DeWalt DC300-XE Instruction Manual page 5

• 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.
• Never hold piece being cut in your hands or across your leg. Secure the work
piece to a stable platform. It is important to support the work properly to minimize
body exposure, blade binding, or loss of control.
• Check lower guard for proper closing before use. Do not operate 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.
• 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.
• Lower guard should be retracted manually only for special cuts such as
"Pocket Cuts" and "Compound Cuts." Raise lower guard by Retracting
Handle. As soon as blade enters the material, lower guard must be released.
For all other sawing, the lower guard should operate automatically.
• 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.
• Hold tool by insulated gripping surfaces when performing an operation where
the cutting tool may contact hidden wiring. Contact with a "live" wire will make
exposed metal parts of the tool "live" and shock the operator.
• When ripping always use a rip fence or straight edge guide. This improves the
accuracy of cut and reduces the chance for blade binding.
• Always use blades with correct size and shape (diamond vs. round) arbor holes.
Blades that do not match the mounting hardware of the saw will run eccentrically,
causing loss of control.
• Never use damaged or incorrect blade washers or bolts. The blade washers
and bolt were specially designed for your saw, for optimum performance and
safety of operation.
• Avoid cutting nails. Inspect for and remove all nails from lumber before cutting.
CAUSES AND OPERATOR PREVENTION OF KICKBACK
• Kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched, bound or misaligned saw blade, caus-
ing an uncontrolled saw 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 wood causing the blade to climb
out of the kerf and jump back toward 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 saw and position your body and
arm to allow you to resist kickback forces. Kickback forces can be controlled
by the operator, if proper precautions are taken.
• When blade is binding, or when interrupting a cut for any reason, release the
trigger and hold 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 the saw teeth are not engaged into the material. If saw blade is
binding, it may walk up or kickback from the workpiece as the saw is restarted.
• Support large panels to minimize the risk of blade pinching and kickback.
Large panels tend to sag under their own weight. Support 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 blade. Unsharpened or improperly set blades pro-
duce 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 "Pocket Cut" into existing walls or other
blind areas. The protruding blade may cut objects that can cause kickback.
WARNING: ALWAYS USE SAFETY GLASSES. Everyday eyeglasses are NOT safety
glasses. Also use face or dust mask if cutting operation is dusty. ALWAYS WEAR
CERTIFIED SAFETY EQUIPMENT:
• ANSI Z87.1 eye protection (CAN/CSA Z94.3),
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