Black & Decker MT1203BL Instruction Manual page 3

is released.
• NEVER hold piece being cut in your hands or across your leg. It is important to support
the work properly to minimize body exposure, blade binding, or loss of control.
• Hold tool by insulated gripping surfaces when performing an operation where the cut-
ting tool may contact hidden wiring or its own cord. Contact with a "live" wire will also
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 accura-
cy 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.
CAUSES AND OPERATOR PREVENTION OF KICKBACK:
• Kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched, bound or misaligned saw blade, causing 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.
a. 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 opera-
tor, if proper precautions are taken.
b. When blade is binding, or when interrupting a cut for any reason, release the trig-
ger and hold the saw motionless in the material into 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.
c. 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.
d. 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.
e. Do not use dull or damaged blade. Unsharpened or improperly set blades produce nar-
row kerf causing excessive friction, blade binding, and KICKBACK.
f. 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.
g. 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.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
ADDITIONAL SAFETY RULES: CIRCULAR SAWS
• Snagging the lower guard on a surface below the material being cut can momentarily
reduce operator control. The saw can lift partially out of the cut increasing the chance of
blade twist. Ensure there is sufficient clearance under the workpiece.
• When necessary to raise lower guard manually, use the retracting lever.
• KEEP THE BLADES CLEAN AND SHARP. Sharp blades minimize stalling and kickback. The
use of dull and/or dirty blades can increase the saw loading causing the operator to push
harder which promotes twisting.
• SUPPORT LARGE PANELS. Large panels must be supported as shown (Fig. 7) in this
manual to minimize the risk of blade pinching and kickback. Material supported only at the
ends (Fig. 10) will lead to blade pinching. When cutting operation requires the resting of the
saw on the workpiece, the saw shall be rested on the larger portion and the smaller piece cut
off.
• USE ONLY CORRECT BLADES AND BLADE ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS WHEN
MOUNTING BLADES. Do not use blades with incorrect size holes. Never use defective or
incorrect blade washers or bolts. Follow blade assembly procedures.
• ADJUSTMENTS. Before cutting be sure depth and bevel adjustments are tight.
• SUPPORT AND SECURE THE WORK PROPERLY. Insure that the material to be cut is
clamped and solidly supported and balanced on a strong, stable and level work surface.
Support the work so that the wide portion of the saw shoe is on the portion of the material that
doesn't fall after the cut is made. Never hold cut off piece by hand (Fig. 9 ). KICKBACK from
blade pinch can result. Keep both hands on saw at all times.
• STAY ALERT AND EXERCISE CONTROL. Keep body positioned to one side of blade.
Always maintain a firm grip and control of saw with both hands. Do not change hand grip or
body position while saw is running. Take precaution to avoid injury from cut off pieces and other
falling material during operation.
DANGER: RELEASE SWITCH IMMEDIATELY IF BLADE BINDS OR SAW STALLS.
GUARD AGAINST KICKBACK
• KICKBACK CAN BE CAUSED BY the saw blade becoming pinched, twisted or bound while
cutting, or when the saw stalls. When 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 cut and move suddenly back toward the operator.
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF KICKBACK
• Keep a firm grip on saw with both hands at all times.
• Stay alert – exercise control.
• Support long overhanging materials. As the material is cut and weakens, it will sag, causing a
pinched blade.
• Support large panels as shown (Fig. 7). Material supported only at the ends (Fig. 8) will lead to
blade pinching.
• Avoid sawing overhead. Material can sag and will pinch blade.
• Keep blades sharp and clean.
• Use fence or straight edge guide when ripping. Be careful as the cut off strip can sag or twist,
closing the cut and pinching the blade, leading to KICKBACK.
• Don't force tool. Wood variables such as knots, hardness, toughness, wetness, pressure
treated and freshly cut green lumber can heavily load the saw which can lead to stalling. Push
the saw slower when this occurs.
• Don't remove saw from work during a cut while the blade is moving.
• Allow saw to reach full speed before blade contacts material to be cut. Starting the saw with the
blade against the work or pushed forward into cut can lead to stalling or sudden backward
movement of saw.
• Never attempt to lift saw when making a bevel cut. This leads to blade binding and stalling.
• Always secure work to prevent workpiece movement during cut.
• Do not try to force saw back on line if your cut begins to go off line. This can cause KICKBACK.
Stop saw and allow blade to coast down to a stop. Withdraw from cut and start a new cut on
the line.
• Set depth adjustment of saw such that one tooth of the blade projects below the workpiece as
shown in (Fig. 10).
• Do not back up a rotating blade in the cut. Twisting the saw can cause the back edge of the
blade to dig into the material, climb out of the work and run back toward the operator.
• Avoid cutting nails. Inspect for and remove all nails from lumber before cutting.
• KEEP HANDS AWAY from cutting area. Never reach underneath the material for any rea-
son. Hold front of saw by grasping the contoured gripping area. Do not insert fingers or thumb
into the vicinity of the reciprocating blade and blade clamp. Do not stabilize the saw by grip-
ping the shoe.
The label on your tool may include the following symbols.
V ..........................volts
Hz ........................hertz
min ........................minutes
......................direct current
.......................... Class II Construction
..........................safety alert symbol
/min ..................revolutions or
reciprocations
per minute
3
A..........................amperes
W ........................watts
......................alternating current
n o ........................no load speed
........................earthing terminal