SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES AND/OR SYMBOLS
Additional Specific Safety Rules
■DANGER! Keep hands away from cutting area and blade. Keep your second hand on auxiliary handle or motor housing. If both hands are holding the saw, they cannot be cut by the blade.
■Keep your body positioned to either side of the saw blade, but not in line with the saw blade. KICKBACK could cause the saw to jump backwards. See Pages 14 and 15.
■Do not reach underneath the work. The guard cannot protect you from the blade below the work.
■Check the lower guard for proper closing before each use. Do not operate saw if lower guard does not move freely and close instantly. Never clamp or tie the lower guard into the open position . If saw is accidentally dropped, lower guard may be bent. Raise lower guard with the lower blade guard handle and make sure it moves freely and does not touch the blade or any other part, in all angles and depths of cut.
■Check the operation and condition of the lower guard spring. If the guard and the spring are not operating properly, they must be serviced before use. Lower guard may operate sluggishly due to damaged parts, gummy deposits, or a buildup of debris.
■Lower guard should be retracted manually only for special cuts such as “Pocket Cuts” and “Com- pound Cuts”. Raise lower guard by lower blade guard handle. As soon as blade enters the mate- rial, lower guard must be released. For all other sawing, the lower guard should operate automatically.
■Always observe that the lower guard is covering the blade before placing saw down on bench or floor. An unprotected, coasting blade will cause the saw to walk backwards, cutting whatever is in its path. Be aware of the time it takes for the blade to stop after switch is released.
■NEVER hold piece being cut in your hands or across your leg. It is important to support the work properly to minimize body exposure, blade binding, or loss of control.
■Hold tool by insulating gripping surfaces when performing an operation where the cutting tool may contact hidden wiring. Contact with a “live” wire will also make exposed metal parts to the tool “live” and shock the operator.
■When ripping always use a rip fence or a straight edge guide. This improves the accuracy of cut and reduces the chance of blade binding.
■Always use blade with correct size and shape (diamond vs. round) 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, or optimum performance and safety of operation.
■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 a 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 on the saw and position your body and arm in a way that allows you to resist KICKBACK forces. KICKBACK forces can be con- trolled by the operator, if proper precautions are taken.
■When blade is binding, or when interrupting a cut for any reasons, 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 KICK- BACK may occur. Investigate and take corrective actions to eliminate the cause of blade binding.
■When restarting a saw in the workpiece, center the saw blade in the kerf and check that 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.
■Do not use dull or damaged blades. Unsharpened or improperly set blades produce narrow kerf causing excessive friction, blade binding, and KICKBACK.
■Blade depth and bevel adjusting locking levers must be tight and secure before making cut. If blade adjustment shifts while cutting, it will cause binding and KICKBACK.
■Use extra caution when making a “Pocket Cut”
into existing walls or other blind areas. The protrud- ing blade may cut objects that can cause KICKBACK.
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