Craftsman 315.108620 Operator's Manual page 4

SERVICE
[] Tool service must be performedonly by qualified
repair personnel.Serviceor maintenanceperformed
by unqualified personnel c ouldresultin a riskof injury.
=' When servtc]nga tool, use only Identical replace-
ment parts. Followinstructions in the Maintenance
section of this manual. Use of unauthorized partsor
failure to follow MaintenanceInstruct_ons may createa
riskofelectricshockor injury,
I DANGER! Keep hands away from cutting area and
blade. Keep your second handon auxiliaryhandle or
motor housing.If bothhandsare holdingthesaw,they
cannot be cutby 1heblade°
• Keep your body positionedto either side of the saw
blade, but not in line with the saw blade. Kickback
could cause the saw to jumpbackwards. (See "Causes
AndOperator Prevention of Kickback" later..)
[] Do not reacll underneaththe work. The guard cannot
protect you from the blade below the work,
== Checklowerguardforproper closing beforeeachuse.
Do notoperatesawiflowerguard doesnotmovefreely
andcloseinstanlJy. N ever cramporhethe lowerguard
into the open posiUon.If saw is accidentally dropped,
lowerguardmay be bent. Raisethelower guard withthe
retractinghandleand makesureit movesfreely and does
not touch the blade or any other part, in all angles and
depths of cut,
m Checkthe operationand cond'dlon ef the lowerguard
spdng, If the guard and the springare not operating
properly, t heymustbeservicedbeforeuse.Lower guard
may operatesluggishly due to damaged parts, gummy
deposits, or a buitdup o_debris.
= Lower guard should be retracted manually only for
specialcuts, such as "Pocket Cuts"and =Compound
Cuts." Raiselowerguardbyretractinghandle.Assoon
as blade enters the material, lower guard must be
released. For all othersawing,the lowerguardshould
operate automatically.
m Always observethat the lower guard is coveringthe
bladebefore placingsaw down on benchor floor.An
unprotected, coasting blade wi!l causethe saw to walk
backwards, cutting whateveris in its path. Be aware of
the time it takes for the blade to stop after switch is
released
H NEVERhold piece being cut in your handsor across
your leg. tt is important to supportthe work properly
to minimize body exposure,blade binding,or loss of
control
i Hold tool by insulated gripping surfaces when
performingan operation where the cutting tool may
contact hiddenwiring or its own cord. Contactwith a
"live"wirewiilmake exposedmetal partsef thetool=live _
and shock the operator.
[] Whenripping,always use a ripfence er straight edge
guide. Thisimprovesthe accuracyofthe cut and reduces
the chancefor blade binding°
i Always use blades with correct size and shape
Idtamond vs. round) arbor holes. Blades that de
not match the mounting hardware of the saw wltl run
eccentrically, causing loss of contre£
! Never use damaged or incorrect blade washers
or bolts. The blade washers and belts were specially
des'_gned forthe saw for optimum performance and safety
of operation,
Causes and Operator Prevention of Kickback:
Kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched, bound, or
misaligned saw blade, causing an uncentre{ied saw te lift
up and out of the workpiece toward operator.
When the blade is pinched or bound t{ghtJy by the keffclesing
down, the blade sta(Is and the motor reaction drives the unit
rapidly back toward the eperaton
If the blade becomes twisted or misatigned 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 c{Imb out ef the
kerr and jump back toward the operator,,
Kickback isthe result ofteol 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
position your body and _rm to allow ye_ to resist
kickback {orcee. Kickback forces can be centro{{ed by
the operator, if proper precautions are taken.
u When blade is binding, or when interrupting a cut
for any mason, release the trigger and hotd 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 saw teeth are
not engaged Into the material, tf saw blade is binding,
it may walk up or KICKBACK from the workpiece as the
saw is restarted.
• St_pport large panels to minimize the risk o1 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 iine of cut and near the
edge of the panel.