Milwaukee M18 2686-20 Operator's Manual page 4

For example, if an abrasive wheel is snagged or
pinched by the workpiece, the edge of the wheel that
is entering into the pinch point can dig into the surface
of the material causing the wheel to climb out or kick
out. The wheel may either jump toward or away from
the operator, depending on direction of the wheel's
movement at the point of pinching. Abrasive wheels
may also break under these conditions.
Kickback is the result of power tool misuse and/or
incorrect operating procedures or conditions and
can be avoided by taking proper precautions as
given below.
• Maintain a firm grip on the power tool and posi-
tion your body and arms to allow you to resist
kickback forces. Always use auxiliary handle, if
provided, for maximum control over kickback
or torque reaction during start-up. The operator
can control torque reactions or kickback forces, if
proper precautions are taken.
• Never place your hand near the rotating acces-
sory. Accessory may kickback over your hand.
• Do not position your body in the area where
power tool will move if kickback occurs. Kickback
will propel the tool in direction opposite to the wheel's
movement at the point of snagging.
• Use special care when working corners, sharp
edges, etc. Avoid bouncing and snagging the
accessory. Corners, sharp edges or bouncing have
a tendency to snag the rotating accessory and cause
loss of control or kickback.
• Do not attach a saw chain woodcarving blade,
segmented diamond wheel with a peripheral gap
greater than 10 mm or toothed saw blade. Such
blades create frequent kickback and loss of control.
Safety Warnings Specific for Grinding and
Cutting-Off Operations:
• Use only wheel types that are specified for your
power tool and the specific guard designed
for the selected wheel. Wheels for which the
power tool was not designed cannot be adequately
guarded and are unsafe.
• The grinding surface of centre depressed wheels
must be mounted below the plane of the guard
lip. An improperly mounted wheel that projects
through the plane of the guard lip cannot be ad-
equately protected.
• The guard must be securely attached to the
power tool and positioned for maximum safety,
so the least amount of wheel is exposed towards
the operator. The guard helps to protect the opera-
tor from broken wheel fragments, accidental contact
with wheel and sparks that could ignite clothing.
• Wheels must be used only for specified applica-
tions. For example: do not grind with the side of
cut-off wheel. Abrasive cut-off wheels are intended
for peripheral grinding, side forces applied to these
wheels may cause them to shatter.
• Always use undamaged wheel flanges that are of
correct size and shape for your selected wheel.
Proper wheel flanges support the wheel thus reduc-
ing the possibility of wheel breakage. Flanges for
cut-off wheels may be different from grinding wheel
flanges.
• Do not use worn down wheels from larger power
tools. A wheel intended for larger power tool is not
suitable for the higher speed of a smaller tool and
may burst.
• When using dual purpose wheels always use
the correct guard for the application being per-
formed. Failure to use the correct guard may not
provide the desired level of guarding, which could
lead to serious injury.
Additional Safety Warnings Specific for Cutting-
Off Operations:
• Do not "jam" the cut-off wheel or apply excessive
pressure. Do not attempt to make an excessive
depth of cut. Overstressing the wheel increases the
loading and susceptibility to twisting or binding of
the wheel in the cut and the possibility of kickback
or wheel breakage.
• Do not position your body in line with and behind
the rotating wheel. When the wheel, at the point
of operation, is moving away from your body, the
possible kickback may propel the spinning wheel
and the power tool directly at you.
• When wheel is binding or when interrupting a
cut for any reason, switch off the power tool
and hold it motionless until the wheel comes
to a complete stop. Never attempt to remove
the cut-off wheel from the cut while the wheel
is in motion otherwise kickback may occur.
Investigate and take corrective action to eliminate
the cause of wheel binding.
• Do not restart the cutting operation in the
workpiece. Let the wheel reach full speed and
carefully re-enter the cut. The wheel may bind,
walk up or kickback if the power tool is restarted in
the workpiece.
• Support panels or any oversized workpiece to
minimize the risk of wheel pinching and kick-
back. Large workpieces tend to sag under their
own weight. Supports must be placed under the
workpiece near the line of cut and near the edge of
the workpiece on both sides of the wheel.
• Use extra caution when making a "pocket cut"
into existing walls or other blind areas. The pro-
truding wheel may cut gas or water pipes, electrical
wiring or objects that can cause kickback.
• Do not attempt to do curved cutting. Overstress-
ing the wheel increases the loading and susceptibil-
ity to twisting or binding of the wheel in the cut and
the possibility of kickback or wheel breakage, which
can lead to serious injury.
Safety Warnings Specific for Sanding Operations:
• Use proper sized sanding disc paper. Follow
manufacturers recommendations, when select-
ing sanding paper. Larger sanding paper extend-
ing beyond the sanding pad presents a laceration
hazard and may cause snagging, tearing of the disc
or kickback.
Safety Warnings Specific for Wire Brushing
Operations:
• Be aware that wire bristles are thrown by the
brush even during ordinary operation. Do not
overstress the wires by applying excessive load
to the brush. The wire bristles can easily penetrate
light clothing and/or skin.
• If the use of a guard is recommended for wire
brushing, do not allow any interference of the
wire wheel or brush with the guard. Wire wheel
or brush may expand in diameter due to work load
and centrifugal forces.
Additional Safety Warnings
• To reduce the risk of injury, when
WARNING
working in dusty situations, wear
appropriate respiratory protection or use an
OSHA compliant dust extraction solution.
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