INSTR
UCTION MANU
AL
GUIDE D'UTILISA
TION
MANU
AL DE INSTR
UCCIONES
INSTRUCTIVO DE OPERACIÓN, CENTROS DE SER
VICIO
Y
PÓLIZA
DE GARANTÍA.
ADVERTENCIA:
LÉASE ESTE INSTRUCTIVO
ANTES DE USAR EL
PRODUCT
O.
D
E
WALT Industrial Tool Co., 701 East Joppa Road, Baltimore, MD 21286 (JUL04-CD-1)
Form No. 626676-00 DW378, DW378G, DW378GT
Copyright © 1998, 2002, 2004 D
E
WALT
The following are trademarks for one or more D
E
WALT power tools: the yellow and black color scheme;
the “D” shaped air intake grill; the array of pyramids on the handgrip; the kit box configuration; and the
array of lozenge-shaped humps on the surface of the tool.
Questions? See us in the W
orld Wide W
eb at
www
.dewalt.com
DW378, DW378G, DW378GT
7-1/4"(184 mm) Framing Saw
Scie circulaire pour la charpente de 184 mm (7 1/4 po)
Siera alternataiva de 184 mm (7-1/4")
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS OR ANY D
E
WALT TOOL,
CALL US TOLL FREE AT:
1-800-4-DEWALT (1-800-433-9258)
General Safety Instructions
WARNING! Read and understand all instructions. Failure to
follow all instruc-
tions listed below, may result in electric shock, fire and/or serious personal injury.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
WORK AREA
•
Keep your work area clean and well lit
. Cluttered benches and dark areas invite accidents.
•
Do not operate power tools in explosive atmospheres, such as in the presence of
flammable liquids, gases, or dust.
Power tools create sparks which may ignite the dust or
fumes.
•
Keep bystanders, children, and visitors away while operating a power tool.
Distractions
can cause you to lose control.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
•
Grounded tools must be plugged into an outlet properly installed and grounded in
accordance with all codes and ordinances. Never remove the grounding prong or mod-
ify the plug in any way. Do not use any adaptor plugs. Check with a qualified electri-
cian if you are in doubt as to whether the outlet is properly grounded.
If the tools should
electrically malfunction or break down, grounding provides a low resistance path to carry elec-
tricity away from the user.
Applicable only to Class I (grounded) tools. The DW378G and
DW378GT are grounded tools.
•
Double insulated tools are equipped with a polarized plug (one blade is wider than the
other.) This plug will fit in a polarized outlet only one way. If the plug does not fit fully
in the outlet, reverse the plug. If it still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician to
install a polarized outlet. Do not change the plug in any way.
Double insulation
elim-
inates the need for the three wire grounded power cord and grounded power supply system.
Applicable only to Class II (double insulated) tools. The DW378 is a double insulated
tool.
•
Avoid body contact with grounded surfaces such as pipes, radiators, ranges and
refrigerators.
There is an increased risk of electric shock if your body is grounded.
•
Don’t expose power tools to rain or wet conditions.
Water entering a power tool will
increase the risk of electric shock.
•
Do not abuse the cord. Never use the cord to carry the tools or pull the plug from an
outlet. Keep cord away from heat, oil, sharp edges or moving parts. Replace damaged
cords immediately.
Damaged cords increase the risk of electric shock.
•
When operating a power tool outside, use an outdoor extension cord marked “W-A”
or “W.”
These cords are rated for outdoor use and reduce the risk of electric shock. When
using an extension cord, be sure to use one heavy enough to carry the current your product
will draw. An undersized cord will cause a drop in line voltage resulting in loss of power and
overheating. The following table shows the correct size to use depending on cord length and
nameplate ampere rating. If in doubt, use the next heavier gage. The smaller the gage num-
ber, the heavier the cord.
Minimum Gage for Cord Sets
Volts
Total Length of Cord in Feet
120V
0-25
26-50
51-100
101-150
240V
0-50
51-100
101-200
201-300
Ampere Rating
More
Not more
AWG
Than
Than
10 -
12
16
16
14
12
12 -
16
14
12
Not Recommended
PERSONAL SAFETY
•
Stay alert, watch what you are doing and use common sense when operating a power
tool. Do not use tool while tired or under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or medica-
tion.
A moment of inattention while operating power tools may result in serious personal
injury,
•
Dress properly. Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry. Contain long hair. Keep your
hair, clothing, and gloves away from moving parts.
Loose clothing, jewelry, or long hair
can be caught in moving parts. Air vents often cover moving parts and should also be
avoided.
•
Avoid accidental starting. Be sure switch is off before plugging in.
Carrying tools with
your finger on the switch or plugging in tools that have the switch on invites accidents.
•
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.
•
Do not overreach. Keep proper footing and balance at all times.
Proper footing and bal-
ance enables better control of the tool in unexpected situations.
•
Use safety equipment. Always wear eye protection.
Dust mask, non-skid safety shoes,
hard hat, or hearing protection must be used for appropriate conditions.
TOOL USE AND CARE
•
Use clamps or other practical way to secure and support the workpiece to a stable
platform.
Holding the work by hand or against your body is unstable and may lead to loss
of control.
•
Do not force tool. Use the correct tool for your application.
The correct tool will do the
job better and safer at the rate for which it is designed.
•
Do not use tool if switch does not turn it on or off.
Any tool that cannot be controlled with
the switch is dangerous and must be repaired.
•
Disconnect the plug from the power source before making any adjustments, chang-
ing accessories, or storing the tool.
Such preventative safety measures reduce the risk of
starting the tool accidentally.
•
Store idle tools out of reach of children and other untrained persons.
Tools are dan-
gerous in the hands of untrained users.
•
Maintain tools with care. Keep cutting tools sharp and clean.
Properly maintained tools,
with sharp cutting edges are less likely to bind and are easier to control.
•
Check for misalignment or binding of moving parts, breakage of parts, and any other
condition that may affect the tools operation. If damaged, have the tool serviced
before using
. Many accidents are caused by poorly maintained tools.
•
Use only accessories that are recommended by the manufacturer for your model.
Accessories that may be suitable for one tool, may become hazardous when used on anoth-
er tool.
SERVICE
•
Tool service must be performed only by qualified repair personnel.
Service or mainte-
nance performed by unqualified personnel could result in a risk of injury.
•
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 follow
Maintenance Instructions may create a risk of electric shock or injury.
Additional Safety Instructions for Circular Saws
DANGER! Keep hands away from cutting area and 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.
CAUTION:
Blades coast after turn off.
•
Keep your body positioned to either side of the blade, but not in line with the saw
blade.
KICKBACK could cause the saw to jump backwards (see Causes and Operator
Prevention of Kickback and 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, the 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, at all angles and depth 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 be allowed to 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 cut-
ting 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 accura-
cy of 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 bolt
were specially designed for your saw, for optimum performance and safety of operation.
•
Avoid cutting nails.
Inspect for and remove all nails from lumber before cutting.
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 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 elim-
inate the cause of blade binding.
•
When restarting a saw in the workpiece, center the saw blade in the kerf and check
that the 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 pan-
els tend to sag under their own weight. Support must be placed under the panel on both
sides, near the line of cut and near the edge of the panel.
•
Do not use dull or damaged blade.
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 mak-
ing cut.
If blade adjustment shifts while cutting, it may cause binding and kickback.
•
Use extra caution when making a “Pocket Cut” into existing walls or other blind areas.
The protruding blade may cut objects that can cause kickback.
WARNING:
Some dust created by power sanding, sawing, grinding, drilling, and other con-
struction activities contains chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproduc-
tive harm. Some examples of these chemicals are:
• lead from lead-based paints,
• crystalline silica from bricks and cement and other masonry products, and
• arsenic and chromium from chemically-treated lumber (CCA).
Your risk from these exposures varies, depending on how often you do this type of work. To
reduce your exposure to these chemicals: work in a well ventilated area, and work with
approved safety equipment, such as those dust masks that are specially designed to filter out
microscopic particles.
•
Avoid prolonged contact with dust from power sanding, sawing, grinding, drilling,
and other construction activities. Wear protective clothing and wash exposed areas
with soap and water.
Allowing dust to get into your mouth, eyes, or lay on the skin may
promote absorption of harmful chemicals.
WARNING:
Use of this tool can generate and/or disburse dust, which may cause serious and
permanent respiratory or other injury. Always use NIOSH/OSHA approved respiratory protection
appropriate for the dust exposure. Direct particles away from face and body.
WARNING: Always use eye protection.
All users and bystanders must wear eye protection
that conforms to ANSI Z87.1.
CAUTION: Wear appropriate personal hearing protection during use.
Under some con-
ditions and duration of use, noise from this product may contribute to hearing loss.
CAUTION:
When cutting into walls, floors or wherever live electrical wires may be encoun-
tered, DO NOT TOUCH ANY METAL PARTS OF THE TOOL! Hold the tool only by insulated
grasping surfaces to prevent electric shock if you cut into a live wire.
•
The label on your tool may include the following symbols. The symbols and their definitions
are as follows:
V ..........volts
A ..........amperes
Hz ........hertz
W ..........watts
min ......minutes
........alternating current
....direct current
no..........no load speed
........Class II Construction
..........earthing terminal
........safety alert symbol
.../min....revolutions per minute
FEATURES
A. Brush inspection cover
E. Shoe
B. Trigger switch
F. Blade clamping screw
C. Cutting depth adjustment
D. Bevel angle adjustment
Motor
Your D
E
WALT tool is powered by a D
E
WALT motor. Be sure your power supply agrees with
nameplate marking. 120 Volts AC/DC means your saw will operate on alternating or direct cur-
rent. As little as 10% lower voltage can cause loss of power and can result in overheating. All
D
E
WALT tools are factory-tested; if this tool does not operate, check the power supply.
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