Provide auxiliary workpiece support to the
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rear and/or sides of the saw table for long
and/or wide workpieces to keep them level.
A long and/or wide workpiece has a tendency
to pivot on the table's edge, causing loss of
control, saw blade binding and kickback.
Feed the workpiece at an even pace. Do not
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bend, twist or shift the workpiece from side
to side. If jamming occurs, turn the tool
off immediately, remove or disconnect the
battery pack, then clear the jam. Jamming
the saw blade by the workpiece can cause
kickback or stall the motor.
Do not remove pieces of cut-off material
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while the saw is running. The material may
become trapped between the fence or inside
the saw blade guard and the saw blade pulling
your fingers into the saw blade. Turn the saw
off and wait until the saw blade stops before
removing material.
Use an auxiliary fence in contact with the
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table top when ripping workpieces less
than 2 mm (0.08 in.) thick. A thin workpiece
may wedge under the rip fence and create a
kickback.
KICKBACK CAUSES AND RELATED
WARNINGS
Kickback is a sudden reaction of the workpiece
due to a pinched, jammed saw blade or
misaligned line of cut in the workpiece with
respect to the saw blade or when a part of the
workpiece binds between the saw blade and the
rip fence or other fixed object.
Most frequently during kickback, the workpiece
is lifted from the table by the rear portion of
the saw blade and is propelled towards the
operator.
Kickback is the result of saw misuse and/or
incorrect operating procedures or conditions
and can be avoided by taking proper
precautions as given below.
Never stand directly in line with the saw
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blade. Always position your body on the
same side of the saw blade as the fence.
Kickback may propel the workpiece at high
velocity towards anyone standing in front and
in line with the saw blade.
Never reach over or in back of the saw
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blade to pull or to support the workpiece.
Accidental contact with the saw blade may
occur or kickback may drag your fingers into
the saw blade.
Never hold and press the workpiece that
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is being cut off against the rotating saw
blade. Pressing the workpiece being cut off
against the saw blade will create a binding
condition and kickback.
Align the fence to be parallel with the
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saw blade. A misaligned fence will pinch the
workpiece against the saw blade and create
kickback.
Use a featherboard to guide the workpiece
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against the table and fence when making
non-through cuts such as rabbeting,
dadoing or resawing cuts. A featherboard
helps to control the workpiece in the event of a
kickback.
Use extra caution when making a cut into
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blind areas of assembled workpieces. The
protruding saw blade may cut objects that can
cause kickback.
Support large panels to minimize the risk
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of saw blade pinching and kickback. Large
panels tend to sag under their own weight.
Support(s) must be placed under all portions
of the panel overhanging the table top.
Use extra caution when cutting a workpiece
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that is twisted, knotted, warped or does not
have a straight edge to guide it with a miter
gauge or along the fence. A warped, knotted,
or twisted workpiece is unstable and causes
misalignment of the kerf with the saw blade,
binding and kickback.
Never cut more than one workpiece,
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stacked vertically or horizontally. The saw
blade could pick up one or more pieces and
cause kickback.
When restarting the saw with the saw
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blade in the workpiece, center the saw
blade in the kerf so that the saw teeth are
not engaged in the material. If the saw blade
binds, it may lift up the workpiece and cause
kickback when the saw is restarted.
Keep saw blades clean, sharp, and with
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sufficient set. Never use warped saw
blades or saw blades with cracked or
broken teeth. Sharp and properly set saw
blades minimize binding, stalling and kickback.
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