Router & Table saw kickback video

[Tom J.]

See what can happen when a kickback occures. Fortunately the chap doing the demo did not get hurt. The video portion is neer the bottom of the page.
Kickbacks! - NewWoodworker.com LLC

PLay safe and stay in one piece.

Tom

[woodsman]

Excellent post. If that does not grab your attention and think safety, NOTHING WILL.

[Sawdust King]

Amen.
Apparently 'Amen.' wasn't long enough.
Perhaps I should have quoted Stan Lee, " 'nuff said "

[sawdust11703]

Get yourselves the Grr-Ripper and you will protect your hands, ensure no kickback and achieve perfectly straight cuts with no burning. It can also be used for the bandsaw, jointer and router table. They are a little pricey, but this is one product I am so happy I brought. It also comes with attachments that allow you to configure it in so many different ways. I got mine at peachtree woodworking, but other sites sell it as well. Here is a video and you can find others online. I've been using them for 2 months now and I cannot say enough about them. I also recommend buying the 2-set so you can leap-frog when cutting long stock.The Ultimate 3D Pushblock - The GRR-Ripper prevents kickback on a tablesaw - YouTube

[will8989]

Couldn't get the video to play, but nearly having lost a thumb & finger to the table saw last August I no longer use a table saw. They are so so dangerous anyone doing something stupid to make a point is in my book, an idiot. Sorry, that's the way I feel. But thank you, I guess for the rest who are viewing the video.

[sawdust11703]

Sorry you couldn't see the video. Link seems to be working on my end. Go to youtube and search for Grr-Ripper and check out the videos. A truly great product that one of my friends told me about. It's worth every penny in my book.

[Tom J.]

For those that couldn't get the link to work you can try here to see the video.

Woodworking Tool Reviews - How-To's - Plans - NewWoodworker.com LLC

The guy making the video was aware of the dangers and thought he was taking every effort to stay safe. He ended up being just plain lucky and admits he was an idiot for trying this stunt.

While the gripper looks good and seems to offer a great degree of safety but I am not sure it would prevent a kickback if the wood got turned into the blade as happened on the video.

Tom

[sawdust11703]

Tom, the only way you're going to get kickback using the Grr-Ripper is if you purposely turn the piece. I'm telling you, as long as you ride the Grr-Ripper along the fence, it just isn't going to happen. The reason is because you're able to put downward pressure on the wood from both sides of the blade and your able to pin the wood along the fence. The wood cannot turn on you. All this happens while the blade goes safely in a channel, protecting your hands. Look at their videos and you will clearly see what I'm talking about. I've used them for a couple months now and it is one of the best purchases I've made in the woodworking hobby.

[tgiro]

Tom, the only way you're going to get kickback using the Grr-Ripper is if you purposely turn the piece. I'm telling you, as long as you ride the Grr-Ripper along the fence, it just isn't going to happen. The reason is because you're able to put downward pressure on the wood from both sides of the blade and your able to pin the wood along the fence. The wood cannot turn on you. All this happens while the blade goes safely in a channel, protecting your hands. Look at their videos and you will clearly see what I'm talking about. I've used them for a couple months now and it is one of the best purchases I've made in the woodworking hobby.

I have a complete set (pair) of the Grr-Rippers and one can turn the wood into the blade with a Grr-Ripper as easily as any other device. Having said that, I strongly believe the the Grr-Ripper is the safest way to feed wood through a table saw When not using a blade guard.

The important concept that the video makes is the riving knife. On many saws, the riving knife has the blade guard attached to it. When people decide to work without the guard, they are also removing the riving blade. Such is the case with my Shopsmith. The blade guard is connected to the riving knife. To fix the riving knife, to use it without the guard, would require some drastic modification. Many of the small contractor saws are like this.

In my case, since I use the Shopsmith strictly as a table saw, and I use 0-clearance inserts in the Shopsmith, I use another MicroJig product called the MJ Splitter. These devices work as a riving knife for my saw. The combination of the Grr-Ripper ans the MJ Splitter keep my wood from turning into the blade and help prevent kick-back.

If you have removed your blade guard, and consequently removed the riving knife, you really need to get a replacement for it. If you can't modify the riving knife, there are some third-market folks who make riving knives for different saws.

I, also strongly recommend the Microjig products - specially the Grr-Rippers. Sawdust is correct when he says they are the best product for holding the wood against the fence of any tool. They look pricey, but the cost of replacing fingers is far more than the cost of replacing plastic. Microjig usually makes all the wood working shows and have good sale prices.

[tomsteve]

holy smokes!! my BP went up watchin that! i must say i am glad to hear( and read) people taking personal responsibility/ accountability for the proper use of power tools. i know my power tools can sit in my shop for days on end without being a dangerous. it's when i go out there and get too complacent, not watch what i am doing, not practice safe operation and, a big one for me, try to rush and not let the tools do the work, i get into trouble. i have had many close calls and all caused by me. heck, i even ran my thumb into the blade of my scrollsaw! man, they can make a nice, clean, QUICK cut in skin! what caused it??? inpatience. once it happened, i told myself," i knew that could've happened."


after checkin out the grr-ipper, i think that may well be my next purchase.

[NC Scroller]

I also have and use a pair of Grr-Ripper and I can attest you can still get kickback. It only takes a split second lapse of attention. No system is 100% perfect. Safety requires 110% focus at all times and the use of ALL the proper devises.

[sawdust11703]

Well if you're not paying attention, anything can happen. Let me clarify my previous post in saying that of course if you don't using the Grr-Ripper properly, you will get kick back and could hurt yourself. But used properly and by keeping it riding along the fence, you will have no issues and can feel very safe using the table saw. I didn't mean for my post to sound like no matter what you do with these things, you can't get kick back. Like using any tool, you must give 100% attention to what you're doing and use it properly.

[Bayward]

Kickbacks worry me constantly when using spinning power tools.

When I was barely a teen ager, 13, I took a thumb off making beehives on a Shopsmith. The blade was so dull it was burning the wood on every cut. I had one more ~16" rip to make and I was done for the day. The blade went into a knot and lifted the board up off the table a little. With my right hand that was on the back end of the board guiding the board against the fence I pushed down, but it was too late. By that time the board had lifted above the blade and the blade was out of the kerf.

My down pressure just accelerated the kick back dragging my hand through the blade. The blade was sharp enough to take my thumb off at the base. On the positive side of this mistake I was fortunate to have parents that had the means to get me to good surgeons that mostly saved my thumb. The thumb was reattached but I lost the use of the upper knuckle. Two years later the thumb was fused into a straight position. Which is where it is today, 50 years later. I have spent my life with a thumb that will not bend.

In a commercial shop with a 3 HP cabinet saw I witnessed a full sheet of 3/4" Plyform being ripped by one person, should of had two, rise above the blade and knock down the 220 LB operator and stick the corner of the plywood in the side of the metal building wall fifteen feet behind the guy laying on the floor.

Bob