There are a few things an operator can do to eliminate the blade from binding. First, make sure that your saw blade is sharp and clean. Dull blades and dirty blades tend to bind and stall more often increasing the risk of kickback. Visual blade inspections are good disciplines that for some reason most operators seem to neglect. Chipped teeth or rounded edges are sure signs that your blade needs to be replaced or sharpened. It is very important that the blade is sharpened as soon as visible saw blade deterioration occurs. The blade will dull up much faster if the blade continues to be used resulting in more of the tip having to be removed in order to get a new sharp edge. This decreases the life of the blade and increases operating costs.

The use of a riving knife is one of the easiest and safest way to prevent binding. This device which is standard on all of our Safety Speed Cut models is a hooked shaped piece of metal that is mounted directly behind the blade. This device helps prevent the upper and lower pieces of wood from binding together after the cut is performed.

Furthermore, be careful not to force the work piece through the saw, to avoid burning and binding. In addition, you want to make sure that you select the appropriate saw blade for the substrate that you are cutting. For instance, if you are cutting melamine than you should use a blade with a negative hook/rake and at least 60 teeth to get a nice chip free cut. For best results, the use of a scoring blade or knife is recommended to eliminate chipping. This option is available on many larger panel saws.