Key is don't touch the cutoff until the saw's retracted. I keep warning the
kids who crosscut rough lumber to only press down into the table, not
forward into the fence when cutting rough. Lots of blade binding as the
geometry changes.

"J. Clarke" wrote in message
...

If you have a radial arm saw that is the tool to use for just about any
kind
of cross-cut. The likelihood of the cutoffs getting jammed between the
blade and the stop is small--they'd have to move after cutting and
something would have to fall between the end and the stop to keep the
piece
from moving back and even if they do then they get thrown away from you so
there's no real safety issue unless someone is standing behind the saw in
the line of fire. Do, however, tune the saw before you do this--if the
blade is skewed then the teeth at the back are going to engage the stock
and lift it. I once had mine throw the entire fence across the shop (yes,
I did do something stupid)--the only damage was to the fence and I never
had the feel of a "close call".