GENERAL SAFETY RULES
Service
■Tool service must be performed only by qualified repair personnel. Service or maintenance performed by unqualified personnel could result in a risk of injury.
■When servicing a tool, use only identical replace- ment parts. Follow instructions in the Maintenance section of this manual. Use of unauthorized parts or failure to follow Maintenance Instructions may create a risk of electric shock or injury.
SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES
■DANGER! Keep hands away from cutting area and blade. Keep your second hand on the 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 “Causes and Operator Prevention of Kickback.”)
■Do not reach underneath the work. The guard can not protect you from the blade below the work.
■Check 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 the lower guard with the Retracting 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 "Compound Cuts." Raise lower guard by Retracting Handle. As soon as blade enters the material, 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 insulated gripping surfaces when performing an operation where the cutting tool may contact hidden wiring or its own cord. Contact with a "live" wire will also make exposed metal parts of the tool "live" and shock the operator.
■When ripping always use a rip fence or straight edge guide. This improves the accuracy of the cut and reduces the chance for blade binding.
■Always use blades 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 bolts were specially designed for the saw for 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 the 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 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 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 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.
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