Craftsman 315.108990 - Manual (Page 9)

OPERATION
SAW BLADES
The best of saw blades will not cut efficiently if they
are not kept clean, sharp, and properly set. Using a
dull blade will place a heavy load on your saw and
increase the danger of kickback. Keep extra blades
on hand, so that sharp blades are always available.
Gum and wood pitch hardened on blades will slow
your saw down. Use gum and pitch remover, hot
water, or kerosene to remove these accumulations.
Do not use gasoline.
BLADE GUARD SYSTEM
The lower blade guard attached to your circular
saw Is there for your protection and safety. It
should never be altered for any reason. If it
becomes damaged or begins to return slow or
sluggish, do not operate your saw until the
damage has been repaired or replaced. Always
leave guard in operating position when using saw.
A DANGER: When sawing through workpiece,
lower blade guard does not cover blade on the
underside of workpiece. Since blade is exposed
on underside of workpiece, keep hands and
fingers away from cutting area. Any part of your
body coming in contact with moving blade will
result in serious injury. See Figure 5.
KICKBACK
See Figure 6.
UNDERSIDE OF WORKPIECE Fig. 5
CAUTION: Never use saw when guard is not
operating correctly. Guard should be checked for
correct operation before each use. If you drop
your saw, check the lower blade guard and
bumper for damage at all depth settings before
reuse. Note: The guard is operating correctly
when it moves freely and readily returns to the
closed position. If for any reason your lower
blade guard does not close freely, take it to the
nearest Sears Repair Center for service before
using.
The best guard against kickback Is to avoid
dangerous practices.
Kickback occurs when the blade stalls rapidly and the
saw is driven back towards you. Blade stalling is
caused by any action which pinches the blade in the
wood.
A DANGER: Release switch immediately if blade
binds or saw stalls. Kickback could cause you to
lose control of your saw. Loss of control can lead
to serious injury.
KICKBACK IS CAUSED BY:
■ Incorrect blade depth setting. See Figure 6.
■ Sawing into knots or nails in workpiece.
■ Twisting blade while making a cut.
■ Making a cut with a dull, gummed up, or improperly
set blade.
■ Incorrectly supporting workpiece. See Figure 7.
■ Forcing a cut.
WRONG
Fig. 7
Cutting warped or wet lumber.
Tool misuse or incorrect operating procedures.