Thread: Splitter and kickback

A simpler and IMHO more effective solution is to make a couple of sets of pressure fingers, one set to sit in the miter slot and one to clamp to the fence.

When cutting all the way through a piece of wood, the cut may close and bind on the back of the blade... hence the knife. For trenching, the cut shouldn't close (unless you're going damned deep!) and the knife would be more or less doing nothing. Except, maybe, help you keep the wood passing through in a straight line and if you're relying on it for that...

Yes, I would be taking a close look at how you are making these cuts. You shouldn't get kickback.

Jeremy, I've never had kickback in a partial cut of any kind.

If you're using just the miter gauge, reasonable downward pressure on the workpiece should be sufficient.

If you're using the miter gauge and the fence, and butting the workpiece up against the fence to control the cut, it may be that the fence is not quite parallel to the blade. That may be enough for the blade to try and grab the piece a little on the way through.

Otherwise I can't think of how you could get kickback in that situation.

Regards,
Tex

I've found that wood will tend to ride up over the top of the blade on shallow trenches if you're not holding it down firmly, esp. around knots or with a less than sharp blade. That can cause it to spit back at you... but is really because of poor technique, not lack of an anti-kickback device. DAMHIKT.

Sorry, I apologise for not making it clear. The situation in which kickback occurs is when ripping a rebate - No problems with ordinary trenching etc.

Since it is occasional, perhaps I should look at technique, but I don't ever seem to suffer any kickback when ripping right through a piece with the splitter in place.

I even had this occur when I did some full rips and then did not move the fence but lowered the blade and took off the splitter and blade guard and cut some square rebates of the same measurements along the grain, which is why I didn't think it was a fence problem. The kickback is of the offcut not of the main piece and it shoots straight back towards you if you are standing at the end of the machine.

So, if I understand right, the problem is when ripping rebates with the workpiece between the fence and the blade?

Originally Posted by Tex B

So, if I understand right, the problem is when ripping rebates with the workpiece between the fence and the blade?

Or does he mean the offcut between the fence and blade? ie. "hidden" rebating? (That's a home-made cannon. ) At least when the workpiece is on the fence side, some scrap can be used to hold the offcut in place.

Yep - its the homemade cannon. And from the name,I gather that it is the technique that is wrong - put the piece next to the fence - stoopid, I did know that I just forgot. (exits with large red embarrased face)

Sometimes it's the only way to do the job though... if the other side of the piece was curved on the bandsaw for example (and you forgot to cut the rebate first! )

Ya just gotta remember to prepare for the worst and not stand in the line of fire.

Or just turn it around. If you're cutting a rebate, set the fence to the depth of the rebate (from the far side of the blade). Rip the piece from the outside in, so you take off the width of the saw blade on each pass. One pass along the edge, move the piece 4 mm, another pass, etc. You can clamp a guide block to the right of the blade if it will help. Then run the piece up against the fence for the final cut, which should give you a nice clean rebate with nothing that can get shot out.

Or, Jeremy, use one of your lovely hand planes

Tex

not really shore of your problem. But generally, when I have problems conserning kickback on a table saw, I'd consider how well aligned everything is.....(similar stuff with planes I think) kickback occurs when you develop an angle somewhere and the rear of the blades as it rises is allowed to clip your timber.

- the edge of your works thats running on the fence.....is it straight ?
- the fence.....is it parallel to blade.
- when your pushing the timber through, try and push it on the end grain with that push stick that furthist away from the fence (eg. if the fence is on the right of the blade and the timber is running up between the fence and the blade, get that push stick pushing angled in as far left on the end of the timbers end grain as possible) ......uno, to ensure the timber doesn't float away from the fence....so, my eyes at least are watching for no gap between the fence and stock from start to finish as I rip.

See, what I've noticed is, if that push stick is pushing further to the right side of the wood, it may encourage the timber to scoop out off the fence.

Probably won't help...... need a picture to be sure I know what your problem is exactly.....goodluck in anycase.

Went to the shed last night to do some testing.

Yes, it was just bad technique. The blade and fence were parallel and I was using a pair of grippers not a pushstick. I just shouldn't have used the "hidden" rebate techique.

I reset the fence and did the job properly and it worked fine.

Lesson learned (I just hope not forgotten in the future).

Why didn't I use a plane? Don't know why - the TS was there and was set to what I wrongly thought was the right width, so i just went for it and almost impaled myself on the offcut!!!!

Thanks for helping me through a moment of stupidity.