# !!Tablesaw kick back !!WARNING GROSS PICTURES



## jocat54 (Jun 7, 2017)

Well my afternoon did not turn out quite as I had hoped.
I was ripping a short piece of 2x4 when right at the end of the cut it kicked back and hit me in the mouth and chin--knocked me right on my rear endBleeding like a stuck pig.
There was nobody home except me so hopped in the truck and went to the clinic here in town and when they looked at it----said nothing they could do that I needed to go to the ER.
7 hrs later I am finally back home, with about 70 stitchesWife and daughter met me at the hospital.







This picture is after a couple rounds of morphine---no pain!!!!!!


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## brav65 (Jun 7, 2017)

Wow that is horrible, sorry you got bitten.  I lost the tip of my finger 10 years ago, it happens in the blink of an eye.  I wish you a speedy recovery!


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## RJSakowski (Jun 7, 2017)

Nasty!  

The table saw is the one machine that I fear the most.  Fifty-five years ago, I managed to mess up my right hand on a table saw.  Forty stitches and a eight of an inch from my right thumb. I only had an 1/8th of an inch of exposed blade or it could have been much worse.

I hope the healing goes well.


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## ezduzit (Jun 7, 2017)

That is a horrible accident! 

It would be most helpful if you could post a photo of the actual workpiece, showing precisely how you were holding it in the saw when the kickback occurred. Might prevent the same thing happening to someone else.


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## mikey (Jun 8, 2017)

That's a serious injury, John. Hoping you heal quickly.


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## dlane (Jun 8, 2017)

Ouch,


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## jocat54 (Jun 8, 2017)

ezduzit said:


> That is a horrible accident!
> 
> It would be most helpful if you could post a photo of the actual workpiece, showing precisely how you were holding it in the saw when the kickback occurred. Might prevent the same thing happening to someone else.



I"ll try to get a photo tomorrow-if I can find the piece--it was a short piece of 2x4 about 6 inches long and was ripping the 3 1/2 down to 3 1/16 using the rip fence (fence is dead on the money)  _was pushing the piece thru with hand draped over the fence_


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## dlane (Jun 8, 2017)

Ouch ,


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## chip maker (Jun 8, 2017)

Sorry for pain that was really a bad hit and as always could have been a lot worse. I have a table saw also but years ago I purchased a set of magnetic hole downs that hold pieces tight to the fence and tight to the table. These were not cheep but they have been very good and work well. They are called Grip-Tite Guide they are made in NM by Mesa Vista Design. A little late now but may be something to look into for the future. I have cut pieces less than a quarter in. with no problems. Good luck with the healing !!!!


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## BFHammer (Jun 8, 2017)

John,

Sorry to hear about your accident. 

Thanks also for sharing, safety is something we all need to keep at the top of our mind.  

About 20 years ago shortly after I had gotten into woodworking I was ripping a large number of slats on the tablesaw.  Each one was about an inch wide and 3/8 inch thick.  One grabbed between the blade and the fence and fired back into the concrete block was about 12 feet behind the saw.  Fortunately I was standing to the side but that piece of hard maple took a chunk out of the block about the size of a small egg.  I have no doubt it could have impaled me had I been in its path.  I never repaired the block until I moved - but I think about that every time I set up to make a cut on the tablesaw.  

Hope you have a speedy recovery and out in the shop again soon!

Mark


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## wawoodman (Jun 8, 2017)

Bad stuff. Glad it wasn't worse.

Feel better soon.


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## markba633csi (Jun 8, 2017)

Good thing it didn't hit you in the eye at least.  I much prefer metal working to using table saws.  Get better soon.  Good halloween pictures! Night of the living dead! LOL
Mark S.


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## amsoilman (Jun 8, 2017)

Got a piece of plywood to the groin area 2 years ago. Area still swollen no pain. 


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## woodchucker (Jun 8, 2017)

jocat54 said:


> I"ll try to get a photo tomorrow-if I can find the piece--it was a short piece of 2x4 about 6 inches long and was ripping the 3 1/2 down to 3 1/16 using the rip fence (fence is dead on the money)  _was pushing the piece thru with hand draped over the fence_


Feel better. As a woodworker I really understand. I got hit a couple of times. After the last I went and bought a welders apron at HF to prevent a puncture in the torso.
Even if your fence is on the money, sometimes the piece releases pent up forces and springs, either inward or outward.
you are very lucky, you were not knocked out and drop to the table and get cut by the blade.
I have a gripper, and also made a whole set of push blocks. I like the type that I can bear down on in case I feel a lift. If I do, then I hit the shutoff. It's not a sure way to avoid the kickback, but it's an option. I don't use a guard like most of us. Some of them would have prevented it from flying up, most wouldn't , they would just deflect it.
Even a Saw Stop would not have prevented that kick back. 
Hope your recovery is fast, and painless. I think you will feel numb for a year or two, and might always have a fuzzy feeling around there. Hopefully not.. Good luck.


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## chips&more (Jun 8, 2017)

I’m so very sorry. I think we are all thankful that it did not happen any higher up on your face.


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## strantor (Jun 8, 2017)

oh, damn. That's no minor injury. Sorry that happened, but thank's for sharing.


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## core-oil (Jun 8, 2017)

Sorry to see your accident, It looks really horrible and gives me the creeps thinking on what happened to you, Nasty occurances happen in a split second, and it could be any of us, What happens to a fellow member to all of us is a sad occurence, We in this little forum are a band of brothers.  you take care and get better soon.


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## Silverbullet (Jun 8, 2017)

Short pieces make mean missiles , ouch,  hope you heal quickly . Only way to cut shorts is with a large sled to keep the pressure down the table.


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## brino (Jun 8, 2017)

Wow John, That's gotta hurt (before the morphine anyway).

Eating is going to be a chore for a while, try to keep your strength up, maybe some of those meal replacement shakes?

I appreciate you sharing this with everyone. 
We all need safety to be top of mind.
I wish you a speedy recovery.

-brino


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## bfd (Jun 8, 2017)

years ago I was cutting a small piece of plywood on my new (used) table saw my old table saw was underpowered and would stall if I did something wrong my new saw is 5 hp triple v belt drive it doesn't stall my mistake was cutting a small piece of plywood 5x7" in which the 5 inch width was held against the fence and was cutting the 7 in. length and it kicked back and hit me square in the stomach. this knocked me back in the air about 3 feet. I remember seeing me feet in the air as I flew back. I had a 5" by 7" bruise and a very stinging stomach. what I learned was not to cut with a fence a piece that is longer than it was wide against the fence use the miter gauge. I was lucky that the board hit me flat (or mostly) or it would have gone right through me. I did have one corner poke into me and bleed a little. woodworking equipment is more dangerous than metal working equipment in my opinion. I still woodwork and machine at home. hope you get well soon and hope you get back on the horse. bill


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## tq60 (Jun 8, 2017)

Blade and fence alignment critical plus push by top pressure on front part of board to avoid it turning sideways.

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## bfd (Jun 9, 2017)

yes this is true my blade and fence was within.002 of the miter slot. my message of not cutting a piece wider than long ( in smaller sizes) still stands. lucky to be alive. this rule comes from a cabinet making book I have not my own. bill


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## CluelessNewB (Jun 9, 2017)

Ouch!   Even with a properly adjusted fence crooked wood can get you in trouble.  Unfortunately that mean all 2x lumber is suspect.  I have luckily not been hurt but I did have a board kick back and go through a garage door window.  It was also ripping a short piece of 2x4.   Scared the $4!+ out of me! 

Hope you heal quickly!


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## woodchucker (Jun 9, 2017)

tq60 said:


> Blade and fence alignment critical plus push by top pressure on front part of board to avoid it turning sideways.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk



AND blade height has a lot to do with it too.
For ply we cut low so it doesn't splinter the veneer down on the way out. But with solid wood it's a good idea to go higher. A) for clearing the gullets, but B) because you want the blade cutting down into the table which also helps prevent the kick back by cutting down rather than toward you.. (this doesn't prevent it, but it helps, and it makes it easier to push. I always rip with my blade as High as  I can, and always have a home made splitter in to avoid the internal stresses from pinching the blade.


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## tq60 (Jun 9, 2017)

For small chunks a sled works and for others we would use the miter slider and place a small block on the fence as a reference point.

Hold in miter and touch off the block then make the cut without the material touching anything except the miter.

That was a nasty reminder that the tools do not respect the operators. 

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## BGHansen (Jun 9, 2017)

jocat54 said:


> Well my afternoon did not turn out quite as I had hoped.
> I was ripping a short piece of 2x4 when right at the end of the cut it kicked back and hit me in the mouth and chin--knocked me right on my rear endBleeding like a stuck pig.
> There was nobody home except me so hopped in the truck and went to the clinic here in town and when they looked at it----said nothing they could do that I needed to go to the ER.
> 7 hrs later I am finally back home, with about 70 stitchesWife and daughter met me at the hospital.
> ...


Big pit in my stomach for you . . .  Godspeed recovery.  On the plus side you are alive, but shaken.  Probably something you've done on the saw 1000 times before with no problems.  Hopes and prayers for a speedy recovery.

Bruce


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## jocat54 (Jun 9, 2017)

Thanks for all the good wishes.

A little update--only getting worse--I wear partial dentures and the impact bent the uppers on the onto the anchor tooth. I knew my teeth were hurting and loose but thought they might tighten up with time. Anyhow with a lot of work and pain I finally got the uppers out and wake up this morning with the tooth laying in my mouth 
I knew at some point I would end up with full dentures but it's a little sooner than I wanted Think I might have some damage to lower teeth but no way can I see a dentist yet.


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## Chip Hacket (Jun 9, 2017)

Man you've got my prayers!  Hang tough.


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## bfd (Jun 10, 2017)

yes I never have my blade 1/8" above my wood. along with hurting me I ruined a new blade ( knock off 2 carbide teeth) and totaled the table insert. plus hurt my feelings bill


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## Eddyde (Jun 10, 2017)

Ouch! Sorry to see that happened to you. Hope you get through it as painlessly as possible.
I lost the tip of a finger and severely cut two others, from a kickback. I blame complacency in my case.


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## joshua43214 (Jun 10, 2017)

That is a nasty one. Like others here, I have been using tables saws for decades and have the stories to go with it. Thankfully, never been hurt very bad. Worst injury was sawing directly into my finger tip do some repetitive cuts on the radial arm saw with the blade raised about 2" (I was making a torsion box). I slide the board over and up against the fence to make the next cut, and stuck my finger into the blade.

Deep cuts on short boards is band saw work. Short of using a power feeder, there is really no way to make it safe on a table saw.

I used to use a sled for that sort of thing. I had a short block of 2" maple catch and rip the whole thing apart. The block went right through the drywall behind me. It ripped the clamps off the sled, and pulled the sled up out of the miter slots onto the blade. The sled frisbee'd off to the left and crashed into my planer putting a large dent in the gear cover. I thank a lifetime of tool using giving me the right instinct to always stand in the path of greatest resistance.

I no longer us a sled. If I need a sled to make it "safe," then I need to do it some other way. Luckily I have a professionally outfitted shop with many options, but I've been there having to make do with what I have. Glad you came through with all your parts (minus a tooth).


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## TRX (Jun 16, 2017)

[ouch!] I feel a twinge all the way over here...

It's going to hurt a lot worse in a couple of days, when the bruises and swelling have time to develop.  But keep in mind that a few inches down and you'd likely have had a crushed trachea, a few inches up would have taken out an eye, a few inches down and to the right would have got the carotid artery, and an inch to the left would have caused more dental damage.

I know it's going to be hard to feel lucky, but it could have been a *lot* worse. 

Did they tell you to use ice packs to control the swelling so it doesn't pull any stitches out?  Text or email them and ask if they didn't.  Crushed ice in a freezer-grade ziplock works well if you lay it against the bandage.  If they're leaving the wound open you'll want a sterile dressing and then a washcloth or two to help even out the pressure. You don't need a whole bag full of ice, just enough so it'll cover the wound area.  More will last longer, but it's extra weight that won't be welcome.

You're going to have to keep an eye on whiskers in the incision.  The follicles will do their thing even in the wound area, and you can get ingrown hairs in the healing area, which will add further discomfort and can get infected.  You may need a referral to a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon.

It's also not unusual to have minor nerve damage with wounds like that.  Plus you're likely to suffer some loss of mobility with your lower lip.  Even if you have a 100% recovery there, "soft tissue damage" can take a long time before a full recovery.  After you get your new plate you're going to have to practice your diction to compensate for the soft tissue damage, otherwise you're probably going to slur your words.  If your insurance will cover it, you might want to talk to a speech therapist fairly soon.  If you develop bad speech habits during your recovery, they'll be *very* hard to break later. 

Here's to a fast recovery!


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## BruceBoeing (Sep 4, 2017)

John,


Very sorry to read about your kick back incident.  I sincerely hope that you are healing well and rapidly!


I only joined this forum today, and I had absolutely no intention of posting anything here (yet)…that is, until I read of your account.  It reminded me of my own happy incident with my own friendly saw.


About 20 years ago I was building an oak desk.  It was a Woodsmith plan.  Big desk.  Flat panels.  Nice.  I was cutting a large dado about 3/4” wide and 3/8” deep on one of the - almost fully assembled side panels.  The panel probably weighed a good 500 pounds.  OK at least 10.  And I was of course using padded push blocks to feed the panel into the stacked dado cutter.. you know, for SAFETY!  


Unfortunately, my 5 HP Powermatic didn't really care all that much about my padded push blocks.  It did however, care that I stupidly chose to cut this particular dado as far away from the rip fence as it could be, instead of next to it, where it decidedly SHOULD have been.  


The resulting oak panel projectile must have been moving at a large percentage of the speed of light where it then focused all of its energy directly at my testicles.  I managed to get the saw turned off and duck walk - in the shape of a C clamp - back into my house.  There I managed to crawl on to my bed and ask my then wife, to ever so gently remove my pants and check for broken eggs.  


Fortunately the eggs remained intact and I was still able to have children.  Two.  So Yay.


My moral of my story.  Always use anti kick back prawls when cutting a through cut and touching the rip fence.  Or use a sled.  Or dado close to the fence.  But whatever you do…always…ALWAYS respect the saw.


All the best John.  Get well soon!


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## ezduzit (Sep 4, 2017)

BruceBoeing said:


> ...moral of my story.  Always use anti kick back prawls...



No! Moral: Don't do stupid stuff on the table saw.


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## The Liberal Arts Garage (Sep 5, 2017)

My father always warned me (once for each new tool occasion ). I first used a 
table saw when I was ten, and passed on the custom, each with a boring
Illustrative story. Tell them once, you will concentrate the effect


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## Aukai (Sep 7, 2017)

Hope the healing is going well, sorry about the dental work. As my main occupation is in the medical field, a direct blow to the throat area  with that force may have had a considerably worse outcome. You are suffering, which is better than the alternative. Get better.


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## Downwindtracker2 (Sep 7, 2017)

I use the splitter and kick back pawls but not the guard on my Unisaw. The accountant who designed the guard  should be run over the saw multiple times.  I have been using a radial arm saw for over 55 years, even as a sawyer on big construction jobs and I'm still nervous, no, scared of it.


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## Scruffy (Sep 19, 2017)

Had to rip about 200 ft. Of stick dryed ash Sunday. 1 in. Thick  talk about bottled up forces in wood. Some how got it done with my 30 yr old 1/2 hp craftsman .
Would have been quicker to have used a circular saw and guide.
Thanks scruffy ron


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## tundrawolf (Jan 6, 2018)

And after it heals, the story goes like this: "While visiting the high emporer,  I suddenly found myself facing three ninjas, they caught me by surprise, and for that, I had to kill them... They rewarded my complacency with this scar, which is why you never see me with my guard down..."


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## Al 1 (Jan 6, 2018)

Thats a wake up call.   I have been using a table saw for over 45 years. Here are some of my personal rules. Always keep an eye on a moving blade.  Small parts always use a push stick.
Never stand directly behind blade when cutting small parts. Never have anyone standing anywhere behind you when cutting. and lately, I have been
using a full face shield.  Al


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## jocat54 (Jan 6, 2018)

Ha! I now use a full face shield and leather apron every time I use the table saw (Yes I think I might be scared of it--respect it more?--but still use it on a regular basis) There have been a couple of times when I thought it is just one little cut and I don't need the face shield--but stop and put it on
My scars just blend in nicely with my wrinkles I was really lucky that day--could have been much worse.
Still haven't done any thing about the dental work---they are crazy expensive--so I just did some hacking on my partial uppers and they are working okay for now.


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## chips&more (Jan 6, 2018)

Al 1 said:


> Thats a wake up call.   I have been using a table saw for over 45 years. Here are some of my personal rules. Always keep an eye on a moving blade.  Small parts always use a push stick.
> Never stand directly behind blade when cutting small parts. Never have anyone standing anywhere behind you when cutting. and lately, I have been
> using a full face shield.  Al


Yes, that’s good rules. And also try and keep the blade just high enough to do the cut and no more…Dave


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## 4GSR (Jan 6, 2018)

Along with what has been said, I never stand directly in front of the blade when cutting.  Regardless if your cross cutting or ripping.  Especially ripping. I've had probably more boards and pieces shoot out at me in front than I ever had out the back end.  I know of one instant, where a small piece kicked out the back and scared the crap out of me.  It bounced around in the garage, luckly did not damage anything. 

And last, don't ever take your finger and try to flick off the curly piece in front at the blade while it's running!


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