Skil 5400 manual Pocket Cuts, Cutting Large Sheets, RIP Cuts, RIP Board Guide

SM 2610925541 10-04 11/1/04 12:23 PM Page 11

POCKET CUTS

Disconnect the plug from the power source before making adjustments. Set depth adjust- ment according to material to be cut. Tilt saw forward with cutting guide notch lined up with the line you’ve drawn. Raise the lower guard, using lift lever and hold the saw by the front and rear handles (Fig. 10).

With the blade just clearing the material to be cut, start the motor. Gradually lower the back end of saw using the front end of the foot as the hinge point. WARNING: As blade starts cutting the material, release the lower guard immediately. When the foot rests flat on the surface being cut, proceed cutting in forward direction to end of cut. WARNING: Allow blade to come to a complete stop before lifting the saw from cut. Also, never pull the saw backward since blade will climb out of the material and KICKBACK will occur. Turn saw around and finish the cut in the normal manner, sawing forward. If corners of your pocket cut are not completely cut through, use a jigsaw or hand saw to finish the corners.

FIG. 10	LOWER
	GUARD
	LIFT
FOOT	LEVER

LINE

GUIDE

CUTTING LARGE SHEETS

Large sheets and long boards sag or bend, depending on support. If you attempt to cut without leveling and properly supporting the piece, the blade will tend to bind, causing KICK- BACK and extra load on the motor (Fig. 11).

Support the panel or board close to the cut, as shown in (Fig. 12). Be sure to set the depth of the cut so that you cut through the sheet or board only and not the table or work bench. The two-by-fours used to raise and support the work should be positioned so that the broadest sides support the work and rest on the table or bench. Do not support the work with the narrow sides as this is an unsteady arrangement. If the sheet or board to be cut is too large for a table or work bench, use the supporting two-by-fours on the floor and secure.

FIG. 11

WRONG

FIG. 12

RIGHT

RIP CUTS

The combination blade provided with your saw is for both cross cuts and rip cuts. Ripping is cutting lengthwise with the grain of the wood. Rip cuts are easy to do with a rip fence (Fig. 13). Rip Fence is available as an accessory (not included). To attach fence, insert fence through slots in foot to desired width as shown and secure with the wing nut (not included).

FIG. 13

WING

NUT

DESIRED

WIDTH

OF CUT

RIP FENCE

RIP BOARD GUIDE

When rip cutting large sheets, the rip fence may not allow the desired width of cut. Clamp or nail a straight piece of 1" lumber to the sheet as a guide (Fig. 14). Use the right side of the foot against the board guide.

FIG. 14

RIP

BOARD

GUIDE

DESIRED LINE

OF CUT

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