For varied cutting applications, refer to the list of recommended saw blades for your saw and select the one that best fits your needs (Page 5).
BODY AND HAND POSITION (FIG. 13A)
Proper positioning of your body and hands when operating the miter saw will make cutting easier, more accurate and safer. Never place hands near cutting area. Place hands no closer than 6" (152.4 mm) from the blade. Hold the workpiece tightly to the table and the fence when cutting. Keep hands in position until the trigger has been released and the blade has completely stopped. ALWAYS MAKE DRY RUNS (UNPOWERED) BEFORE FINISH CUTS SO THAT YOU CAN CHECK THE PATH OF THE BLADE. DO NOT CROSS HANDS, AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 13B. Keep both feet firmly on the floor and maintain proper balance. As you move the miter arm left and right, follow it and stand slightly to the side of the saw blade. Sight through the guard louvers when following a pencil line.
CLAMPING THE WORKPIECE
WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, turn off the tool and disconnect it from the power source before attempting to move it, change accessories or make any adjustments accept as written in laser adjustment instructions.
WARNING: A workpiece that is clamped, balanced and secure before a cut may become unbalanced after a cut is completed. An unbalanced load may tip the saw or anything the saw is attached to, such as a table or workbench. When making a cut that may become unbalanced, properly support the workpiece and ensure the saw is firmly bolted to a stable surface. Personal injury may occur.
WARNING: The clamp foot must remain clamped above the base of the saw whenever the clamp is used. Always clamp the workpiece to the base of the saw–not to any other part of the work area. Ensure the clamp foot is not clamped on the edge of the base of the saw.
If you cannot secure the workpiece on the table and against the fence by hand, (irregular shape, etc.) or your hand would be less than 6" (152.4 mm) from the blade, a clamp or other fixture must be used.
For best results use the DW7082 clamp made for use with your saw. Another type of clamp may be supplied with your DW717. To purchase the DW7082 contact your local retailer or DEWALT service center.
Other aids such as spring clamps, bar clamps or C-clamps may be appropriate for certain sizes and shapes of material. Use care in selecting and placing these clamps. Take time to make a dry run before making the cut. The left or right fence will slide from side to side to aid in clamping.
A
B
FIG. 16
ANGLE “A”
TO INSTALL CLAMP
1.Insert it into the hole behind the fence. The clamp should be facing toward the back of the miter saw. The groove on the clamp rod should be fully inserted into the base. Ensure this groove is fully inserted into the base of the miter saw.
If the groove is visible, the clamp will not be secure.
2.Rotate the clamp 180º toward the front of the miter saw.
3.Loosen the knob to adjust the clamp up or down, then use the fine adjust knob to firmly clamp the workpiece.
NOTE: Place the clamp on the opposite side of the base when beveling. ALWAYS MAKE DRY RUNS (UNPOWERED) BEFORE FINISH CUTS TO CHECK THE PATH OF THE BLADE. ENSURE THE CLAMP DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE ACTION OF THE SAW OR GUARDS.
WARNING: A workpiece that is clamped, balanced and secure before a cut may become unbalanced after a cut is completed. An unbalanced load may tip the saw or anything the saw is attached to, such as a table or workbench. When making a cut that may become unbalanced, properly support the workpiece and ensure the saw is firmly bolted to a stable surface.
WARNING: The clamp foot must remain clamped above the base of the saw whenever the clamp is used. Always clamp the workpiece to the base of the saw–not to any other part of the work area. Ensure the clamp foot is not clamped on the edge of the base of the saw.
SUPPORT FOR LONG PIECES
WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, turn off the tool and disconnect it from the power source before attempting to move it, change accessories or make any adjustments accept as written in laser adjustment instructions.
ALWAYS SUPPORT LONG PIECES.
Never use another person as a substitute for a table extension; as additional support for a workpiece that is longer or wider than the basic miter saw table or to help feed, support or pull the workpiece.
For best results, use the DW7080 extension work support to extend the table width of your saw. Available from your dealer at extra cost. Support long workpieces using any convenient means such as sawhorses or similar devices to keep the ends from dropping.
CUTTING PICTURE FRAMES, SHADOW BOXES AND OTHER FOUR-SIDED PROJECTS
To best understand how to make the items listed here, we suggest that you try a few simple projects using scrap wood until you develop a “FEEL” for your saw.
Your saw is the perfect tool for mitering corners like the one shown in Figure 14. Sketch A in Figure 15 shows a joint made by using the bevel adjustment to bevel the edges of the two boards at 45º each to produce a 90º corner. For this joint the miter arm was locked in the zero position and the bevel adjustment was locked at 45º. The wood was positioned with the broad flat side against the table and the narrow edge against the fence. The cut could also be made by mitering right and left with the broad surface against the fence.
CUTTING TRIM MOLDING AND OTHER FRAMES
Sketch B in Figure 14 shows a joint made by setting the miter arm at 45º to miter the two boards to form a 90º corner. To make this type of joint, set the bevel adjustment to zero and the miter arm to 45º. Once again, position the wood with the broad flat side on the table and the narrow edge against the fence.
The two sketches in Figure 15 are for four side objects only.
As the number of sides changes, so do the miter and bevel angles. The chart below gives the proper angles for a variety of shapes.
(The chart assumes that all sides are of equal length.) For a shape that is not shown in the chart, use the following formula. 180º divided by the number of sides equals the miter (if the material is cut vertically) or bevel angle (if the material is cut laying flat).
| - EXAMPLES - |
NO. SIDES | | ANGLE MITER OR BEVEL |
4 | | 45° |
5 | | 36° |
6 | | 30° |
7 | | 25.7° |
8 | | 22.5° |
9 | | 20° |
10 | | 18° |