GB
Circular Saw Safety
Cutting procedures
a)
DANGER: Keep hands away from cutting area and the blade.
Keep your second hand on auxiliary handle, or motor housing. If
both hands are holding the saw, they cannot be cut by the blade.
b) Do not reach underneath the workpiece. The guard cannot protect
you from the blade below the workpiece.
c) 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.
d) Never hold piece being cut in your hands or across your leg. Secure
the workpiece to a stable platform. It is important to support the work
properly to minimise body exposure, blade binding, or loss of control.
e) Hold the power tool by insulated gripping surfaces only, when
performing an operation where the cutting tool may contact
hidden wiring or its own cord. Contact with a "live" wire will also
make exposed metal parts of the power tool "live" and could give the
operator an electric shock.
f) When ripping, always use a rip fence or straight edge guide. This
improves the accuracy of cut and reduces the chance of blade binding.
g) Always use blades with correct size and shape (diamond versus
round) of arbour holes. Blades that do not match the mounting
hardware of the saw will run eccentrically, causing loss of control.
h) 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.
Further Safety Instructions For All
Saws
Kickback causes and related warnings
– 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 the operator.
Kickback is the result of saw 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
arms to resist kickback forces. Position your body to either side of
the blade, but not in line with the blade. Kickback could cause the
saw to jump backwards, but kickback forces can be controllevd by the
operator if proper precautions are taken.
b) 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.
c) When restarting a saw in the workpiece, centre the saw blade
in the kerf and check that 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 minimise the risk of 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 line of
cut and near the edge of the panel.
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e) Do not use dull or damaged blades. Unsharpened or improperly set
blades produce narrow 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 sawing into existing walls or other blind
areas. The protruding blade may cut objects that can cause kickback.
Lower guard function
a) Check lower guard for proper closing before each use. Do not
operate the 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.
b) Check the operation 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 build-up of debris.
c) Lower guard may be retracted manually only for special cuts
such as "plunge cuts" and "compound cuts". Raise lower guard by
retracting handle and as soon as blade enters the material, the lower
guard must be released. For all other sawing, the lower guard should
operate automatically.
d) 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.
Riving knife function
a) Use the appropriate saw blade for the riving knife. For the riving
knife to function, the body of the blade must be thinner than the
riving knife and the cutting width of the blade must be wider than the
thickness of the riving knife.
b) Adjust the riving knife as described in this instruction manual.
Incorrect spacing, positioning and alignment can make the riving knife
ineffective in preventing kickback.
c) Always use the riving knife except when plunge cutting. Riving
knife must be replaced after plunge cutting. Riving knife causes
interference during plunge cutting and can create kickback.
d) For the riving knife to work, it must be engaged in the workpiece.
The riving knife is ineffective in preventing kickback during short cuts.
e) Do not operate the saw if riving knife is bent. Even a light
interference can slow the closing rate of a guard.
Additional circular saw safety
WARNING: Before connecting a tool to a power source (mains switch power
point receptacle, outlet, etc.) be sure that the voltage supply is the same as
that specified on the nameplate of the tool. A power source with a voltage
greater than that specified for the tool can result in serious injury to the
user, and damage to the tool. If in doubt, do not plug in the tool. Using a
power source with a voltage less than the nameplate rating is harmful to
the motor.
a) Do not allow anyone under the age of 18 years to operate this saw
b) When operating the saw, use safety equipment including safety goggles
or shield, ear protection, dust mask and protective clothing including
safety gloves
c) Hand-held power tools may produce vibration. Vibration can cause
disease. Gloves may help to maintain blood circulation in the fingers.
Hand-held tools should not be used for long periods without a break
d) Whenever possible, use a vacuum dust extraction system to control
dust/waste