Prevention Of Kickback - Craftsman nextec 320.61325 Operator's Manual

• Do not reach underneath the workpiece. The guard cannot protect you
from the blade below the workpiece.
• Adjust the cutting depth to the thickness of the workpiece. Less than a
full tooth of the blade should be visible below the workpiece.
• Never hold the piece being cut in your hands or across your leg. Secure
the workpiece to a stable platform, it is important to support the work
properly to minimize body exposure, blade binding or loss of control.
= Hold the power tool by its insulated gripping surfaces when performing
an operation where the cutting 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 (sold
separately). This improves the accuracy of cut and reduces the chance of
blade binding.
= Always use blades with the correct size and shape of arbor holes.
Blades that do not match the mounting hardware of the saw will run
erratically, causing loss of control.
= Never use damaged or incorrect blade washers or bolt. The blade
washers and bolt were specially designed for your saw for optimum
performance and safety of operation.
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 the operator. Kickback is the
result of 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 arms
to resist kickback forces. Position your body to either side of the blade,
but not in line with the blade. Kickback could cause the saw to jump
backwards, but 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 eliminate the cause of
blade binding.
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