others from a similar accident. Not hyperbole to call you a hero. So sorry that happened to you.
I'm sorry to hear about your accident. I encourage you to share it often so that others may learn about the dangers of using a table saw improperly. You said it well: table saws are meant to be used in a certain way. Hopefully beginners will learn the proper techniques and avoid anything else. Otherwise table saws, generally the most useful power tool in a wood shop, are just too dangerous to use. Thanks for sharing.
thank you for sharing your painful experience. I'm a beginner woodworker and this type of knowledge of what not to do is golden. Will definitely make sure to never even consider doing something like that.
There is actually a third force involved when cutting on the table saw. The two shown (forward through the blade and laterally against the fence) and you push down toward the table to keep the work from riding up the blade. That awful method shown of pulling the work from the back side of the table would not allow you to keep force down on the table.
I am still glad to this day that my school taught woodworking the way they did. What they did was, they had the woodworking and metal working class computers have safe search for accidents disabled, so that the teachers could tell us “look up metal and wood working mistakes. Now that we’ve seen what level of danger you WILL be in if you mistreat, disrespect, or think you’re better than the tool, I will begin teaching safety on (insert tool)” the images of seeing a mangled hand, or the one real serious one I saw, where a guy was impaled by a piece of wood into his stomach, always stick in my mind whenever I even mildly begin to think I’m better than the tool
20+ years as a carpenter and never had I heard of this...absoloutly bonkers. I have done some sketchy maneuvers on my tablesaw in the past, but nothing this crazy. Im also an artist and guitar player and I like having all my fingers...lol
I was confused by the thumbnail because people do use tools to push the work piece through in order to keep their fingers away from the blade. Then, I started the video and was like, what the actual hell. It never even occurred to me to consider doing that.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade That same confusion is what lead me to click the thumbnail in the collection of recommended videos. I'm not a woodworker, though I do know how to safely use a table saw thanks to my father, but RUclips sometimes recommends woodworking videos because I follow one guy who is (John Malecki) but I don't follow him for his woodworking videos, just his random ones and some of his live-edge tables (And because he's local to me and it's cool to watch local RUclipsrs)
I learned my table saw cutting skills back in shop class in the early 1970s and they have served me well. Your information is as solid now as my shop teachers was 50 years ago. Terrific video.
Me, too. Strangely enough, I think my shop teacher from then probably gave me the best learning experience I had in school. He was only the second person that tried to teach me how to 'think' about what I was doing before doing it. My Dad was the first, but if he were still here, he might say he still can't tell if it worked.
I think you’re spot on in your assessment that those comments must come from people who have never used a table saw. I will admit that I have finished long rips by pulling from the opposite side before, but I was fully aware that it was an increased risk even though I was further than arms reach from the blade. The idea of reaching over the blade to pull the work through gives me the willies.
I’m recovering from a moment of inattentiveness that almost cost me my thumb. The blade had nearly stopped and I just lightly brushed the blade as I withdrew my hand from the cut and was distracted. I was shocked by how easily it went through nail and flesh. If it was still under power it would take the digit off in a heartbeat. I didn’t use a guard because it was “just one cut”. A&E doctors said I’m not the first or last, so whilst it’s up to you please take care when making every single cut however you do it! These videos are invaluable underlining this without being condescending. Keep up the good work!!
the moment you stop respecting the dangers of your table saw is the moment that reminds you why you should. not being judgemental. anyone who has used a saw has done it. you're lying if you say you hadn't, lol.
Completely agree with everything you said here. One thing I also do is I try to avoid having my face in the plane of the blade. I'll take a kick back to the arm or the gut, but I don't want one in the face. I consider it while grinding as well whether it's hand held or bench mounted. Great video.
If you’re making cuts that you think could possibly result in kickback, rather than repositioning your face, i would suggest a blade guard with anti-kickback pawls, some kind of featherboards or rollers that keep downward pressure on your piece, and also maybe a face shield that covers your entire face. I think that with any cut that’s reasonable to make on a table saw, blade guards with riving knives and something like jessem rollers or a downward featherboard would make it almost impossible for a piece to get kicked back into your face. If you’re cutting some huge workpiece that cannot be supported on your table, you should probably just use a track saw or circular saw instead for the cut. If you’re cutting vertical small pieces that you think could get kicked back, I think wearing a face shield would be pretty smart. I don’t recall ever wearing my face shield at the table saw, but I would consider it for maybe thin dados in a thin strip where I could not use my blade guard and maybe there might not be enough material for a featherboard or rollers to hold the piece down reliably. It’s never stupid to wear extra protection and take more thought-out precautions. I do sometimes wear a thick leather jacket when cutting some pieces that I think could possibly get kicked back to my body. I almost never do it, but I have done it a few times on cuts where I could not use my full blade guard.
Good advice Nubs. People should be aware that all power tools can cause serious injury even by experienced users and using proper technique. Stay alert and focused at all times. Do not use any equipment when under the influence or impaired in any way.
Thank you for this. I cringe at videos I watch with so many unsafe practices being used. I just watched one where they have loose router bits laying on the fence. I don't even want to think of a sharp router bit falling hitting spinning blade and becoming airborne. Also knowing right blade for the wood your cutting, cleaning your surface before using, and doing dry cut runs before cutting. NEVER GET CONPLACENT!!!!!! Thanks again James for all the great knowledge you share with the community.
This is the first video of yours that I’ve seen and I feel compelled to comment on how beautiful your frikkin table saw is. The ground finish and the way the fence effortlessly and precisely slides out of the way when you unlock it just… it just really hit the spot for me. 😂 -Career machinist that has negligible experience with woodworking
Your analysis is right on. In 30 years of making sawdust, I've had two minor kickbacks. Both on jobsite saws and totally my fault by not checking the square of the fence after transport. You can't "assume" the fence is still square.
My cheap table saw is slowly bending the whole mechanical section with each start up. I need to find a solution to this, its now dangerously out of alignment with the fence.
@@sparkyenergia Depending on the table saw you have, you may be able to attach a metal bracket to help support the part that's flexing. (If I'm understanding you correctly). It's difficult to know exactly unless we knew precisely what your issue is. Just make sure that you're not modifying something in a way that compromises the proper movements of the machine. Additionally, almost every table saw (even the cheap jobsite saws) allow you to adjust both the alignment of the blade (through adjusting the motor mountings) and the assignment is the fence to keep everything true and square. Your owner's manual should have a step by step guide to do this, or you can easily find one through a search online. (Actually, I believe that Stumpy has a couple videos on here describing the process, if memory serves me right.) It's pretty easy to do, and a required maintenance for any table saw
i very much appreciate your focus on safety because i see so many woodwork channels not taking it seriously. but anyone suggesting to pull on a table saw has probably never used one
Yep, those were my comments in the video. Yep, I am that big of an ideo. James was spot on. I have very little experience with table saws and I learned a lot from this video. James does a great job demonstrating some of the horrific ways pulling the wood through the saw can be and the impracticality of doing so. Could tools and methods be developed for pulling safely through the saw be developed? Maybe but I am not the one to do it. I don't have the expertise or experience to attempt to do so. I think this was a great video. If I had the idea of pulling instead of pushing others I am sure have had it too and now they know just how bad things can go if they try it. I still think a redesign of how table saws cut would be a good idea to eliminate kickback and make them safer without increasing the cost. The new regulations of mandating all table saws have the emergency blade stop mechanism might give rise to the redesign. Perhaps a pair of oscillating blades that when one blade is moving up the other is moving down. The R&D to develop such a system is beyond my budget or skill set. If you do and make a million you're welcome. If you do and lose a finger or hand attempting it I am sorry but you knew I didn't know what I was talking about.
James, I do not have time to read comments from nice but misguided people who own dangerous power equipment. You are doing your best to teach the safest ways to use said equipment and I admire your concern and your level of patience.
Once again, James, you are ABSOLUTELY correct. There is a reason why we do things a certain way in a shop environment. It's because they work. With ANY machine there is always a chance for a mishap. But these tried and true methods have significantly reduced that possibility across the board. They have been peer reviewed for decades adding to their efficacy . You ARE safer following the established best practices of your machines. If you listen to the advice of the old farts you just may just become one someday. And that , my brother, is a beautiful thing. I'm 71 now. Started when I was 16.
Push the piece toward the blade with your elbow while standing perpendicular to the entire tablesaw, and use your chin to press it towards the fence. It's the safest way, trust me I'm a internet expert.
After years of watching woodworking vid's on the internet, I have only one piece of safety advice to share. "Listen to James and treat all other new safety ideas with scepticism." Thanks Stumpy, for your continued common sense.
Honestly, I am gobsmacked. I’ve been working in woodshops for 52 years, and no one has ever suggested pulling stock through from the backside of a saw. Catching outfeed from someone feeding the saw, yes. But that’s pretty passive.
I have had helpers I told to support a piece try it even after being told not to and also the occasional passerby that thinks they'll be helping when they weren't asked to
@@williamsmith9026 So the helper is supposed to just support the piece vertically to prevent it from drooping rather than grabbing on to it to try and pull it?
Again, I thank you for your educational content - you explain the WHY and the HOW that so many other channels don't address as often. It comes only from experience and your ability to convey important items clearly is as impressive.
When I was in college, I worked in a furniture mill. For safety instruction, we would watch safety films that had been by the US government in the 1940s and '50s instructing how to use woodworking equipment safely. The techniques our handsome host teaches are entirely consistent with those films. Table saws have been in common use for more than 100 years. If pulling the wood through the saw was better than pushing it through, it would have been discovered decades ago. We all would have been taught that was the best way to do it. There's a reason why no shop teacher would ever teach students to use the saw this way, and for the same reason, no tables saw owner's manual illustrates this method as appropriate. The reason is that its unsafe. Take it from someone who's run thousands of board feet through a table saw and has been responsible for teaching his crew members how to use the tool safely: If I had seen one of my crew use the saw this way, I would have severely repremanded him. Had I seen him do it a second time, I would have fired him immediately. My primary goal when I came to work each morning was to NOT take someone to the hospital getting their blood all over my car. Fortunately, no one was ever severely injured on my watch.
I remember those safety films. The guy demonstrating was always wearing a sport coat and tie. And the shop was virginal. I don't think he'd ever seen a raw board in his life.
discussion of the body mechanics of woodwork remains my favorite thing on this channel. I think the main thing people making these suggestions miss is the importance of being squared to the work for security. sure, it can seem counterintuitive to put your body directly in line with the cut, but that's exactly the position where you have the most control. if you stand off to the side, you have to angle your stance. you're off balance, and that's going to lead to more of the problems you think you're avoiding.
You promote not only safety but professionalism as well thanks from Australia. I might add I’m 74 and still use lots of power tools, but also very concerned with safety as I’ve been in construction most of my working life. I was well taught re safety by my father and have not shed much blood but the thing is sometimes, just sometimes you have a time component that obscures safe practice! Take care from Australia
Leaning from the back over a rotating saw blade. What a wonderful way to get disemboweled. We had an idiot at work always giving advice on things he had no clue about. This was the guy who tried to weld his broken glasses frames with plastic lenses left in. Also the guy who dropped a match into a closed steel barrel to burn off the excess fumes. Almost blew his head off when the lid went flying into the air.
Had you not said it, I would not have believed anyone could do such a thing. Well, what do I know. I'm still freaking out about the closed barrel. That's right out of a sit-com - with real world consequences.
Every time I saw him leaning down over the blade or demonstrating his hand being pulled through it the hair went up on the back of my neck. Huge yikes. I haven't seen anything so dangerous since Year 10 shop and young idiots misusing a bandsaw recklessly.
@valvenator I had to laugh at the glasses frames welding story. I've never welded anything in my life and almost certainly I'll never start, but I did manage to learn, decades ago, about just how little heat it takes to melt plastics. Ye Gods.
@@agcons I did welding in my younger days. I decided that my lungs were more important that this skill. Welding is dirty work. Rewarding but really, really dirty.
The motor on a table saw is typically able to produce 2000 watts. For perspective, a professional athlete can produce 400 watts for a sustained period of time. I'm glad you pointed out workpiece size. When I do dados for the portable closets I make, I use a side-to-side technique to manage the workpiece and keep it snug for a consistent depth of cut. At no time are my hands over the blade. If it feels awkward, it's a bad idea.
You can always learn to be safer around shop tools but your fingers won't regrow. Its good information even if you know the correct actions. Thank you for the refresher.
I learned the hard way what a kickback was. I was ripping luan and had never really used a table saw. Ran it through and then pulled it back towards myself, then the blade caught the Luan and flung it right back at me and hit me in the groin. I’ll never forget the sound made when it kicked that piece of material back at me. I was lucky no one saw what happened or I would’ve been fired right then in there. Not long after, I watched a guy do the same thing I did, but I caught him in time and taught him the right way to do it. I never will forget that.
The trick is to put the blade on backwards, then stand on the other side of the saw, and put the fence on the other side of the blade. Be sure to flip the polarity of the plug on the saw if you are in America. If it was Germany, you won't have to.
Absolutely correct ! I would just like to add that the simple push sticks that are often supplied with table saws are dangerous, too ! While it is correct that they push the workpiece from the correct side, they do not hold the wood down at a second position. the yellow push-and-press instrument used in the video is a MUCH better choice.
Good point, which I thought about watching this. How do you go with feeding large stock as he showed, do you have to do it cack-handed? I'm not left-handed but I imagine it would be easier for you to run your saw the other way (if possible) to be able to handle it properly for you on the left rather than the right.
I’m a better and safer woodworker because of your amazing videos. I truly appreciate you spending your valuable time to share your wisdom and keeping us safe.
I think some people are more concerned about kickback than they are about blade contact. Kickback injuries can be serious, but they're usually not life-changing. Blade contact injuries are a different story.
"some people are more concerned about kickback than they are about blade contact" pulling the stock increases the chances for getting a lesson one won't forget the entire life. As short as that life may come to be.
@@StumpyNubs I knew a kid growing up that had to have 4 fingers reattached because he had tried to bring a piece back that was already engaged with the blade. They were able to reattach all the digits, but they never did fully straighten afterwards. He very nearly got the nickname stumpy nubs as a non-ironic nickname.
Had a coworker take a plywood kickback to the upper thigh severing an artery. It was an ugly scene to say the least. Another coworker that knew something of first aid tied a tourniquet to his thigh stop the bleeding and rushed him to the hospital. Could have been really bad if that tourniquet hadn't been tied.
I remember my dad using his table saw in the garage to cut various pieces of wood. I don't think I remember him having any kind of fancy guard. I remember hearing him talking about basically this kickback, but I didn't understand it as a teenager or younger. I just know that I always tried to stand far away and not in front or in back of the saw. Recently I've started using a circular saw to cut 1x4s to build a model railroad, but I'm getting to the point where I might want to use a table saw instead of circular saw. I've had decent luck cutting longer pieces of plywood (not full 4x8) by clamping a straight board and running right up against the side of the board. I'm glad I came across this video in my suggested videos after a couple searches on how to use certain table saws.
As soon as I saw the comment for a pull stick, I’m watching a workpiece twist from no pressure on the fence, kicking the material, and pulling the operator on top of the blade. Plus, you can no longer reach the power source for an emergency stop. 0:35
A rocking char that rocks sideways reminds me of the time I rode a carrousel that was running backwards. They did it for two days at Halloween. I can say I rode it but I won't ever do it again. Bill
Thanks for sharing with us James, you're right 100% but you'll never convince those others until they loose something. Stay safe and listen to James!!! Fred.
I've heard it said, "You can't legislate stupid, but stupid can legislate." Another one I like is, "You can lead a person to knowledge, but you can't make them think." Great video.
An excellent explanation, James, thank you. Hopefully this will give some viewers a lightbulb moment where they say "Ah, I get it now"...great. But of course there'll still be those who don't listen or don't have enough brain cells to understand rational thinking. But good on you, James, you've done your bit and made the point clear. Beyond that, if people don't want to listen, well let's hope they don't do too much damage to themselves or someone else.
I once brought a guy to the hospital due to kicked back cut off. His intestine was perforated, luckily surgery repaired without a bag!!! He was ripping some plywood at a 45 with blade angled toward the fence. I told him not to do that minutes before because a kickback piece missed him and hit the block wall. Next one didn’t miss!!!
@@SmallSpoonBrigade catchers gear would be dangerous as well because of the possible loose straps also the problem of bulky material which may get caught like an apron
Well done as usual. It's great that the attention paid to safety is (at least generally) improving. In my woodshop class, anno 1966, I made a Soma puzzle, which required 2" cubes. I sawed stock to 2" square and then sawed off the cubes from the square stock on the table saw, the push stick being my thumb rather close to the (of course) unguarded blade. One piece kicked back. Very luckily, it just caused some momentary distress to my thumb. The shop teacher sidn't interfere or say anything. I should have paid attention to how many fingers he was missing. Cheers from still with all my fingers Vienna, Scott
Never thought about using the saw on the opposite side. But you made it very clear why it is a terrible idea. I instantly started sweating when you demonstrated how the kickback could pull your arm into the blade. In the worst case, I imagine it might even cause your body to lose balance and fall into the blade. Thanks for the literal life-saving tip!
I didn’t even know this was a thing, but I’m glad you took the time to nip it in the bud! I think the number of injuries from table saws are akin to most car accidents happening 5 miles or less from home. It’s a saw that is used so much more that of course it’s going to increase the stats on injuries. I still feel like it’s one of the safest saws as long as attention is paid to the forces at play and keeping the parts you want to keep out of the plane of the blade. The blade is always in the same place and doesn’t move around, unlike a circular saw, reciprocating saw, jig saw etc.
Having been gut punched buy a relatively large piece of a 2x6, I'm just thankful I was wearing a heavy apron. And by heavy I mean slightly thicker than corduroy. I THINK the apron helped spread the impact slightly. Maybe something akin to a plate carrier with a lexan insert might be a good idea? Just a thought.
We always say "ask for help with larger pieces, and safety safety safety, love the videos & the side rocker chair probably feels like fishing on a small boat would put me to sleep
I've used a table saw professionally for 20 years, and I was held to passing a safety test in design school, before being allowed to use the saw freely in the shop. I went on to teach and administer the test as a shop supervisor at several other institutions. I teach staying behind the plane of the fence whenever possible. When you can stand to the right of the fence to perform a cut safely, you should absolutely do so. People are different sizes, so this is different for everyone, but it greatly reduces the opportunity to be struck by a kickback. When the work is large enough that it's no longer comfortable, then operators should move to a comfortable position behind the work, or consider a different tool to complete the cut. Nowadays, a cordless track saw is a much better option than muscling more than half a sheet of plywood through the table saw if you're not very comfortable doing so. The education one receives from their first kickback is invaluable, and much better to go whizzing by than to be struck by it.
My woodshop teacher taught us the "stay on the other side of the fence" to keep us safe. I felt so uncomfortable doing that I chose not to get certified to run it solo in the class. This is how so many of these bad ways of using equipment get spread - one person with the wrong knowledge in a place to spread this to others. It's such ideas that make me cringe whenever I hear "Those who can't do teach". Teachers have to pull double duty, know their subject AND be able to effectively teach it. James, I salute you in your constant effort to put education in your videos along with excellent woodworking techniques.
This needed to be said. I learned how to use a cabinet saw with expert supervision in my university workshop, but I’m sure there are plenty of people who just buy a table saw and go to town, not realizing this is one of the most dangerous tools in the workshop.
Standing to the side of the cut is something I have trained myself to do practically without thought when making cuts less than about 12" wide. It does not create any awkward body mechanics. Above about 12-18" width it does start to get awkward however. But the best safety device has always been the brain. I have also trained to take a moment (fractions of a second really) to think where are my hands going and where is the blade going. This works for pretty much every tool in the shop.
Yeap I didn't think about my hands and fingers once, then I got about an inch into the cut and thought I am doing this wrong. As a person who has used power tools for a 25 years now. I actually sit there think about the size and shape of the piece and if something is not going right. I turn the machine off and never try to fix it mid cut.
So important. I know people always worry about being new to power tools (especially saws) and what can happen, but I find it's the people who get COMFORTABLE with said tools through years of use and stop thinking about safety because "it's never happened before", and that's when injuries happen.
Another excellent safety video! I can't imagine how many people you assisted with this, but thank you for sharing what experienced woodworkers know. Keep up the great work!
Must admit, I will frequently walk to the back of the saw to pull through the end of a 2m+ cut, yes it's left on the saw without my hands on it! Maybe I should get an out feed table
Me too. His demonstration with a short piece makes the concept seem dumb, but solo cutting long pieces in the field and you can pull cut with common sense, not demonstrated in this video.
@@JoshR-k9q cutting ANY short piece seems dumb to me. that how my dad lost the end of his thumb to a tablesaw. rip fist, cut to length later, if at all possible.
I worked at a shop that had a power feed. That was so cool. I cannot afford a power feed for my hobby, but it would be cool to have, and I felt very safe using it.
An excellent safety video! I'm a woodworker that has been doing it since I was 12 years old. Back then when I started, it was in woodshop class. Safety was always the first lessons we were taught in all of the classes I took. I value my hands and fingers as much as I do my own life, and can say because of my safety first practices, I still have all of my fingers and thumbs, in good working order. One safety rule I think should be rule number one in any shop that operates heavy and dangerous equipment is for visitors to the shop, as well as workers in the shop: Never do anything that can distract a heavy equipment operator from his or her work. It is dangerous to the worker operating the equipment, as well as the person that distracts that worker. In one company I worked for, both I and my father were working in the company cabinet shop. Dad was the main saw man at that time. He was making a cut on the tablesaw, when a visitor walked over and asked him a question, while he was in the middle of the cut! It was enough of a distraction to cause him to lose a finger; his right forefinger to be exact. I saw it happen, and it was horrifying. Other members of our cabinet shop crew saw it happen also. Blood was everywhere on Dad of course but also on the man that had caused his accident, me as I was close by when it happened, and all over the tablesaw, wood and surrounding area. We who witnessed the incident told the plant manager the reason it happened, and that guy lost his job. A few months later I was offered the supervisors position in the cabinet shop. I didn't really want it, so I asked if someone else could do it. They told me I was the best man for the job. I told them I really would rather keep doing the work of cabinet designing and building! They knew I was their best cabinet builder, so they made me Lead Man instead, and someone I trusted became my supervisor. The first thing I did as Lead Man was write safety rules for every station in the cabinet shop. Each station had many different rules that related to what was done at those stations, but certain rules were the same across the whole shop. Number one was my anti-distraction rule. No visitor was allowed to enter the cabinet shop without first reading that rule, and that included the company owner, the plant manager, all supervisors, all visiting customers touring the plant, and all employees, as well as myself! I was not going to exempt myself from following my own rules. The effect of having those rules posted was a much safer shop. The plant manager brought the company owner to the shop to read those rules. He authorized having similar rules posted throughout the plant. Please do a video on the importance of an anti-distraction rule. It is my goal to help reduce injuries and possible deaths due to distractions! Your help in this would be most welcome! Subscribing!
If those who want to pull the stock through, maybe they should give up the table saw and go with a track saw, circular saw or a jig saw. with a straight edge fence if applicable. The owners manual (and shop classes) taught the proper way to use a table saw (and other tools) to avoid injury and boggering up your workpiece.
As I've said since the early days of the web: the internet is a suppository of misinformation. I've never heard of pulling a piece through--the closest I've seen is having someone support the material on the outfeed side. Great video.
Everytime I watch one of your table saw safety videos, I get the chills how easy it is to get seriously injured. I am a hobbyist level woodworker and the fact that proffesionals can get it wrong scares me no end. Thanks. I think....?
Because I live in a flood zone I equipped my ground level garage shop with tools I can roll into our elevator and take to the second floor if necessary. My table saw is a 8-1/4” Skill job site which I’ve equipped with the 48” Bow fence extension with vertical feather guides you reviewed which greatly improved ease of use and safety. For cutting sheet goods I purchased a Kreg ACS track saw / table system with the folding wheeled stand. A very simple alternative to having kicked-back boards punching holes through the wall behind is to make a ‘kick back catcher’; a frame suspending a piece of canvas or even lighter muslin coated with some latex paint between saw and wall to stop it. I got that idea because I’ve made my own painted muslin background for photography.
Wow as a new woodworker but an older man I’ve never heard anything so dumb . Thanks for always sharing such truly great advice and videos as always James. Keep up the great work.
I have been lucky. I have had two kickbacks. Once being dumb, and once not realizing the poplar i was cutting had so much internal stress that it separated causing a pinch between the blade and fence. The dumb kickback was a small board and barely bruised me thru the leather apron i was wearing, and the poplar kickback passed to my right side (i try to never stand in the line of fire) and imbedded the board into the wall. After seeing your older video with the outside kickback i have been even more careful. (your video was the first time i ever even knew an outside kickback was possible!!!)
The only "pull" I have ever done is with large boards, but before you hate me, I do this with another person on the "pull" side, mostly to help me guide the board. Part of this is due to the fact that I, as many other DYIs, have a "portable" table saw that doesn't have the weight and stability of the large table saw you and other professionals typically have. I wish I did though...otherwise, I agree with your take 100%.
i picked up a free table saw and my first project was ripping 18" 2x4s and the pull stick was the safe option i came up with, with a 2nd stick for sideways pressure. true i wouldn't do long stuff that way but for what i was doing it was the best way imo
Thanks James. Good video. Because of my experience, I will continue to alert folks about Clean Armor's "satin" finish. YES, it's amazing how it cures in a couple or minutes (I'm currently doing an entire hardwood floor with it. But I had a very frustrating experience in applying their "satin" finish. To me, and everyone I've shown it to, it looks like gloss. Unless you want a pretty darned shiny finish, don't order the "satin" finish! In 50 years of woodworking, I've never seen a "satin" as shiny as theirs. The solution might run you an extra $133.00, (plus shipping and tax) but you order their matte finish and mix it with the satin. I liked the ratio of 60% matte and 40% satin. THAT looks like satin to me. But ABSOLUTELY do your own testing FIRST! Great product, but very expensive to screw up with.
Best move I made was learning to align my saw table to the blade. This allows me to measure from one of the table guides to the fence at both ends of the table. Previously I had just been measuring from the front of the blade to the fence, and from the back of the blade to the fence hoping this would have the fence parallel to the blade. That always seemed to be pinching the board I was cutting or seeing the far side of the blade having slop even though I was holding the board tight to the fence. When I aligned my table to the blade running the piece through the saw was much smoother and I never feel i’m risking kickback.
I'm with you on the first one. Definitely don't attempt to do a pull cut on a table saw. However, the second one, aside from breaking down large plywood sheets is more personal preference in my opinion. I've used a table saw for years, and as a south paw, have always felt more comfortable on the other side of the fence. I have never had an issue with using feather boards and good push sticks. I also use my grrriper push block most often and have never felt awkward doing so. I believe it can be every bit as safe, if you are taking all necessary steps to be safe, as you should be doing regardless. Edit: I never break down plywood or any pieces like that on my table saw. I find it much more efficient and safer with a track saw. I understand not everyone has a track saw, but for anyone who may be uncomfortable using their table saws for that purpose and would want an alternative, they are perfect for this.
Interesting - I really had /never/ heard of the INSANE idea of hooking the board from the other side! Thanks for this, for those folks who clearly need to think things through a bit more thoroughly. The [few] times I have had a kick back have been typically when I was a bit too hurried to thoroughly think through the cut BEFORE doing it - e.g. looking closely at a board to see that the way is was milled, and the grain indicate it's likely to pinch when cut, and simply cut from the other side, or end to make it work better - even with a splitter. Or being aware that small pieces of a rabbet being cut loose are likely to slide [quickly] back at me, and position myself appropriately.
Over four decades ago, and an incident I will never forget. A couple of people were ripping boards on a table saw for a project at the church I attended back then. One person was feeding the boards from the front of the table saw, while the other was pulling the boards from the rear of the table saw. This was back when carbide blades were pretty rare. This saw has a carbon steel rip blade - the ones with the large teeth. One of the boards he was pulling through caught on the blade and pulled the board backwards toward the front of the saw. He had a good grip on the boards as he was pulling them through. Before he could release his hand (this tells you how fast this happened), the saw pulled his left hand entirely through the saw blade. It did not cut off his fingers, though. His fingers ran through the gullets of the rather large teeth on the rip blade and mangled them. Several hours of intense microsurgery and weeks of recovery. His hand was never the same after that (in fact, he was never the same - I think this had a very detrimental effect on him personally). As I recall, he lost part of a finger, and most of the functionality of that hand. Needless to say, one of the most foolish and dangerous things you can do on a table saw is to pull the workpiece instead of push it.
thanks for sharing, i always see peopleusing the same technique on the jobsite as there usually isnt an outfeed table for ripping plywood. i imagine this same thing has happened to others
The positioning you have out of the path of the blade makes the most sense to me, especially with larger pieces. The biggest thing anyone using a table saw needs to do is be aware of what they're doing, and be aware of what happens to their position if something unexpected happens (a slip, a kickback, etc). That said, I will honestly admit that as a random DIY guy with a small table saw and often no outfeed table, I definitely have pulled large sheets through to finish a cut. Never to start, but to finish once well over half through. It can be done safely, especially if you aren't concerned about any accuracy flubs (but then to the fair point, why are you using a table saw?). Not that it's the point of the video, but I can't overstate the importance of outfeed support for large pieces, and for the DIYer with limited space and budget, adjustable/collapsible portable roller stands are an absolute must have to avoid awkward cutting.
Different techniques for different sizes of workpieces makes good sense. I never reach over the fence, and keep my body out of the way of kickbacks (which I rarely have). I did put the skiver back on, but not the guard.
As a shop teacher of 20 years who has taught countless high school students how to safely use a table saw, I CANNOT believe you even have to make this video! People actually believe those are the correct methods? Have they ever read or even understand the manufacturer's' instructions? No manufacturer in their right minds would ever recommend those methods for fear of being sued into oblivion! Thank you for calling this malarkey out! In all my time teaching young people to use a tablesaw, I can count on one hand how many times I've seen kick back in my shop, because there is only one way to do it safely.
Sometimes things are so stupid I can't believe they need to be discussed....crazy. Don't get me wrong, I have dumb ideas sometimes, but this cutting "tip" makes me look brilliant.
I really like this video. Just pinching the bridge of your nose for second and then sitting your audience down like a disappointed father, "ok... let's walk through what that looks like" Keep up the great work, and that nickel plated Harvey table saw -- 🔥🔥🔥
I once had a guy "catching" the wood on the other side of the table until he thought he should pull to "help me" guide through the cut - I thanked him for his thoughtfulness and chastised him for his actions - I had been explicit in what I wanted him to do but his good naturedness just couldn't stop. I don't have room for a drop off table so I went back to just dropping the wood onto a soft landing. Good guy tho.
I find your videos very informative. Thank you for the time, and effort you put into there production. As a DIY woodworker, and home owner. I am always trying to improve my skills. Your introduction to the Clean Armour UV cure top coat gave me and idea. I also do 3D printing with both filament and SLA (resin) printers. I am now curious how the finish would look using colored resin as my top coat.
WOW, VERY good info. I agree with you and I cannot believe some people actually suggested those ideas. BTW, I bought 2 of those feather boards. Awesome extra hands. Basic table saw safety rules still apply for Wood shop. I need to look into the finishing stuff, clean armor? I'll check it out. Thanks man.
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I can't believe people would do such dangerous actions when cutting wood. I'm new to woodworking, but it's called common sense. If it isn't safe, then don't cut it. It's not worth a hospital visit or, worse, losing your fingers, hand, or possibly your life. Ty for bringing this to everyone attention in a respectful matter. Great video
Most tablesaws in Europe have a sliding table, where you stand offset to the side of the blade. I would ask why i almost never see these kinds of saws in the Us
Holy cow. I've never once thought about pulling cuts through a table saw. That's insane!
I saw that and almost freaked out. I mean, I've used a Tablesaw since I was 16. That's just - be sure to put 'be stupid' on your todo list.
Long pieces that aren't supported by an outfeed table and the technique does make sense, I do it all the time with working with 8-10' boards because i work a lot with rough milled lumber, but reaching over the saw as demonstrated was obviously dumb.
I've pulled cuts but with the help of a partner. One feeding, one catching. Eventually the catcher has the better position and finishes the cut.
@@BeakerbiteEspecially useful on 10' or longer cuts (often up to 24') even with an extended outfeed. We had an unwritten rule to always grab a helper for extra long cuts.
@@JoshR-k9qor 16’😅
I knew the saw wasn't turned on, but my heart still dropped when you simulated a kickback and having your hands go over the blade.
They don’t call this channel “intact fingers”
I'm paranoid enough I wouldn't even have the damn thing plugged in...
@@TheJohn8765That’s not paranoia. That’s good sense, I am the exactly same, there has to absolutely no chance of any machine starting when I’m not completely ready for it to do so.
Same!
I winced every time he showed how his whole hand would be pulled down on top of the blade. But even worse was the way his body had to hunch over the blade for reaching over, where it put his guts directly over the blade.
I was cutting a long (6+ foot) board on a jobsite tableswaw once without proper guards or an outfeed table (big brain move...I know). To keep the board from tipping, I went around to the other side to support it and pull it through. Next thing I knew, the board was gone and I had my hand wrapped in my shirt, too afraid to look at it. That one stupid decision cost me my index finger between the first and 2nd knuckle, and permanently disfigured my ring and index fingers beyond repair to where they're now almost useless for anything more than holding an icy beverage. Fortunately for me, it was my left hand, and I am right handed, but that one split second cost me a 4 day hospital stay, MULTIPLE surgeries, and 2 years of physical therapy to regain the little bit of use I have in my left hand...Fortunatley, I had really good insurance, otherwise my medical bills would've totaled over 700K across those 2 years. Table saws are meant to be used a certain way. Please don't think you're smarter than the engineers that design them! It took me YEARS to gain the courage to use one again!
Them you SO much for sharing. You’re probably saving multiple others from a similar accident. Not hyperbole to call you a hero. So sorry that happened to you.
Ouch, that hurt only by reading it. Thanks for sharing.
Please pin this comment
I'm sorry to hear about your accident. I encourage you to share it often so that others may learn about the dangers of using a table saw improperly. You said it well: table saws are meant to be used in a certain way. Hopefully beginners will learn the proper techniques and avoid anything else. Otherwise table saws, generally the most useful power tool in a wood shop, are just too dangerous to use. Thanks for sharing.
thanks for sharing! may it prevent another similar accident
thank you for sharing your painful experience. I'm a beginner woodworker and this type of knowledge of what not to do is golden. Will definitely make sure to never even consider doing something like that.
There are a lot of woodworking RUclipsrs I enjoy watching... But I learn the most from YOU. Seriously, thank you so much! Go Wings!
Double down on this statement! Thank you
I learn a lot from this channel, too. Go Lions!
There is actually a third force involved when cutting on the table saw. The two shown (forward through the blade and laterally against the fence) and you push down toward the table to keep the work from riding up the blade. That awful method shown of pulling the work from the back side of the table would not allow you to keep force down on the table.
Worse yet, by pulling the piece with a hook, you risk lifting the piece up as your hook is reaching from above and over.
Yeah, if you not push down hard enough on the work piece it might lift up and lift off...
Yeah he said that
I am still glad to this day that my school taught woodworking the way they did. What they did was, they had the woodworking and metal working class computers have safe search for accidents disabled, so that the teachers could tell us “look up metal and wood working mistakes. Now that we’ve seen what level of danger you WILL be in if you mistreat, disrespect, or think you’re better than the tool, I will begin teaching safety on (insert tool)” the images of seeing a mangled hand, or the one real serious one I saw, where a guy was impaled by a piece of wood into his stomach, always stick in my mind whenever I even mildly begin to think I’m better than the tool
If this video was done by anyone I did not watch I would think it was a joke. This is why your advice is critical to the naive out there
20+ years as a carpenter and never had I heard of this...absoloutly bonkers. I have done some sketchy maneuvers on my tablesaw in the past, but nothing this crazy. Im also an artist and guitar player and I like having all my fingers...lol
I was confused by the thumbnail because people do use tools to push the work piece through in order to keep their fingers away from the blade. Then, I started the video and was like, what the actual hell. It never even occurred to me to consider doing that.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade me either...and I would never do it
@@SmallSpoonBrigade I can only hope that it was kids trolling on mom's computer...
@@SmallSpoonBrigade That same confusion is what lead me to click the thumbnail in the collection of recommended videos.
I'm not a woodworker, though I do know how to safely use a table saw thanks to my father, but RUclips sometimes recommends woodworking videos because I follow one guy who is (John Malecki) but I don't follow him for his woodworking videos, just his random ones and some of his live-edge tables (And because he's local to me and it's cool to watch local RUclipsrs)
I think about how much I love playing the bass every time I turn the machine on
I learned my table saw cutting skills back in shop class in the early 1970s and they have served me well. Your information is as solid now as my shop teachers was 50 years ago. Terrific video.
Me, too. Strangely enough, I think my shop teacher from then probably gave me the best learning experience I had in school. He was only the second person that tried to teach me how to 'think' about what I was doing before doing it. My Dad was the first, but if he were still here, he might say he still can't tell if it worked.
I think you’re spot on in your assessment that those comments must come from people who have never used a table saw. I will admit that I have finished long rips by pulling from the opposite side before, but I was fully aware that it was an increased risk even though I was further than arms reach from the blade. The idea of reaching over the blade to pull the work through gives me the willies.
You have to pull from the other side to finish long rips. It's not any more dangerous than pushing unless you're leaning over the saw.
I’m recovering from a moment of inattentiveness that almost cost me my thumb. The blade had nearly stopped and I just lightly brushed the blade as I withdrew my hand from the cut and was distracted. I was shocked by how easily it went through nail and flesh. If it was still under power it would take the digit off in a heartbeat.
I didn’t use a guard because it was “just one cut”. A&E doctors said I’m not the first or last, so whilst it’s up to you please take care when making every single cut however you do it! These videos are invaluable underlining this without being condescending. Keep up the good work!!
It is always the outlier "simple" cut that's a life changer cuz it makes one complacent..
the moment you stop respecting the dangers of your table saw is the moment that reminds you why you should.
not being judgemental. anyone who has used a saw has done it. you're lying if you say you hadn't, lol.
Completely agree with everything you said here. One thing I also do is I try to avoid having my face in the plane of the blade. I'll take a kick back to the arm or the gut, but I don't want one in the face. I consider it while grinding as well whether it's hand held or bench mounted.
Great video.
If you’re making cuts that you think could possibly result in kickback, rather than repositioning your face, i would suggest a blade guard with anti-kickback pawls, some kind of featherboards or rollers that keep downward pressure on your piece, and also maybe a face shield that covers your entire face.
I think that with any cut that’s reasonable to make on a table saw, blade guards with riving knives and something like jessem rollers or a downward featherboard would make it almost impossible for a piece to get kicked back into your face. If you’re cutting some huge workpiece that cannot be supported on your table, you should probably just use a track saw or circular saw instead for the cut.
If you’re cutting vertical small pieces that you think could get kicked back, I think wearing a face shield would be pretty smart.
I don’t recall ever wearing my face shield at the table saw, but I would consider it for maybe thin dados in a thin strip where I could not use my blade guard and maybe there might not be enough material for a featherboard or rollers to hold the piece down reliably. It’s never stupid to wear extra protection and take more thought-out precautions.
I do sometimes wear a thick leather jacket when cutting some pieces that I think could possibly get kicked back to my body. I almost never do it, but I have done it a few times on cuts where I could not use my full blade guard.
Good advice Nubs. People should be aware that all power tools can cause serious injury even by experienced users and using proper technique. Stay alert and focused at all times. Do not use any equipment when under the influence or impaired in any way.
Thank you for this. I cringe at videos I watch with so many unsafe practices being used. I just watched one where they have loose router bits laying on the fence. I don't even want to think of a sharp router bit falling hitting spinning blade and becoming airborne. Also knowing right blade for the wood your cutting, cleaning your surface before using, and doing dry cut runs before cutting. NEVER GET CONPLACENT!!!!!! Thanks again James for all the great knowledge you share with the community.
I don’t watch such videos anymore, typical are far eastern videos or Russian, crazy what some do,as a beginner I frown on such people
What's a dry cut run?
This is the first video of yours that I’ve seen and I feel compelled to comment on how beautiful your frikkin table saw is. The ground finish and the way the fence effortlessly and precisely slides out of the way when you unlock it just… it just really hit the spot for me. 😂
-Career machinist that has negligible experience with woodworking
Your analysis is right on. In 30 years of making sawdust, I've had two minor kickbacks. Both on jobsite saws and totally my fault by not checking the square of the fence after transport. You can't "assume" the fence is still square.
My cheap table saw is slowly bending the whole mechanical section with each start up. I need to find a solution to this, its now dangerously out of alignment with the fence.
Unless you have a Dewalt table saw with that insane fence. DWE7491RS is what I am talking about.
@@sparkyenergia Depending on the table saw you have, you may be able to attach a metal bracket to help support the part that's flexing. (If I'm understanding you correctly). It's difficult to know exactly unless we knew precisely what your issue is. Just make sure that you're not modifying something in a way that compromises the proper movements of the machine.
Additionally, almost every table saw (even the cheap jobsite saws) allow you to adjust both the alignment of the blade (through adjusting the motor mountings) and the assignment is the fence to keep everything true and square.
Your owner's manual should have a step by step guide to do this, or you can easily find one through a search online. (Actually, I believe that Stumpy has a couple videos on here describing the process, if memory serves me right.) It's pretty easy to do, and a required maintenance for any table saw
Yep. Never assume with dangerous power tools. Either know or find out. Otherwise don't use until you do.
i very much appreciate your focus on safety because i see so many woodwork channels not taking it seriously. but anyone suggesting to pull on a table saw has probably never used one
Yep, those were my comments in the video. Yep, I am that big of an ideo. James was spot on. I have very little experience with table saws and I learned a lot from this video. James does a great job demonstrating some of the horrific ways pulling the wood through the saw can be and the impracticality of doing so. Could tools and methods be developed for pulling safely through the saw be developed? Maybe but I am not the one to do it. I don't have the expertise or experience to attempt to do so. I think this was a great video. If I had the idea of pulling instead of pushing others I am sure have had it too and now they know just how bad things can go if they try it.
I still think a redesign of how table saws cut would be a good idea to eliminate kickback and make them safer without increasing the cost. The new regulations of mandating all table saws have the emergency blade stop mechanism might give rise to the redesign. Perhaps a pair of oscillating blades that when one blade is moving up the other is moving down. The R&D to develop such a system is beyond my budget or skill set. If you do and make a million you're welcome. If you do and lose a finger or hand attempting it I am sorry but you knew I didn't know what I was talking about.
Thanks for being a good sport about it :)
James, I do not have time to read comments from nice but misguided people who own dangerous power equipment. You are doing your best to teach the safest ways to use said equipment and I admire your concern and your level of patience.
Love the footage of you trying to pull it from the back of the saw. Very funny and illustrative. Prime content!
Once again, James, you are ABSOLUTELY correct. There is a reason why we do things a certain way in a shop environment. It's because they work. With ANY machine there is always a chance for a mishap. But these tried and true methods have significantly reduced that possibility across the board. They have been peer reviewed for decades adding to their efficacy . You ARE safer following the established best practices of your machines. If you listen to the advice of the old farts you just may just become one someday. And that , my brother, is a beautiful thing. I'm 71 now. Started when I was 16.
Push the piece toward the blade with your elbow while standing perpendicular to the entire tablesaw, and use your chin to press it towards the fence. It's the safest way, trust me I'm a internet expert.
LOL
You keep your chin back with a featherbeard.
After years of watching woodworking vid's on the internet, I have only one piece of safety advice to share.
"Listen to James and treat all other new safety ideas with scepticism."
Thanks Stumpy, for your continued common sense.
Honestly, I am gobsmacked. I’ve been working in woodshops for 52 years, and no one has ever suggested pulling stock through from the backside of a saw. Catching outfeed from someone feeding the saw, yes. But that’s pretty passive.
I have had helpers I told to support a piece try it even after being told not to and also the occasional passerby that thinks they'll be helping when they weren't asked to
@@williamsmith9026 So the helper is supposed to just support the piece vertically to prevent it from drooping rather than grabbing on to it to try and pull it?
@DKNguyen3.1415 yes
English your second language?
@@williamsmith9026 no. Just unfamiliar with table saws and what someone might try and do around them.
Again, I thank you for your educational content - you explain the WHY and the HOW that so many other channels don't address as often. It comes only from experience and your ability to convey important items clearly is as impressive.
When I was in college, I worked in a furniture mill. For safety instruction, we would watch safety films that had been by the US government in the 1940s and '50s instructing how to use woodworking equipment safely. The techniques our handsome host teaches are entirely consistent with those films. Table saws have been in common use for more than 100 years. If pulling the wood through the saw was better than pushing it through, it would have been discovered decades ago. We all would have been taught that was the best way to do it. There's a reason why no shop teacher would ever teach students to use the saw this way, and for the same reason, no tables saw owner's manual illustrates this method as appropriate. The reason is that its unsafe.
Take it from someone who's run thousands of board feet through a table saw and has been responsible for teaching his crew members how to use the tool safely: If I had seen one of my crew use the saw this way, I would have severely repremanded him. Had I seen him do it a second time, I would have fired him immediately. My primary goal when I came to work each morning was to NOT take someone to the hospital getting their blood all over my car. Fortunately, no one was ever severely injured on my watch.
@@DKWalser any clue of the name of safety films?
@@zlocksca Not a clue. It was more than 40 years ago.
Ok
I remember those safety films. The guy demonstrating was always wearing a sport coat and tie. And the shop was virginal. I don't think he'd ever seen a raw board in his life.
@@mrcryptozoic817 Power tools and a tie... nice.
discussion of the body mechanics of woodwork remains my favorite thing on this channel. I think the main thing people making these suggestions miss is the importance of being squared to the work for security. sure, it can seem counterintuitive to put your body directly in line with the cut, but that's exactly the position where you have the most control. if you stand off to the side, you have to angle your stance. you're off balance, and that's going to lead to more of the problems you think you're avoiding.
Good video, James. Hard to believe some people criticize you for NOT promoting such poor practices. Thanks for sharing.
You promote not only safety but professionalism as well thanks from Australia. I might add I’m 74 and still use lots of power tools, but also very concerned with safety as I’ve been in construction most of my working life. I was well taught re safety by my father and have not shed much blood but the thing is sometimes, just sometimes you have a time component that obscures safe practice! Take care from Australia
Leaning from the back over a rotating saw blade. What a wonderful way to get disemboweled. We had an idiot at work always giving advice on things he had no clue about. This was the guy who tried to weld his broken glasses frames with plastic lenses left in. Also the guy who dropped a match into a closed steel barrel to burn off the excess fumes. Almost blew his head off when the lid went flying into the air.
Had you not said it, I would not have believed anyone could do such a thing. Well, what do I know. I'm still freaking out about the closed barrel. That's right out of a sit-com - with real world consequences.
Every time I saw him leaning down over the blade or demonstrating his hand being pulled through it the hair went up on the back of my neck. Huge yikes. I haven't seen anything so dangerous since Year 10 shop and young idiots misusing a bandsaw recklessly.
If you've got a blade guard, that won't happen, but it's still a tremendously stupid idea.
@valvenator
I had to laugh at the glasses frames welding story. I've never welded anything in my life and almost certainly I'll never start, but I did manage to learn, decades ago, about just how little heat it takes to melt plastics. Ye Gods.
@@agcons I did welding in my younger days. I decided that my lungs were more important that this skill. Welding is dirty work. Rewarding but really, really dirty.
The motor on a table saw is typically able to produce 2000 watts. For perspective, a professional athlete can produce 400 watts for a sustained period of time. I'm glad you pointed out workpiece size. When I do dados for the portable closets I make, I use a side-to-side technique to manage the workpiece and keep it snug for a consistent depth of cut. At no time are my hands over the blade. If it feels awkward, it's a bad idea.
Thanks for all the tips, James! 😊
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
You can always learn to be safer around shop tools but your fingers won't regrow. Its good information even if you know the correct actions. Thank you for the refresher.
A rocking chair that rocks sideways makes me sea sick just thinking about it.
Right?! What kind of monster inflicts that on the world?
Im waiting for the video about how we shouldn’t operate a table saw while sea sick.
I'm now thinking about a rocking chair that rocks in all directions.
I used to have one. My idiot ex-wife bought it, with my credit card, and nobody ever sat in the stupid thing.
@@catbutler1343 Oh god no. Though I'm sure that would be a hit on a playground aimed at the pre-school set.
I learned the hard way what a kickback was. I was ripping luan and had never really used a table saw. Ran it through and then pulled it back towards myself, then the blade caught the Luan and flung it right back at me and hit me in the groin. I’ll never forget the sound made when it kicked that piece of material back at me. I was lucky no one saw what happened or I would’ve been fired right then in there. Not long after, I watched a guy do the same thing I did, but I caught him in time and taught him the right way to do it. I never will forget that.
The trick is to put the blade on backwards, then stand on the other side of the saw, and put the fence on the other side of the blade. Be sure to flip the polarity of the plug on the saw if you are in America. If it was Germany, you won't have to.
Genius!
I can see the ERs filling up across America.
And then you get a nice warm breeze full of sawdust aimed at your nether regions, super helpful in the colder months of the year.
Um, actually, the proper way is to suspend yourself *over* the saw with string and push the piece with your feet
@@unoriginalname4321 Now you're just being ridiculous.
Absolutely correct ! I would just like to add that the simple push sticks that are often supplied with table saws are dangerous, too ! While it is correct that they push the workpiece from the correct side, they do not hold the wood down at a second position. the yellow push-and-press instrument used in the video is a MUCH better choice.
I keep thinking “People can’t really be this dumb” but here we are… 🙄 Thanks for yet again preaching the (safe) truth, James! 👍🏼
True that. I can't believe a video such as this even needs to be made.
Superb video. I’m in my sixties and relatively new to table saws. These videos are just brilliant thank you. George U.K.
Benefit of being a lefty. Im on other side of the fence on small items as that is the most comfortable to be lined up correctly
Good point, which I thought about watching this. How do you go with feeding large stock as he showed, do you have to do it cack-handed? I'm not left-handed but I imagine it would be easier for you to run your saw the other way (if possible) to be able to handle it properly for you on the left rather than the right.
I've been pushing left handed through table saws for over 65 years. It's worked safely and well for me.
@@BTimmer Same with this lefty; 45 years with two kickbacks that missed me and I still have all my finger
As a lefty, with large sheet stock I stand behind the piece that passes between the blade and the fence.
I’m a better and safer woodworker because of your amazing videos. I truly appreciate you spending your valuable time to share your wisdom and keeping us safe.
I think some people are more concerned about kickback than they are about blade contact. Kickback injuries can be serious, but they're usually not life-changing. Blade contact injuries are a different story.
"some people are more concerned about kickback than they are about blade contact" pulling the stock increases the chances for getting a lesson one won't forget the entire life. As short as that life may come to be.
Kickback can pull your hand into the blade.
@@StumpyNubs true. This being said, the necessary distinctions in the meaning of the possibility/probability/impact words comes into play.
@@StumpyNubs I knew a kid growing up that had to have 4 fingers reattached because he had tried to bring a piece back that was already engaged with the blade. They were able to reattach all the digits, but they never did fully straighten afterwards.
He very nearly got the nickname stumpy nubs as a non-ironic nickname.
Had a coworker take a plywood kickback to the upper thigh severing an artery. It was an ugly scene to say the least. Another coworker that knew something of first aid tied a tourniquet to his thigh stop the bleeding and rushed him to the hospital. Could have been really bad if that tourniquet hadn't been tied.
I remember my dad using his table saw in the garage to cut various pieces of wood. I don't think I remember him having any kind of fancy guard. I remember hearing him talking about basically this kickback, but I didn't understand it as a teenager or younger. I just know that I always tried to stand far away and not in front or in back of the saw.
Recently I've started using a circular saw to cut 1x4s to build a model railroad, but I'm getting to the point where I might want to use a table saw instead of circular saw. I've had decent luck cutting longer pieces of plywood (not full 4x8) by clamping a straight board and running right up against the side of the board.
I'm glad I came across this video in my suggested videos after a couple searches on how to use certain table saws.
As soon as I saw the comment for a pull stick, I’m watching a workpiece twist from no pressure on the fence, kicking the material, and pulling the operator on top of the blade. Plus, you can no longer reach the power source for an emergency stop. 0:35
Thanks, James. It's amazing the things some people think up. And thank you for debunking some myths. Have a great weekend! 😃😃😃❤❤❤
A rocking char that rocks sideways reminds me of the time I rode a carrousel that was running backwards. They did it for two days at Halloween. I can say I rode it but I won't ever do it again.
Bill
Thanks for sharing with us James, you're right 100% but you'll never convince those others until they loose something. Stay safe and listen to James!!! Fred.
I've heard it said, "You can't legislate stupid, but stupid can legislate." Another one I like is, "You can lead a person to knowledge, but you can't make them think." Great video.
My favorite is, "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you."
An excellent explanation, James, thank you. Hopefully this will give some viewers a lightbulb moment where they say "Ah, I get it now"...great.
But of course there'll still be those who don't listen or don't have enough brain cells to understand rational thinking.
But good on you, James, you've done your bit and made the point clear. Beyond that, if people don't want to listen, well let's hope they don't do too much damage to themselves or someone else.
I once brought a guy to the hospital due to kicked back cut off. His intestine was perforated, luckily surgery repaired without a bag!!! He was ripping some plywood at a 45 with blade angled toward the fence. I told him not to do that minutes before because a kickback piece missed him and hit the block wall. Next one didn’t miss!!!
It seems to me that wearing catcher's gear would be more effective than the tips that he's debunking.
Man, some people really ought not to be on jobsites if only to stop others from having PTSD from the inevitable gory accidents... Yikes.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade catchers gear would be dangerous as well because of the possible loose straps also the problem of bulky material which may get caught like an apron
Well done as usual. It's great that the attention paid to safety is (at least generally) improving. In my woodshop class, anno 1966, I made a Soma puzzle, which required 2" cubes. I sawed stock to 2" square and then sawed off the cubes from the square stock on the table saw, the push stick being my thumb rather close to the (of course) unguarded blade. One piece kicked back. Very luckily, it just caused some momentary distress to my thumb.
The shop teacher sidn't interfere or say anything. I should have paid attention to how many fingers he was missing.
Cheers from still with all my fingers Vienna, Scott
Never thought about using the saw on the opposite side. But you made it very clear why it is a terrible idea. I instantly started sweating when you demonstrated how the kickback could pull your arm into the blade. In the worst case, I imagine it might even cause your body to lose balance and fall into the blade. Thanks for the literal life-saving tip!
I didn’t even know this was a thing, but I’m glad you took the time to nip it in the bud! I think the number of injuries from table saws are akin to most car accidents happening 5 miles or less from home. It’s a saw that is used so much more that of course it’s going to increase the stats on injuries. I still feel like it’s one of the safest saws as long as attention is paid to the forces at play and keeping the parts you want to keep out of the plane of the blade. The blade is always in the same place and doesn’t move around, unlike a circular saw, reciprocating saw, jig saw etc.
Having been gut punched buy a relatively large piece of a 2x6, I'm just thankful I was wearing a heavy apron. And by heavy I mean slightly thicker than corduroy. I THINK the apron helped spread the impact slightly. Maybe something akin to a plate carrier with a lexan insert might be a good idea? Just a thought.
Thank you once again for a well thought out video. I am new to wood working and you have saved my digits countless times. LOVE your channel
We always say "ask for help with larger pieces, and safety safety safety, love the videos & the side rocker chair probably feels like fishing on a small boat would put me to sleep
I've used a table saw professionally for 20 years, and I was held to passing a safety test in design school, before being allowed to use the saw freely in the shop. I went on to teach and administer the test as a shop supervisor at several other institutions. I teach staying behind the plane of the fence whenever possible. When you can stand to the right of the fence to perform a cut safely, you should absolutely do so. People are different sizes, so this is different for everyone, but it greatly reduces the opportunity to be struck by a kickback. When the work is large enough that it's no longer comfortable, then operators should move to a comfortable position behind the work, or consider a different tool to complete the cut. Nowadays, a cordless track saw is a much better option than muscling more than half a sheet of plywood through the table saw if you're not very comfortable doing so. The education one receives from their first kickback is invaluable, and much better to go whizzing by than to be struck by it.
My woodshop teacher taught us the "stay on the other side of the fence" to keep us safe. I felt so uncomfortable doing that I chose not to get certified to run it solo in the class. This is how so many of these bad ways of using equipment get spread - one person with the wrong knowledge in a place to spread this to others.
It's such ideas that make me cringe whenever I hear "Those who can't do teach". Teachers have to pull double duty, know their subject AND be able to effectively teach it. James, I salute you in your constant effort to put education in your videos along with excellent woodworking techniques.
This needed to be said. I learned how to use a cabinet saw with expert supervision in my university workshop, but I’m sure there are plenty of people who just buy a table saw and go to town, not realizing this is one of the most dangerous tools in the workshop.
I know people that have lost fingers because they thought they knew better than their instructors... Welp.
In the university I work at they removed and hid the blade and nut retaining it because some students stood on the table saw while operating it...
@@pettere8429 what the... just. what
Standing to the side of the cut is something I have trained myself to do practically without thought when making cuts less than about 12" wide. It does not create any awkward body mechanics. Above about 12-18" width it does start to get awkward however.
But the best safety device has always been the brain. I have also trained to take a moment (fractions of a second really) to think where are my hands going and where is the blade going. This works for pretty much every tool in the shop.
Yeap I didn't think about my hands and fingers once, then I got about an inch into the cut and thought I am doing this wrong.
As a person who has used power tools for a 25 years now.
I actually sit there think about the size and shape of the piece and if something is not going right.
I turn the machine off and never try to fix it mid cut.
Oh yeah I am new to the saw bench
So important. I know people always worry about being new to power tools (especially saws) and what can happen, but I find it's the people who get COMFORTABLE with said tools through years of use and stop thinking about safety because "it's never happened before", and that's when injuries happen.
Another excellent safety video! I can't imagine how many people you assisted with this, but thank you for sharing what experienced woodworkers know. Keep up the great work!
Must admit, I will frequently walk to the back of the saw to pull through the end of a 2m+ cut, yes it's left on the saw without my hands on it! Maybe I should get an out feed table
Me too. His demonstration with a short piece makes the concept seem dumb, but solo cutting long pieces in the field and you can pull cut with common sense, not demonstrated in this video.
@@JoshR-k9q cutting ANY short piece seems dumb to me. that how my dad lost the end of his thumb to a tablesaw. rip fist, cut to length later, if at all possible.
Good video. I am amazed that anyone thought these were an option.
2:26 You would have the most interesting appendectomy scar at the beach, though.
If only you'd live long enough for the scar to form, that is.
I worked at a shop that had a power feed. That was so cool. I cannot afford a power feed for my hobby, but it would be cool to have, and I felt very safe using it.
3:35 "relatively small plywood panels" LOL
An excellent safety video! I'm a woodworker that has been doing it since I was 12 years old. Back then when I started, it was in woodshop class. Safety was always the first lessons we were taught in all of the classes I took. I value my hands and fingers as much as I do my own life, and can say because of my safety first practices, I still have all of my fingers and thumbs, in good working order. One safety rule I think should be rule number one in any shop that operates heavy and dangerous equipment is for visitors to the shop, as well as workers in the shop: Never do anything that can distract a heavy equipment operator from his or her work. It is dangerous to the worker operating the equipment, as well as the person that distracts that worker.
In one company I worked for, both I and my father were working in the company cabinet shop. Dad was the main saw man at that time. He was making a cut on the tablesaw, when a visitor walked over and asked him a question, while he was in the middle of the cut! It was enough of a distraction to cause him to lose a finger; his right forefinger to be exact. I saw it happen, and it was horrifying. Other members of our cabinet shop crew saw it happen also. Blood was everywhere on Dad of course but also on the man that had caused his accident, me as I was close by when it happened, and all over the tablesaw, wood and surrounding area. We who witnessed the incident told the plant manager the reason it happened, and that guy lost his job.
A few months later I was offered the supervisors position in the cabinet shop. I didn't really want it, so I asked if someone else could do it. They told me I was the best man for the job. I told them I really would rather keep doing the work of cabinet designing and building! They knew I was their best cabinet builder, so they made me Lead Man instead, and someone I trusted became my supervisor. The first thing I did as Lead Man was write safety rules for every station in the cabinet shop. Each station had many different rules that related to what was done at those stations, but certain rules were the same across the whole shop. Number one was my anti-distraction rule. No visitor was allowed to enter the cabinet shop without first reading that rule, and that included the company owner, the plant manager, all supervisors, all visiting customers touring the plant, and all employees, as well as myself! I was not going to exempt myself from following my own rules. The effect of having those rules posted was a much safer shop. The plant manager brought the company owner to the shop to read those rules. He authorized having similar rules posted throughout the plant.
Please do a video on the importance of an anti-distraction rule. It is my goal to help reduce injuries and possible deaths due to distractions! Your help in this would be most welcome!
Subscribing!
If those who want to pull the stock through, maybe they should give up the table saw and go with a track saw, circular saw or a jig saw. with a straight edge fence if applicable. The owners manual (and shop classes) taught the proper way to use a table saw (and other tools) to avoid injury and boggering up your workpiece.
As I've said since the early days of the web: the internet is a suppository of misinformation. I've never heard of pulling a piece through--the closest I've seen is having someone support the material on the outfeed side. Great video.
I think it would be accurate enough just to call it a suppository of information 🤣
Everytime I watch one of your table saw safety videos, I get the chills how easy it is to get seriously injured. I am a hobbyist level woodworker and the fact that proffesionals can get it wrong scares me no end. Thanks. I think....?
Because I live in a flood zone I equipped my ground level garage shop with tools I can roll into our elevator and take to the second floor if necessary. My table saw is a 8-1/4” Skill job site which I’ve equipped with the 48” Bow fence extension with vertical feather guides you reviewed which greatly improved ease of use and safety. For cutting sheet goods I purchased a Kreg ACS track saw / table system with the folding wheeled stand.
A very simple alternative to having kicked-back boards punching holes through the wall behind is to make a ‘kick back catcher’; a frame suspending a piece of canvas or even lighter muslin coated with some latex paint between saw and wall to stop it. I got that idea because I’ve made my own painted muslin background for photography.
Wow as a new woodworker but an older man I’ve never heard anything so dumb . Thanks for always sharing such truly great advice and videos as always James. Keep up the great work.
I have been lucky. I have had two kickbacks. Once being dumb, and once not realizing the poplar i was cutting had so much internal stress that it separated causing a pinch between the blade and fence.
The dumb kickback was a small board and barely bruised me thru the leather apron i was wearing, and the poplar kickback passed to my right side (i try to never stand in the line of fire) and imbedded the board into the wall.
After seeing your older video with the outside kickback i have been even more careful. (your video was the first time i ever even knew an outside kickback was possible!!!)
Even though the saw as off, I winced and slammed my eyes shut each time you demonstrated this technique.
nothing is a dumb idea if it saves people from pain and loss of limb. good video.
The only "pull" I have ever done is with large boards, but before you hate me, I do this with another person on the "pull" side, mostly to help me guide the board. Part of this is due to the fact that I, as many other DYIs, have a "portable" table saw that doesn't have the weight and stability of the large table saw you and other professionals typically have. I wish I did though...otherwise, I agree with your take 100%.
i picked up a free table saw and my first project was ripping 18" 2x4s and the pull stick was the safe option i came up with, with a 2nd stick for sideways pressure. true i wouldn't do long stuff that way but for what i was doing it was the best way imo
Thanks James. Good video. Because of my experience, I will continue to alert folks about Clean Armor's "satin" finish. YES, it's amazing how it cures in a couple or minutes (I'm currently doing an entire hardwood floor with it. But I had a very frustrating experience in applying their "satin" finish. To me, and everyone I've shown it to, it looks like gloss. Unless you want a pretty darned shiny finish, don't order the "satin" finish!
In 50 years of woodworking, I've never seen a "satin" as shiny as theirs. The solution might run you an extra $133.00, (plus shipping and tax) but you order their matte finish and mix it with the satin. I liked the ratio of 60% matte and 40% satin. THAT looks like satin to me. But ABSOLUTELY do your own testing FIRST! Great product, but very expensive to screw up with.
Thank you for constantly showing us these, and other dumb mistakes *before* we make them. That timing is the most important part.
Great explanation on not using these bad ideas!
Best move I made was learning to align my saw table to the blade. This allows me to measure from one of the table guides to the fence at both ends of the table. Previously I had just been measuring from the front of the blade to the fence, and from the back of the blade to the fence hoping this would have the fence parallel to the blade. That always seemed to be pinching the board I was cutting or seeing the far side of the blade having slop even though I was holding the board tight to the fence. When I aligned my table to the blade running the piece through the saw was much smoother and I never feel i’m risking kickback.
3:48 Go-go gadget arms!
It is amazing how so many bad ideas can sound so reasonable in your head. And not just in woodworking.
I'm with you on the first one. Definitely don't attempt to do a pull cut on a table saw. However, the second one, aside from breaking down large plywood sheets is more personal preference in my opinion. I've used a table saw for years, and as a south paw, have always felt more comfortable on the other side of the fence. I have never had an issue with using feather boards and good push sticks. I also use my grrriper push block most often and have never felt awkward doing so. I believe it can be every bit as safe, if you are taking all necessary steps to be safe, as you should be doing regardless.
Edit: I never break down plywood or any pieces like that on my table saw. I find it much more efficient and safer with a track saw. I understand not everyone has a track saw, but for anyone who may be uncomfortable using their table saws for that purpose and would want an alternative, they are perfect for this.
Interesting - I really had /never/ heard of the INSANE idea of hooking the board from the other side! Thanks for this, for those folks who clearly need to think things through a bit more thoroughly. The [few] times I have had a kick back have been typically when I was a bit too hurried to thoroughly think through the cut BEFORE doing it - e.g. looking closely at a board to see that the way is was milled, and the grain indicate it's likely to pinch when cut, and simply cut from the other side, or end to make it work better - even with a splitter. Or being aware that small pieces of a rabbet being cut loose are likely to slide [quickly] back at me, and position myself appropriately.
An important topic, well presented.
Over four decades ago, and an incident I will never forget. A couple of people were ripping boards on a table saw for a project at the church I attended back then. One person was feeding the boards from the front of the table saw, while the other was pulling the boards from the rear of the table saw. This was back when carbide blades were pretty rare. This saw has a carbon steel rip blade - the ones with the large teeth. One of the boards he was pulling through caught on the blade and pulled the board backwards toward the front of the saw. He had a good grip on the boards as he was pulling them through. Before he could release his hand (this tells you how fast this happened), the saw pulled his left hand entirely through the saw blade. It did not cut off his fingers, though. His fingers ran through the gullets of the rather large teeth on the rip blade and mangled them. Several hours of intense microsurgery and weeks of recovery. His hand was never the same after that (in fact, he was never the same - I think this had a very detrimental effect on him personally). As I recall, he lost part of a finger, and most of the functionality of that hand. Needless to say, one of the most foolish and dangerous things you can do on a table saw is to pull the workpiece instead of push it.
thanks for sharing, i always see peopleusing the same technique on the jobsite as there usually isnt an outfeed table for ripping plywood. i imagine this same thing has happened to others
The positioning you have out of the path of the blade makes the most sense to me, especially with larger pieces. The biggest thing anyone using a table saw needs to do is be aware of what they're doing, and be aware of what happens to their position if something unexpected happens (a slip, a kickback, etc).
That said, I will honestly admit that as a random DIY guy with a small table saw and often no outfeed table, I definitely have pulled large sheets through to finish a cut. Never to start, but to finish once well over half through. It can be done safely, especially if you aren't concerned about any accuracy flubs (but then to the fair point, why are you using a table saw?). Not that it's the point of the video, but I can't overstate the importance of outfeed support for large pieces, and for the DIYer with limited space and budget, adjustable/collapsible portable roller stands are an absolute must have to avoid awkward cutting.
Different techniques for different sizes of workpieces makes good sense. I never reach over the fence, and keep my body out of the way of kickbacks (which I rarely have). I did put the skiver back on, but not the guard.
Thank you for another great safety lesson. Keep’ em coming!
As a shop teacher of 20 years who has taught countless high school students how to safely use a table saw, I CANNOT believe you even have to make this video! People actually believe those are the correct methods? Have they ever read or even understand the manufacturer's' instructions? No manufacturer in their right minds would ever recommend those methods for fear of being sued into oblivion! Thank you for calling this malarkey out! In all my time teaching young people to use a tablesaw, I can count on one hand how many times I've seen kick back in my shop, because there is only one way to do it safely.
Sometimes things are so stupid I can't believe they need to be discussed....crazy. Don't get me wrong, I have dumb ideas sometimes, but this cutting "tip" makes me look brilliant.
I really like this video. Just pinching the bridge of your nose for second and then sitting your audience down like a disappointed father, "ok... let's walk through what that looks like"
Keep up the great work, and that nickel plated Harvey table saw -- 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks James
I once had a guy "catching" the wood on the other side of the table until he thought he should pull to "help me" guide through the cut - I thanked him for his thoughtfulness and chastised him for his actions - I had been explicit in what I wanted him to do but his good naturedness just couldn't stop. I don't have room for a drop off table so I went back to just dropping the wood onto a soft landing. Good guy tho.
I do use outfeed rollers for larger pieces and I can fashion a stable outfeed for plywood.
I find your videos very informative. Thank you for the time, and effort you put into there production. As a DIY woodworker, and home owner. I am always trying to improve my skills. Your introduction to the Clean Armour UV cure top coat gave me and idea. I also do 3D printing with both filament and SLA (resin) printers. I am now curious how the finish would look using colored resin as my top coat.
Thank you for all you do!
You covered pretty much what I was thinking about pulling. If it kicked back then it could pull your upper body onto the saw blade.
Great safety tip nubs.
WOW, VERY good info. I agree with you and I cannot believe some people actually suggested those ideas.
BTW, I bought 2 of those feather boards. Awesome extra hands. Basic table saw safety rules still apply for Wood shop.
I need to look into the finishing stuff, clean armor? I'll check it out. Thanks man.