6.
Do not perform any operation freehand.
7.
Never reach around or over saw blade.
8.
Make sure the workpiece is supported
at all times while sawing. Use a roller
stand (not provided) with larger work-
pieces if necessary.
9.
To properly understand all safety warn-
ings, be familiar with the following safety
terms and equipment:
a. Featherboard – A block with "fingers"
that hold the workpiece against the
fence while sawing.
b. Through-sawing – A cut made from one
side of a board to the opposite side,
without stopping.
c. Ripcut or Ripping - A cut made parallel
to (along with) the grain of the wood.
d. Crosscut or Crosscutting - A cut made
perpendicular (at a 90° angle) to the
grain of the wood.
e. Push-stick – A narrow strip of wood
or other soft material with a notch cut
into one end and which is used to push
short pieces of material through saws.
It provides a safe distance between the
hands and the cutting tool. Must be
narrower than the cut width to prevent
contact with the blade.
f. Freehand – Feeding a workpiece
through the saw without using a fence
or guided support to guide it. NOT A
SAFE METHOD.
g. Kerf – The gap made by the saw in the
workpiece.
h. Kickback – A sudden reaction to a
pinched, bound, or misaligned blade,
causing an uncontrolled workpiece to lift
up and out of the saw toward the opera-
tor.
i. Spreader – A metal plate that follows the
saw blade to keep the kerf (gap) from
SKU 98265
For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
closing on the saw blade. Spreaders,
except riving knives, must be aligned
to the blade after blade adjustment to
prevent binding.
j. Riving Knife – A spreader mounted on
the same mechanism as the blade.
Generally more effective than simple
spreaders.
10. As noted previously, Kickback is a sud-
den reaction to a pinched, bound, or mis-
aligned blade, causing an uncontrolled
workpiece to lift up and out of the saw
toward the operator.
Kickback is usually a result of tool mis-
use and can be limited or avoided by
following the precautions below:
• Fence must be completely parallel to
the saw blade.
• Workpiece must be free from flaws
(such as loose knots) and from foreign
objects (such as nails and screws).
• Support large workpieces along their
entire length. Large workpieces tend to
bend, grabbing the blade.
• Do not use a dull, damaged, or pitch-
covered blade.
• Do not use fence as a guide when
crosscutting.
• Do not ripcut a twisted or warped work-
piece, or workpiece without straight
edge to guide along fence.
• Maintain control of the workpiece. Do
not allow the workpiece to rest against
the moving blade without holding onto
it.
• If the blade binds or a cut is interrupt-
ed, turn off the power switch and hold
the workpiece still until the blade stops.
Correct the cause of blade binding be-
fore proceeding.
• Before continuing an unfinished cut,
center the blade in the pre-cut kerf and
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