11 CUT-OUTS
Plunge cutting may not be possible in some hard materials.
Choose a suitable saw blade for hard materials and change to it. Set the depth of cut (See
"Setting the Cutting Depth" section), plug in the mains supply and then place the metal
base plate (18) onto the work surface. Ensure that the front indication mark on the base
plate aligns with the start line (See "Line Following" section).
Switch on the tool and wait for a moment for the blade to run up to speed. Next, plunge
the blade into the material slowly and gently, but firmly. Then push the tool forwards along
the line to be cut. (Never draw the tool backwards)
Once the finish line has been reached, lift the tool from the work surface before switching
off. If a lot of dust has been created, keep switched on for a few seconds extra to allow the
dust to clear from within the tool.
Cutting out tips:
12 CUTTING PARTICULARLY TOUGH OR ABRASIVE MATERIALS
Learn to use the tool by cutting wood before attempting to cut anything tougher. When cutting
tougher material, such as metals, more force is required to hold the work piece and clamping
may be required.
Never cut materials that produce toxic dust or fumes such as PTFE or asbestos.
12.1
Sheet metal:
Always set the depth adjustment to at least 1 mm deeper than the material thickness to
avoid the blade riding up over the surface. Scrap material is required underneath the work
surface.
Remove burrs and rust as these impede the feed across the material.
Thick beeswax (furniture polish) applied to the base plate of the tool makes metal cutting
easier.
Only suitable for cutting brass, copper, lead, aluminium or galvanised mild steel.
Every 2 minutes of metal cutting should be followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes.
12.2
Ceramic tiles, slates etc:
Only use a blade specifically designed for this purpose.
Always use with a suitable vacuum cleaner or dust extractor connected as the dust can be
hazardous to the operator and prevent the guard operating correctly.
12.3
Plasterboard:
The plunge saw is only recommended for making occasional cut outs in plasterboard and
always us it with a suitable vacuum cleaner or dust extractor connected. The dust can
prevent the guard operating correctly.
I.
If the cut is to be covered, for example by a vent cover, the
corners can be overlapped to ensure that the waste material is
completely detached.
II.
If the cut out is to be seen, do not overlap the corners. In this
circumstance, as the cutting blade is circular, the waste material
will not be fully detached. The corners will therefore, require
finishing with a knife. If the material is thin and the back surface
unimportant, the waste material can just be pushed out.
III.
Where there is access to the back surface of the material to be
cut, the cut out can be marked out with an over cutting allowance.
The cut is then made from the back surface to ensure perfect
corners on the front surface..
EN