General Cutting; Straight Cut; Plunge Cutting - Ryobi JS480L Operator's Manual

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 the 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
to the saw may overheat the motor and break saw blades.
ORBITAL MOTION
See Figures 6 and 7, page 13 - 14.
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. To
adjust the orbital motion, rotate the orbital adjustment knob
to the desired setting. Refer to the chart in Figure 7 to find
the right setting for the job you are attempting.
NOTE: Setting the orbital position to a lower setting will
result in a smoother finish but slower cut. A higher setting
will result in a rougher finish but faster cut.

STRAIGHT CUT

See Figures 8, page 15.
A straight cut can be made by clamping a piece of wood or
straight-edge to the workpiece and guiding the edge of the
saw against it. Make the cut from one direction only. Don't
cut halfway and complete the cut from the opposite end.
WARNING:
To avoid possible serious injury, keep hands and fingers
from between the gear housing and saw blade clamp,
and keep the guard in place.
WARNING:
Excessive side pressure to the blade could result in bro-
ken blades or damage to the material being cut.
ANGLE CUTTING (BEVEL CUTTING)
See Figure 9, page 15.
Bevel cutting angles may be adjusted from 0° to 45° right
or left. Angles for cuts from 0° to 45° in 15° increments are
marked on a scale on both the left and right side of the base.
An arrow under the motor assembly provides an indicator at
each of the above mentioned 15° increments. A protractor
is recommended when accurate cuts are required.
OPERATION
 Unplug the saw.
 Unlock the base by moving the base adjustment lever
forward.
 Slide the base forward to release it from the 0º detent
position.
 Align the mark of the desired angle with the indicator
arrow located on the housing.
NOTE: For a 0º cut, slide the base back until it locks into
the 0º detent position.
 Once the desired angle is reached, tighten the base
adjustment lever by moving it back under the motor
assembly.
SCROLL CUTTING
See Figure 10, page 15.
Scroll cuts can be made with the jig saw by guiding the
direction of the cut with applied pressure on the handle as
shown.
NOTE: Tighter tolerance scroll cutting may require the use
of a scroll cutting blade (not included).
WARNING:
Excessive side pressure to the blade could result in
broken blades or damage to the material being cut.

PLUNGE CUTTING

See Figure 11, page 15.
NOTE: Use only a 7-teeth-per-inch blade for this type of
cut.
WARNING:
To avoid loss of control, broken blades, or damage to
the material being cut, always use extreme caution when
making plunge cuts. We do not recommend plunge cut-
ting on materials other than wood.
 Mark the line of cut clearly on the workpiece.
 Set the orbit adjustment to "0".
 Set the cutting angle at 0°.
 Tilt the saw forward so that it rests on the front edge
of the base and blade will not come in contact with the
workpiece when the saw is turned on.
 Make sure the blade is inside the area to be cut.
 Using high speed, start the saw and slowly lower the
blade into the workpiece until the blade cuts through the
wood.
 Continue lowering the blade into the workpiece until the
base rests flat on the work surface, then move the saw
forward to complete the opening.
10 — English