Hey everyone, I had a bit of a scary experience while using my miter saw yesterday. I was trying to make a 45-degree cut on a piece of wood measuring about 2.5" x 2" and 12" long. I rotated the miter saw to the right at 45 degrees and kept the blade vertical. I was holding the board steady against the fence with my left hand, ensuring my fingers were more than 6" away from the blade. But as I cut into the wood near the end of the board, it suddenly flew away from the saw! I ended up with a small but deep cut on my hand, and it's bruised but thankfully nothing serious. I'm not really sure what I did wrong. The end of the board looks a mess, indicating there was some sort of kickback. Should I have started the cut further in? Is it unsafe to hold the board with my hand? What would you recommend doing differently? I must say, power tools really make me anxious, so any tips for beginners would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
If the kickback happened after you finished the cut, be careful not to raise the blade before it stops spinning. That can catch the edge of the board and launch it back at you. It might also help to use a zero clearance throat plate to prevent small offcuts from getting caught. Always examine your blade for any bent teeth that might cause issues too.
You might want to adjust your throat plate; if it's too low, it can cause the wood to pinch against the blade as it falls. Also, double-check the wood for twists or knots, as those can definitely lead to unexpected movement during a cut. Lastly, always support the offcut side of longer pieces to prevent kickback. Stay safe!
It sounds like you may have encountered kickback due to the wood not being properly supported. Make sure the blade is up to full speed before you start your cut, and feed the wood into the blade more slowly. If your saw has hold-down clamps, definitely use those to keep the board secure and your fingers out of harm's way.