Rip Sawing - Powermatic 66 Instruction Manual & Parts List

4. Dull, badly set, improper, or improperly filed cut-
ting tools and cutting tools with gum or resin adher-
ing to them can cause accidents. Never use a
cracked saw blade. The use of a sharp, well main-
tained, and correct cutting tool for the operation will
help to avoid injuries.
5. Support the work properly and hold it firmly
against the gauge or fence. Use a push stick or push
block when ripping short, narrow (6" width or less),
or thin work. Use a push block or miter gauge hold-
down when dadoing or molding.
6. For increased safety in crosscutting, use an
auxiliary wood facing attached to the mitre gauge us-
ing the holes provided in the gauge, Figure 23.
7. Never use the fence as a length stop when
crosscutting. Do not hold or touch the free end or
cutoff section of a workpiece. On through-sawing op-
erations, the cutoff section must NOT be confined.
8. Always keep your hands out of the line of the
saw blade and never reach back of the cutting blade
with either hand to hold the workpiece.
9. Bevel ripping cuts should always be made with
the fence on the right side of the saw blade so that
the blade tilts away from the fence and minimizes
the possibility of the work binding and the resulting
kickback.

RIP SAWING

1. Ripping is where the work piece is fed with the
grain into the saw blade using the fence as a guide
and a positioning device to ensure the desired width
of cut. See Figure 24.
CAUTION: Before starting a ripping cut,
!
be sure the fence is clamped securely
and aligned properly.
Never rip freehand or use the miter gauge in
combination with the fence.
Never rip workpieces shorter than the saw blade
diameter.
Never reach behind the blade with either hand
to hold down or remove the cutoff piece with the saw
blade rotating.
2. Always use the saw guard, splitter and anti-kick-
back pawls. Make sure the splitter is properly aligned.
When wood is cut along the grain, the kerf tends to
close and bind on the blade and kickbacks can oc-
cur.
16
FIGURE 23
FIGURE 24