Festool TSC 55 REB Operating Manual page 17

2.3 Safety instructions for specific circular
saws
Cutting procedures
a. DANGER! Keep hands away from cutting
area and the blade. Keep your second hand on
auxiliary handle, or motor housing.
hands are holding the saw, they cannot be cut by
the blade.
b. Do not reach underneath the workpiece. The
guard cannot protect you from the blade below
the workpiece.
c. Adjust the cutting depth to the thickness of the
workpiece. Less than a full tooth of the blade
teeth should be visible below the workpiece.
d. Never hold piece being cut in your hands or
across your leg. Secure the workpiece to a sta-
ble platform. It is important to support the work
properly to minimize body exposure, blade bind-
ing, or loss of control.
e. Hold the power tool by insulated gripping sur-
faces only, when performing an operation
where the cutting tool may contact hidden wir-
ing. Contact with a "live" wire will also make ex-
posed metal parts of the power tool "live" and
could give the operator an electric shock.
f. When ripping, always use a rip fence or straight
edge guide. This improves the accuracy of cut
and reduces the chance of blade binding.
g. Always use blades with correct size and shape
(diamond versus round) of arbour holes. Blades
that do not match the mounting hardware of the
saw will run eccentrically, causing loss of control.
h. Never use damaged or incorrect blade washers
or bolt. The blade washers and bolt were spe-
cially designed for your saw, for optimum perfor-
mance and safety of operation.
i.Wear suitable protective equip-
ment such as ear protection,
safety goggles, a dust mask for
work which generates dust, and
protective gloves when working
with raw materials and when
changing tools.
Kickbacks causes and related warnings
– kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched, bound
or misaligned saw blade, causing an uncon-
trolled saw to lift up and out of the workpiece to-
ward 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 to-
ward the operator.
Kickback is the result of saw misuse and/or incor-
If both
rect operating procedures or conditions and can be
avoided by taking proper precautions as given be-
low.
a. Maintain a firm grip with both hands on the saw
and position your arms to resist kickback forc-
es. 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.
b. 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 kick-
back may occur. Investigate and take corrective
actions to eliminate the cause of blade binding.
c. When restarting a saw in the workpiece, centre
the saw blade in the kerf and check that saw
teeth are not engaged into the material. If saw
blade is binding, it may walk up or kickback from
the workpiece as the saw is restarted.
d. Support large panels to minimise the risk of
blade pinching and kickback. Large panels tend
to sag under their own weight. Supports must be
placed under the panel on both sides, near the
line of cut and near the edge of the panel.
e. Do not use dull or damaged blades. Unsharp-
ened or improperly set blades produce narrow
kerf causing excessive friction, blade binding and
kickback.
f. Blade depth and bevel adjusting locking levers
must be tight and secure before making cut. If
blade adjustment shifts while cutting, it may
cause binding and kickback.
g. Use extra caution when sawing into existing
walls or other blind areas. The protruding blade
may cut objects that can cause kickback.
Guard function
a. Check guard for proper closing before each use.
Do not operate the saw if guard does not move
freely and enclose the blade instantly. Never
clamp or tie the guard so that the blade is ex-
posed. If saw is accidentally dropped, guard may
TSC 55 REB
GB
17