MasterCraft 55-6896-2 Owner's Manual page 20

WARNING: In order to avoid serious personal injury, always keep hands
outside the "No-Hands Zone", as marked on the saw table, or at least 3" (7.6
cm) away from the blade. Also, never perform any cutting operation "freehand"
(i.e.: without holding the workpiece against the fence), because the blade could
grab the workpiece, causing it to slip and twist.
10. Before turning the saw on, perform a trial of the cutting operation by lowering
the saw arm to make sure no problems will occur when the cut is made.
11. Hold the saw handle, and use the index finger to turn the laser switch on
by pushing it forward.
12. To turn the saw on, push the safety lock-off button in with the thumb while
squeezing the On/Off trigger switch located under the handle (Fig. 1, #1
and #3). Allow several seconds for the blade to reach maximum speed.
13. Slowly lower the blade into and through the workpiece.
14. Release the safety lock and the trigger switch, and turn the laser switch
off. Allow the saw blade to stop rotating before raising the blade out of
the workpiece.
CAUTION: Always perform a "dry run" cut in order to determine whether the
operation being attempted is possible before power is applied to the Mitre Saw.
Slide Cutting
This type of cut is used mainly for wide pieces. A positive blade hook of
10 degrees or more is recommended for best performance when making
aggressive cuts or cutting thicker materials.
WARNING: Never pull the saw toward you during a cut. The blade can sud-
denly climb up on top of the workpiece and force itself toward you.
Follow these instructions for making your slide cut:
1. Properly position the workpiece. Make sure the workpiece is clamped
firmly against the table and the fence.
WARNING: Use a clamping position that does not interfere with the cutting
operation. Before switching the Mitre Saw ON, lower the head assembly to
make sure the clamp clears the guard and the head assembly.
2. Loosen the slide rail locking knob.
3. Grasp the switch handle, and pull the head assembly away from the fence
until the blade clears the workpiece, or to its maximum extension if the
blade cannot clear the workpiece.
4. Activate the switch. Always allow the blade to reach full speed before cutting.
5. Lower the head assembly all the way down, and cut through the edge of
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