Makita 5704R Instruction Manual page 5

To avoid kickback, do support
board or panel near the cut.
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Do not support board or
panel away from the cut.
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13. Do not use dull or damaged blades. Unsharpened
or improperly set blades produce narrow kerf causing
excessive friction, blade binding and kickback.
14. 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.
15. Use extra caution when sawing into existing
walls or other blind areas. The protruding blade
may cut objects that can cause kickback.
16. ALWAYS hold the tool firmly with both hands.
NEVER place your hand or fingers behind the saw. If
kickback occurs, the saw could easily jump backwards
over your hand, leading to serious personal injury.
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17. Never force the saw. Push the saw forward at a
speed so that the blade cuts without slowing.
Forcing the saw can cause uneven cuts, loss of
accuracy, and possible kickback.
Lower guard function
18. Check lower guard for proper closing before
each use. Do not operate the saw if lower
guard does not move freely and close instantly.
Never clamp or tie the lower guard into the
open position. If saw is accidentally dropped,
lower guard may be bent. Raise the lower guard
with the retracting handle and make sure it moves
freely and does not touch the blade or any other
part, in all angles and depths of cut.
19. Check the operation 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 build-up of
debris.
20. Lower guard may be retracted manually only
for special cuts such as "plunge cuts" and
"compound cuts". Raise lower guard by
retracting handle and as soon as blade enters
the material, the lower guard must be released.
For all other sawing, the lower guard should
operate automatically.
21. Always observe that the lower guard is
covering the blade before placing saw down on
bench or floor. An unprotected, coasting blade will
cause the saw to walk backwards, cutting whatever
is in its path. Be aware of the time it takes for the
blade to stop after switch is released.
22. 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.
Riving knife function
23. Use the appropriate saw blade for the riving
knife. For the riving knife to function, the body of
the blade must be thinner than the riving knife and
the cutting width of the blade must be wider than
the thickness of the riving knife.
24. Adjust the riving knife as described in this
instruction
positioning and alignment can make the riving
knife ineffective in preventing kickback.
25. Always use the riving knife except when
plunge cutting. Riving knife must be replaced
after plunge
interference during plunge cutting and can create
kickback.
26. For the riving knife to work, it must be
engaged in the workpiece. The riving knife is
ineffective in preventing kickback during short
cuts.
27. Do not operate the saw if riving knife is bent.
Even a light interference can slow the closing rate
of a guard.
5
manual. Incorrect
cutting. Riving knife
spacing,
causes