Quality Of Cut; Body And Hand Position; Clamping The Workpiece; Support For Long Pieces - DeWalt DW717-XE Instruction Manual

For varied cutting applications, refer to the list of recommended saw
blades for your saw and select the one that best fits your needs. See the
Blade Description table under Accessories.
BODY AND HAND POSITION (FIG. 13A)
Proper positioning of your body and hands when operating the mitre saw
will make cutting easier, more accurate and safer. Never place hands near
cutting area. Place hands no closer than 152.4 mm (6") from the blade.
Hold the workpiece tightly to the table and the fence when cutting. Keep
hands in position until the trigger has been released and the blade has
completely stopped. ALWAYS MAKE DRY RUNS (UNPOWERED) BEFORE
FINISH CUTS SO THAT YOU CAN CHECK THE PATH OF THE BLADE. DO
NOT CROSS HANDS, AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 13B.
Keep both feet firmly on the floor and maintain proper balance. As you
move the mitre arm left and right, follow it and stand slightly to the side
of the saw blade. Sight through the guard louvers when following a pencil
line.

CLAMPING THE WORKPIECE

WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, turn off the
tool and disconnect it from the power source before attempting to move
it, change accessories or make any adjustments accept as written in
laser adjustment instructions.
WARNING: A workpiece that is clamped, balanced and secure before
a cut may become unbalanced after a cut is completed. An unbalanced
load may tip the saw or anything the saw is attached to, such as a
table or workbench. When making a cut that may become unbalanced,
properly support the workpiece and ensure the saw is firmly bolted to a
stable surface. Personal injury may occur.
WARNING: The clamp foot must remain clamped above the base of
the saw whenever the clamp is used. Always clamp the workpiece to the
base of the saw–not to any other part of the work area. Ensure the clamp
foot is not clamped on the edge of the base of the saw.
If you cannot secure the workpiece on the table and against the fence by
hand, (irregular shape, etc.) or your hand would be less than 152.4 mm
(6") from the blade, a clamp or other fixture must be used.
For best results use the DW7082 clamp made for use with your saw.
Another type of clamp may be supplied with your DW717. To purchase
the DW7082 contact your local retailer or D WALT service center.
E
Other aids such as spring clamps, bar clamps or C-clamps may be
appropriate for certain sizes and shapes of material. Use care in selecting
and placing these clamps. Take time to make a dry run before making the
cut. The left or right fence will slide from side to side to aid in clamping.
TO INSTALL CLAMP
1. Insert it into the hole behind the fence (Fig. 4). The clamp should be
facing toward the back of the mitre saw. The groove on the clamp
rod should be fully inserted into the base. Ensure this groove is fully
inserted into the base of the mitre saw.
If the groove is visible, the clamp will not be secure.
2. Rotate the clamp 180º toward the front of the mitre saw.
3. Loosen the knob to adjust the clamp up or down, then use the fine
adjust knob to firmly clamp the workpiece.
NOTE: Place the clamp on the opposite side of the base when beveling.
ALWAYS MAKE DRY RUNS (UNPOWERED) BEFORE FINISH CUTS TO
CHECK THE PATH OF THE BLADE. ENSURE THE CLAMP DOES NOT
INTERFERE WITH THE ACTION OF THE SAW OR GUARDS.

SUPPORT FOR LONG PIECES

WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, turn off the
tool and disconnect it from the power source before attempting to move
it, change accessories or make any adjustments accept as written in
laser adjustment instructions.
FIG. 11
FIG. 12
ALWAYS SUPPORT LONG PIECES.
Never use another person as a substitute for a table extension; as
additional support for a workpiece that is longer or wider than the basic
mitre saw table or to help feed, support or pull the workpiece.
For best results, use the DW7080 extension work support to extend the
table width of your saw. Available from your dealer at extra cost. Support
long workpieces using any convenient means such as sawhorses or
similar devices to keep the ends from dropping.
CUTTING PICTURE FRAMES, SHADOW BOXES AND OTHER
FOUR-SIDED PROJECTS
To best understand how to make the items listed here, we suggest that
you try a few simple projects using scrap wood until you develop a
"FEEL" for your saw.
8 8
FIG. 13A
PROPER CUT
FIG. 13B
IMPROPER CUT
Your saw is the perfect tool for mitreing corners like the one shown in
Figure 14. Sketch A in Figure 15 shows a joint made by using the bevel
adjustment to bevel the edges of the two boards at 45º each to produce
a 90º corner. For this joint the mitre arm was locked in the zero position
and the bevel adjustment was locked at 45º. The wood was positioned
with the broad flat side against the table and the narrow edge against
the fence. The cut could also be made by mitreing right and left with the
broad surface against the fence.
CUTTING TRIM MOLDING AND OTHER FRAMES
Sketch B in Figure 15 shows a joint made by setting the mitre arm at 45º
to mitre the two boards to form a 90º corner. To make this type of joint,
set the bevel adjustment to zero and the mitre arm to 45º. Once again,
position the wood with the broad flat side on the table and the narrow
edge against the fence.