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12

VARIABLE SPEED

See Figure 5.

The saw has a variable speed control selector designed to 
allow operator control and adjustment of speed and power 
limits. The speed and power of your saw can be increased 
or decreased by rotating the variable speed control selector 
in the direction of the arrows shown in figure 5.

NOTE:

 Hold the saw in normal operating position and turn 

the variable speed control selector to the positive symbol 
to increase speed and power. Turn to the negative symbol 
to decrease speed and power.
If you desire to lock the switch on at a given speed, depress 
the trigger switch, push in and hold the lock-on button, and 
release the trigger switch. Next, adjust the variable speed 
control selector until the desired speed is reached.
Avoid running your saw at low speeds for extended periods 
of time. Running at low speeds under constant usage may 
cause your saw to become overheated. If this occurs, cool 
your saw by running it without a load and at full speed.
The following guidelines may be used in determining correct 
speed for various applications:

LOW

  speed  is  ideal  when  minimum  speed  and  power  is 

required, for example, starting cuts.

MEDIUM

 speed is suitable for cutting hard metals, plastics, 

and laminates.

HIGH

 speed produces best results when maximum power is 

required, for example, cutting wood. Soft metals such as alu-
minum, brass, and copper may also require high speeds.

WARNING:

Do not insert saw blade into air vents. They could come 
in contact with electrically live internal parts, and cause 
electrical shock resulting in serious injury.

GENERAL CUTTING

Rest the front of the saw base on the workpiece and align 
cutting edge of the blade with the line on your workpiece. 
Make sure the power cord is out of your way and not in the 
line of cut. Start your saw and move it forward on the work 
surface. Apply downward pressure to keep the saw steady and 
only enough forward pressure to keep the blade cutting.

DO NOT FORCE THE SAW

Applying too much forward pressure your saw may overheat 
the motor and break saw blades.

ORBITAL MOTION

See Figure 6.

The blade of the saw cuts in an orbital motion. This feature 
is  adjustable  and  provides  faster,  more  efficient  cutting. 
With  orbital  motion  the  blade  cuts  through  your  work  in 
the  upstroke  but  does  not  drag  across  your  work  in  the 
downstroke. The higher settings should be used when fast 

VARIABLE SPEED 

CONTROL SELECTOR

OPERATION

Fig. 6

TO INCREASE 

ORBITAL SETTING

TO DECREASE 

ORBITAL SETTING

Fig. 5

cutting in soft material is desired. The lower settings should 
be used when cutting materials with more resistance. The 
“0” setting shuts off the orbital motion. Setting "3" offers the 
maximum orbital motion.

Summary of Contents for JS550L

Page 1: ...When properly cared for it will give you years of rugged trouble free performance WARNING To reduce the risk of injury the user must read and understand the operator s manual before using this product Thank you for buying a Ryobi product OPERATOR S MANUAL Orbital Scrolling Jig Saw with Laser JS550L SAVE THIS MANUAL FOR FUTURE REFERENCE ...

Page 2: ...Assembly 10 n Operation 11 16 n Adjustments 17 18 n Maintenance 19 n Parts Ordering Service 20 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION This tool has many features for making its use more pleasant and enjoyable Safety performance and dependability have been given top priority in the design of this product making it easy to maintain and operate ...

Page 3: ... finger on the switch or plugging in tools that have the switch on invites ac cidents n Remove adjusting keys or wrenches before turning the tool on A wrench or a key that is left attached to a rotating part of the tool may result in personal injury n Do not overreach Keep proper footing and balance at all times Proper footing and balance enables better control of the tool in unexpected situations...

Page 4: ...only by qualified re pair personnel Service or maintenance performed by unqualified personnel may result in a risk of injury n When servicing a tool use only identical replacement parts Follow instructions in the Maintenance section of this manual Use of unauthorized parts or failure to fol low Maintenance Instructions may create a risk of shock or injury n Make sure your extension cord is in good...

Page 5: ...njury user must read and understand operator s manual before using this product Eye Protection Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields and a full face shield when operating this product Precautions that involve your safety Failure to keep your hands away from the blade will result in serious personal injury Failure to keep your hands away from the blade will result in seriou...

Page 6: ...S The following signal words and meanings are intended to explain the levels of risk associated with this product SYMBOL SIGNAL MEANING DANGER Indicates an imminently hazardous situation which if not avoided will result in death or serious injury WARNING Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which if not avoided could result in death or serious injury CAUTION Indicates a potentially hazardou...

Page 7: ... an outlet double check the power supply EXTENSION CORDS When using a power tool at a considerable distance from a power source be sure to use an extension cord that has the capacity to handle the current the tool will draw An un dersized cord will cause a drop in line voltage resulting in overheating and loss of power Use the chart to determine the minimum wire size required in an extension cord ...

Page 8: ...x 650 nm Net Weight 6 lbs FEATURES Fig 1 VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL SELECTOR WOOD CUTTING SAW BLADE ORBITAL ADJUSTMENT KNOB LOCK ON BUTTON VACUUM ATTACHMENT TRIGGER SWITCH LASER GUIDE PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS BASE LOCKING LEVER 360 SCROLLING KNOB SCROLLING KNOB LOCK RAPID CHANGE BLADE CLAMP EDGE GUIDE SAW BASE BLADE SUPPORT ROLLER METAL CUTTING SAW BLADE BLADE STORAGE AREA ...

Page 9: ...ment makes bevel adjustment for adjusting the cut angle quick and easy BLADE SUPPORT ROLLER The blade support roller reduces blade flexing to ensure accurate cutting ORBITAL ADJUSTMENT KNOB Four position orbital adjustment for fine to aggressive cut ting VACUUM ATTACHMENT BLADE STORAGE A vacuum attachment is packed with your saw Used in con junction with a vacuum cleaner it will yield the highest ...

Page 10: ...assembly is com plete Failure to comply could result in accidental starting and possible serious personal injury TO INSTALL JIG SAW BLADES See Figure 2 n Unplug your saw n Lift the clamping lever on the rapid change blade clamp until it stops n Holding the clamping lever up insert the saw blade as far as possible into the slot in the saw bar n Check to make sure the back of the saw blade is center...

Page 11: ...e Figure 4 The saw is equipped with a lock on feature which is conve nient when continuous cutting for extended periods of time is required To lock on depress the trigger switch push in and hold the lock on button located on the side of the handle then release trigger switch Release lock on button and your saw will continue running To release the lock depress the trigger switch and re lease If you...

Page 12: ...s HIGH speed produces best results when maximum power is required forexample cuttingwood Softmetalssuchasalu minum brass and copper may also require high speeds WARNING Do not insert saw blade into air vents They could come in contact with electrically live internal parts and cause electrical shock resulting in serious injury GENERAL CUTTING Rest the front of the saw base on the workpiece and alig...

Page 13: ...en the thumb screw and insert the end of the edge guide through the two slots in the base Measure the distance to cut and tightenthethumbscrew Placetheedgeguideontheoutside edge of the workpiece and cut in a straight path OPERATION Fig 7 Fig 8 SCROLLING KNOB LOCK EDGE GUIDE Fig 9 USING THE LASER GUIDE See Figure 9 WARNING Do not stare into the laser beam or turn the laser on when the tool is not i...

Page 14: ...ever as shown in figure 10 n Slide the base back to move the blade support roller out of the way of the saw blade as shown in figure 11 n Retighten the base locking lever n Unlock the scrolling mechanism of your saw by sliding the scrolling knob lock located on the front of the jig saw to the right n Rotate the scrolling mechanism with your free hand as you apply pressure in the direction of the c...

Page 15: ... assembly provides an indicator at each of the above mentioned 15 increments A protractor is recommended when accurate cuts are required n Unlock the base by moving the base locking lever for ward n Align the mark on the base of the desired angle with the indication arrow located on the housing n Oncethedesiredangleisreached tightenthebaselocking lever by moving the base locking lever under the mo...

Page 16: ...tment knob to 0 Many kinds of metals can be cut with the saw Be careful not to twist or bend the blades Do not force If the blade chat ters or vibrates excessively use a finer tooth metal cutting blade If blade heats excessively use lower speed If blade teethbecomefilledorcloggedwhencuttingsoftmetals such as aluminum use a coarser tooth blade or lower speed We recommend use of oil when cutting met...

Page 17: ...ose the adjusting nut n Loosen the locking screw It is not necessary to remove the screw from the base n Release the base locking lever by pulling it forward n Tighten the adjusting nut 1 4 of a turn in the clockwise direction n Engage the lock lever by pushing it back under the motor assembly and check the base for any movement n If the base is still loose release the lock lever and tighten the a...

Page 18: ...ble serious personal injury n If the laser guide is on the right side of the line turn the laser adjustment screw counter clockwise one half of a turn n If the laser guide is on the left side of the line turn the laser adjustment screw clockwise one half of a turn n Plug saw into power supply n Pull the switch trigger just enough to light the laser guide to check for position n Repeat above steps ...

Page 19: ...products penetrating oils etc come in contact with plastic parts Chemicals can damage weaken or destroy plastic which may result in serious personal injury Electrictoolsusedonfiberglassmaterial wallboard spackling compounds or plaster are subject to accelerated wear and possible premature failure because the fiberglass chips and grindingsarehighlyabrasivetobearings brushes commuta tors etc Consequ...

Page 20: ...you call or visit Please call 1 800 525 2579 for your nearest Ryobi Authorized Service Center You can also check our web site at www ryobitools com for a complete list of Authorized Service Centers MODEL NO AND SERIAL NO The model number of this tool will be found on a plate attached to the motor housing Please record the model number and serial number in the space provided below HOW TO ORDER REPA...

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