Mark Kosmowski
Member
- Messages
- 1,456
- Location
- Central (upstate) NY
I was kerfing a slot on a piece of walnut to make a handle. I had made this cut earlier in the day, but on a bigger piece. My work was clamped to the fence using three clamps and some scrap pieces.
I felt a pop in the wood and immediately pushed the saw back. This is when I should have stopped the saw and investigated the situation, though I did verify that the walnut didn't move from it's clamped position. Instead I slowly restarted the cut and the piece of walnut blew apart into two pieces. I lost four teeth from the blade and destroyed a clamp. I don't know where the other half of the walnut is. You can see the saw mark on the half I did find; an identical whole piece is on the far left to show the starting piece.
I had my left hand completely off the workpiece in order to keep me out of the line of fire. This plan was successful - I have a very minor abrasion from shrapnel (didn't even draw blood). My blade vibrated pretty bad while spinning down. Hopefully this is a blade balance issue and not bearing damage or anything.
The reason this accident happened was operator error - I should not have continued the operation after that first abnormal wood reaction. Having said that, proper engineering controls prevented serious injury - clamping the work to the fence kept my body out of harm's way.
Now I need to find someone who replaces carbide.
I felt a pop in the wood and immediately pushed the saw back. This is when I should have stopped the saw and investigated the situation, though I did verify that the walnut didn't move from it's clamped position. Instead I slowly restarted the cut and the piece of walnut blew apart into two pieces. I lost four teeth from the blade and destroyed a clamp. I don't know where the other half of the walnut is. You can see the saw mark on the half I did find; an identical whole piece is on the far left to show the starting piece.
I had my left hand completely off the workpiece in order to keep me out of the line of fire. This plan was successful - I have a very minor abrasion from shrapnel (didn't even draw blood). My blade vibrated pretty bad while spinning down. Hopefully this is a blade balance issue and not bearing damage or anything.
The reason this accident happened was operator error - I should not have continued the operation after that first abnormal wood reaction. Having said that, proper engineering controls prevented serious injury - clamping the work to the fence kept my body out of harm's way.
Now I need to find someone who replaces carbide.