Grizzly G0493 - Manual (Page 15)

Model g0493 (Mfg. since 7/10)
-13-
below are ways to avoid the most common
causes of kickback:
• only cut workpieces with at least one smooth
and straight edge. do not cut excessively
warped, cupped or twisted wood. if the
workpiece warpage is questionable, always
choose another workpiece.
• never attempt freehand cuts. if the workpiece
is not fed parallel with the blade, a kickback
will likely occur. always use the rip fence or
crosscut fence to support the workpiece.
• Make sure the spreader/riving knife is aligned
with the blade. a misaligned spreader/riving
knife can cause the workpiece to catch or
bind, increasing the chance of kickback. if
you think that the spreader/riving knife is not
aligned with the blade, check and adjust it
before making additional cuts!
• ensure that your table slides parallel with the
blade; otherwise, the chances of kickback are
greatly increased. take the time to check and
adjust the sliding table to be parallel with the
blade.
• do not make cuts with the blade guard or riv-
ing knife removed from the saw. the blade
guard spreader and riving knife maintain the
kerf in the workpiece, reducing the chance of
kickback.
• Keep the blade guard installed and working
correctly for all through cuts.
• Feed cuts through to completion. anytime
you stop feeding a workpiece in the middle of
a cut, the chance of kickback is increased.
• never move the workpiece backwards while
cutting or try to back it out of a cut while the
blade is moving. if you cannot complete a
cut for some reason, stop the saw motor and
allow the blade to completely stop moving
before backing the workpiece out. Before
starting the saw again, promptly fix the condi-
tion that prevented you from completing the
cut.
statistics show that most common acci-
dents among table saw users can be linked
to kickback. Kickback is typically defined
as the high-speed ejection of stock from the
table saw toward its operator. in addition to
the danger of the operator or others in the
area being struck by the flying stock, it is
often the case that the operator’s hands are
pulled into the blade during the kickback.
preventing Kickback
even if you know how to prevent kickback, it
may still happen. here are some tips to pro-
tect yourself if kickback does occur:
• stand to the side of the blade during every
cut. if a kickback does occur, the thrown
workpiece usually travels directly in front of
the blade.
• Wear safety glasses or a face shield. in the
event of a kickback, your eyes and face are
the most vulnerable part of your body.
• never, for any reason, place your hand
behind the blade. should kickback occur,
your hand will be pulled into the blade, which
could cause amputation.
• use a push stick to keep your hands farther
away from the moving blade. if a kickback
occurs, the push stick will most likely take
the damage that your hand would have
received.
• use featherboards or anti-kickback devices
to assist with feeding and prevent or slow
down kickback.
protecting yourself
from Kickback