Powermatic PM2000B Operating Instructions And Parts Manual page 22

To minimize or prevent injury from kickbacks:
Avoid conditions listed above.
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Wear a safety face shield, goggles, or safety
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glasses.
Do not use miter gauge and rip fence in the
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same operation unless provision is made by
use of a facing board on the fence, to allow
the cutoff section of workpiece to come free
before the actual cut begins (See Figure 9-8).
As the machine receives use, the operation of
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the anti-kickback pawls should be checked
periodically (Figure 9-1). If the pawls do not
stop the reverse motion of a workpiece,
resharpen all the points.
Figure 9-1
Where possible, keep your face and body out
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of line with potential kickbacks, including
when starting or stopping the machine.
Dull, badly set, improper, or improperly filed
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cutting tools, and cutting tools with gum or
resin adhering to them can cause accidents.
Never use a cracked saw blade. The use of a
sharp, well maintained, and correct cutting
tool for the operation will help avoid injuries.
Support the work properly and hold it firmly
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against gauge or fence. Use a push stick or
push block when ripping short, narrow (6"
width or less), or thin work. Use a push block
or miter gauge hold-down when dadoing or
molding.
Never use the fence as a length stop when
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crosscutting. Do not hold or touch the free end
or cutoff section of a workpiece. On through-
sawing operations, the cutoff section must
NOT be confined.
Always keep your hands out of line of the saw
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blade and never reach back of the cutting
blade with either hand to hold the workpiece.
Bevel ripping cuts should always be made
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with the fence on the right side of saw blade
so that the blade tilts away from the fence and
minimizes possibility of the work binding and
the resulting kickback.
9.2 Rip Sawing
Ripping is feeding the workpiece with the grain into
the saw blade using the fence or other positioning
device as a guide to ensure desired width of cut
(Figure 9-2).
Always use a push stick or
similar device when ripping narrow pieces.
Before starting a rip cut, verify
that fence is clamped securely and aligned
properly.
Never rip freehand or use miter gauge in
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combination with the fence.
Never rip workpieces shorter than the saw
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blade diameter.
Never reach behind the blade with either hand
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to hold down or remove the cutoff piece with
the saw blade rotating.
Always use blade guard, splitter/riving knife and
anti-kickback pawls. Make sure splitter/riving knife
is properly aligned. When wood is cut along the
grain, the kerf tends to close and bind on the blade
and kickbacks can occur.
Note: A warning decal is affixed to the guard to
remind the operator of some basic safety
procedures.
The rip fence should be set for the width of the cut
by using the scale on the front rail, or by measuring
the distance between blade (A) and fence (B). Stand
out of line with saw blade and workpiece to avoid
sawdust and splinters coming off the blade or a
potential kickback.
If the workpiece does not have a straight edge, nail
an auxiliary straight edged board on it to provide one
against the fence. To cut properly, the board must
make good contact with the table. Do not attempt to
cut warped boards.
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Figure 9-2