Circular saw safety

[Cigaro]

Hi all.

I just got my first circular saw today, and the first time I used it found out what a kickback is Fortunately I was hold of it tight with both hands at the time and managed to control it just fine, but it has got me super worried about cutting my leg off with it now.

What are good safety tips for these things so I can make sure I, well, don't do that?

I'm quite a scaredy-cat when it comes to power tools so I'd like to make sure I'm using it safely.

Cheers.

 

[big-all]

what where you cutting and how well was it supported
i have been using circular saws for years and years and years and never had a bad kickback

 

[noseall]

Is the blade sharp?

 

[gregers]

i always try stand to the side so if it really bites you have a chance of throwing it.

 

[big-all]

suspect its wet thick timber my self

 

[Norcon]

Riving knife fitted?
It's an important safety feature on most circular saws.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Kickback causes? Kickback is caused by the workpiece being picked up as it passes the fallng teeth at the rear of the portable rip saw.

Is the riving knife fitted? Is it thick enough? (it should be slightly thinner than the teeth of the blade)

Assuming that the blade is sharp, does the blade have too many teeth? (ripping solid timber requires fewer teeth, but deeper gullets to carry waste out of the way - on a portable hand rip saw this means 6 to 24 teeth depending on the diameter of the blade)

Are the teeth of the correct pattern? (ripping is safer and easier in solid timber if you have a proper rip blade with an FT or flat tooth grind)

Does the saw have enough rake? (ripping requires a positive rake tooth with a highish attack angle of more than 5 degrees - zero or negative rake teeth such as those sometimes found on mitre saws promote kickback on a portable rip saw or table saw)

Are you using a guide fence? If you are is it in alihgnment with the blade? If not are you cutting in a straight line?

Are you adequately supporting the material you are cutting so that it doesn't wag about?

If the timber is reaction timber (i.e. full of stresses) make-up some small wooden wedges and knock them into the kerf behind the saw as you cut forwards to minimise the tendency of the timber to pinch back onto the blade

Kickback is easy to cure, most of the time

 

[catlad]

Don't forget to set the blade to the correct depth for the material you are cutting.