I'm both stupid and blessed. I was cutting some 2x2 wood pieces to make some better internal braces for a cheapo wood cabinet I got for free in order to use the cabinet as a base for a workbench top.

Stupidly, I was cutting pieces that were too short which required me to clamp the piece by hand when making a 45 degree cut rather than having the piece long enough to be able to use the fence on both sides of the blade.

I was halfway through the cut and the small piece flew backward and was taken up between the carbide blade and the blade guard stopping the blade very quickly. I didn't realize until after I was inspecting that the wood block torqued the blade while in motion enough for the blade to actually cut into the metal blade guard before it stopped. I was shaken for a time after I realized what had happened.
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Chris L