Excellent! It would be nice if Canadians were included in these draws. I own a ton of DeWalt tools but DeWalt doesn't seem to care enough to offer us the same courtesy.
Your safety device should never be a crutch to a sense of compliancy, even the micro push block can get you hurt if you take it for granite the key is a clean work place staying alert and focused on what your doing. My dad told me back in the 1960s A table saw or any machine but table saw in this case cuts wood, it also cuts plastic, and metals. I would never run my hand over a running saw blade and use a plastic device to keep me safe, its not as safe as you think. If the saw cuts wood what do you think it will do to plastic?
Thank you for this. I lost three fingers 18 months ago, WITH a push stick and feather boards in place. It was a major manufacturer’s push stick that slipped and caused the pinch/kick-back and and the rotation pulled my hand down. I’m never going to be the same. I’m overly cautious now and woodworking is still my passion. so while I save up for a Sawstop, I’m using a circular saw while I get mentally able to turn the table saw on - or get something newer than my 1970 Unisaw. Thank you for all those who will be saved, yet not know it…just count to 10 on your fingers, you’re one of them. PS - your contest entry page does not work. Thanks again. And I did close my eyes for each inserted vid of kick backs….don’t want to relive the vision of what I saw that Sunday afternoon, EVER.
Tony V you have my greatest sympathy. I've got my finger in a table saw blade twice. I very very fortunate that both injuries were minor. I'm a carpenter by trade and can only imagine how life altering losing three fingers would be.
I’m sorry to hear about your injury. I ended up with a few stitches last year, and while my injury ended up being minor, it really changed the way I operate the table saw.
@ Tony "V" Very sorry that you were so badly injured. Opened my thumb up on my 20 y.o. Unisaw last month. Totally my fault-doing a 45 degree miter on a narrow work piece with the blade way too high. Reached over to keep the work piece tight to the fence and the fleshy part of my thumb found the blade. Docs in the ER could not close the wound-too much meat was gone. Turned down a graft and let it heal slowly. Still coping with PTSD but went back to making sawdust and wood chips a safer and wiser woodworker.
@@Lincolnstww How should a cut be made with a push block if you want say 2" strips? Do you move the fence in each cut or do you set the fence to 2" and use the raised portion of the push block to go on top of the blade?
As a former workplace safety trainer, this is one of the best safety videos I’ve seen in a long time. Due to a combination of advancing years and physical limitations, I’ve mothballed my table saw and now do hand tool woodworking. No matter what tools you use, safety should be your first, last, and constant consideration. Thanks for sharing your insights.
I didn't know people could make a living "teaching" safety to people. It seriously sounds like a job that gets nothing done. If people don't want to wear safety gear or use what you consider to be safety equipment, they don't have to. I personally have always heard that if your head isn't in what you are doing, you shouldn't be doing it. Safety has become a profitable enterprise.
You were a workplace safety owner but don´t tell him that he is making a cut without a blade guard. Well, you must not have been good at your job. Yes, the blade guard is missing during the video and when he makes a cut. A complete NO GO.
Hi from Australia! As a 40 year veteran woodworker, with a beautiful Hammer C31 combi machine, I can attest that your video is the best I’ve seen. You hit every key point and in a very articulate style. You’ve done the amateur woodworking fraternity a great service. And saved hands and fingers. Watchers: do what he says! And think through your cuts before you make them. Nicely presented.
Great video, Jon. This is definitely in the top 5 videos on table saw safety. I briefly worked in a cabinet making factory a few years ago when I was between jobs, and to this day I remember the words of my foreman when he did the table saw induction: "this saw wants to cut your fingers off. Your job is to not let it. Never lose focus and never get distracted. Even if the big boss comes by and wants to talk to you, ignore them until you finish the cut and are safe. Never start a cut if you have something else on your mind. Rather, stop the saw, go for a short walk and come back when your mind is better" He went on to explain that almost all of the accidents he has seen were due to people being distracted, complacent, arrogant, or just tired. Needless to say, his speech made a lasting impression and put a healthy fear and respect in me for table saws.
@Carl Carlssen he did specify the length of the 2x4, obviously a 2x4 was being cut caused a kickback and put a hole in the wall. The length of the 2x4 is irrelevant.
I am a parent and a grand parent and I just wanted to say how glad I am that your child was not hurt. I myself religiously unplug all power tools when not in use, but now I will also start lowering the blade on my table saw. Thank god you had done that. And ANYTHING you need to do to keep your children safe, I am behind you 100%, including buying a Sawstop.
What you talk about at 1:15 is exactly what happened to me in 2020. I was batch-cutting and grabbed an offcut without turning off the saw. It rode up the blade and took my hand with it. After two surgeries, six months of physical therapy, and about $7,500 in out of pocket medical costs, my right hand has no index finger and almost no use of my middle and ring fingers. It's unbelievable how fast and how easily it happens. Still saving for a Sawstop, especially since we now have a toddler running around. Great video, wish I'd seen it three years ago hah.
About 15y ago my late father did similar thing. The wood piece caught the blade and flipped over his hand, smashing it against the table. They had to stick metal rods inside all his fingers and palm bones. After that 3 out of 5 of his fingers never recovered the ability to bend.
I worked with a guy 30 years ago who was doing many small pieces, little blocks and they would build up near the blade. In his complacency he tried to clear them away with his hand but went though the blade rather than around. He now can't close his hand fully and because it cut the bone his hand aches every winter.
That's terrible to hear, but that's a very affordable medical bill for all of that. People that complain about America's Healthcare system don't have a basic comprehension of our insurance system. That 7500 must have been your max out of pocket for that calendar year, so you could have racked up a trillion dollars of doctor visits, surgeries, therapy, medicine, in that 1 year and it only cost you 7500.
I've been looking for a video like this for 5 years and as a woodworker that is entirely self taught this is an incredible resource for table saw safety and proper use. Myself and my 10 fingers can't thank you enough.
Great training video!! As a woodworker of 50+ years, videos of the kickbacks are heart stopping! Learned woodworking in high school and had a job as teachers aid during regular classes as well as the adult night class teaching safety. Was a professional furniture maker and ended up being VP of manufacturing for a 250 person shop. So safety is a big concern. Thanks for the video!!! PEOPLE … pay attention to this man👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I think that it's always a good idea to watch a video like this every once in a while to remind us just how much respect our table saws demand. I read a lot of the comments and they are all good. I would like to add a couple of my own safety procedures. The first one is that I always make sure that the floor in front of the table saw where I am standing is clear of any pieces of wood or built up sawdust that could cause my feet to slip and lose my balance while I'm using the saw. This next one is a personal choice for me and that is I do not have a radio playing when I'm using my table saw. I do not want to find myself listening to the news or singing along with the radio and find my thoughts wandering away from what I'm doing. I want to be 100% focused on the table saw. In fact, I don't have a radio in my shop at all. I also do not feel comfortable if anyone else happens to be in my shop ( which rarely happens anyway ), when I need to use the table saw for any kind of ripping thin pieces or cross cutting a piece that I cannot use my mitre saw for. So far, I still have all of my fingers & thumbs and I sure want to keep it that way.
I absolutely agree on both of those points. I am a tradie, and one of our largest local Construction firms made an absolute rule that there was to be no music played on any of its sites. There was a LOT of whining and complaint, younger guys especially try to cheat, but they were able to prove that they had less accidents. I spoke to one of the OHS guys, and they said it was inarguable, having no music resulted in fewer accidents over a three year period.
I agree about having no distractions while you're using the table song I'm a hundred percent guilty of not having a clear for space in front of me when I'm working a table saw that's one of the things that I am working on thank you for reminding me how much of a dumbass I am
I taught machine shop for many years at a community college. NO MUSIC! I can hear when a machine is being misused with no background noise present. And besides, how could we ever agree on what music to play if it were allowed?
I practice tablesaw safety by never having/using one! Good luck to the fools that think their cabinet shops have to move faster and faster churning out cheapest to sell highest using unskilled labor and tablesaws.
Best advice I ever heard/received about using a tablesaw: If it doesn't feel safe, don't do it! Which is why most serious accidents happen to "experienced" users. Some things that in the beginning of my woodworking career/journey felt very unsafe, now are just things that I am extra cautious about. The processes didn't become any more - or less - safe, my confidence in doing them just increased. Like cutting freehand. Yeah, I know. Something I never would have considered when I first started out. Except one day, on a job site, end of a hot summer's day, one more cut to go and then I can go home and gee whiz golly darn, cobbling together a taper jig would have delayed me ... and all of that thinking led me to the most serious kickback event I've ever experienced. Still have all my digits (thankfully), but I spent that night in my recliner with a frozen bag of peas on my crotch, uncomfortably close to Jim and the Twins. One inch the wrong way, and I would be half a man, as it were. I tell you all that, to say this: You WILL get more comfortable around power tools. You might even decide you've "mastered" said power tools. And you will become too comfortable, be in a hurry, be too tired, and those power tools - especially the tablesaw - will show you that you have "mastered" nothing. The second most important advice I ever received about power tools is this: ALWAYS respect those tools, because if you don't they will make you fear them. Don't make it a fear factor, respect them.
OK, dumb but, I did it anyway.....while working with framing crew I was cross-cutting blocks for joist blocking. The kick was so strong that a block made a hole in the T-111 plywood AFTER bouncing off my elbow. The scar is almost exactly inch and a half....
As a total beginner to woodworking (I only have a circular saw, a jig saw and some drills), this channel has been such a good find. No nonsense, no BS, just great info. I truly appreciate the fact that you spend the time to teach the newbs like me. Thank you again, Jon!
Every time I get ready to use a table saw my situational awareness dials up to DEFCON 1. You’re an excellent teacher. Great presentation. And I fully support your logic regarding the Saw Stop. I had a close call a few years ago; an amateur mistake. I got lulled by that mental ‘zone’ of repetitive batch cutting. I got lucky. But the lesson was never forgotten.
I worked with table saws for years, never really knew the dangers until the last 8 to 10 years with videos like this. I got lucky. I'm much more respectful to the tool now.
I've recently gotten the wood working itch and can honestly say your videos are by far the most entertaining while still being direct and helpful. You and the editor (if it's a different person) are doing a fantastic job with this channel and should be proud. Thanks for the help, stranger!
I began woodworking classes at my local college last week. Despite many years of experience in my own shop, I am required to take the Intro class so as to keep the college’s liability policy in force (And, no, I’m not complaining about that.). Yesterday was the obligatory table saw tour where we talked about kickback, hand placement, push sticks, etc. Your video covers it all so well, replete with illustrative and attention-getting clips, I’m going to share it with the instructor. PS-the college shop has 4 SawStops (the only brand allowed by that liability policy). An hour before the Intro class yesterday, an advanced student set off the brake cartridge on one of them. I had my back turned but heard that distinctive sound. When I looked over, I thought, “Yup, that’s why the college has them and the reason I bought one too.”
Thanks for this video. I am a woodworker from Germany. We learnt all this information in week long trainings in a special school (Gewerbeakademie) with a few machines at a time. Then we got a license and were allowed to take courses for bigger/more dangerous machines. I just realized that there are a lot of people that dont know much about all these safety issues with big and small woodworking machines but literally everyone can buy these machines and do it for a hobby. Kinda crazy to me, this stuff is so dangerous if you dont know what you are doing. If you never had safety instruction courses, educate yourself with videos like that. Its so important. Be safe everyone. 🙏
Similar to people buying cheap welding machines, having little to no training and welding on vehicle frames. It's scary to think some of the vehicles that will be on the road @80 mph here within the next decade. TH-cam is great but also empowers some of the wrong people.
In the US almost every public school has shop class where we also learn this. But not everyone takes it, or takes it seriously, and some schools in cities are have more students than shop space. While there is no license, those classes generally go from beginner to advanced as well usually by semester or year. Its not a lack of availability of the information. Its mainly apathy of people seeing consumer goods readily available and not having an innate sense of how dangerous these tools are by their very nature.
I am a retired high school shop teacher who also worked for years in the millwork industry and I have to say that this is the best tablesaw safety video I have ever seen!
I've used woodworking & industrial tools & machinery for almost 50 years. SAFETY SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED. Safety REFRESHER courses are never a waste of your time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EXCELLENT Presentation young man !!
I am a retired contractor with all my fingers intact. Every time I used my table saw I would always say ," The shiny spinning thing is very dangerous." Thanks for your video. If it saves some fingers, it is well worth it.
Nice job! The older I get and the longer I do woodworking, the more I'm convinced that everyone ,even us old timers, need regular safety training/reminding.
Agreed. I always watch safety videos. Even if I have heard all the horror stories and statements about what causes kickback a million times, one more never hurts.
Many thanks! I've been a DIY'er for 43 years. And performed work professionally in woodworking, industrial, electrical, electro-mechanical, electronics, and now currently IT. Safety is always at the top of my list. And I still have all 10 fingers & toes to prove it!
I've been watching woodworking videos for years now, learning all sorts of stuff in theory, but never putting it to use. This week, I finally bought a used DeWalt jobsite table saw, and I'm excited about all of the options that it will open up for me. I have watched plenty of videos about proper table saw use and safety, and I really thought I knew everything I needed to know in order to start using my saw - until I watched this video. It's possible I may have injured myself early on if I hadn't watched this. Or even been too casual about storing the saw within reach of my five curious children. Thank you so much, John. I am a lifelong guitar player with no plans of stopping, and you may have legitimately saved me a future life of grief. I'll be buying a microjig pushblock, riving knife, and blade guard before I even fire up this saw for the first time. And I'll reconsider the idea of just upgrading to a SawStop product. I can probably afford to anyway, considering how much I'll need to be using a table saw for the projects I'm starting. God bless!
Absolute perfect timing. I just bought the DeWalt 8 1/4 inch table saw in December and experienced my first binding of the blade yesterday on a 2x4. I had never felt it squeeze like that. The wedge you put in between the cut looks like a great idea. Top notch video, once again
With these very nice DeWalt saws, Take your time to dial in the riving knife!!!! It's really tricky, I had to void my warranty by adding carefully measured and lapped (sanding) shim plates and longer M5 screws, AND grind the mounting grooves on the riving knife to ensure that it can be adjusted correctly in relation to the blade. It was refusing to be properly aligned with the width of the kerf (once locked into position) at all heights.
I really appreciate the direct way you show how injuries can happen and the realistic expectations of a spectrum of tools. Your editing quality combined with no loud annoying joke segments make this an easy watch. Will def be checking out your dust collection video and other videos. Thanks for your work!
These tips are fantastic!! As a new woodworker, these are gold!! I grew up with woodworking tools, but only because my dad was a woodworker. I did things now and then, and I'm glad that I learned some good practices, but now it's even more important for me because I'm the one doing the work now. Thank you so much!!
I have huge respect for my table saw. And still catch myself making minor safety mistakes. It's never led to an accident, but every time I reflect and think "that was a near miss" (I work in a hazard-free mindset workplace). I am nearing the point financially where a Saw Stop might be my next big purchase. Your video sure gave me a reason to prioritize it.
Every new woodworker should see this video. Absolutely the best rational approach to safety I have seen. Absolutely agree that a SawStop is appropriate if you have little ones that can access your shop--even if those "little ones" are 17 years old. Maybe especially if they are 17 years old.
Hello, I just noticed one major safety rule that it seems you're breaking when using a table saw. A woodworking teacher gave me the following rule many years ago: when using a table saw, always remove your ring and all jewel you’re wearing. This rule is also true for any power tool like a miter saw or a press drill but it is most crucial for a table saw, especially the ring. As the ring (or other jewel) is made of metal (and yes gold is soft but still), if your hand would ever come to ride over the blade, it could pull your whole hand and arm into the blade… thus potentially transforming a relatively minor cut into a very severe injury.
Decades ago, I worked in a development lab and fabrication shop for one of the Fortune 5 technical companies. The rule about removing all jewelry before using power tools was strictly enforced. We also had to remove our neckties.......... 🙂
Yeah, it also made me laugh that he is doing this whole video wearing a hoodie with the big tassles hanging down. I know he isn't wearing it to work in, but it's still funny.
This has been one of the hardest videos I've watched in a long time, but it needs to be. Table saw accidents can be avoided. I've been fortunate never to (knocking on wood) have had any serious injuries after 8 years. I've screwed up many projects, but fortunately, that has never resulted in injury, unless you count pride. Thanks for the video and the Dewalt offer :-)
Glad you put such an emphasis on pushback. Every table saw injury I have had was from pushback & it seems to be the most common types of table saw injuries from my research. The visceral images you showed of how quick it is were great!
Thanks for this video. I am just getting started in woodworking projects. I have been using a inexpensive table saw Ian compound miter saw have had for may years. I have been trying to keep in mind where my hands are. This video brings out several other issues I need to be aware of. AT 68 i don't need to loose anymore body parts.
Great video! I will add one thing to watch out for that I never hear mentioned...adjustment of the throat plate. Several years ago I had experienced a few kick-backs apparently for no reason before I realized what was happening. Fortunately, I was using safe practices otherwise (push-sticks and not standing in line with the blade) so I was not injured. I was making narrow rip cuts and each time I would feed the work piece about a foot, the piece would just grab and kick back. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was happening, so I slowly fed a piece with the saw off. It turns out my throat plate was adjusted incorrectly so that it was slightly lower at the back, just a hair lower than the surface of the saw table. It was hardly enough to notice but just enough that the work piece would catch the radius at the back of the blade cut-out and ride right into the back of the blade. Half a turn of the 2 rear adjustment screws and it hasn't happened since. Obviously, now it's one of the first things I check on the saw before using it, especially when doing narrow rip cuts.
Thank you for this. I'm just getting started in woodworking, and from this video I've learned of one stupid mistake I'm making (table-sawing cupped boards) which could have endangered my life and the lives of my family. I had no idea that could result in kickback, and I have you to thank for correcting me. This is the first video of yours I've watched, but it won't be the last. Calm waters and fair winds, my friend.
I don't do woodwork in general so I learned a lot from this video. I have a crappy benchtop saw that I rarely use. I also volunteer at a high school that has a SawStop and on the rare occasion where I've had to use it, I must say, what a pure pleasure it is to use that machine. If I was in the market for a proper table saw, I can't imagine buying anything else.
I’m not a noob or expert and wanted to say thanks for an excellent video. I had a close call early on and my respect and safety increased greatly. This has only increased my awareness and I will be even safer! Again, thanks🙏🏻✌️
I'm a very amateur woodworker and I got a very cheap table saw a few months ago. When I only used it a few times on a weekend it felt like my risk was pretty manageable. As I started to use it every other day for projects and saw a lot more videos/comments of people being saved by a sawstop, I decided to no longer take the risk. I bought the sawstop compact table saw the other week and the peace of mind alone has made it worth it.
Nothing scarier than a wandering toddler. Plus, all our dangerous tools have big, bright push buttons right at eye level! I used to throw the breakers when my kids were little, and also shut off the propane tank at the grill.
My story was, I was about to rip a long piece of timber - goggles on , hearing protection on - dust extraction running, outfeed roller in place - push stick in hand. Ready ! (I hate ripping long pieces) and then I glance down to my left to see a teddy bear and two gigantic big eyes peering up from under the left wing of my table saw. My, then, 2 year old had heard Daddy in the garage, grabbed teddy, went out the back door, around the house and snuck into the garage just as I may have had my back turned (the garage was a bit cluttered) and then placed herself under the wing of the saw...... the thought still makes my heart skip ! she's now 17 but I still can remember those big eyes peering up at me...
For me, the most dangerous part of using my table saw is between repeated cuts. When I'm making a cut I'm always hyper focused on all the best practices, but then when I'm moving away the offcuts or loading up the next cut is when I find I'm not as aware. I've never injured myself but my push stick has some scarring as a result of carelessness between cuts.
I just did the same and caught my finger. I got so lucky that it was just the edge and have no permanent damage. It almost when you think you can't hit rather than when actually making the cut.
For small repeated cuts, like say I've got to make 10 3 inch pieces of 1x2 or something...I'm using the miter saw. It's so much less likely to kick back or pull your hand into the work.
Your opening statement, plus experiences in high school wood shop class (mid 1960's), is exactly why I never have and never will own a table saw. I can work much more safely with my Radial Arm Saw (RAS) that I bought in the mid-to-late 1970's. With the RAS and a track saw, I can do everything that can be done on a table saw, and as or more safely. The tracksaw is mostly for safely breaking down panels. Never ever even THINK about doing that on a RAS! For the record I still have all of my "original equipment" body parts, and the only scars are from hand tools or non-woodworking incidents. There is an old video on youtube showing workers doing absolutely insane things with radial arm saws and other power tools. It is an excellent example of things to NOT EVER do on a RAS or any other tool. If anyone watches it, it is very important to know when it was filmed. It dates from the 1940's and the last vestiges of the Great Depression. In a factory, you did what you were told to do and how you were told to do it. If you didn't, fine - there are 10 or 20 people outside the fence who would happily do your job, so collect your pay envelope on the way out.
Loved your video! I started my table saw experience with a huge pucker moment when the job site saw, that I bought used, had the fence up and move mid cut. Needless to say, unplugged it and got rid of it. However, my college age kids sometimes use my tools, so after researching it, I decided to get a SawStop. As I told my wife, it's about a thousand dollars more than an equivalent saw, so over 10 years that's about a $100 a year insurance policy. It's only gone off once when our mitre gauge was misadjusted and barely nicked the blade. Like I told my daughter when we looked at the slight nip in the paint, "well, we know the SawStop works!" Thanks for the great information you included!
Another good video, Jon. My wife insisted on sawstop over 10 years ago because I also play guitar and she didn't want me risk losing a finger. I've never had a break activation and hopefully I never will.
I work in a metal fabrication facility and the table saw in the back corner of the building is by far the most dangerous piece of equipment that they don't want anyone but a few to use. It actually amazes me how they are still as common as they are. edit- the table saw is for the one off wood fixtures etc. that we make in house.
Excellent video! I setup my sawstop 10 years ago like yours - a cast iron extension with a 3 hp router installed. I have had to replace the cartridge twice - once for wet lumber, and once that prevented loss of fingers! As an amateur I usually use a blade guard. Also as an amateur, I love videos as a refresher to remind me of safety practices!
A word of congratulations for your well reasoned and presented tutorial. As a retired woodworker and sometime tech and teacher of college students in wood and metal working and shop safety, I think that you give a lot of info, not just how but why. And the brief examples of things gone wrong are tasteful and yet very impactful. Thanks for taking on the task! Let me draw your attention to a little nitpick, though. At 7:30 you begin discussing the aspect ratio and cutting oversquare stock against the rip fence, mentioning your own comfort with a little wide aspect cutting. In your example though, the actual cut is not an oversquare cut, it is square and within the rule of thumb for a piece that size. A confident neophyte might, with that same piece of stock, want to trim it to length taking only a sliver with an aspect ratio considerably outside the rule of thumb, and more hazardous. All the best!
Those accident inserts really drive the points home, even if they don't show any major accidents. I've always been terrified of my table saw, and I'm still terrified after watching this video.
@9:40 I use the blade guard primarily because it helps with dust collection. The added safety is a bonus. And as you noted in the beginning, batching out is really dangerous when your mind drifts. And thank you for the gratuitous kickback vids. :) They were fun to watch but the one where the guys hand got (almost) pulled into the blade was hard to watch, YIKES! This is why I've always wanted to have a metal plated Gripper. And @10:12, I use the mag featherboard and it's so easy to use the I find myself using it most of the time. It's much easier than featherboards that have to sit in the miter slot.
Riving knife - required. Magswitch featherboard - Ditto! Paired with board buddies or jess'm stock guides is even better. Gripper - I'm NOT a fan as it almost requires you to remove the blade guard (for the ones that go over the blade).
The constant cutaway to the people improperly using their table saws was very effective! Also, hearing your story about your kid turning on your saw accidentally gives me great perspective. I currently use a community shop that has two sawstops, and was already planning to get one when I built my own shop. But the realization that my daughter will one day want to try using my tools just reaffirms my plan to buy a SawStop when I build my own shop.
You didn't notice that in just about all of the clips, the people were using the saw carelessly or foolishly - almost all without the blade guard? A simple leather apron would probably mitigate the dangers of any kickback for those times when you do have a legit accident...but most of the injuries stem from people rushing (for no good reason) or making cuts that would better be done with another tool. The sawstop mechanism can be triggered from static, which can build up if you ever try cutting materials like acrylic or composite materials that contain some kind of foam. The mechanism will often damage/destroy the blade and you'll have to replace both the blade and the stop mechanism.
I've made my mistakes over the years and learned to be smarter. But when I decided to go for new saw I ultimately went with Sawstop 36 and love it . Great setup
It is not a bad idea to leave master switches powered off or machines unplugged (or both) if there is a chance that children can access the workshop without your being there. That's my routine when the grandkids come to visit. Plugs pulled, master switches off, doors locked.
@@alphaforce6998, you can make no argument that a Saw Stop or similar machine should not be used routinely. People should work more intelligently and more safely, agreed. Depriving them or anyone else using the equipment from protection when they do not is a ridiculous conceit. Kick back injuries are not only from impact, but also may drag a digit into the blade. Saw Stop makes good provision for conveniently disabling the feature when conducting operations likely to trigger the cartridge. One proper deployment of the feature will pay for countless false triggerings, even so. In fact, the amount of money that accident victims are out of pocket usually exceeds the cost of a top-of-the-line Saw Stop, plus all the other machinery you are likely to have in a shop, commercial or amateur. Not even considering lost wages, or the possibility of not being able to return to your line of work. Car crashes are vastly more survivable in current times not only because of mandated active and passive safety equipment, but also because the design of cars has sensibly changed to absorb the energies while providing a non-penetrable safety cell in the cockpit. In any industry, change costs money, and is therefore resisted by the manufacturers and even some users. Just like the Saw Stop. Knock off trying to convince people that they would be better off without one.
@@leehaelters6182 I'm sure you'd encase yourself in thousands of dollars of protective gear if you had the balls to ride a motorcycle, thinking that you're "safer" when in reality it increases the chance that you will be in some kind of collision. Why? Because you suffer drastic reduction in visibility, situational awareness, and the stiffness of the suit makes you slower to react quickly if need be. Likewise, a saw stop will cause you to feel safer taking "risks" and doing cuts that you would otherwise not do, because you believe your safe even if you do slip up. Saw stop will do nothing for kickback type events because these usually do not involve you touching the blade...and if your fingers were that close to the blade or you were doing something stupid like using the saw without a blade guard and anti-kickback pawls then it was user error yet again, and not something that some safety gimmick would address. It seems to me like you truly embraced fear and felt the need to drop $5K+ on a saw you probably use once every few months. Good for you. The points I raised in my response still stand, because just about every example showed poor practices and foolish attempts to make cuts that are not appropriate for a table saw.
I finally purchased my first SawStop last year when I turned 80 yo. Although I loved my 35 yo Rigid I found with age I was, and I hate to say this, getting careless, or forgetful, or lazy...not sure which and I was getting uneasy in my own shop. So I made the leap into the world of SawStop. I love the saw not just for it being safer (no table saw is completely safe), but because it makes some of the most precise cuts I've ever achieved in my years of woodworking. Great presentation and spot on with your comments. Enjoy the channel.
Ive rarely used table saws but this video certainly makes an extremely dangerous operation controllable. I’ve always been around rotating tools and have great respect for them but complacency can tap anyone on the shoulder. Thanks very much for some serious reflection on bad habits. Take care from Australia
For those of us who will probably never be able to realistically afford a SawStop, there is a light at the end of the tunnel: the patents for SawStop's proprietary safety design will likely expire around 2026. Hopefully around this time the Competition Machine will begin to kick into gear with other companies and they can manufacturer their own versions of this tech (like what happened with the Bosch jobsite saw that SawStop sued against), meaning the novelty premium will likely disappear. Still, it's no guarantee and quite a ways away, so let's just keep being careful until then.
SawStop just recently released their job site saw that retails at $899. Nowhere near the price of the dewalt contractor saw, but it could be more attainable for some. I recently bit the bullet and purchased and it has been worth every penny. It's extremely well made and has the same safety technology as the rest of the SawStop line up. Again it's not a price point for everyone, but almost $1k cheaper than their next saw it should invite many more hobbyist into using a table saw with peace of mind.
@@crmyersdesigns8961 A fair point, but its also not just about the cost of the saw, but the cost of the safety cartridges as well. A SawStop replacement cartridge runs nearly $100, plus you need a completely different model of cartridge for 10" blades and 8" dado stacks (one will not work with the other and the liability & warranty disclaimers consider this). True, a bill is a small price to pay for a finger, but taking humidity misfires into account will also make this add up quite a bit over time.
@@Rycel2001 I’ve had a sawstop for 10yrs. I routinely cut hardwoods, plastics, aluminum, and wet pine directly off my sawmill. I’ve yet to trip the saw/replace a cartridge. I know far too many experienced carpenters and woodworkers with missing fingers.
It's been soooo long since I've used a table saw, and this video is a great safety refresher! Those real life kick-back reference videos gave me such anxiety though, lol
I was taught to stand off to the side a little when using the table saw to reduce the risk of kickback injuries. As I began to watch more woodworking channels, I was amazed at how many woodworkers don’t do it. I still am.
Who ever taught you was wrong. Standing to the side can cause twisting, which can cause a kick back. Proper technique is square to the table, pressed up to it and leaning in.
100% with you. I've wired a 2nd stop button onto the side of mine for this reason. Safer, easier, better results. Not sure why the other comment wrote about twist etc, maybe they've never used a table saw?
@@JustinShaedo 20+ year cabinet maker. ✋🤚. All 10 fingers. Rule #1, never take safety advice from someone with missing fingers. Rule #2, it is far safer to be fully squares to the table saw and behind and over the piece. It's a body mechanics thing. If you stand to the side, your body is naturally twisting. Like throwing a ball, shooting a rifle, etc, if not done properly, you start twisting unnaturally, causing the piece to twist. You will have kickbacks, you have to take them. Sounds strange, but apart from not pushing the piece through, cutting a twisted piece, using 2 fences, or working behind the blade, how you stand is what causes kickbacks. But, you can call me an asshole and ignore. You'll remember me when you're digging your fingers out of a dustbin. 🤷
Interesting, I never stand to the side. Larger pieces, especially, i feel safer standing square to the table so i can assure im pushing the wood against the fence the entire way through
A major issue is with the table saw design. Go look at the top end European models. They are designed to be stood alongside and they tend to be a lot more safety conscious over there. I built my own DIY table saw to see for myself, where I stand to the left with the fence between myself and the blade, with the blade on the right side with extra depth to the table. By hooking my thumbs on the fence, it's impossible for my hands to get near the blade in most instances, and it's a stretch to get them that close when doing thinner rips. Tabletop saws are a cheapest viable product, and the high end American saws are just over-engineered versions of that bad design. I'm not saying my DIY saw is perfect, but I looked at the body mechanics of what led to other people I personally witnessed send their hands into table saws and came up with a saw design that works for me. I'm certain smarter and better funded people than myself can make much better designs. Sadly, most people want something cheap so they can do things the way grandpappy did. As long as you maintain sufficient pressure on the board against the table and fence, I don't see how your body could cause the board to 'twist'. If you never put yours hands near the danger zone and your body is completely out of the way of a kickback, then you aren't going to get injured. With prices these days I'd imagine one hospital visit costs more than a couple truckloads of wood, so I'd rather ruin some boards in pursuit of better ways of doing things. I too still have all of my fingers, and so do the people that I have seen cut themselves and go to the hospital. That's not the gold standard of table saw safety.
What a good video, the first in years that perfectly explains what not to do on a table saw, I congratulate you since it is the only tutorial that explains exactly what should not be done on a saw. I really congratulate you and thank you for the material
The best safety device is your brain. If it's not safe, find another way to cut it. This was great video! I've seen way too many examples on YT where people were doing all types of risky behavior with a table saw. As good as the SawStop is, their safety mechanism won't save you from kickback. Yes it's saved countless injuries and trips to the ER, but it's no replacement for common sense.
Jon thank you for making such thorough videos! It’s obvious that you really put your time into them to make them right and provide maximum value to your viewers. I think you hit all the pertinent points! I also (try to remember to) put my blade down and unplug my saw before leaving the shop, but sometimes I forget. It definitely makes me lean more toward upgrading to a SawStop, even just for the fact that my kids come in my shop sometimes too... Also, I remember from an IG Live a while ago you were talking to someone about smart safety systems to limit tool use for unwanted users of tools (i.e. curious kids or weird shop guests)... did you ever do anything more with that?
This video was a gift. I've only been into this hobby for about 4 years, but I picked up some really valuable information. Thanks and take care. Darcy.
I’m not in the US so can’t win the saw, but this was a fantastic video. Had a few close calls myself and felt sick watching those clips. Really appreciate you making the vid and those tips will hopefully save me some nasty injuries in future
Why does he have the Grripper in the thumbnail, next to a comment about how many injuries it causes per year and then show himself using it several times in the video, without explaining the contradiction?
Click bait. Basically, “wait, why is that in the thumbnail? I use one of those every day! Are they not safe? I’d better watch this video and find out!!! ” Boom got em. It’s super lame and I actively avoid channels that try to deceive/scare people into clicks. So in my case, he got a click (and now a comment), but potentially lost a subscriber. I’m sure it will still work in his favor though because the average TH-camr tends to eat up garbage like this and reward these kind of slimy tactics.
@YeahButStilll The counterpoint is it might clickbait a large number of people into watching a video on how to safely/properly use a table saw. Maybe he loses a few subscribers, but maybe some of those people remember a single tip that one day saves their fingers.
You did the right thing. Most parents would simply scold the child and keep on with the same saw. I for one give you a great deal of credit, because accidents happen in a flash. Great Job Sir and once again thank you for sharing.
Great, great video!...after 40 years of woodworking I've have a few close calls (kick backs) but still have all my digits! Safety is Number 1 in my shop. Thankx for the reminder!!!
I came to comment on how brilliant of a safety video this is only to see how many agreed. I, like many others, who have been at this for 40+ years and managed to nip off about 3/16" of my left thumb in December. This video gave me lots to think about. Rock On
Your statement around the 14:00 mark is spot on: someone who won't upgrade to a safer machine for reasons of pride is not someone you can have a reasonable conversation with. (paraphrased). How very true. No, we don't need the most expensive saw or the one with all the bells and whistles to be safer or a better woodworker. People did fine for hundreds of years without that technology. However, to say it's foolish is like cutting off your arm to spite your hand. It's just plain stupid. And NO, you're not a bad parent. Accidents are just as you said they are....ACCIDENTS. We can do everything possible for safety, but things still can happen. We do the best we can. Never judge a person by their weakest moment. Be that as it may, I thoroughly enjoy your channel! I'm new to woodworking, so everything I can learn is great stuff! Thank you so much for all you bring to the table(saw).
Thanks for the video. I’ve used a table saw for at least 50 years, and worked in a wood shop for 20 of those years. Accidents do happen. And the adage applied to pilots is applicable: There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.
I'm a beginner woodworker, and after using a rusty old craftsman table saw for a year, my family pitched in to get me the sawstop instead of the Dewalt. I initially thought it might have been a waste of money as I'm very safety conscious, but Watching this video makes me so grateful all over again that they helped me out.
Some 60 years ago working as an apprentice one of the machinists in our saw shop told me "always stand to the left of the line of the cut on the saw bench. If there is a kick back it will go past you rather than collide with you. All the men wore a leather apron, on the rare occasion a cutter on the spindle molder came loose it would not penetrate the leather. remember this was 60 years ago and the machines had been around a long time. Good safety info on this video stay safe
This was a great video, very honest about the safety we all need to take seriously, especially with those pucker inducing accidents. I have family and friends that have had severe finger injuries from table saws. Always take a second before you turn on your saw to ask yourself "am I doing anything stupid"; "how can this go wrong". Using the riving knife every time is probably the first 'must have' safety feature, it practically eliminates many of the accidents you show. Don't put your hand behind the blade. Don't ride your hand over the blade with a cut year the fence. Don't cut small parts. Finally, use the right tool for the job, we often use table saws for the wrong cut. Once I bought a bandsaw I found myself using it so much more often because it's inherently safer. The most dangerous cuts on a table saw shouldn't be done on a table saw, they're meant for a bandsaw (think re-sawing). You might not have money or space for a bandsaw, but if you do, it is a safety purchase as much as it is a new capability for your shop.
I am a really green beginner woodworker but this is the best and most informative video I have ever seen on wood shop safety. Thank you so much and I am looking fwd to any and all of your videos that I can find.
Young man you are blessed to understand your priorities, what's very important . Your work is second to none may God continue to bless you and your family outstanding job great attitude great idea's
Wowsy! This is the most worthwhile woodworking video I’ve ever seen! I didn’t even know some of those things could happen. Sobering to say the least! Thank you.
I've been getting prepared to build out my small shop, and have been going back and forth over what table saw to get, and whether or not I really wanted to save for a Sawstop. I'm an adult, I'm cautious, especially this early in I'm incredibly careful of anything I do. However, as you said, accidents are just that. I also have kids, especially a younger one, and that's kind of the nightmare scenario. So you have sold me and I'd rather just save and get started later, with an extra layer protection, then buy something that I can get started with now, but without that extra protection. Great video, it's much appreciated!
One of the best videos about safety and hasard using a table saw 👍🏽 I ve Seen it several times on my feed, Watched it every time, that’s a good reminder
Just the right amount of info, video, and advise. I'm a homeowner who does light carpentry and house stuff and like to be reminded every once in a while about issues like this. As you mentioned, complacency is a trap we all fall into and a reminder of the basics is one of the best ways of staying out of the trap
Glad that I found this video, great explanation and a LOT of tips that could prevent our fingers to be little sausages flying around the shop. Thanks brother, God bless you, your family and your business! 🤝🏻
What an excellent video. As a UK DIY'er and small time wood items business owner, I found it very useful. When I bought my folding table saw (Evolution Rage5s) I did buy the Microjig Grr-Ripper push block. But that doesn't cure stupidity! A friend asked me to cut an 8x4x1/4" MDF board into strips around 6" across the 4ft side. I cut the board in half, leaving two 4x4's. And that is where the stupidity kicked in! The first few cuts went well and all was right with the world, but I had forgotten two important things. 1. Blade guard. 2. Push block. Anyhoo, I was getting to the last cut of the first board and used a push stick (supplied with the saw, like the one you threw over your shoulder) to feed the board and my left hand to push the board towards the fence. MDF is slippery! Mu hand slipped and my little finger just touched the side of the blade. It caught on the side of the cutting teeth. It took off flesh and bled quite a bit, but I still have my finger, even if it is a different shape! They say you can't cure stupid, but I disagree! That certainly cured me!
I should also say that your video has a lot of very useful information. Especially the proper way to push a piece through the blade. Where to push and where not to push.
Thanks! I just bought my first table saw and it scares me rigid. That’s a good thing. But fear without knowledge won’t get you far in an instantaneous situation. Thanks to this video I’m much more clued up AND inspired to keep watching and creating a safety checklist for another couple of weeks before I use that thing!
Thumbs up, this is the best video I have seen on saw safety and resulting effects of what can happen when hands meet the metal. And I speak from experience. My saw went out the door shortly after my return home from my 5 day stay at the hospital. Saw accidents create life altering affects. 60,000 is just the states, consider the world wide numbers.
Thank you so much for making this video. You did a fantastic job of categorizing different risks that many of us amateurs (and I'm confident far too many professionals) weren't aware enough of, and then immediately explaining simple ways to mitigate those dangers. Great content. Love the channel.
I'm a metalworkers machinist and don't use this type of machine very often but I find the table saw the most daunting of all machines. It's the shear speed at which accidents tend to occur. Thank you for sharing this video and the safety information. I will still be as apprehensive of the table saw but at least I can minimise risk and maximise safety.
Great video at all levels! Your comments around "batch cutting" brought back some vivid memories and a lesson in kick-back.. Respect and grateful for your video. Regards Mark (South Africa)
Congratulations to Paul R from Michigan on winning the table saw! Don't worry we will have more giveaways on future videos!
Excellent! It would be nice if Canadians were included in these draws. I own a ton of DeWalt tools but DeWalt doesn't seem to care enough to offer us the same courtesy.
@@acreguy3156 well ya you use funny dollars.
@@bobbg9041 Perhaps but we still have to work hard for them, as we increase DeWalt's profits every year.
Your safety device should never be a crutch to a sense of compliancy, even the micro push block can get you hurt if you take it for granite the key is a clean work place staying alert and focused on what your doing.
My dad told me back in the 1960s
A table saw or any machine but table saw in this case cuts wood, it also cuts plastic, and metals.
I would never run my hand over a running saw blade and use a plastic device to keep me safe, its not as safe as you think.
If the saw cuts wood what do you think it will do to plastic?
Your hands should never get even with the front of blade. Never.
Thank you for this. I lost three fingers 18 months ago, WITH a push stick and feather boards in place. It was a major manufacturer’s push stick that slipped and caused the pinch/kick-back and and the rotation pulled my hand down. I’m never going to be the same. I’m overly cautious now and woodworking is still my passion. so while I save up for a Sawstop, I’m using a circular saw while I get mentally able to turn the table saw on - or get something newer than my 1970 Unisaw. Thank you for all those who will be saved, yet not know it…just count to 10 on your fingers, you’re one of them. PS - your contest entry page does not work. Thanks again. And I did close my eyes for each inserted vid of kick backs….don’t want to relive the vision of what I saw that Sunday afternoon, EVER.
Hope your digits got sown bacon on - fucking ouch - respect man.
Wasn’t making a joke, stupid auto speller - hope your fingers where able to be sown back on - cheers and good luck dude.
Tony V you have my greatest sympathy. I've got my finger in a table saw blade twice. I very very fortunate that both injuries were minor. I'm a carpenter by trade and can only imagine how life altering losing three fingers would be.
I’m sorry to hear about your injury. I ended up with a few stitches last year, and while my injury ended up being minor, it really changed the way I operate the table saw.
@ Tony "V" Very sorry that you were so badly injured. Opened my thumb up on my 20 y.o. Unisaw last month. Totally my fault-doing a 45 degree miter on a narrow work piece with the blade way too high. Reached over to keep the work piece tight to the fence and the fleshy part of my thumb found the blade. Docs in the ER could not close the wound-too much meat was gone. Turned down a graft and let it heal slowly. Still coping with PTSD but went back to making sawdust and wood chips a safer and wiser woodworker.
Dude. That was the scariest, most informative and comprehensive guide to tables away. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Yup. First one that actually gave me the chills.
That clip from blacktail studios!!
just imagine that 2x4 flying back right into your balls at 100mph.
@@Lincolnstww How should a cut be made with a push block if you want say 2" strips? Do you move the fence in each cut or do you set the fence to 2" and use the raised portion of the push block to go on top of the blade?
Non pretentious, no bull, straight to the point, no fluff... excellent video, subscribed!
Thank you - much appreciated
As a former workplace safety trainer, this is one of the best safety videos I’ve seen in a long time. Due to a combination of advancing years and physical limitations, I’ve mothballed my table saw and now do hand tool woodworking. No matter what tools you use, safety should be your first, last, and constant consideration. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Thank you very much
_Every second of every day!_
I wear my specs and ear plugs when I weedeat my lawn...
For the exact same reason _I don't stick my thingy in Crazy!_
Ya, youtube monkey, see Monkey, most do bad and poor shop habits! Good video and discussion here! Well done!
I didn't know people could make a living "teaching" safety to people. It seriously sounds like a job that gets nothing done. If people don't want to wear safety gear or use what you consider to be safety equipment, they don't have to. I personally have always heard that if your head isn't in what you are doing, you shouldn't be doing it. Safety has become a profitable enterprise.
You were a workplace safety owner but don´t tell him that he is making a cut without a blade guard. Well, you must not have been good at your job.
Yes, the blade guard is missing during the video and when he makes a cut. A complete NO GO.
Hi from Australia! As a 40 year veteran woodworker, with a beautiful Hammer C31 combi machine, I can attest that your video is the best I’ve seen. You hit every key point and in a very articulate style.
You’ve done the amateur woodworking fraternity a great service. And saved hands and fingers. Watchers: do what he says! And think through your cuts before you make them.
Nicely presented.
Me in nsw
Great video, Jon. This is definitely in the top 5 videos on table saw safety.
I briefly worked in a cabinet making factory a few years ago when I was between jobs, and to this day I remember the words of my foreman when he did the table saw induction: "this saw wants to cut your fingers off. Your job is to not let it. Never lose focus and never get distracted. Even if the big boss comes by and wants to talk to you, ignore them until you finish the cut and are safe. Never start a cut if you have something else on your mind. Rather, stop the saw, go for a short walk and come back when your mind is better"
He went on to explain that almost all of the accidents he has seen were due to people being distracted, complacent, arrogant, or just tired.
Needless to say, his speech made a lasting impression and put a healthy fear and respect in me for table saws.
Agreed! 👍
My HS shop teacher had a similar lecture. What I remember more was the big hole in the wall behind the saw caused by a kick-back with a length of 2x4.
@@timpurcell2717 A 2x4 doesnt tell the length of a board....
@Carl Carlssen he did specify the length of the 2x4, obviously a 2x4 was being cut caused a kickback and put a hole in the wall. The length of the 2x4 is irrelevant.
Thank you!
I am a parent and a grand parent and I just wanted to say how glad I am that your child was not hurt. I myself religiously unplug all power tools when not in use, but now I will also start lowering the blade on my table saw. Thank god you had done that. And ANYTHING you need to do to keep your children safe, I am behind you 100%, including buying a Sawstop.
What you talk about at 1:15 is exactly what happened to me in 2020. I was batch-cutting and grabbed an offcut without turning off the saw. It rode up the blade and took my hand with it. After two surgeries, six months of physical therapy, and about $7,500 in out of pocket medical costs, my right hand has no index finger and almost no use of my middle and ring fingers. It's unbelievable how fast and how easily it happens. Still saving for a Sawstop, especially since we now have a toddler running around.
Great video, wish I'd seen it three years ago hah.
OMG! 😱😰 I'm so sorry that happened to you. Wishing you all the best in your recovery.
About 15y ago my late father did similar thing. The wood piece caught the blade and flipped over his hand, smashing it against the table. They had to stick metal rods inside all his fingers and palm bones. After that 3 out of 5 of his fingers never recovered the ability to bend.
Oh man! YIKES!! I turned my saw off but didn’t wait for it to stop spinning. Missing half my ring finger now 🤕
I worked with a guy 30 years ago who was doing many small pieces, little blocks and they would build up near the blade. In his complacency he tried to clear them away with his hand but went though the blade rather than around. He now can't close his hand fully and because it cut the bone his hand aches every winter.
That's terrible to hear, but that's a very affordable medical bill for all of that. People that complain about America's Healthcare system don't have a basic comprehension of our insurance system. That 7500 must have been your max out of pocket for that calendar year, so you could have racked up a trillion dollars of doctor visits, surgeries, therapy, medicine, in that 1 year and it only cost you 7500.
I've been looking for a video like this for 5 years and as a woodworker that is entirely self taught this is an incredible resource for table saw safety and proper use. Myself and my 10 fingers can't thank you enough.
Great training video!! As a woodworker of 50+ years, videos of the kickbacks are heart stopping! Learned woodworking in high school and had a job as teachers aid during regular classes as well as the adult night class teaching safety. Was a professional furniture maker and ended up being VP of manufacturing for a 250 person shop. So safety is a big concern. Thanks for the video!!!
PEOPLE … pay attention to this man👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I think that it's always a good idea to watch a video like this every once in a while to remind us just how much respect our table saws demand. I read a lot of the comments and they are all good. I would like to add a couple of my own safety procedures. The first one is that I always make sure that the floor in front of the table saw where I am standing is clear of any pieces of wood or built up sawdust that could cause my feet to slip and lose my balance while I'm using the saw. This next one is a personal choice for me and that is I do not have a radio playing when I'm using my table saw. I do not want to find myself listening to the news or singing along with the radio and find my thoughts wandering away from what I'm doing. I want to be 100% focused on the table saw. In fact, I don't have a radio in my shop at all. I also do not feel comfortable if anyone else happens to be in my shop ( which rarely happens anyway ), when I need to use the table saw for any kind of ripping thin pieces or cross cutting a piece that I cannot use my mitre saw for.
So far, I still have all of my fingers & thumbs and I sure want to keep it that way.
I absolutely agree on both of those points. I am a tradie, and one of our largest local Construction firms made an absolute rule that there was to be no music played on any of its sites. There was a LOT of whining and complaint, younger guys especially try to cheat, but they were able to prove that they had less accidents. I spoke to one of the OHS guys, and they said it was inarguable, having no music resulted in fewer accidents over a three year period.
I agree about having no distractions while you're using the table song I'm a hundred percent guilty of not having a clear for space in front of me when I'm working a table saw that's one of the things that I am working on thank you for reminding me how much of a dumbass I am
I taught machine shop for many years at a community college. NO MUSIC! I can hear when a machine is being misused with no background noise present. And besides, how could we ever agree on what music to play if it were allowed?
I practice tablesaw safety by never having/using one! Good luck to the fools that think their cabinet shops have to move faster and faster churning out cheapest to sell highest using unskilled labor and tablesaws.
Yeah okay bud we are sure you are a master craftsman😂😂😂@@bruceh4833
Best advice I ever heard/received about using a tablesaw: If it doesn't feel safe, don't do it! Which is why most serious accidents happen to "experienced" users. Some things that in the beginning of my woodworking career/journey felt very unsafe, now are just things that I am extra cautious about. The processes didn't become any more - or less - safe, my confidence in doing them just increased. Like cutting freehand. Yeah, I know. Something I never would have considered when I first started out. Except one day, on a job site, end of a hot summer's day, one more cut to go and then I can go home and gee whiz golly darn, cobbling together a taper jig would have delayed me ... and all of that thinking led me to the most serious kickback event I've ever experienced. Still have all my digits (thankfully), but I spent that night in my recliner with a frozen bag of peas on my crotch, uncomfortably close to Jim and the Twins. One inch the wrong way, and I would be half a man, as it were. I tell you all that, to say this: You WILL get more comfortable around power tools. You might even decide you've "mastered" said power tools. And you will become too comfortable, be in a hurry, be too tired, and those power tools - especially the tablesaw - will show you that you have "mastered" nothing. The second most important advice I ever received about power tools is this: ALWAYS respect those tools, because if you don't they will make you fear them. Don't make it a fear factor, respect them.
This familiarity issue happens with motorcycle riding as well.
OK, dumb but, I did it anyway.....while working with framing crew I was cross-cutting blocks for joist blocking. The kick was so strong that a block made a hole in the T-111 plywood AFTER bouncing off my elbow. The scar is almost exactly inch and a half....
As a total beginner to woodworking (I only have a circular saw, a jig saw and some drills), this channel has been such a good find. No nonsense, no BS, just great info. I truly appreciate the fact that you spend the time to teach the newbs like me. Thank you again, Jon!
Glad to help
Every time I get ready to use a table saw my situational awareness dials up to DEFCON 1. You’re an excellent teacher. Great presentation. And I fully support your logic regarding the Saw Stop. I had a close call a few years ago; an amateur mistake. I got lulled by that mental ‘zone’ of repetitive batch cutting. I got lucky. But the lesson was never forgotten.
I worked with table saws for years, never really knew the dangers until the last 8 to 10 years with videos like this. I got lucky. I'm much more respectful to the tool now.
I've recently gotten the wood working itch and can honestly say your videos are by far the most entertaining while still being direct and helpful. You and the editor (if it's a different person) are doing a fantastic job with this channel and should be proud. Thanks for the help, stranger!
Excellent advice.
I’m certain you have saved many NEWBEES and pros alike fingers, eyes, hands etc
Thanks
Thank you! That means a lot. I’m a one man band over here and one of the few people that enjoys the editing process
I began woodworking classes at my local college last week. Despite many years of experience in my own shop, I am required to take the Intro class so as to keep the college’s liability policy in force (And, no, I’m not complaining about that.). Yesterday was the obligatory table saw tour where we talked about kickback, hand placement, push sticks, etc. Your video covers it all so well, replete with illustrative and attention-getting clips, I’m going to share it with the instructor.
PS-the college shop has 4 SawStops (the only brand allowed by that liability policy). An hour before the Intro class yesterday, an advanced student set off the brake cartridge on one of them. I had my back turned but heard that distinctive sound. When I looked over, I thought, “Yup, that’s why the college has them and the reason I bought one too.”
Thank you!
+
Thanks for this video.
I am a woodworker from Germany. We learnt all this information in week long trainings in a special school (Gewerbeakademie) with a few machines at a time. Then we got a license and were allowed to take courses for bigger/more dangerous machines.
I just realized that there are a lot of people that dont know much about all these safety issues with big and small woodworking machines but literally everyone can buy these machines and do it for a hobby. Kinda crazy to me, this stuff is so dangerous if you dont know what you are doing.
If you never had safety instruction courses, educate yourself with videos like that. Its so important.
Be safe everyone. 🙏
Similar to people buying cheap welding machines, having little to no training and welding on vehicle frames. It's scary to think some of the vehicles that will be on the road @80 mph here within the next decade. TH-cam is great but also empowers some of the wrong people.
In the US almost every public school has shop class where we also learn this. But not everyone takes it, or takes it seriously, and some schools in cities are have more students than shop space. While there is no license, those classes generally go from beginner to advanced as well usually by semester or year.
Its not a lack of availability of the information. Its mainly apathy of people seeing consumer goods readily available and not having an innate sense of how dangerous these tools are by their very nature.
Lol. Leave it to Germany to make a licensing process. Is there anything you can do in Germany without some kind of license or bureaucratic process?
@@MrMojo271 now there´s a bitter person.
I am a retired high school shop teacher who also worked for years in the millwork industry and I have to say that this is the best tablesaw safety video I have ever seen!
I've used woodworking & industrial tools & machinery for almost 50 years. SAFETY SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED. Safety REFRESHER courses are never a waste of your time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EXCELLENT Presentation young man !!
I am a retired contractor with all my fingers intact. Every time I used my table saw I would always say ," The shiny spinning thing is very dangerous." Thanks for your video. If it saves some fingers, it is well worth it.
Thanks Barry
Before I start I always take a deep breath, visualise the cut and expect the worst. I fear my saw so much that I can't get complacent.
Nice job! The older I get and the longer I do woodworking, the more I'm convinced that everyone ,even us old timers, need regular safety training/reminding.
Agreed. I always watch safety videos. Even if I have heard all the horror stories and statements about what causes kickback a million times, one more never hurts.
Dude compiled internet's greatest table saw hits into this mixtape.
Every one made me cringe, and every one looked avoidable. But I suppose that’s the point.
A healthy level of fear is appropriate for guns, large animals, power tools, and the sea, take any of them for granted at your peril
@@jeffhreid the sea?! That’s outside. Too scary out there.
Upon seeing those happen in HUGE shops I was like "oh fudge...."
@@jeffhreid Damn ocean you scary!!! 🌊😱
Many thanks! I've been a DIY'er for 43 years. And performed work professionally in woodworking, industrial, electrical, electro-mechanical, electronics, and now currently IT. Safety is always at the top of my list. And I still have all 10 fingers & toes to prove it!
I've been watching woodworking videos for years now, learning all sorts of stuff in theory, but never putting it to use. This week, I finally bought a used DeWalt jobsite table saw, and I'm excited about all of the options that it will open up for me. I have watched plenty of videos about proper table saw use and safety, and I really thought I knew everything I needed to know in order to start using my saw - until I watched this video.
It's possible I may have injured myself early on if I hadn't watched this. Or even been too casual about storing the saw within reach of my five curious children.
Thank you so much, John. I am a lifelong guitar player with no plans of stopping, and you may have legitimately saved me a future life of grief.
I'll be buying a microjig pushblock, riving knife, and blade guard before I even fire up this saw for the first time. And I'll reconsider the idea of just upgrading to a SawStop product. I can probably afford to anyway, considering how much I'll need to be using a table saw for the projects I'm starting.
God bless!
Absolute perfect timing. I just bought the DeWalt 8 1/4 inch table saw in December and experienced my first binding of the blade yesterday on a 2x4. I had never felt it squeeze like that. The wedge you put in between the cut looks like a great idea. Top notch video, once again
@Phlebas powerful enough to cut off fingers and give a good kickback
With these very nice DeWalt saws, Take your time to dial in the riving knife!!!! It's really tricky, I had to void my warranty by adding carefully measured and lapped (sanding) shim plates and longer M5 screws, AND grind the mounting grooves on the riving knife to ensure that it can be adjusted correctly in relation to the blade.
It was refusing to be properly aligned with the width of the kerf (once locked into position) at all heights.
Love how succinct and down to earth your delivery is. Keep up the great work!
I really appreciate the direct way you show how injuries can happen and the realistic expectations of a spectrum of tools. Your editing quality combined with no loud annoying joke segments make this an easy watch. Will def be checking out your dust collection video and other videos. Thanks for your work!
These tips are fantastic!! As a new woodworker, these are gold!! I grew up with woodworking tools, but only because my dad was a woodworker. I did things now and then, and I'm glad that I learned some good practices, but now it's even more important for me because I'm the one doing the work now. Thank you so much!!
It still amazes me that we get information like this for free. Thank you for creating this. Happy to be a subscriber here
I have huge respect for my table saw. And still catch myself making minor safety mistakes. It's never led to an accident, but every time I reflect and think "that was a near miss" (I work in a hazard-free mindset workplace). I am nearing the point financially where a Saw Stop might be my next big purchase. Your video sure gave me a reason to prioritize it.
Every new woodworker should see this video. Absolutely the best rational approach to safety I have seen. Absolutely agree that a SawStop is appropriate if you have little ones that can access your shop--even if those "little ones" are 17 years old. Maybe especially if they are 17 years old.
Hello, I just noticed one major safety rule that it seems you're breaking when using a table saw. A woodworking teacher gave me the following rule many years ago: when using a table saw, always remove your ring and all jewel you’re wearing. This rule is also true for any power tool like a miter saw or a press drill but it is most crucial for a table saw, especially the ring. As the ring (or other jewel) is made of metal (and yes gold is soft but still), if your hand would ever come to ride over the blade, it could pull your whole hand and arm into the blade… thus potentially transforming a relatively minor cut into a very severe injury.
Decades ago, I worked in a development lab and fabrication shop for one of the Fortune 5 technical companies. The rule about removing all jewelry before using power tools was strictly enforced. We also had to remove our neckties.......... 🙂
Yeah, it also made me laugh that he is doing this whole video wearing a hoodie with the big tassles hanging down. I know he isn't wearing it to work in, but it's still funny.
@@1milliondogsat least he did specifically say to not wear what he was wearing
Same goes for welding. Seen some nasty vids on that. Certified TIG from Denmark here. Cheers and stay safe!
This is why silicone wedding rings are getting more popular. You can get them in any color or size and they are far safer than metal.
Awesome video! No long-winded BS. Just lots of useful information.
I haven't watched woodworking videos in quite awhile, and I'm so glad to see that you are still at it!
This has been one of the hardest videos I've watched in a long time, but it needs to be. Table saw accidents can be avoided. I've been fortunate never to (knocking on wood) have had any serious injuries after 8 years. I've screwed up many projects, but fortunately, that has never resulted in injury, unless you count pride. Thanks for the video and the Dewalt offer :-)
Glad you put such an emphasis on pushback. Every table saw injury I have had was from pushback & it seems to be the most common types of table saw injuries from my research.
The visceral images you showed of how quick it is were great!
This needs to be a textbook video shown in every safety program for any person that will be working around the table song. Great video amazing teacher
Thanks for this video. I am just getting started in woodworking projects. I have been using a inexpensive table saw Ian compound miter saw have had for may years. I have been trying to keep in mind where my hands are. This video brings out several other issues I need to be aware of. AT 68 i don't need to loose anymore body parts.
Great video! I will add one thing to watch out for that I never hear mentioned...adjustment of the throat plate. Several years ago I had experienced a few kick-backs apparently for no reason before I realized what was happening. Fortunately, I was using safe practices otherwise (push-sticks and not standing in line with the blade) so I was not injured. I was making narrow rip cuts and each time I would feed the work piece about a foot, the piece would just grab and kick back. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was happening, so I slowly fed a piece with the saw off. It turns out my throat plate was adjusted incorrectly so that it was slightly lower at the back, just a hair lower than the surface of the saw table. It was hardly enough to notice but just enough that the work piece would catch the radius at the back of the blade cut-out and ride right into the back of the blade. Half a turn of the 2 rear adjustment screws and it hasn't happened since. Obviously, now it's one of the first things I check on the saw before using it, especially when doing narrow rip cuts.
Good point thanks
I had the same thing happening and discovered the cause the same way you did. Now I'm reminded to check that again, thx.
Thank you for this. I'm just getting started in woodworking, and from this video I've learned of one stupid mistake I'm making (table-sawing cupped boards) which could have endangered my life and the lives of my family. I had no idea that could result in kickback, and I have you to thank for correcting me.
This is the first video of yours I've watched, but it won't be the last. Calm waters and fair winds, my friend.
Thanks Ryan! Calm waters and fair winds indeed, and no more cupped boards!
yeah the cupped / twisted tip was a new one for me too, thinking back on some tricky cuts I've made makes me go, 'ah, now it makes more sense'
I don't do woodwork in general so I learned a lot from this video. I have a crappy benchtop saw that I rarely use. I also volunteer at a high school that has a SawStop and on the rare occasion where I've had to use it, I must say, what a pure pleasure it is to use that machine. If I was in the market for a proper table saw, I can't imagine buying anything else.
I’m not a noob or expert and wanted to say thanks for an excellent video. I had a close call early on and my respect and safety increased greatly. This has only increased my awareness and I will be even safer! Again, thanks🙏🏻✌️
I appreciate these tips that can save a newbies fingers or life. I will treat this video like an operating manual .
I'm a very amateur woodworker and I got a very cheap table saw a few months ago. When I only used it a few times on a weekend it felt like my risk was pretty manageable. As I started to use it every other day for projects and saw a lot more videos/comments of people being saved by a sawstop, I decided to no longer take the risk. I bought the sawstop compact table saw the other week and the peace of mind alone has made it worth it.
Well and sensibly done, you.
Nothing scarier than a wandering toddler. Plus, all our dangerous tools have big, bright push buttons right at eye level! I used to throw the breakers when my kids were little, and also shut off the propane tank at the grill.
+100 to locking the shop, and turning off the breakers to the machines at the end of the day.
My story was, I was about to rip a long piece of timber - goggles on , hearing protection on - dust extraction running, outfeed roller in place - push stick in hand. Ready ! (I hate ripping long pieces) and then I glance down to my left to see a teddy bear and two gigantic big eyes peering up from under the left wing of my table saw. My, then, 2 year old had heard Daddy in the garage, grabbed teddy, went out the back door, around the house and snuck into the garage just as I may have had my back turned (the garage was a bit cluttered) and then placed herself under the wing of the saw...... the thought still makes my heart skip ! she's now 17 but I still can remember those big eyes peering up at me...
For me, the most dangerous part of using my table saw is between repeated cuts. When I'm making a cut I'm always hyper focused on all the best practices, but then when I'm moving away the offcuts or loading up the next cut is when I find I'm not as aware. I've never injured myself but my push stick has some scarring as a result of carelessness between cuts.
I hate using the push stick. Actually , I've never used it :)
I just did the same and caught my finger. I got so lucky that it was just the edge and have no permanent damage. It almost when you think you can't hit rather than when actually making the cut.
For small repeated cuts, like say I've got to make 10 3 inch pieces of 1x2 or something...I'm using the miter saw. It's so much less likely to kick back or pull your hand into the work.
Your opening statement, plus experiences in high school wood shop class (mid 1960's), is exactly why I never have and never will own a table saw. I can work much more safely with my Radial Arm Saw (RAS) that I bought in the mid-to-late 1970's. With the RAS and a track saw, I can do everything that can be done on a table saw, and as or more safely.
The tracksaw is mostly for safely breaking down panels. Never ever even THINK about doing that on a RAS!
For the record I still have all of my "original equipment" body parts, and the only scars are from hand tools or non-woodworking incidents.
There is an old video on youtube showing workers doing absolutely insane things with radial arm saws and other power tools. It is an excellent example of things to NOT EVER do on a RAS or any other tool. If anyone watches it, it is very important to know when it was filmed. It dates from the 1940's and the last vestiges of the Great Depression. In a factory, you did what you were told to do and how you were told to do it. If you didn't, fine - there are 10 or 20 people outside the fence who would happily do your job, so collect your pay envelope on the way out.
Loved your video! I started my table saw experience with a huge pucker moment when the job site saw, that I bought used, had the fence up and move mid cut. Needless to say, unplugged it and got rid of it. However, my college age kids sometimes use my tools, so after researching it, I decided to get a SawStop. As I told my wife, it's about a thousand dollars more than an equivalent saw, so over 10 years that's about a $100 a year insurance policy. It's only gone off once when our mitre gauge was misadjusted and barely nicked the blade. Like I told my daughter when we looked at the slight nip in the paint, "well, we know the SawStop works!" Thanks for the great information you included!
Another good video, Jon.
My wife insisted on sawstop over 10 years ago because I also play guitar and she didn't want me risk losing a finger. I've never had a break activation and hopefully I never will.
If you play banjo, you only need three fingers (plus a stump).
I work in a metal fabrication facility and the table saw in the back corner of the building is by far the most dangerous piece of equipment that they don't want anyone but a few to use. It actually amazes me how they are still as common as they are.
edit- the table saw is for the one off wood fixtures etc. that we make in house.
Excellent video! I setup my sawstop 10 years ago like yours - a cast iron extension with a 3 hp router installed. I have had to replace the cartridge twice - once for wet lumber, and once that prevented loss of fingers! As an amateur I usually use a blade guard. Also as an amateur, I love videos as a refresher to remind me of safety practices!
A word of congratulations for your well reasoned and presented tutorial. As a retired woodworker and sometime tech and teacher of college students in wood and metal working and shop safety, I think that you give a lot of info, not just how but why. And the brief examples of things gone wrong are tasteful and yet very impactful. Thanks for taking on the task!
Let me draw your attention to a little nitpick, though. At 7:30 you begin discussing the aspect ratio and cutting oversquare stock against the rip fence, mentioning your own comfort with a little wide aspect cutting. In your example though, the actual cut is not an oversquare cut, it is square and within the rule of thumb for a piece that size. A confident neophyte might, with that same piece of stock, want to trim it to length taking only a sliver with an aspect ratio considerably outside the rule of thumb, and more hazardous.
All the best!
Those accident inserts really drive the points home, even if they don't show any major accidents. I've always been terrified of my table saw, and I'm still terrified after watching this video.
Tbh, for the most part I kinda am, too, but deep down I’m also a bit glad about that fact…
Yeah. Wtf was that last accident guy thinking?
@@askomiko yeah that was easily the most egregious of the accident videos
@9:40 I use the blade guard primarily because it helps with dust collection. The added safety is a bonus. And as you noted in the beginning, batching out is really dangerous when your mind drifts. And thank you for the gratuitous kickback vids. :) They were fun to watch but the one where the guys hand got (almost) pulled into the blade was hard to watch, YIKES! This is why I've always wanted to have a metal plated Gripper. And @10:12, I use the mag featherboard and it's so easy to use the I find myself using it most of the time. It's much easier than featherboards that have to sit in the miter slot.
Riving knife - required.
Magswitch featherboard - Ditto! Paired with board buddies or jess'm stock guides is even better.
Gripper - I'm NOT a fan as it almost requires you to remove the blade guard (for the ones that go over the blade).
The constant cutaway to the people improperly using their table saws was very effective! Also, hearing your story about your kid turning on your saw accidentally gives me great perspective. I currently use a community shop that has two sawstops, and was already planning to get one when I built my own shop. But the realization that my daughter will one day want to try using my tools just reaffirms my plan to buy a SawStop when I build my own shop.
You didn't notice that in just about all of the clips, the people were using the saw carelessly or foolishly - almost all without the blade guard? A simple leather apron would probably mitigate the dangers of any kickback for those times when you do have a legit accident...but most of the injuries stem from people rushing (for no good reason) or making cuts that would better be done with another tool. The sawstop mechanism can be triggered from static, which can build up if you ever try cutting materials like acrylic or composite materials that contain some kind of foam. The mechanism will often damage/destroy the blade and you'll have to replace both the blade and the stop mechanism.
I've made my mistakes over the years and learned to be smarter. But when I decided to go for new saw I ultimately went with Sawstop 36 and love it . Great setup
It is not a bad idea to leave master switches powered off or machines unplugged (or both) if there is a chance that children can access the workshop without your being there. That's my routine when the grandkids come to visit. Plugs pulled, master switches off, doors locked.
@@alphaforce6998, you can make no argument that a Saw Stop or similar machine should not be used routinely. People should work more intelligently and more safely, agreed. Depriving them or anyone else using the equipment from protection when they do not is a ridiculous conceit. Kick back injuries are not only from impact, but also may drag a digit into the blade. Saw Stop makes good provision for conveniently disabling the feature when conducting operations likely to trigger the cartridge. One proper deployment of the feature will pay for countless false triggerings, even so. In fact, the amount of money that accident victims are out of pocket usually exceeds the cost of a top-of-the-line Saw Stop, plus all the other machinery you are likely to have in a shop, commercial or amateur. Not even considering lost wages, or the possibility of not being able to return to your line of work.
Car crashes are vastly more survivable in current times not only because of mandated active and passive safety equipment, but also because the design of cars has sensibly changed to absorb the energies while providing a non-penetrable safety cell in the cockpit. In any industry, change costs money, and is therefore resisted by the manufacturers and even some users. Just like the Saw Stop. Knock off trying to convince people that they would be better off without one.
@@leehaelters6182 I'm sure you'd encase yourself in thousands of dollars of protective gear if you had the balls to ride a motorcycle, thinking that you're "safer" when in reality it increases the chance that you will be in some kind of collision. Why? Because you suffer drastic reduction in visibility, situational awareness, and the stiffness of the suit makes you slower to react quickly if need be.
Likewise, a saw stop will cause you to feel safer taking "risks" and doing cuts that you would otherwise not do, because you believe your safe even if you do slip up.
Saw stop will do nothing for kickback type events because these usually do not involve you touching the blade...and if your fingers were that close to the blade or you were doing something stupid like using the saw without a blade guard and anti-kickback pawls then it was user error yet again, and not something that some safety gimmick would address.
It seems to me like you truly embraced fear and felt the need to drop $5K+ on a saw you probably use once every few months. Good for you. The points I raised in my response still stand, because just about every example showed poor practices and foolish attempts to make cuts that are not appropriate for a table saw.
I finally purchased my first SawStop last year when I turned 80 yo. Although I loved my 35 yo Rigid I found with age I was, and I hate to say this, getting careless, or forgetful, or lazy...not sure which and I was getting uneasy in my own shop. So I made the leap into the world of SawStop. I love the saw not just for it being safer (no table saw is completely safe), but because it makes some of the most precise cuts I've ever achieved in my years of woodworking. Great presentation and spot on with your comments. Enjoy the channel.
Smart man. Hope your doing good 😊
Ive rarely used table saws but this video certainly makes an extremely dangerous operation controllable. I’ve always been around rotating tools and have great respect for them but complacency can tap anyone on the shoulder. Thanks very much for some serious reflection on bad habits. Take care from Australia
For those of us who will probably never be able to realistically afford a SawStop, there is a light at the end of the tunnel: the patents for SawStop's proprietary safety design will likely expire around 2026. Hopefully around this time the Competition Machine will begin to kick into gear with other companies and they can manufacturer their own versions of this tech (like what happened with the Bosch jobsite saw that SawStop sued against), meaning the novelty premium will likely disappear. Still, it's no guarantee and quite a ways away, so let's just keep being careful until then.
SawStop just recently released their job site saw that retails at $899. Nowhere near the price of the dewalt contractor saw, but it could be more attainable for some. I recently bit the bullet and purchased and it has been worth every penny. It's extremely well made and has the same safety technology as the rest of the SawStop line up. Again it's not a price point for everyone, but almost $1k cheaper than their next saw it should invite many more hobbyist into using a table saw with peace of mind.
@@crmyersdesigns8961 A fair point, but its also not just about the cost of the saw, but the cost of the safety cartridges as well. A SawStop replacement cartridge runs nearly $100, plus you need a completely different model of cartridge for 10" blades and 8" dado stacks (one will not work with the other and the liability & warranty disclaimers consider this). True, a bill is a small price to pay for a finger, but taking humidity misfires into account will also make this add up quite a bit over time.
@@Rycel2001 the price of the cartridge is less than a hospital bill. And keeping your digits your limbs and your life is priceless.
@@PatrickPecoraro Certainly, but I'm just saying that its also something that adds to the cost which is keeping people from being able to afford it.
@@Rycel2001 I’ve had a sawstop for 10yrs. I routinely cut hardwoods, plastics, aluminum, and wet pine directly off my sawmill. I’ve yet to trip the saw/replace a cartridge.
I know far too many experienced carpenters and woodworkers with missing fingers.
It's been soooo long since I've used a table saw, and this video is a great safety refresher! Those real life kick-back reference videos gave me such anxiety though, lol
I was taught to stand off to the side a little when using the table saw to reduce the risk of kickback injuries. As I began to watch more woodworking channels, I was amazed at how many woodworkers don’t do it. I still am.
Who ever taught you was wrong. Standing to the side can cause twisting, which can cause a kick back. Proper technique is square to the table, pressed up to it and leaning in.
100% with you. I've wired a 2nd stop button onto the side of mine for this reason. Safer, easier, better results.
Not sure why the other comment wrote about twist etc, maybe they've never used a table saw?
@@JustinShaedo 20+ year cabinet maker. ✋🤚. All 10 fingers. Rule #1, never take safety advice from someone with missing fingers. Rule #2, it is far safer to be fully squares to the table saw and behind and over the piece. It's a body mechanics thing. If you stand to the side, your body is naturally twisting. Like throwing a ball, shooting a rifle, etc, if not done properly, you start twisting unnaturally, causing the piece to twist. You will have kickbacks, you have to take them. Sounds strange, but apart from not pushing the piece through, cutting a twisted piece, using 2 fences, or working behind the blade, how you stand is what causes kickbacks. But, you can call me an asshole and ignore. You'll remember me when you're digging your fingers out of a dustbin. 🤷
Interesting, I never stand to the side. Larger pieces, especially, i feel safer standing square to the table so i can assure im pushing the wood against the fence the entire way through
A major issue is with the table saw design. Go look at the top end European models. They are designed to be stood alongside and they tend to be a lot more safety conscious over there. I built my own DIY table saw to see for myself, where I stand to the left with the fence between myself and the blade, with the blade on the right side with extra depth to the table. By hooking my thumbs on the fence, it's impossible for my hands to get near the blade in most instances, and it's a stretch to get them that close when doing thinner rips.
Tabletop saws are a cheapest viable product, and the high end American saws are just over-engineered versions of that bad design. I'm not saying my DIY saw is perfect, but I looked at the body mechanics of what led to other people I personally witnessed send their hands into table saws and came up with a saw design that works for me. I'm certain smarter and better funded people than myself can make much better designs. Sadly, most people want something cheap so they can do things the way grandpappy did.
As long as you maintain sufficient pressure on the board against the table and fence, I don't see how your body could cause the board to 'twist'. If you never put yours hands near the danger zone and your body is completely out of the way of a kickback, then you aren't going to get injured. With prices these days I'd imagine one hospital visit costs more than a couple truckloads of wood, so I'd rather ruin some boards in pursuit of better ways of doing things. I too still have all of my fingers, and so do the people that I have seen cut themselves and go to the hospital. That's not the gold standard of table saw safety.
Best video I’ve watched as far as safety and tips. Wife just told me I have no other option other than a Saw Stop now. Thank you
What a good video, the first in years that perfectly explains what not to do on a table saw, I congratulate you since it is the only tutorial that explains exactly what should not be done on a saw. I really congratulate you and thank you for the material
The best safety device is your brain. If it's not safe, find another way to cut it. This was great video! I've seen way too many examples on YT where people were doing all types of risky behavior with a table saw. As good as the SawStop is, their safety mechanism won't save you from kickback. Yes it's saved countless injuries and trips to the ER, but it's no replacement for common sense.
I'm never letting my wife watch this video
Jon thank you for making such thorough videos! It’s obvious that you really put your time into them to make them right and provide maximum value to your viewers.
I think you hit all the pertinent points! I also (try to remember to) put my blade down and unplug my saw before leaving the shop, but sometimes I forget. It definitely makes me lean more toward upgrading to a SawStop, even just for the fact that my kids come in my shop sometimes too...
Also, I remember from an IG Live a while ago you were talking to someone about smart safety systems to limit tool use for unwanted users of tools (i.e. curious kids or weird shop guests)... did you ever do anything more with that?
This video was a gift. I've only been into this hobby for about 4 years, but I picked up some really valuable information. Thanks and take care. Darcy.
Thank you for this video . I started doing wood working and have zero training and no clue about the risks . I have been very fortunate so far
I’m not in the US so can’t win the saw, but this was a fantastic video. Had a few close calls myself and felt sick watching those clips. Really appreciate you making the vid and those tips will hopefully save me some nasty injuries in future
Why does he have the Grripper in the thumbnail, next to a comment about how many injuries it causes per year and then show himself using it several times in the video, without explaining the contradiction?
I thought the video was also about the gripper causing accidents.
It's just click bait.
Click bait. Basically, “wait, why is that in the thumbnail? I use one of those every day! Are they not safe? I’d better watch this video and find out!!! ” Boom got em.
It’s super lame and I actively avoid channels that try to deceive/scare people into clicks. So in my case, he got a click (and now a comment), but potentially lost a subscriber. I’m sure it will still work in his favor though because the average TH-camr tends to eat up garbage like this and reward these kind of slimy tactics.
@YeahButStilll The counterpoint is it might clickbait a large number of people into watching a video on how to safely/properly use a table saw. Maybe he loses a few subscribers, but maybe some of those people remember a single tip that one day saves their fingers.
You did the right thing. Most parents would simply scold the child and keep on with the same saw. I for one give you a great deal of credit, because accidents happen in a flash. Great Job Sir and once again thank you for sharing.
Great, great video!...after 40 years of woodworking I've have a few close calls (kick backs) but still have all my digits! Safety is Number 1 in my shop. Thankx for the reminder!!!
Great video, right to the point. no BS no selling, every beginner and expert should watch this to either learn or refresh their memories on safety.
I came to comment on how brilliant of a safety video this is only to see how many agreed. I, like many others, who have been at this for 40+ years and managed to nip off about 3/16" of my left thumb in December. This video gave me lots to think about. Rock On
Thank you! much appreciated
Your statement around the 14:00 mark is spot on: someone who won't upgrade to a safer machine for reasons of pride is not someone you can have a reasonable conversation with. (paraphrased). How very true. No, we don't need the most expensive saw or the one with all the bells and whistles to be safer or a better woodworker. People did fine for hundreds of years without that technology. However, to say it's foolish is like cutting off your arm to spite your hand. It's just plain stupid. And NO, you're not a bad parent. Accidents are just as you said they are....ACCIDENTS. We can do everything possible for safety, but things still can happen. We do the best we can. Never judge a person by their weakest moment.
Be that as it may, I thoroughly enjoy your channel! I'm new to woodworking, so everything I can learn is great stuff! Thank you so much for all you bring to the table(saw).
Thanks for the video. I’ve used a table saw for at least 50 years, and worked in a wood shop for 20 of those years. Accidents do happen. And the adage applied to pilots is applicable: There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.
I'm a beginner woodworker, and after using a rusty old craftsman table saw for a year, my family pitched in to get me the sawstop instead of the Dewalt. I initially thought it might have been a waste of money as I'm very safety conscious, but Watching this video makes me so grateful all over again that they helped me out.
Some 60 years ago working as an apprentice one of the machinists in our saw shop told me "always stand to the left of the line of the cut on the saw bench. If there is a kick back it will go past you rather than collide with you. All the men wore a leather apron, on the rare occasion a cutter on the spindle molder came loose it would not penetrate the leather. remember this was 60 years ago and the machines had been around a long time. Good safety info on this video stay safe
Great advice, a leather apron.
Love your common sense approach to things! You really appear trustworthy. Thanks
This was a great video, very honest about the safety we all need to take seriously, especially with those pucker inducing accidents. I have family and friends that have had severe finger injuries from table saws. Always take a second before you turn on your saw to ask yourself "am I doing anything stupid"; "how can this go wrong". Using the riving knife every time is probably the first 'must have' safety feature, it practically eliminates many of the accidents you show. Don't put your hand behind the blade. Don't ride your hand over the blade with a cut year the fence. Don't cut small parts. Finally, use the right tool for the job, we often use table saws for the wrong cut. Once I bought a bandsaw I found myself using it so much more often because it's inherently safer. The most dangerous cuts on a table saw shouldn't be done on a table saw, they're meant for a bandsaw (think re-sawing). You might not have money or space for a bandsaw, but if you do, it is a safety purchase as much as it is a new capability for your shop.
I am a really green beginner woodworker but this is the best and most informative video I have ever seen on wood shop safety. Thank you so much and I am looking fwd to any and all of your videos that I can find.
Young man you are blessed to understand your priorities, what's very important . Your work is second to none may God continue to bless you and your family outstanding job great attitude great idea's
Wowsy! This is the most worthwhile woodworking video I’ve ever seen! I didn’t even know some of those things could happen. Sobering to say the least! Thank you.
I've been getting prepared to build out my small shop, and have been going back and forth over what table saw to get, and whether or not I really wanted to save for a Sawstop. I'm an adult, I'm cautious, especially this early in I'm incredibly careful of anything I do. However, as you said, accidents are just that. I also have kids, especially a younger one, and that's kind of the nightmare scenario. So you have sold me and I'd rather just save and get started later, with an extra layer protection, then buy something that I can get started with now, but without that extra protection. Great video, it's much appreciated!
One of the best videos about safety and hasard using a table saw 👍🏽
I ve Seen it several times on my feed, Watched it every time, that’s a good reminder
Just the right amount of info, video, and advise. I'm a homeowner who does light carpentry and house stuff and like to be reminded every once in a while about issues like this. As you mentioned, complacency is a trap we all fall into and a reminder of the basics is one of the best ways of staying out of the trap
Glad that I found this video, great explanation and a LOT of tips that could prevent our fingers to be little sausages flying around the shop. Thanks brother, God bless you, your family and your business! 🤝🏻
As a new table saw owner I'm very grateful for this superb safety vid. Thank you.
What an excellent video. As a UK DIY'er and small time wood items business owner, I found it very useful. When I bought my folding table saw (Evolution Rage5s) I did buy the Microjig Grr-Ripper push block. But that doesn't cure stupidity! A friend asked me to cut an 8x4x1/4" MDF board into strips around 6" across the 4ft side. I cut the board in half, leaving two 4x4's. And that is where the stupidity kicked in!
The first few cuts went well and all was right with the world, but I had forgotten two important things.
1. Blade guard.
2. Push block.
Anyhoo, I was getting to the last cut of the first board and used a push stick (supplied with the saw, like the one you threw over your shoulder) to feed the board and my left hand to push the board towards the fence. MDF is slippery! Mu hand slipped and my little finger just touched the side of the blade. It caught on the side of the cutting teeth. It took off flesh and bled quite a bit, but I still have my finger, even if it is a different shape!
They say you can't cure stupid, but I disagree! That certainly cured me!
Big kudos for covering safety in detail. It matters. Huge respect 👏👍& thank you.
I’m not a woodworker, but I enjoy learning new things.
Excellent video Sir. I’m sure you saved lots of digits.
I should also say that your video has a lot of very useful information. Especially the proper way to push a piece through the blade. Where to push and where not to push.
Thanks! I just bought my first table saw and it scares me rigid. That’s a good thing. But fear without knowledge won’t get you far in an instantaneous situation.
Thanks to this video I’m much more clued up AND inspired to keep watching and creating a safety checklist for another couple of weeks before I use that thing!
Bad tablesaw safety is the primary reason I DONT watch many woodworking videos on YT. So thanks for bringing all this to many people's attention.
Thumbs up, this is the best video I have seen on saw safety and resulting effects of what can happen when hands meet the metal. And I speak from experience. My saw went out the door shortly after my return home from my 5 day stay at the hospital. Saw accidents create life altering affects. 60,000 is just the states, consider the world wide numbers.
Thank you so much for making this video. You did a fantastic job of categorizing different risks that many of us amateurs (and I'm confident far too many professionals) weren't aware enough of, and then immediately explaining simple ways to mitigate those dangers. Great content. Love the channel.
I'm a metalworkers machinist and don't use this type of machine very often but I find the table saw the most daunting of all machines. It's the shear speed at which accidents tend to occur. Thank you for sharing this video and the safety information. I will still be as apprehensive of the table saw but at least I can minimise risk and maximise safety.
Great video at all levels! Your comments around "batch cutting" brought back some vivid memories and a lesson in kick-back.. Respect and grateful for your video. Regards Mark (South Africa)
FUNNY
THANK YOU. I am new to woodworking and retired, your points and tips are awesome!