Makita BCS550 Instruction Manual page 4

1. Keep hands away from cutting area and the
blade. Keep your second hand on auxiliary
handle, or motor housing. If both hands are
holding the tool, they cannot be cut by blade.
2. Do not reach underneath the workpiece. The
guard cannot protect you from the blade below the
workpiece.
3. 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.
4. Never hold 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.
5. Hold power tool
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 power tool "live"
and shock the operator.
6. When ripping always use a rip fence or
straight edge guide. This improves the accuracy
of cut and reduces the chance for blade binding.
7. Always use blades with correct size and shape
(diamond versus round) of arbour holes.
Blades that do not match the mounting hardware
of the tool will run eccentrically, causing loss of
control.
8. Never use damaged
washers or bolts. The blade washers and bolt
were specially designed for your tool, for optimum
performance and safety of operation.
9. Causes and operator prevention of kickback;
− Kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched,
bound or misaligned blade, causing an
uncontrolled tool 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
workpiece causing the blade to climb out of
the kerf and jump back toward the 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
•
tool 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 tool to
jump backwards, but kickback forces can be
controlled by
by insulated gripping
or incorrect blade
the operator, if proper
precautions are taken.
When blade
•
interrupting a cut for any reason, release
the trigger and hold the tool motionless in
the material until the blade comes to a
complete stop. Never attempt to remove
the tool from the work or pull the tool
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 tool in the workpiece,
•
center the blade in the kerf and check that
blade teeth are not engaged into the
material. If blade is binding, it may walk up
or kickback from the workpiece as the tool is
restarted.
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.
Do not use dull or damaged blades.
•
Unsharpened
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 "plunge
•
cut" into existing walls or other blind areas.
The protruding blade may cut objects that can
cause kickback. For plunge cuts, retract lower
guard using retracting handle.
10. Check lower guard for proper closing before
each use. Do not operate the tool if lower
guard does not move freely and close instantly.
Never clamp or tie the lower guard into the
open position. If tool is accidentally dropped,
lower guard may be bent. Raise the lower guard
with the retracting lever and make sure it moves
freely and does not touch the blade or any other
part, in all angles and depths of cut.
To check lower guard, open lower guard by hand,
then release and watch guard closure. Also check
to see that retracting handle does not touch tool
housing. Leaving blade exposed is VERY
DANGEROUS and can lead to serious personal
injury.
11. Check the operation and condition of the lower
guard spring. If the guard and the spring are
not operating properly, they must be serviced
before use. Lower guard may operate sluggishly
due to damaged parts, gummy deposits, or a
buildup of debris.
12. Lower guard should be retracted manually
4
is binding, or
or improperly set
when
blades