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APPLICATIONS
This tool is intended for cutting unhardened ferrous metal and non-ferrous
metal. Refer to the “Accessories” section for a list of blades to be used for
the proper applications of this tool. The following precautions must be fol-
lowed to reduce the risk of injury:
• Do not cut stacked materials. Cut one piece at a time.
• Do not cut hardened steel.
• Cut materials with the wider edge of the shoe over the clamped side of
the material.
• Do not touch the blade, workpiece, chips, or chip container with bare
hands immediately after cutting; they may be hot and could burn
skin.
Pocket Cutting (Fig. 7)
To reduce the risk of electric shock, check work area for hidden
pipes and wires before making pocket cuts.
WARNING!
Pocket cuts are made in the middle of the workpiece when it can not be cut
from an edge. We recommend using a Sawzall® reciprocating saw or jig
saw for this type of cut. However, if you must use a circular saw to make
a pocket cut, USE EXTREME CAUTION. To maintain control of the saw
during pocket cutting, keep both hands on the saw (Fig. 7).
Cutting Thin or Corrugated Materials
Cut thin and corrugated materials at least 1" from the edge of the workpiece
to avoid injury or damage to the tool caused by thin strips of metal being
pulled into the upper guard.
Cutting Large Sheets
Large sheets sag or bend if they are not correctly supported. If you attempt
to cut without leveling and properly supporting the workpiece, the blade will
tend to bind, causing KICKBACK.
Support large sheets. Be sure to set the depth of the cut so that you only
cut through the workpiece, not through the supports.
When cutting widths greater than 4", clamp 1" lumber to workpiece and use
the inside edge of the shoe as a guide.
Material
Thickness
3/8"
1/2"
5/8"
3/4"
Maximum
Cutting Time
(seconds)
30 - 45
18 - 36
18 - 30
20 - 25
Max
Length
of Cut
15"
9"
6"
5"
Feed Rate
(sec./inch)
2 - 3
2 - 4
3 - 5
4 - 5
Cool Down
Period
6 min. of running
with no load
or 60 min.
switched off
When cutting materials over 1/4", certain guidelines must be followed to avoid
serious damage to the tool and/or blade. The correct combination of the
following factors will allow for a sucessful cut through thicker materials:
1. Material Thickness (do not cut materials thicker than 3/4")
NOTE: If the material thickness is not shown in the chart below, round
up to the nearest thickness listed in the chart and follow those guide-
lines.
2. Maximum Length of Cut (the length of material in inches through which
the saw moves between cool down periods)
3. Feed Rate (the speed at which the saw moves through the material in
seconds per inch)
4. Maximum Cutting Time (the total amount of time that the saw can be
under load between cool down periods.
5. Cool Down Period (6 minutes running with no load or 60 min. switched
off.)
1. Beginning at a corner, line up
the sight line with your cutting
line. Tilt the saw forward,
fi rmly fi xing the front of the
shoe on the workpiece. The
blade should be just above
cutting line, but not touching
it. Raise the lower guard us-
ing the lower guard lever.
2. Pull the trigger and allow the
motor to reach full speed
before beginning cut. Using
the front of the shoe as a
hinge point, gradually lower
the back end of the saw into
the workpiece. Release the
lower guard lever.
3. When the shoe rests fl at against workpiece, advance the saw to the far
corner. Release the trigger and allow the blade to come to a complete
stop before removing it from workpiece. Repeat the above steps for
each side of the opening. Use a Sawzall® reciprocating saw, jig saw
or small hand saw to fi nish the corners if they are not completely cut
through.
Fig. 7
Cutting Materials Thicker than 1/4" (3/4" Maximum Thickness)
To reduce the risk of damage to the tool or blade, do not exceed
the Feed Rate and Maximum Cut Time for materials thicker than
1/4", as charted below.
Between Maximum Cut Times, allow the tool to cool down for 6
minutes of running with no load or 60 minutes switched off.
Cutting too fast or too long in heavy material will damage the tool
if the tool is not allowed to cool.
Cutting too slow will cause excessive wear on the blade.
CAUTION!
Troubleshooting
If the blade does not follow a straight line:
• Teeth are dull. This is caused by hitting a hard object, dulling teeth on
one side. The blade tends to cut to the side with the sharpest teeth.
• Shoe is out of line or bent
• Blade is bent
If the blade binds, smokes or turns blue from friction:
• Blade is dull
• Blade is on backwards
• Blade is bent
• Blade is dirty
• Workpiece is not properly supported
• Incorrect blade is being used