8
TILE CUTTER SAFETY WARNINGS (cont.)
p) Regularly clean the power tool’s air vents.
The motor’s fan will draw the dust inside the
housing and excessive accumulation of powdered metal may cause electrical hazards.
q) Do not operate the power tool near flammable materials.
Sparks could ignite these
materials.
Kickback and related warnings
Kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched or snagged rotating wheel. Pinching or snagging
causes rapid stalling of the rotating wheel which in turn causes the uncontrolled power tool to
be forced in the direction opposite of the wheel’s rotation at the point of the binding.
For example, if an abrasive wheel is snagged or pinched by the workpiece, the edge of the
wheel that is entering into the pinch point can dig into the surface of the material causing the
wheel to climb out or kick out. The wheel may either jump toward or away from the operator,
depending on direction of the wheel’s movement at the point of pinching. Abrasive wheels may
also break under these conditions.
Kickback is the result of power tool misuse and/or incorrect operating procedures or conditions
and can be avoided by taking proper precautions as given below.
a) Maintain a firm grip on the power tool and position your body and arm to allow
you to resist kickback forces. Always use auxiliary handle, if provided, for maximum
control over kickback or torque reaction during start-up.
The operator can control torque
reactions or kickback forces, if proper precautions are taken.
b) Never place your hand near the rotating accessory.
Accessory may kickback over your
hand.
c) Do not position your body in line with the rotating wheel.
Kickback will propel the tool in
direction opposite to the wheel’s movement at the point of snagging.
d) Use special care when working corners, sharp edges etc. Avoid bouncing and snagging
the accessory.
Corners, sharp edges or bouncing have a tendency to snag the rotating
accessory and cause loss of control or kickback.
e) Do not attach a saw chain, woodcarving blade, segmented diamond wheel with a
peripheral gap greater than 10 mm or toothed saw blade.
Such blades create frequent
kickback and loss of control.
f) Do not “jam” the wheel or apply excessive pressure. Do not attempt to make an
excessive depth of cut.
Overstressing the wheel increases the loading and susceptibility to
twisting or binding of the wheel in the cut and the possibility of kickback or wheel breakage.
g) When wheel is binding or when interrupting a cut for any reason, switch off the
power tool and hold the power tool motionless until the wheel comes to a complete
stop. Never attempt to remove the wheel from the cut while the wheel is in motion
otherwise kickback may occur.
Investigate and take corrective action to eliminate the cause
of wheel binding.
h) Do not restart the cutting operation in the workpiece. Let the wheel reach full speed
and carefully re-enter the cut.
The wheel may bind, walk up or kickback if the power tool is
restarted in the workpiece.
i) Support panels or any oversized workpiece to minimize the risk of wheel pinching and
kickback.
Large workpieces tend to sag under their own weight. Supports must be placed
under the workpiece near the line of cut and near the edge of the workpiece on both sides of
the wheel.
j) Use extra caution when making a “pocket cut” into existing walls or other blind areas.
The protruding wheel may cut gas or water pipes, electrical wiring or objects that can cause
kickback.
