Lumber Rocket

[machineman]

Good thing his safety glasses didn’t fall off the back of his head.

[DaddyBeanDaddyBean]

My shop teacher told us he used to deliberately launch a 2x4 into orbit to demonstrate what could happen, until he put a 2x4 partway through one of those security windows with the chicken wire embedded in the glass. Those are expensive windows, and that was the last demonstration of table saw kickback in his shop.

[kellyevans]

I am always slightly afraid every time I turn a table saw on. I stay a little afraid until I am done using it. Still have all 10 fingers so far.

[piccilos]

The freeze frame is also when the wood yanked his hand closer to the blade. He hasn't had time to notice yet.

[steveb]

Stub mcGillocuddy's cameraman is One-eyed Willie

[Degreeofconfidence]

That mustache and hairstyle was the first signs of trouble.

[Legionthecomrade]

He probably couldn't see considering he probably has 200 splinters in his eyes at that point. Back of his head should be able to see just fine though.

[bjgaspar]

"This is Ground Control to Major 'Tard..."

[BMack]

Just the fact that he's on the opposite end of the machine from the table height crank and the on-off switch, should be telling him something.

[sethm]

And the universal statement that every man in every language has stated at least once in their life "well, that didn't work...."

[thomasbunn]

I’m so glad my shop teacher was missing fingers. He showed us what not to do. Great example for the class.

[phitsf]

His hands were pulled disturbingly close to that blade. Absolutely amazing demonstration

[nobiazcustomsinc]

As a cabinet builder the moment i saw him standing on that side of the saw...i knew what time it was

[Primal]

Watching this took me back to high school shop. A kid was using the biscuit cutter and wasn't holding onto the board so it shot 30 feet across the shop floor just like this... but instead of hitting a wall the teachers sack stopped the board. We had a sub for the following 2 weeks. True story xD

[EntropiaBones]

My guess is he didn't want to stand in front of the camera, and thought he had the answer.

[stringlarson]

He's the reason the clip lamps I just bought had 3 safety tags on each one.

[stuartferguson]

You know the old saying: "If you're going to lose an eye, look cool doing it."

[ThekiBoran]

15 years ago an experienced and skilled finish carpenter, (not me), was ripping a 2x4 on a table saw on the 20th floor in the BofA building in SF. It kicked back and blasted out a window sending glass to the sidewalk below.

The guy in the video is obviously not an experienced and skilled carpenter, but even skilled carpenters screw up occasionally.

20 years ago a super talented finish carp/shop guy, (made his own guitars and mandolins), was jointing wood late on a Friday afternoon. He wasn't paying attention and jointed off half of his index and middle finger on his right hand. I was an apprentice then, I asked the guy who told me if they were able to reattach his fingers. He said there was nothing left to reattach. It made hamburger out of his fingers.


Even after 20 years in the biz the jointer and table saw are 2 tools that always have my undivided attention.

[ToadalSimplicity]

For those that want an itemized list of what’s wrong here:
1) no safety glasses
2) no hearing protection
3) standing in a spot where he can’t easily shut the saw off
4) he’s got the blade angled/beveled into the rip fence of the saw (should not have the rip fence anywhere near the cut if the saw blade is pointed in that direction). It’s physically impossible to have a riving knife in place for this type of cut and the clearance is so small that it’s a virtual guarantee that the piece is gonna get pinched/launched.
5) he’s using the push stick on the wrong side of the work piece. See #4 above - it’s impossible to properly use a push stick in this setup. It’s supposed to keep the work piece from lifting off the table or away from the fence.

It almost seems like he intentionally set it up to demonstrate kickback, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if it was just a dummy moment.

He’s actually standing in a good spot since the piece could be launched forwards or backwards and he’s keeping his hands away from the blade. Normally, hands are pulled into the blade by the momentum of the kickback. Injuries typically occur from the blunt force of the piece being thrown or from body parts being pulled into the spinning blade.

If his objective was to make repeatable thin offcuts with that bevel, the only safe way to do that with a table saw is using a jig. A crosscut sled with a small reference stop block could be used without the fence to prevent the cuts from getting pinched. Another option would be to rip the boards to a larger standard width and then add the bevel afterwards (instead of trying to do both things at the same time).

It’s a difficult cut to make safely with a consumer table saw, so I’d honestly re-evaluate if it needed to be done that way or if the plans could be changed.

[scarab]

Also, dont use your blade tilt and a fence to wedge the offcut, even if you are going the right way.