Tracksaws – not idiot proof…

Slicing up a sheet of OSB, got distracted, and forgot to check both sides of the cut would be supported – offcut tilted and kicked the saw off the rail! Thankfully no more than a sore wrist for me, but thought I’d post it as a reminder/warning for all my fellow DIYers, not to get too relaxed around spinny, cutting things ?

Yeah, ideally when using a tracksaw, rather than using just trestles alone, it’s best to have a sacrificial board (another 8×4) underneath so that you get full support.

A lot of people actually use a sheet of insulation board for this as it allows good support and you can cut just through your material without wearing the blade in other wood -based materials.

Having a few long lengths of 2×3 or whatever running the length, bridging the cut is also a good way.

Always think about what is going to happen as soon as the material is cut through.
Is the offcut supported.

If you’ve got the floorspace, it’s often better just to lay down some sacrificial strips directly on the floor and do your cutting there. Same rules apply though.

Yeah, mine jumped off once too – NOW I use the rail-lock !

looks out of window, sees large slab of kingspan under sheet about to be cut…..

must admit though I did have a bit of a moment earlier when cutting a sleeper for the first time, my mitre is not big enough to do it in one hit so I have to turn the sleeper over.  Mid turn the end split of making a mess of the cut and narrowly missing my foot.  Which is currently shod in my garden crocs rather than my steelies!  Could of been painful

Saw title, assumed op was WCA… surprised.

🙂

Never underestimate the ingenuity of a determined idiot.

Never underestimate the ingenuity of a determined idiot.

Were you supposed to post that on the Trump thread?

Nothing is idiot proof if you’re an idiot….!

Although, tbf, you don’t even need to be an idiot. Knot in the wood, twisted timber can cause kickback with a plunge or skill saw.

Number of near misses I’ve witnessed in a table/format saw….. Argh!   Stuff off nightmares!

It’s good to get a life lesson with just a warning or maybe a wee nip

When I was an apprentice many moons ago it was showing off sharpening your pencil on a spinning carborundum blade until the lead snaps and you buff your finger tip , it doesn’t bleed much as it cauterized but boy did it hurt

Another trick we used to do was use the hoist pulling the rope yourself and releasing to apply the brake, not too bad in good sunny weather but if the flywheel got wet the brake didn’t work and you would drop back at 9.81m/s

No harm done, nothing to worry about.

Just a little tap on the shoulder to remind you about being on the ball.

Number of near misses I’ve witnessed in a table/format saw….. Argh! Stuff off nightmares!

Guy in my work. reaching over the saw blade, unguarded of course, and notices his baggy jumper sleeve is hanging just above the top of the whirling spinny thing of dismemberment.

I don’t care how cold it is, my sleeves live up.

“Never underestimate the ingenuity of a determined idiot.”

That’s t-shirt material right there.

In 1992 a friend was asked to work on a 6 cutter moulding machine after the previous guy lost his arm in it. I get the feeling that if things go wrong it happens very fast indeed.

His first task was to clean it. He turned the job down.