SM 1619X03173 11-08:SM 1619X03173 11-08 12/2/08 11:21 AM Page 4
Safety Rules for Circular Saws
!WARNING Read all safety warnings and all instructions.
Cutting procedures
!DANGER Keep hands away from cutting area and blade. Keep
your second hand on auxiliary handle, or motor housing. If hands are holding the saw, they cannot be cut by the blade.
Do not reach underneath the workpiece. The guard cannot protect you from the blade below the workpiece.
Adjust the cutting depth to the thickness of the workpiece. Less than a full tooth of the blade teeth should be visible below the workpiece.
NEVER hold piece being cut in your hands or across your leg. Secure the workpiece to stable platform. It is important to support the work properly to minimize body exposure, blade binding, or loss of control.
Hold power tool by the insulated gripping surfaces when performing an operation where the cutting tool may contact hidden wiring or it own cord. Contact with a "live" wire will also make exposed metal parts of the tool “live” and shock the operator.
When ripping always use a rip fence or straight edge guide. This improves accuracy of cut and reduces the chance for blade binding.
Always use blades with correct size and shape (diamond vs. round) of arbor holes. Blades that do not match the mounting hardware of the saw will run eccentrically, causing loss of control.
Never use damaged or incorrect blade washers or bolts. The blade washers and bolt were specially designed for your saw, for optimum performance and safety of operation.
Inspect the condition and quality of the wood and remove all nails from lumber before cutting. Wet lumber, green lumber or pressure treated lumber require special attention during cutting operation to prevent kickback.
Hold the saw firmly to prevent loss of control. Figures in this manual illustrate typical hand support of the saw.
Depending upon use, the switch may not last the life of the saw. If the switch should fail in the “OFF” position, the saw may not start. If it should fail while the saw is running, the saw may not shut off. If either occurs, unplug the saw immediately and do not use until repaired.
This circular saw should not be mounted to a table and converted to a table saw. Circular saws are not designed or intended to be used as table saws.
Kickback and related warnings
Causes and operator prevention of
kickback:
Kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched, bound or misaligned saw blade, causing an uncontrolled saw to lift up and out of the workpiece toward the operator.
When the blade is pinched or bound tightly by the kerf closing down, the blade stalls and the motor reaction drives the unit rapidly back toward the operator.
If the blade becomes twisted or misaligned in the cut, the teeth at the back edge of the blade can dig into the top surface of the wood causing the blade to climb out of the kerf and jump back toward the operator.
Kickback is the result of tool misuse and/or incorrect operating procedures or conditions and can be avoided by taking proper precautions as given below:
Maintain a firm grip with both hands on the saw and position your body and arm to allow you to resist kickback forces. Position your body to either side of the blade, but not in line with the blade. Kickback could cause the saw to jump backwards, but kickback forces can be controlled by the operator, if proper precautions are taken.
When blade is binding, or when interrupting a cut for any reason, release the trigger and hold the saw motionless in the material until the blade comes to a complete stop. Never attempt to remove the saw from the work or pull the saw backward while the blade is in motion or kickback may occur.