Causes And Operator Prevention Of Kickback - DeWalt DW934 Instruction Manual

629182-00,DW934 7/10/06 4:17 PM
the saw serviced at an authorized service center. If the saw is oper-
ated without the window, metal chips could fly through the guard
and cause personal injury.

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 rap-
idly 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 operator.
• Kickback is the result of tool 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 posi-
tion your body and arm to allow you to resist kickback
forces. 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.
• When restarting a saw in the workpiece, center the saw
blade in the kerf and check that the 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.
• Support large panels to minimize the risk of blade pinching
and kickback. Large panels tend to sag under their own weight.
Page 4
Support must be placed under the panel on both sides, near the
line of cut and near the edge of the panel.
• Do not use dull or damaged blade. Unsharpened or improp-
erly set blades produce narrow kerf causing excessive friction,
blade binding, and kickback.
• 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.
• Use extra caution when making a "Pocket Cut" into exist-
ing walls or other blind areas. The protruding blade may cut
objects that can cause kickback.
NOTE: Although the above information references wood, this saw is
only to be used to cut metal. Kickback can occur when cutting metal.
CAUTION: Wear appropriate hearing protection during use.
Under some conditions and duration of use, noise from this prod-
uct may contribute to hearing loss.
CAUTION: Always wear eye protection. Goggles should meet
or exceed ANSI Z87.1 requirements.
CAUTION: Do not attempt to cut stainless steel, rebar, hardened
or heat-treated steel, cast iron, masonry or unknown materials.
CAUTION: When not in use, place tool on its side on a sta-
ble surface where it will not cause a tripping or falling hazard.
Some tools with large battery packs will stand upright on the bat-
tery pack but may be easily knocked over.
WARNING: Some dust created by power sanding, sawing, grind-
ing, drilling, and other construction activities contains chemicals
known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Some examples of these chemicals are:
• lead from lead-based paints,
• crystalline silica from bricks and cement and other masonry
products, and
• arsenic and chromium from chemically-treated lumber (CCA).
4