-4-
▶ Cutting procedures
K e e p h a n d s a w a y f r o m
c u t t i n g a r e a a n d t h e
blade. Keep your second hand on auxiliary
handle, or motor housing.
If both hands
are holding the saw, they cannot be cut by
the blade.
Do not reach underneath the workpiece.
The guard cannot protect you from the
blade below the workpiece.
Adjust the cutting depth to the thickness
of the workpiece.
Less than a full tooth of
the blade teeth should be visible below the
workpiece.
Never hold the workpiece in your hands or
across your leg while cutting. Secure the
w o r k p i e c e t o a s t a b l e p l a t f o r m .
I t i s
important to support the work properly to
minimize body exposure, blade binding, or
loss of control.
Hold the power tool by insulated gripping
s u r f a c e s o n l y , w h e n p e r f o r m i n g a n
o p e r a t i o n w h e r e t h e c u t t i n g t o o l m a y
contact hidden wiring or its own cord.
Contact with a "live" wire will also make
exposed metal parts of the power tool “live”
and could give the operator an electric
shock.
When ripping, always use a rip fence or
straight edge guide.
This improves the
accuracy of cut and reduces the chance of
blade binding.
Always use blades with correct size and
shape (diamond versus round) of arbor
h o l e s .
B l a d e s t h a t d o n o t m a t c h t h e
mounting hardware of the saw will run off-
center, causing loss of control.
Never use damaged or incorrect blade
washers or bolt.
The blade washers and
bolt were specially designed for your saw,
for optimum performance and safety of
operation.
▶ Kickback causes and related
warnings
Kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched,
jammed or misaligned saw blade, causing
an uncontrolled saw to lift up and out of the
workpiece toward the operator.
W h e n t h e b l a d e i s p i n c h e d o r j a m m e d
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 saw misuse and/or
i n c o r r e c t
o p e r a t i n g
p r o c e d u r e s
o r
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 arms to resist
kickback forces. Position your body to
either side of the blade, but not in line
with the blade.
Kickback could cause the
saw to jump backwards, but kickback forces
can be controlled by the operator, if proper
precautions are taken.
W h e n b l a d e i s b i n d i n g , o r w h e n
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 action to eliminate the cause of
blade binding.
When restarting a saw in the workpiece,
center the saw blade in the kerf so that
the saw teeth are not engaged into the
material.
If a saw blade binds, 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.
D o n o t u s e d u l l o r d a m a g e d b l a d e s .
U n s h a r p e n e d o r i m p r o p e r l y s e t b l a d e s
produce narrow kerf causing excessive
friction, blade binding and kickback.
Blade depth and bevel adjusting locking
levers must be tight and secure before
making cut.
If blade adjustment shifts while
cutting, it may cause binding and kickback.
U s e e x t r a c a u t i o n w h e n s a w i n g i n t o
existing walls or other blind areas.
The
protruding blade may cut objects that can
cause kickback.
▶ Lower Guard Function
Check the 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 the saw is
Safety Instructions for Circular Saws
2610051973.qxp_CS10 7/26/19 12:35 PM Page 4
