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Maintain a firm grip with both hands on the saw and position your body and arm to allow you to resist KICKBACK forces. 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. Investigate and take corrective action to eliminate the cause of blade binding. Wet lumber, green lumber or pressure treated lumber require special attention during cutting operation to prevent KICKBACK. Avoid cutting nails. Inspect for and remove all nails from lumber before cutting.
When restarting a saw in a workpiece, center the saw blade in the kerf and check that saw teeth are not engaged into the material. If saw blade is binding, it may walk up or KICKBACK from the workpiece as the saw is restarted.
Support large panels to minimize the risk of blade pinching and KICKBACK. Large panels tend to sag under their own weight. Supports must be placed under the panel on both sides, near the line of cut and near the edge of the panel. See “Cutting Large Sheets” in this manual.
Do not use dull or damaged blade. Unsharpened or improperly set blades produce narrow kerf causing excessive friction, blade binding and KICKBACK.
Blade depth and bevel adjusting locking knobs must be tight and secure before making cut. If blade adjustment shifts while cutting, it may cause binding and KICKBACK. Using the saw with an excessive depth of cut setting increases loading on the unit and susceptibility to twisting of the blade in the kerf. It also increases the surface area of the blade available for pinching under conditions of kerf close down.
Use extra caution when making a “Pocket Cut” into existing walls or other blind areas. The protruding blade may cut objects that can cause KICKBACK.
!WARNING Some dust created by power sanding, sawing,
grinding, drilling, and other construction activities contains chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Some examples of these chemicals are:
•Lead from
•Crystalline silica from bricks and cement and other masonry products, and
•Arsenic and chromium from chemically- treated lumber.
Your risk from these exposures varies, depending on how often you do this type of work. To reduce your exposure to these chemicals: work in a well ventilated area, and work with approved safety equipment, such as those dust masks that are specially designed to filter out microscopic particles.