5
SPECIFIC RULES FOR TRACK SAWS
7. Never hold a workpiece in your hands or across your legs during sawing operations. It is important to support the
work properly to minimize body exposure, blade binding, or loss of control.
8. 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.
9. 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 a loss of control.
10. Kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched, bound or misaligned saw blade, causing an uncontrolled saw to lift
up and out of the work piece 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 towards the operator. Kickback is the result of tool misuse
or incorrect operating procedures of conditions and can be avoided by taking proper precautions as given below:
• Maintain a firm grip on the saw and position your body and arm in a way that allows you to resist kickback
forces. Kickback forces can be controlled by the operator, if proper precautions are taken.
• When a 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 causes of blade binding.
• When restarting a saw in the workpiece, center the blade in the kerf and check that the teeth are not engaged
into the material. If the saw blade is binding, it may walk up or kickback from the work piece 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 the cut and near the
edge of the panel.
• Do not use dull or damaged blades. Unsharpened or improperly set blades produce narrow kerf, causing
excessive friction, blade binding, and kickback.
• Blade depth and bevel adjusting locking levers must be tight and secure before making a cut. If the blade
adjustment shifts while cutting, it will cause binding and KICKBACK.
• Use extra caution when making a “Pocket Cut” into existing walls or other blind areas. The protruding blade
may cut the objects that can cause kickback.
11. Always set the cutting depth so the blade doesn’t protrude more than 1/8 of an inch past the bottom of the
workpiece.
12. Only make straight cuts. Never make freehand cuts. Allow the blade to reach full speed before starting a cut.
13. If a cut is interrupted, let the blade come to a complete stop before taking it out of the workpiece. Before con-
tinuing the cut, place the blade in the kerf to make sure its teeth do not touch the workpiece.
