Porter-Cable 3812 instruction manual Operation, Cross-Cutting, Ripping

OPERATION

Common sawing operations include ripping and cross-cutting plus a few other standard operations of a fundamental nature. As with all power tools, there is a certain amount of hazard involved with the operation and use of the tool. Using the tool with the respect and caution demanded as far as safety precautions are concerned, will considerably lessen the possibility of personal injury. However, if normal safety precautions are overlooked or ignored, personal injury to the operator can result. The following information describes the safe and proper method for performing the most common sawing operations.

CROSS-CUTTING

Cross-cutting requires the use of the miter gage to position and guide the work. Place the work against the miter gage and advance both the gage and work toward the saw blade, as shown in Fig. 32. The miter gage may be used in either table slot. When bevel cutting (blade tilted), use the miter gage slot that does not cause interference of your hand or miter gage with the saw blade guard. The saw guard must always be used for all through cutting.

Start the cut slowly and hold the work firmly against the miter gage and the table. One of the rules in running a saw is that you never hang onto or touch a free piece of work. Hold the supported piece, not the free piece that is cut off. The feed in cross-cutting continues until the work is cut in two, and the miter gage and work are pulled back to the starting point. Before pulling the work back it is good practice to give the work a little sideways shift to move the work slightly away from the saw blade. Never pick up any short length of free work from the table while the saw is running.

WARNING: NEVER USE THE FENCE AS A CUT- OFF GAGE WHEN CROSS-CUTTING.

For added safety and convenience the miter gage can be fitted with an auxiliary wood-facing. This auxiliary wood-facing can be fastened to the front of the miter gage by using two wood screws through the slots provided in the miter gage body and into the wood- facing.

RIPPING

Ripping is the operation of making a length-wise cut through a board, as shown in Fig. 33, and the rip fence

(A)is used to position and guide the work. One edge of the work rides against the rip fence while the flat side of the board rests on the table. Since the work is pushed along the fence, it must have a straight edge and make solid contact with the table. The saw guard must always be used. The guard has anti-kickback fingers to help prevent kickback and a spreader to help prevent the saw kerf from closing and binding the blade.

Start the motor and advance the work, holding it down against the fence. Never stand in the line of the saw cut when ripping. Hold the work with both hands and push it along the fence and into the saw blade as shown in Fig.

33.After the workpiece is on the table the work can then be fed through the saw blade with one hand, as shown in Fig. 34. After the work is beyond the saw blade and anti- kickback fingers the feed can continue to the end of the table, after which the work is lifted and brought back along the outside edge of the fence. The cut-off stock remains on the table or tilts up slightly and is caught by the rear end of the guard or slides off the table to the floor. If the cut-off stock remains on the table it is not touched with the hands until the saw blade is stopped, unless it is a large piece allowing safe removal. When ripping boards longer than three feet, it is recommended that a work support be used at the rear of the saw to keep the workpiece from falling off the saw table.

Fig. 32

Fig. 33

Fig. 34

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